New Year New Rules: A Peek into 2024 Florida Laws

Get ready for the new year and some  new Florida laws. Being a resident here in Cape Coral, I thought I should check up on the latest updates to the how-to guide for our everyday adventures... Okay, so that's how I like to refer to laws. Sound more fun that way. Right?

Up first we have SB 784, aka the 'Protect Our Loved Ones Act.' According to WTVJ, It's like giving our local cops a new superhero tool called the 'Special Persons Registry.' Imagine it as a safety net for those dealing with conditions like autism or Alzheimer's. Now, when the police meet someone with special needs, they can quickly check for crucial info to handle things better.

Next on the list is SB 1534, sorting out how we deal with folks before their court dates. Now, only a judge can decide how much cash someone needs to cough up to get out of jail before their trial. It also lays down the law statewide for bail, so no judge can go rogue. Certain people, like repeat troublemakers, might not get a free pass before their day in court.

When it comes to safeguarding our kiddos, SB 7056 is stirring the pot. Seven counties, Broward included, are passing the ball to the Department of Children and Families for child abuse investigations. It's like a tag-team with the state taking charge to keep everything in check.

For the camping enthusiasts, SB 76 is changing the game. Now, residents get first dibs on snagging spots at state parks, one month before the out-of-towners. Just flash that proof of being a local, and you're in!

Last but not least, Governor DeSantis is leveling up our road safety with HB425. It broadens the Move Over Law to cover all disabled vehicles. Drivers now need to smoothly switch lanes or ease off the gas by 20 miles per hour if they can't make the move. It's a move to dodge accidents and comes with a price tag if you play fast and loose with the rules. Just remember the Ludacris song, "Move *****  get out the way!!"

So, in 2024, Florida's got some new ground rules . Keeping peeps safe, playing fair, and maybe making camping a bit more thrilling.

Streaming giant Netflix has a lot of highly-anticipated movies to offer their subscribers. From comedies to grisly dramas, the streamer's January releases feature some of our favorite actors and producers. With the writers and actors strikes over, streamers and production companies are releasing projects that have been held off due to production being shut down in the latter half of 2023.

For Netflix, one of the streamer’s highest-profile new series, 3 Body Problem, was bumped out of 2023 and into 2024. This is the first post-Game of Thrones show from creators David Benioff and Dan Weiss, arriving in the Spring. The sci-fi drama has been in the works since 2020, starring Eiza González, Benedict Wong, and Game of Thrones alums John Bradley, Liam Cunningham, and Jonathan Pryce. Additionally, the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series is just as highly anticipated for fans of the beloved original Nickelodeon animated series. It will be coming to the streamer in late February.

Sofia Vergara stars as real-life Colombian cartel boss Griselda Blanco in a miniseries, looking completely unrecognizable. In it, she creates one of the most profitable cartels in history. With six episodes that are each an hour long, Griselda creator Eric Newman said Vergara was perfect for the role "not only because she, like Griselda, is a single mother who came to America from Colombia with nothing and built an empire, but because it was unexpected of her to do. Sofia has been thought of one way, a beautiful and brilliant comedic actress, and she is so much more than that."

For the movie fanatics, Netflix has a few standout films kicking off January alone. Another standout project is Society of the Snow, the harrowing story of the Uruguayan rugby team that crash-landed in the Andes mountains in 1972. Kevin Hart offers a new comedy in a heist film, and Dan Levy directs and stars in a dramedy titled Good Grief. Coming in March, Millie Bobby Brown stars in a fantasy action movie called Damsel. Later in the month, Lindsay Lohan stars in her second rom-com, Irish Wish. April brings Zack Snyder's sequel, Rebel Moon Part 2: The Scargiver.

Take a look below at the new additions that will be released in January 2024 on Netflix:

Spanish director J.A. Bayona’s thriller Society of the Snow debuts on Thursday, January 4. The film is the latest cinematic retelling of the miraculous story of the Uruguayan rugby team that crash-landed on a glacier in the heart of the Andes in 1972. The survivors join forces and become each other's best hope as they navigate their way back home, resorting to extreme measures to stay alive.

The following day on Friday, January 5, Netflix debuts dramedy Good Grief, written, directed, and starring Schitt's Creek's Dan Levy. In it, he plays a London-based artist who spends a year mourning his husband before making a startling discovery about their relationship on a trip to Paris with his best friends.

One week later on Friday, January, Kevin Hart stars in a plane heist comedy film called Lift. The story centers on Cyrus Whitaker (Hart), the leader of an international heist team who gets enlisted to steal $500 millions worth of gold from a mid-air passenger plane before the fortune ends up in the wrong hands. The ensemble cast includes Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Vincent D’Onofrio, Úrsula Corberó, Billy Magnussen, Jacob Batalon, Jean Reno and Sam Worthington.

Sofia Vergara will shock all her Modern Family fans as she dramatically shifts away from comedy with this miniseries. Debuting on the streamer on January 25, Vergara plays the ruthless Colombian “Godmother,” Griselda Blanco, who created one of the most profitable cartels in history. The six one-hour episodes come from the creators and executive producers of Narcos and has been described as a “cousin” to those two shows.