The bill would have afforded a measure of relief for Floridians already beset by bankruptcy, by giving them a little credit for equity in their primary vehicle. DeSantis voted no, claiming, ridiculously, that it would “incentivize” people to file for bankruptcy. But no one wants to file personal bankruptcy.
Florida
3 Republican-Appointed Judges Call DeSantis-Inspired Law Targeting Social Media Unconstitutional
Dealing a major setback to Gov. Ron DeSantis, a three-judge federal appellate panel of judges appointed by Republican presidents, including Donald Trump, on Monday ruled that a 2021 Florida law targeting social-media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter unconstitutionally restricts the companies’ First Amendment rights.
Appeals Court Sides with DeSantis on Elimination of Black-Access North Florida Congressional District
A court order issued Friday means that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ congressional redistricting plan, which dismantles a North Florida district likely to elect a Black candidate, will be used for this year’s primary and general elections, at least for now.
6,566 Permits Issued in Gator Hunt Lottery that Drew Record Applicants
A record number of applicants sought permits for alligator hunting this year, though they had to wait an extra day to find out if they won a lottery for the permits. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Thursday that 6,566 permits were issued from 19,358 applications submitted in a first round of permitting.
‘There’s a Lot of Covid Out There’: Virus Spiking Again in Flagler, But This Time Response Is Left to Individuals
Covid is back in force again in Flagler and Florida, and is on pace to be raging in the next few weeks. The public health response is vastly different than it was in the first two years of the pandemic, with a focus on a hands-off approach that leaves everything to personal choices while making a vast array of health measures freely available–if people choose to use them, and if they’re aware of them. Neither is necessarily the case, thus accelerating the spread of the latest variant.
Replicating Math Textbook Censorship, Florida Tells Publishers to Kill Social Justice and CRT in History Books
The department is accepting bids from companies through June 10 to provide social-studies books for a five-year period starting in 2023. The department posted to its website a 29-page document that lists criteria for what is expected to be included in the books — and what’s expected to be left out.
DeSantis Signs New Law Banning Protests Outside Private or Elected Officials’ Homes
Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed legislation providing for jail terms of up to 60 days and $500 fines for protesting outside the homes of public officials and private citizens — like what’s been happening to U.S. Supreme Court justices since the leak of a draft opinion reversing Roe v. Wade.
A Record 36 Million Tourists Visit Florida in First 3 Months of the Year, Beating Pre-Covid Numbers
Visit Florida, the state’s tourism-marketing agency, posted information Friday showing that 35.982 million people traveled to the state between the start of January and the end of March.
Three Conservation Groups Sue EPA Over Water Quality and Manatee Deaths
The Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife and the Save the Manatee Club filed the lawsuit Tuesday in federal court in Orlando. The groups are seeking to require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to re-engage in talks with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service about water quality in the Indian River Lagoon, which has been the site of numerous manatee deaths in 2021 and this year.
Federal Lawsuits Argues Florida’s New Limits on Ballot Initiatives Are Unconstitutional
Groups seeking to place proposed constitutional amendments on the 2024 ballot are urging a federal judge to reject the state’s arguments defending a law that prevents paying petition gatherers based on the number of signatures they collect.
Dueling With Florida GOP Sen. Rick Scott, Biden Says ‘the Man has a Problem’
Sen. Rick Scott earlier in the day called on Biden to resign because, he said, the chief executive is “unwell, unfit for office, incoherent, incapacitated and confused.” “I think the man has a problem,” Biden retorted after told by a reporter about Scott’s broadside.
DeSantis signs K-12 ‘Victims of Communism’ Bill then Rails Against ‘Marxists’ on Campuses
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law Monday a measure creating a “Victims of Communism Day” at Florida’s public schools, though much of the discussion centered around what state officials believe to be a rise in communist sympathies at Florida’s college campuses.
Abortion’s Last Stand: A Post-Roe Future Is Already Happening in Florida
Reports of harassment, disturbance and violence outside the state’s clinics are skyrocketing, while the federal law meant to protect clinics doesn’t cover the kind of tactics common today.
DeSantis Claims ‘Ideology’ Found In Rejected Math Texts. Reviewers Find Near-Zero Evidence of It.
Out of thousands of pages of responses by people it enlisted to review the texts, only one reviewer found that critical race theory constituted a large component of any of the books and only a handful found evidence that some “might” contain critical race theory, just as most reviewers found no social emotional learning.
18th Orbital Launch of the Year from Cape Canaveral, with 40 More Slated for This Year
Space Coast residents had a chance to wake up Thursday to the 18th orbital launch of the year from Cape Canaveral, as a SpaceX Falcon 9 topped with 53 Starlink internet satellites lifted off just before sunrise. Launch facilities might handle more than 40 additional launches before the end of 2022 from private companies, NASA and U.S. Space Force.
Florida’s New Abortion Law May Require ‘Extreme Measures’ to Ensure Women Can Legally Abort
A 15-week abortion ban in Florida takes effect July 1 and the highest court in the nation has signaled its support for overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade case. Florida’s abortion clinics and independent providers are already preparing for the 15-week ban, including out-of-state help from a network of clinics in abortion-friendly states.
Supreme Court Draft Repealing Roe v. Wade Intensifies Debate Among Florida Legislators
A leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision ignited a sense of urgency Tuesday among Florida Democrats while drawing praise from Republicans.
Policy Changes On Opioid Overdoses and Seizures Coming to Florida Schools
The new law exempts school district employees from civil liability if they administer an opioid antagonist to a student under Florida’s Good Samaritan Act. The law will go into effect on July 1, 2022.
College Students and Staff: Ignore the Voluntary but Autocratic ‘Viewpoint Discrimination’ Survey
Calling it the latest example of creeping authoritarianism, the president of the University of Florida’s faculty union urged students and employees to ignore the so-called “viewpoint discrimination” survey now required on Florida’s college and university campuses, in compliance with a law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Revamped Lawsuit Targets DeSantis’s ‘Intentionally Racially Discriminatory’ Redistricting Plan
In documents filed in federal court in Tallahassee, voting-rights groups and five individual plaintiffs alleged that the plan Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed through the Legislature should be blocked because it will reduce — or eliminate — the chances of Black candidates being elected in North Florida and the Orlando area.
It’s Not Just Florida: Here’s How Brits’ Right to Protest Has Been Restricted
Britain’s police, crime, sentencing and courts bill has become law after an extended period of back and forth between the House of Commons and House of Lords. From its conception, the bill has been extremely controversial, particularly because of the increased powers it hands to police to stop protests.
Ex-Democratic Minority Leader Sen. Gary Farmer Files to Run for Judge Instead of Seeking Re-Election
Sen. Gary Farmer, a Lighthouse Point Democrat who was ousted as minority leader at the end of the 2021 legislative session, filed paperwork Thursday to run for circuit judge in Broward County instead of seeking re-election to the Senate.
Gov. DeSantis Vows to Sign Law Allowing Open, Permitless Gun Carrying Before He Leaves Office
Citing some 25 states that have already done it, Gov. Ron DeSantis gave “constitutional carry” — allowing people to carry guns without concealed weapons permits — his full endorsement during a news conference on Friday.
State School Board Appoints Sen. Manny Diaz Jr. as Florida’s Education Commissioner, Replacing Corcoran
Diaz will assume the role June 1 and become the state’s first Hispanic education commissioner. In the meantime, Department of Education Senior Chancellor Jacob Oliva–a former Flagler school superintendent–will serve as interim leader of the agency.
DeSantis Vetoes Controversial Rooftop Solar Bill, Handing Victory to Environmental Groups
The bill (HB 741) dealt with a somewhat-wonky issue known as “net metering.” But it drew a fierce debate during this year’s legislative session, as supporters said the state needed to end subsidies for people with rooftop-solar systems and opponents contended the measure would cripple the rooftop-solar industry.
We Don’t Talk Enough About the Positive Side of American Racism and Genocide
The only dates that matter to real Americans are 1492, 1776, and 1980 (the year the Blessed Ronald Reagan ascended to the Oval Office). Don’t let these “woke” teachers even mention 1619: it’s all a damn lie.
DeSantis Signs Voting Restrictions Into Law, But State Suspends Enforcement, Complying with Court Order
In a notice to Chief Judge Mark Walker of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Secretary of State Laurel Lee said officials also would place a hold on provisions restricting use of ballot drop boxes to county election supervisors’ main or permanent branch offices used for early voting.
DeSantis Signs Disney-Punishing Bill, Would Shift Nearly $1 Billion in Debt to Taxpayers
If the special taxing district is dissolved, Disney’s nearly $1 billion debt obligations, revenues and responsibilities would be transferred to Osceola and Orange counties’ taxpayers and those of the small cities of Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake.
Say It Ain’t So, Jacob: Why Is Flagler’s Former Star Superintendent Drinking the Reactionary Kool-Aid?
Jacob Oliva went from being one of the most progressive, innovative and inclusive superintendents in the history of Flagler County to a shill, as one of two Florida senior chancellors of education, for the single most regressive, reactionary and just plain mean state departments of education in the nation. Something isn’t adding up.
DeSantis Signs Bill Restricting Discussions of Race and Gender in Workplace as Critics Call It Unconstitutional
The culture-war bill HB 7, described as “Individual Freedom,” restricts conversations about race and gender in schools and workplaces. State Sen. Manny Diaz Jr. was a Senate co-sponsor of the bill and voted for it. (He’s now up for the Florida Education Commissioner job.)
Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down UCF’s ‘Discriminatory Harassment’ Policy as Chilling Free Speech
The 38-page opinion by a three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals backed arguments by the group Speech First, which has represented students at universities in various parts of the country. Judge Kevin Newsom wrote that the UCF policy “objectively chills speech because its operation would cause a reasonable student to fear expressing potentially unpopular beliefs.”
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried Sues Feds Over Gun Restrictions for Medical Pot Users
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried on Wednesday filed a lawsuit challenging federal restrictions that can prevent people from buying and possessing guns if they obtain medical marijuana in Florida.
Snubbing Parental Authority, DeSantis Administration Now Targets Youth Transgender Treatment
The Florida Department of Health on Wednesday released guidance that said treatment such as puberty-blocking medication and hormone therapy should not be used for transgender youths, clashing with federal officials over the issue.
DeSantis Opens Special Session with Retaliatory Salvo Against Disney Over ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Stance
Ratcheting up a fight with Walt Disney Co., Gov. Ron DeSantis expanded a special legislative session to consider eliminating a decades-old governing district set up for Disney World and nearby properties.
Education Department Still Mum About Rejection of Textbooks as DeSantis Invokes ‘Proprietary Information’
After a high-profile announcement Friday about rejecting math textbooks submitted for adoption by the state, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Education are providing few details about how the books violated state academic standards.
Claiming ‘Indoctrination,’ Florida Education Department Rejects 41% of Math Textbooks Submitted
Friday afternoon heading into a holiday weekend, statewide education officials announced that they rejected 54 math textbooks out of 132 — that’s 41 percent — claiming that some of the materials attempt to “indoctrinate” kids with references to so-called critical race theory.
With Median Rent Now at $1,760 a Month, Tenants Across Florida Are Struggling to Afford Housing Costs
Florida’s rental market has become problematic for many families and workers battling to afford surging rent prices over the past two years, with median rent prices jumping from $1,340 in February 2020 (right before the pandemic) to just over $1,760 in February 2022, a 31.4 percent increase over two years, according to a new report by Florida TaxWatch.
DeSantis Signs 15-Week Abortion Ban Into Law During Quasi-Religious Ceremony
Gov. Ron DeSantis went to church Thursday to sign a 15-week abortion ban into law during a ceremony bearing many of the accoutrements of a worship service. The American Civil Liberties Union immediately promised to challenge the law in court.
Seven Years On, a Judge Signs Off on Legality of Florida’s 24-Hour Waiting Period for Abortion
After nearly seven years of legal battling, Judge Angela Dempsey issued a ruling Friday that upheld the constitutionality of a 2015 law that called for women to wait 24 hours after initial visits with physicians before having abortions.
DeSantis Signs Bill, Passed Unanimously in House and Senate, Addressing ‘Fatherhood Crisis’
A significant portion of the money earmarked for the program, about $32.6 million, will go toward funding grants aimed at assisting fathers. The grants will be targeted at issues such as helping fathers find employment, manage child support obligations and transition from a period of incarceration.
How Ron DeSantis Is Campaigning on Taxpayers’ Dime
Gov. Ron DeSantis traveled to the Florida Panhandle on Friday to dispense $23 million in infrastructure grants but spent the bulk of his time complaining about the Biden administration and culture war sore spots. During his 35-minute event in Port St. Joe, for example, the governor spent about seven minutes discussing the grants and handing out checks; the rest was politics.
Experts Predict 19 Named Storms and 9 Hurricanes This Season
Researchers have put forward a second above-normal forecast for the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season. Colorado State University researchers predicted 19 named storms, with nine growing into hurricanes, for the season that runs from June 1 to November 30.
Florida’s Latest Orange Crop Is On Track To Be Lowest Since World War II
With the latest sign of trouble for the industry attributed to a recent cold snap, the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday dropped its Florida orange forecast by more than 7 percent from the March update, pushing the decline since the first forecast was issued in October to nearly 19 percent.
New Laws Let Visitors See Loved Ones in Health Care Facilities, Even in an Outbreak
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill April 6 that will make it easier for people like White to see their loved ones in health care facilities. Before Florida, at least eight states had passed similar laws, and several others have bills under consideration.
Health Department Responding to Florida Outbreak of Meningococcal Disease That Causes Meningitis
Thus far, the number of cases identified in 2022 surpasses the 5-year average of meningococcal disease cases in Florida. Department of Health epidemiologists are investigating each case as well as contacting people with potential or direct exposure to known cases to provide them with information and treatment options.
More than 1,500 Books Have Been Banned in Public Schools. House Panel Asks Why.
From July 2021 to the end of March this year more than 1,500 books were banned in 86 school districts in 26 states. A report on book-banning in public schools found that of the banned books, 467 — or 41 percent — contained main or secondary characters of color; 247, or 22 percent, addressed racism; and 379, or 33 percent, of the books contained LGBTQ+ themes.
Borrowing Page from Trump, DeSantis Attacks Judge Who Doesn’t Rule His Way, Drawing Rebukes
Gov. Ron DeSantis and legislative Republican leaders unloaded at U.S. District Judge Mark Walker after he struck down key portions of last year’s voter suppression law. James Gustafson Jr., president of the Tallahassee chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), wrote an opinion piece defending Walker against the attacks.
DeSantis on Defensive After New York City Mayor Launches Campaign Against Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Law
Adams, a Democrat, invited Floridians to move to New York if they are in opposition to the recently signed legislation that critics say threatens LGBTQ people by prohibiting discussions on gender identity and sexual orientation in public school classrooms.
College and University Faculty Across Florida Tell Their Students: Ignore ‘Viewpoint Diversity’ Survey
In a Monday letter to its members by email, the United Faculty of Florida claims that the survey is unconstitutional; that many of the questions are “leading in nature,” and the survey itself poses a threat to higher education campuses by potentially chilling speech on campus.
Judge Again Rules Against Muezzin-Like Prayer Before High School Game, But Decision May Have Short Life
In a long-running legal battle, a federal judge has rejected arguments that the Florida High School Athletic Association improperly prevented Christian schools from offering a prayer over a stadium loudspeaker before a 2015 state championship football game. But the decision may have a short life depending on a U.S. Supreme Court’s decision by the end of June on a a somewhat similar case.