Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book, a Plantation Democrat elected in 2016, is trying to hold onto her seat after the makeup of Senate District 35 changed earlier this year through the once-a-decade reapportionment process. A survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Book has made her advocacy for preventing child abuse a top priority.
Florida
As Flagler Records Its First Case of Monkeypox, Florida and U.S. Cases Keep Rising
Florida is closing in on 400 monkeypox cases as of Friday, with the largest number of cases in South Florida and other urban settings. Flagler County recorded its first case this week. The United States is nearing 5,000 cases, more than in any country outside of endemic zones.
Paul Renner’s Stunning Attack on Green Energy Is Bad News for Florida’s Climate Change Challenges
Sea level rise is just the most obvious manifestation of our climate change peril. Yet Speaker-designate Renner has barely even mentioned that when talking about Florida’s future as he keeps raking in campaign cash from power and coal companies.
DeSantis and the Mis-Education of Florida’s Schoolchildren. With Test for Extra Credit.
Ron DeSantis wants the young ’uns educated with no unfair criticism of the Greatest Country that Ever Was. To that end, he’s bringing in a curriculum from Hillsdale College, a righteous institution where they love the Lord, the flag, and capitalism — not necessarily in that order.
Four School Boards Sued Over Enforcing ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Law, Charging Violation of 1st Amendment
The lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court in Orlando, seeks to block the school boards in Orange, Indian River, Duval and Palm Beach counties from carrying out the law (HB 1557), which restricts instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in classrooms. The lawsuit charges the law is unconstitutional.
Monkeypox Declared International Public Health Emergency; Florida’s 260 Cases Rank 3rd in U.S.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Saturday that the monkeypox outbreak that’s expanded globally is now a public health emergency of international concern. The Florida Department of Health shows monkeypox cases of 260 in 16 counties as of Saturday, none in Flagler.
Renner Embraces Anti-‘Woke’ Rhetoric and DeSantis Sees Red at GOP’s Sunshine Summit
Renner, who highlighted continued work to expand school choice, also said more attention is needed to address corporate pushes toward what are known as environmental, social and governance principles, which often include favoring investment in green energy over fossil fuels.
Florida’s 15-Week Abortion Ban Remains in Place as Appellate Court Signals It Will Uphold It
A split state appeals court has refused to reinstate a temporary injunction blocking enforcement of Florida’s new 15-week abortion ban, meaning Florida’s 15-week abortion ban remains in effect.
DeSantis Calls on ‘Moms for Liberty’ at National Summit to Fight ‘Leftist’ Agenda
Claiming that Florida schools are undergoing “leftist indoctrination,” a “leftist agenda,” and “sexualization of children,” Gov. Ron DeSantis called on hundreds of members of “Moms For Liberty,” gathered in Tampa Friday, to fight.
Why Can’t Florida’s Medical Pot Patients Buy Guns? Ag Commissioner Fried Challenges U.S. Law
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is relying on a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to support arguments in a challenge to federal regulations that make it illegal for medical-marijuana patients to buy guns.
Florida Moving toward Medicaid Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender People
The DeSantis administration moved toward banning gender-affirming care for transgender Floridians under Medicaid, meaning that treatments such as hormone therapy and puberty blockers may soon be out of reach for many low-income members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Florida Prisons Propose Cutting Family Visitations, Drawing Sharp Objections
Florida’s state-run prisons would be allowed to cut visitation with inmates in half to mirror staffing shortages. Advocates for inmates and their families object, saying visitation is a boon to inmate behavior and helps maintain family ties critical for the success of inmates returning to free society.
By Focusing Only on ‘Resilience,’ Florida’s Governor Ignores Climate Change’s Deadly Heat
“Resilience” is the word politicians use when they mean “climate change is an opportunity for me to hand out lots of big government contracts for construction work that will try to cope with rising sea levels.” But resiliency does nothing to reverse dangerous courses.
State Government Veteran Pete Antonacci Will Lead Florida’s Elections Police
The Legislature voted this year to create the office at DeSantis’ urging in a Republican-led push to ensure “voting integrity” despite the overall agreement that the 2020 election ran smoothly in Florida.
Gas Prices Falling Steadily, and May Continue to Fall Nearer $4 Mark as Recession Looms
Gas prices are not tumbling yet, but they’re falling, and they may continue to fall as oil producers increase production, supplies increase and fears of recession slow demand.
Contaminants Found in Oysters in Waters Around Florida
With a new state law addressing the clean-up of chemical compounds that have been widely used by industries, a Florida International University study says the substances have been found in oysters in Biscayne Bay, the Marco Island area and Tampa Bay.
State Quickly Appeals Abortion Law Ruling, Leaving New Restrictions in Place
A new Florida law blocking doctors from performing abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy remains in effect despite a Leon County circuit judge’s ruling that it is unconstitutional, as attorneys for the state swiftly appealed the decision Tuesday.
Contentious Education Laws Take Effect Today as Schools Grapple With Confusion and Unknowns
Florida state laws that went into effect today include measures that prohibit certain lessons in history from being taught, limit class discussions on matters involving the LGBTQ+ community, and even remove books from school libraries.
Leon County Judge Rules 15-Week Abortion Law Violates Florida’s Constitutional Privacy Protections
The law (HB 5) is set to take effect Friday. It will be in place for at least a few days before Cooper issues a written order. The state also quickly announced it plans to file an appeal, which would automatically freeze Cooper’s order and effectively put the law back into effect.
Seminole’s Judge Wayne Culver Faces 60-Day Suspension for Rude Courtroom Outbursts
Judge Wayne Culver became angry about interruptions, made inappropriate comments to a litigant, and in another instance was rude to a person entering the courtroom.
Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down Florida City’s Ordinance Banning Portable Signs
A federal appeals court Tuesday sided with a man who challenged a Fort Myers Beach ordinance that prevented him from carrying a sign with a Christian message on the town’s streets.
Attorney General and NRA Use New Decision to Challenge Under-21 Gun Restrictions
As they battle over a 2018 Florida law that raised the minimum age from 18 to 21 to buy rifles and other long guns, attorneys for the state and the National Rifle Association are trying to use a new U.S. Supreme Court ruling to bolster their arguments.
Republicans, DeSantis Among Them, Appear Willing to Lynch Democracy
The House hearings on the violent near-coup at the Capitol is the most exciting television since “Game of Thrones,” though with less sex and fewer beheadings. Since eight years of decent progress on social justice under Obama, it’s becoming clear something has gone very wrong with Republican brain-wiring.
DeSantis Vetoes Travis Hutson Bill That Would Have Allowed Business to Sue Cities and Counties
While the veto of the business measure (SB 620) drew praise from local-government and environmental groups, DeSantis left open the door for lawmakers to consider similar, but more targeted, legislation in the future.
An American Tragedy: The Roe Regression
In right-to-life theology, the woman’s right is non-existent. She’s a vessel. Pro-life? It might help us to look beneath our legal and social burquas once in a while. It’s not pretty, and it sure as hell isn’t nearly as moral or pro-life as you think.
Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade; Florida Ban on Abortions After 15 Weeks Starts July 1
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that established abortion as a constitutional right. In Florida, abortions after 15 weeks of gestation will be illegal starting on July 1.
U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Limits on Concealed Carry Laws, Expands Gun Rights
The court ruled that New York’s concealed carry law violates the 14th Amendment of the Constitution — a major decision that expands the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. The opinion came at the same time Congress is considering new gun control legislation following two deadly mass shootings.
Ex-Governor Candidate Andrew Gillum Arrested on Wire Fraud, Lying and Conspiracy Charges
A 21-count indictment, delivered by a grand jury this year and unsealed Wednesday, accused Gillum and a longtime adviser, Sharon Lettman-Hicks, of illegally soliciting and obtaining money from various entities “through false and fraudulent promises and representations that the funds would be used for a legitimate purpose.”
Seven Florida Plastic Surgeons Challenge ‘Brazilian Butt Lift’ Restrictions
Seven plastic surgeons are asking an appeals court to block a new state emergency rule that placed additional restrictions on procedures known as “Brazilian butt lifts.”
DeSantis Tells Boys State Participants Not to Indulge in ‘Phony Controversies’
Gov. Ron DeSantis let delegates to Florida’s Boys State convention in on what he sees as the secret of his success in office: He determined from the first to fully understand the extent and limits of his powers to enact his agenda, he said, and to take no notice of public opinion polls.
Gas Prices Fall Back Below $4.80 in Palm Coast as Oil Prices Continue to Drop
Prices remain high: $4.79 a gallon along guzzlers’ alley in Palm Coast–State Road 100’s Wawa, Shell, 7-11, Circle K and two RaceTracs, with Mobil the usual exception at 6 cents higher–and $4.85-a-gallon gas or higher at stations along Palm Coast Parkway. It still costs around $72 to $75 to fill up the average gas tank.
Ron DeSantis Weaponizes School Board Races with Ideological Survey
Among the questions for survey respondents: Whether they support “workforce education,” the Governor’s “increases in teacher compensation,” or the concept of students being “locked out of school or subject to forced masking.”
Juneteenth Is Not a Legal Holiday in Florida or in Most States
Long celebrated in the Black community as Freedom Day, Independence Day or Emancipation Day, Juneteenth is a time for get-togethers, picnics, concerts and reflection. Establishing federal and state legal Juneteenth holidays guarantees attention to painful United States history that is still unknown to many Americans, an annual assessment of racism in society, and celebrations of Black culture, history and achievement.
Influential NRA Lobbyist Marion Hammer, 83, Retires Into ‘Gunshine State’ Sunset
Hammer, 83, successfully shepherded a host of measures that helped to earn Florida the “Gunshine State” moniker and made it a launching pad for gun-related laws that later took hold throughout the country.
DeSantis Signs Law Lowering Specialty License Plates from 150 to 135
The license-plate bill (SB 364) will cut the maximum number of specialty plates at any one time from 150 to 135, while also making some changes related to the pre-sales of plates.
Flagler Unemployment Remains Below 3% as 530 More Residents Find Jobs
Flagler County added more than 600 people to its labor force, yet again breaking a record and grazing the 50,000 mark, out of a population of more than 115,000. The figures don’t distinguish between full time and part-time work.
Covid Outbreaks Hit 4 Flagler Nursing Homes as Infections Rise and DeSantis Derides ‘Jabs’ for Children
As covid infections from the Omicron-21 variant continue to rise in Flagler County, with significant outbreaks at four nursing homes, Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration were issuing conflicting statements about ordering vaccines for children under 5. DeSantis and his administration aggressively derided the option on Thursday, then backtracked somewhat on Friday.
DeSantis Administration Issues Proposed Ban on Medicaid Coverage for Transgender Treatments
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration moved forward Friday with a proposal that would deny Medicaid coverage for treatments such as puberty-blocking medication and hormone therapy for transgender people.
More States and Districts are Arming Teachers, But Research Is Lacking on Strategy’s Effectiveness
There is data on where and how armed personnel are used in school districts across the nation. There is less data on how effective that armed presence has been. That’s not a result of partisanship but simply a matter of fact: little systematic and peer-reviewed research has been carried out on the subject, and what little there is tends to lack the sort of rigor that can be the basis for sound conclusions one way or the other.
FPC’s Jack Petocz, Suspended in March, Is President Biden’s Guest at White House Signing of LGBTQ Order
Flagler Palm Coast High School senior Jack Petocz was among President Biden’s guests today at a White House Pride event and signing of an executive order extending protections to LGBTQ+ people. Petocz caught the White House’s attention after leading a walkout at FPOC to protest a new law discriminating against LGBTQ people. He was suspended for three days after the walkout.
Florida Court Rejects Attempt to Suppress Grand-Jury Report on School Safety
An appeals court Wednesday rejected attempts to block the release of information in a final report by a statewide grand jury formed to investigate school safety and other issues after the 2018 mass shooting at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Prison ‘Gain Time’ Case Roils Court as Sexual Offender Is Deemed Eligible for Early Release
Rejecting longstanding legal precedent, a state appeals court said Friday that a man convicted of attempted sexual battery on a child is eligible to be considered for early release from prison.
DeSantis Scraps Another Cabinet Meeting, Canceling State Business; Fried Calls It ‘Insult’ to Floridians
Gov. Ron DeSantis has cancelled a meeting of the Florida Cabinet again, prompting complaints from Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried that the governor is evading oversight under Florida’s unique executive branch mechanism.
DeSantis Defends Press Secretary Christina Pushaw, Who ‘Belatedly’ Registered as Foreign Agent
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday defended his press secretary, Christina Pushaw, after The Washington Post reported that Pushaw this week registered as a foreign agent because of previous work for the former president of the country of Georgia.
Democrats Seek Special Legislative Session on Guns, But Need 60% of Lawmakers to Back Bid
Florida lawmakers will have until 3 p.m. Friday to weigh in on a proposal by Democrats to hold a special legislative session on gun violence.
U.S. Supreme Court Sides With Florida Government Agency Against Family in Medicaid Dispute
Justices, in a 7-2 opinion, sided with the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration in a case that drew attention from officials across the country. They ruled that the agency could claim $300,000 of an $800,000 settlement a company paid a family after a 13-year-old girl was permanently injured bya company truck.
‘Our Democracy Is At Risk’: FPC’s Jack Petocz’s Winning Essay in ACLU Contest
Jack Petocz, who will be a senior at Flagler Palm Coast High School next fall, won First Place in the ACLU of Florida Volusia/Flagler Chapter’s first Annual “Cary Ragsdale Future Voter’s Essay Contest.” The award carries a $500 prize underwritten by FlaglerLive, and publication of the essay here.
Florida’s Relatively New Red-Flag Law Emerging as Model for Other States in Gun Debate
As a national debate rages over gun laws after last month’s mass shooting at a Texas elementary school, proponents of “red-flag” policies point to a Florida law as a model for states seeking to strip deadly weapons from people who could cause harm.
Mask-Up Again: Covid Patients Up to 13 at Hospital, Flagler Positivity Rate Above 21% as Cases Rise
Covid cases have increased for the 10th straight week in Florida, to just under 72,000 as of May 27, and have also increased in Flagler County, to 270 this week, up from 219 the week before, according to the Flagler County Health Department. The county’s positivity rate was 21.3 percent. Flagler is averaging 26 new cases per day. But there are glimmers that the surge is leveling off.
Bunnell’s Long-Awaited Commerce Parkway Survives Veto, as Does Barrier Island Sewer Project, But Not Ag Museum
Gov. Ron DeSantis issued $3.13 billion in vetoes Thursday as he signed a record $109.9 billion budget for the fiscal year that will begin July 1. For Bunnell, the $6.8 million allocated for long-awaited Commerce Parkway survived, as did an $8 million allocation for the barrier island’s septic-to-sewer project.