The Republican-controlled House passed a measure that would make every Florida student –in private school, religious schools or home-schooled–eligible for $8,000 in taxpayer-backed school vouchers, as Democrats and other critics slammed the expansion as a “coupon for millionaires.”
Florida
6-week Abortion Limit, With 15-Week Rape Exception Only If Women Prove They Were Assaulted
The new bills would allow abortions up to 15 weeks of pregnancy in cases of rape or incest, but they would require women to present documentation to prove they were victims.
Lawmakers Move Closer to Scrapping Unanimous Jury Requirement for Death Penalty Recommendations
The House Justice Appropriations Subcommittee voted 8-6 today to approve a bill (HB 555) that would eliminate a requirement for unanimous jury recommendations before death sentences can be imposed. Under the bill, judges would sentence people to death based on recommendations of eight of 12 jurors.
Ignoring Constitutional Cautions, Florida Lawmakers Seek to Make It Easier to Sue News Organizations
Ignoring arguments that the bill is unconstitutional, a House panel on Tuesday approved a controversial proposal that would make it easier for people to sue news organizations for defamation. The measure seeks to limit the “actual malice” standard that for decades has protected journalists writing about powerful government officials.
Campaigning in Iowa, DeSantis Says Culture War Offensive Will Help GOP Elections
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told Iowa Republicans Friday that standing strong in the culture wars around issues like education, criminal justice and health care in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic will help their party win elections.
Florida House Advances Proposal to Renew Medical Pot Cards by Telehealth
A Florida House panel on Thursday unanimously signed off on a proposal that would allow doctors to renew patients’ medical-marijuana approvals using telehealth.
Iowa Outdoes Florida’s ‘Parental Rights’ Abuses
GOP lawmakers pushing a “parental rights” agenda nevertheless think it’s just fine for gun owners to leave loaded weapons in cars in school parking lots, to loosen child labor laws, to cut unemployment benefits for parents with more than three children.
Vast Expansion of Public Funding of Private Education Heads for House Floor
A proposal that would make all Florida students eligible to receive taxpayer-backed school vouchers is headed to the full House, after getting some changes Friday. The Republican-controlled House Education Quality Subcommittee approved the proposal (HB 1) in a near party-line vote.
Lawmakers Seek to Cut Florida’s Abortion Ban to 6 Weeks, from Current 15
Much of the bills would be contingent on the Supreme Court effectively upholding the 15-week law. The current limit has drawn criticism because it does not include exemptions for victims of rape or incest.
Florida Lawmakers Fast-Tracking Bill Eliminating Unanimous Jury Requirements in Death Penalty
The House measure would require judges to impose death sentences if recommended by at least eight jurors. That differs from the Senate bill, which would require death sentences if at least 10 jurors recommend the death penalty.
His Sights Well Past Tallahassee, DeSantis Vows to ‘Swing for the Fences’
While the State of the State address is always a high-profile event in Tallahassee, DeSantis’ speech Tuesday drew national attention as he is widely expected to run for president in 2024.
‘Our Ambitious Agenda Is Well Underway,’ Renner tells Joint Legislative Session
House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, made remarks to the House on the opening day of the 2023 legislative session. Sheriff Rick Staly and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard were Renner’s guests.
No Evidence Links Wind Turbines to Whale Deaths, But Ship Strikes May
A string of articles from local and national outlets have linked wind development and dead whales over the past several months, but there is no evidence linking the two. On the other hand, there has been an increase in whale deaths linked to shipping strikes.
Florida Legislature Is Set to Push Sweeping Changes to Legal System, Favoring Business and Government at Individuals’ Expense
Paul Renner, the Palm Coast Republican and House Speaker, is enthusiastically leading a House that has lurched further to the right than under any administration in generations as the Legislature seeks to revamp the state’s litigation system, favoring businesses at the expense of individual consumers.
Jacksonville Republican Files Bill Targeting Public Sector Unions, With Exceptions
The bill would prevent public-employee union members from having dues deducted from their paychecks. Members would have to separately pay dues.
Florida Welcomes You. With A Growing List of Exceptions.
Florida doesn’t want you if you’re a lib. That goes double if you’re from California. But if you take pleasure in lib-owning, professor-kicking, book-burning, trans-torturing, forced birth and sanitized history, Florida welcomes you.
Lawmakers File Bills that Would Outlaw Certain Treatments for Trans Youths
The bills are the latest in a series of moves by lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration aimed at transgender people. Doctors who commit violations could either lose their license of face criminal charges.
Florida Bill Would Require Bloggers to ‘Register’ With State and Turn Over Financial Accounts
The bill, which has no chance of becoming law, would require bloggers who write about Gov. Ron DeSantis and other elected state officials to register with the government and provide monthly financial income reports. The National Review today called the bill’s GOP author a “moron.”
On Eve of Legislative Session, ACLU Warns of Brazen Attacks on Floridians’ Civil Liberties
The ACLU offered insight into multiple pieces of legislation on voting, LGBT, free expression and minority rights and they say, without a doubt, those bills will end up on the governor’s desk before the halfway point of this year’s session.
Matanzas Assault Case: A Miscarriage of Justice Hardens Before Our Eyes
The public reaction to 17-year-old Brendan Depa’s assault of Joan Naydich at Matanzas High School is mostly compassionate and balanced. The more strident reaction among elected officials–the State Attorney, school board members–is not not. Elected officials are not only exploiting the situation. They’re exploiting Depa. They want blood.
Teaching Heroic Musician Graham Jackson’s Story in Florida Could Now Be Illegal
Florida’s “anti-woke” legislation and the state’s recent rejection of the AP African American studies curriculum are well-known examples of a disturbing trend that attempts to criminalize exploring the stories of Black people such as Graham Jackson.
DeSantis’s New College Board Targets Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Elimination
The New College of Florida board, newly stocked with Gov. Ron DeSantis’s appointees, directed Interim President Richard Corcoran to eliminate the Office of Outreach and Inclusive Excellence, as members slammed DEI initiatives.
Florida Lawmaker Files Bill to Expand ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Through 8th Grade
A House Republican on Tuesday filed a proposal that would bar instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity through eighth grade, expanding a controversial 2022 law that prohibited such instruction in early grades.
Nikki Fried Will Lead Florida Democrats in Hopes of Stanching State’s Bleed to Red
Fried will face a momentous task: To bring more Democrats into the fold, increase the number of Democratic candidates who can win races, and bring back a Florida that is at least purple, not red in the political scene. And keep in mind that DeSantis is considering a presidential bid for 2024.
Latest Attack on Home Rule Would Enable Suspension of Local Ordinances Subject of Suits
A bill in the Florida Senate would require local governments to suspend enforcement of ordinances while lawsuits play out. Also, plaintiffs who successfully challenge ordinances in court could receive up to $50,000 for attorney fees and costs.
Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Migrant Flights After Legislative Fix
A circuit judge dismissed a lawsuit filed after Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration sparked a controversy in September by flying about 50 migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. The lawsuit became moot when the Legislature this month passed a law addressing the issue.
Plan to Expand Taxpayer Funded Private Education Advances as Democrats Sound Alarm
Florida House and Senate GOP lawmakers are fine with families of millionaires and billionaires utilizing public dollars to attend private schools, even if those families could afford private school costs and tuition.
Florida House Bill Targets Socially Responsible Corporations
The Florida House bill seeks to block government investment decisions involving “environmental, social and governance” standards, known as ESG.
GOP Bills Disrupting Trans Youth Care Are Sweeping the Nation Beyond Florida
Republican lawmakers in more than half the states are continuing a party-line push to restrict doctors and other medical providers from offering some gender-affirming health care to minors, even with parents’ consent.
Why Is DeSantis Protecting Our Kids from ‘Literature’?
Books are filthy. Yet liberals want your children to read them. Why? So your children will become drag queens, tree huggers, NPR listeners, Lizzo fans, soccer watchers, trans activists, vaccine takers, election denier deniers, AP class takers, and America haters.
Florida Justices Refuse to Block Killing of Donald Dillbeck, Convicted of Carjacking Murder
Justices refused to issue a stay of Dillbeck’s execution, whose death warrant was signed last month by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The killing, scheduled for Feb. 23, would be the first time a prisoner has been put to death in Florida since 2019. Dillbeck’s attorney say he is mentally disabled.
Judge Tosses Challenge to Law Restricting Gender and Sex Orientation Discussions in Class
U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor dismissed a revised lawsuit filed by students, parents and teachers, ruling that the plaintiffs had not “alleged sufficient facts” to show they had legal standing to challenge the law.
Lawmakers Pushing to Increase Homestead Tax Break at Local Governments’ Expense
A proposal to change the state’s Save Our Homes property-tax cap from 3 to 2 percent, significantly diminishing local governments’ revenue, cleared its first legislative committee on Wednesday, despite concerns that it might force counties to cut services or shift the tax burden.
DeSantis Suggests He May Get Rid of Advanced Placement Courses in Florida Schools
As a feud over an African American studies course continues between Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration and the College Board, the governor said Monday that Florida will “look to re-evaluate” its relationship with the organization.
Era of ‘Free’ Covid Vaccines, Test Kits, and Treatments Is Ending. Who Will Pay Tab Now?
Time is running out for free-to-consumer covid vaccines, at-home test kits, and even some treatments. Vaccine prices will be steep, as will covid treatments, and benefits will depend on insurance coverage even as many are poised to lose insurance because of new government rules.
Five Years On, Parkland Shooting ‘Feels Like Five Minutes Ago’
Five years after a mass shooting that shook Florida, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and Parkland remain inextricably linked to the ghastly day when a troubled teenager in less than four minutes killed 14 students and three staff members, injured 17 more and traumatized an untold number of children and families.
The DeSantis GOP Plan: Replace Public Education With Ahistorical Propaganda
By unleashing an avalanche of fear and legal absurdity into a struggling, underfunded system of public education, these far-right ideologues are in the process of crippling the learning process for tens of millions of the nation’s children.
Florida Health Boards Back Banning Treatment for Trans Youths
The Florida Board of Medicine and the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine on Friday refused to scrap new rules prohibiting doctors from using gender-affirming care for trans youths, after dozens of transgender men and women pleaded with them to reverse the treatment bans.
DeSantis Will Snag Some Control of Disney’s Reedy Creek District as Lawmakers Approve Scheme
Florida lawmakers Friday gave final approval to changes that would shift control of the Reedy Creek Improvement District from the Walt Disney Co. to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The GOP Culture Wars’ Deadly Impact on Working People’s Lives
Although Republicans claim they’re working in the interests of women’s health, 20 GOP state attorneys general seek to ban the abortion drug mifepristone. These pills are safer than penicillin or Viagra — and going through pregnancy and childbirth is far more dangerous to women’s health than abortion.
Affordable Housing Proposal Bans Local Rent Control Measures
A $711 million affordable housing package designed to address Florida’s affordable housing crisis was met with disapproval and ire by housing activists on Wednesday — they said the measure’s provision to ban local governments from enacting rent controls won’t help alleviate the problem.
Republican Lawmakers Prepared to Spend $10 Million on Migrant Expulsions from Florida
The Florida Senate on Wednesday likely will take up a plan that would bolster Gov. Ron DeSantis’ efforts to send migrants to “sanctuary” cities and states, as Republicans and Democrats battle over the issue.
Disney Would Lose Control of Tax District to Board Appointed by DeSantis
A legislative proposal introduced Monday in the Florida Legislature would rename the Reedy Creek Improvement District that has been controlled by Disney World in Central Florida for more than 55 years and replace it with a new board selected exclusively by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Dear Gov. DeSantis: Suppressing Black People Doesn’t Play Well Outside Fox Echo Box
Governor, we all know that you’ve stopped even pretending you’re not racist. But pitching hissy fits about gay people, drag queens, and black history ain’t a good look if you want to appeal to anyone outside the Fox swamp. RuPaul has one of the most popular shows in the nation.
Florida Supreme Court Strips ‘Fairness and Diversity’ from Judges’ Training Programs
Florida judges no longer will need to learn how to at least try to ensure “fairness and diversity” while applying the law under a rule change that the Florida Supreme Court has adopted by a nearly unanimous vote.
Recreational Pot Proposal Has the Signatures to Get on 2024 Ballot, But for Supreme Court Review
Backers of a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow recreational use of marijuana have passed a preliminary hurdle to get on the 2024 ballot, submitting more than enough petition signatures to trigger a Florida Supreme Court review of the measure.
DeSantis Aims to Scrap Higher Ed Diversity Programs and End Tenure as We Know It
DeSantis seeks to remove ‘ideology’ from college campuses, prohibit state funds from going towards critical race theory programs and diversity initiatives, have university presidents be more involved in faculty hiring, and end professors’ tenure was we know it.
Board Surrenders to DeSantis Pressure Against Black Studies High School Course
After state education officials rejected an Advanced Placement African-American studies course, The College Board on Wednesday released a new framework that appears to have dropped content that drew objections from the state.
Renner Proposal Would Allow Floridians to Carry Guns Without a Permit or Safety Class
Calling the proposal an effort to “remove the government permission slip,” House Speaker Paul Renner on Monday announced legislation that would allow people to carry concealed weapons without licenses or currently-required gun-safety classes.
Florida Crock: Say ‘Resiliency.’ Don’t Say ‘Climate Change.’
Resiliency in Florida is at best an illusion, and at worst a suicide pact between state and local governments. It’s wasted money and a scam on a catastrophic scale, because the state is in denial about global warming, refusing to do its part as one of the world’s leading polluters.