After receiving legislative approval last spring, a massive reservoir intended to help shift water south from Lake Okeechobee remains years away from reality, the head of the South Florida Water Management District said Wednesday.

A big factor in the timeline for design and construction of the reservoir is waiting for federal-government approval of its half of the roughly $1.6 billion project, district Executive Director Ernie Marks told members of the House Natural Resources & Public Lands Subcommittee.

After drawing widespread opposition from business and agriculture groups, a proposal to redefine legal standing for Floridians on environmental issues won’t go before voters in November.

The Judicial Committee of the Florida Constitution Revision Commission on Friday unanimously rejected the proposal (P 23), filed by commission member Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch, with opponents saying it was too broad.

Estimated insurance losses from Hurricane Irma have reached $7.2 billion, as more than 877,000 claims have been filed since the September storm, according to information released Monday by the state Office of Insurance Regulation.

Florida Republican leaders Saturday talked of the need to drown out media chatter amid predictions of Democratic gains in this year's mid-term elections and attacks on the GOP's unconventional president.

Tallahassee public-relations guru Kevin Cate has pushed Florida lawmakers the past couple years to acknowledge the existence of his alma mater, Alabama's Auburn University, through a specialty license plate.

(This is the third in a series of stories previewing issues for the 2018 legislative session)

When state lawmakers met during the 2017 legislative session, one of the biggest issues was a bill backed by Senate President Joe Negron to revamp how water flows in parts of South Florida.

Lawmakers aren't considering such a major piece of environmental legislation as they prepare for the 2018 session.

(This is the first in a series of News Service of Florida stories previewing issues for the 2018 legislative session)

U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, a Palm Coast Republican who continues to mull a bid for governor, drew Twitter praise Friday from President Donald Trump, who flew to Palm Beach for the Christmas holiday.

An increase in imported orange juice is anticipated by the Florida Citrus Commission to offset a decline in tax revenue from the state's hurricane-battered growers, who await congressional action on disaster relief.

The commission --- during a brief conference call Wednesday --- agreed to shift $556,147 from reserves to help cover the Department of Citrus' budget for the current fiscal year, with the transfer leaving a $682 negative balance. Taxes on citrus pay for the department's operations.