The Florida House voted along party lines to approve a redistricting plan for itself and asked the state Senate to go along amid lingering uncertainty over the fate of congressional redistricting generated when Gov. Ron DeSantis got involved.
Florida
House Set to Vote on Plan to Scrap School Board Salaries
A bill that would eliminate salaries for school board members and increase scrutiny of the way public-school instructional materials and library books are chosen is now primed for consideration by the full House.
After 1,000 Manatee Deaths in a Year, Groups Sue to Upgrade Federal Protections
The Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife and the Save the Manatee Club filed the lawsuit in federal district court in Washington, D.C., against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
New Flood Maps Show US Damage Rising 26% in Next 30 Years
Despite recent devastating floods, people are still building in high-risk areas. With population growth factored in, the increase in U.S. flood losses will be four times higher than the climate-only effect. Deep inequities define who has to endure America’s crippling flood problem.
League of Women Voters President Blasts Florida’s Shackling Voting Law on 1st Day of Trial
League of Women Voters of Florida President Cecile Scoon testified Monday in federal court that Florida’s new election laws — adopted in 2021 Senate Bill 90 — makes voter-registration drives, voting by mail, and rendering basic assistance to voters in line needlessly difficult, resulting in voting suppression.
Secret College Presidential Searches in Florida Would Open the Way to Corruption, Nepotism and Cronyism
Once again, certain legislators want to exert more control — not less — over the thoughts, actions and beliefs of local Floridians who are seeking higher education to improve their lives and the lives of their families.
In Latest Union-Busting Move, Lawmakers Would Bar Payroll Deductions for Dues
A House panel began moving forward Thursday with a controversial proposal that would make changes for public-employee unions, including preventing workers from having dues deducted from their paychecks.
Are Lawmakers Seeking to Censor Discussions of Race and Gender in Classrooms and the Workplace?
With such things as critical race theory and sensitivity training targeted, much of the debate and public testimony centered around the bill’s effect on schools and whether it would curtail frank discussions about United States history and race.
Dismissing ‘Slippery Slope of Censorship,’ GOP Senators Back Stricter Scrutiny of School and Library Books
The proposal (SB 1300) would change the review process for books and other learning materials, adding requirements and making it more open to the public but also enabling regular purges of book lists to align them with standards or if the books are considered out of date.
Except in Schools, Omicron Wave Crests in Flagler and Florida as Officials See End to Emergency
An end to the pandemic has been predicted before, especially after vaccines began rolling out, only for delta to obliterated those premature hopes. But several factors are converging in an indication that this time the crisis stage may well be on the wane, to be replaced by more routine infectious-disease management strategies.
Patient, Beware: Florida Among States Still Pushing Ineffective Covid Antibody Treatments
Unethically and deceptively–since it gives patients a false sense of security–several states, Florida among them, are still pushing the costly monoclonal treatments — often charging hundreds of dollars a session — that public health officials now say are almost certainly useless.
Jacob Oliva, Still a Flagler Resident, Is One of Three Finalists for Miami-Dade Superintendent
Jacob Oliva, senior chancellor of education and a former superintendent of Flagler County schools, is one of three finalists for superintendent in Miami-Dade, the nation’s fourth-largest district. The nine-member Miami-Dade school board will interview him for the job, along with two other candidates, on Monday.
Federal Judge Slams UF Over Muzzling Professors: ‘Stop Acting Like Your Contemporaries in Hong Kong’
In a scathing ruling Friday, Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker blocked the University of Florida from enforcing a controversial conflict-of-interest policy that gave school administrators discretion over allowing professors to serve as expert witnesses in litigation.
House GOP Wants Lower School Board Salaries and Higher Scrutiny of Library Books
The proposal (HB 1467) approved by the House Education & Employment Committee in a 13-7 vote Thursday would require schools to post information about the selection of books and instructional materials on their websites.
GOP Lawmakers Back Prohibition on Innumerable Ballot Initiatives
Florida voters in recent years have approved high-profile initiatives about issues such as raising the minimum wage and broadly legalizing medical marijuana. Such initiatives would be barred in the future if the House proposal is ultimately approved.
After Emotional Testimony in 1st Hearing, GOP Lawmakers Back 15-Week Abortion Ban, 12-6
The vote on the abortion-ban bill proposed by Florida Republicans came following emotional, angry and passionate words in the audience and at the subcommittee meeting table, where lawmakers had to make decisions based on dramatically opposite views.
Land of the Free: Sing the National Anthem or Else, Florida Legislators Tell Sports Teams
Florida’s measure would prohibit government agencies from entering agreements with professional teams without written verification that the anthem would be played. Failure to play the anthem could lead to teams or venues being required to repay government money they received.
Actually, Y’All, Some of Us Would Prefer Facts with Our Politics
In the first speech of his 2024 presidential campaign, not-so-cunningly disguised as the “State of the State” address, Ron DeSantis declared, We have made Florida the freest state in these United States. He just hopes you don;t look behind the syrup.
Florida Legislators Are Stealing Money from Environmentally-Sensitive Lands Pot, Without Consequences
In 2014, 75 percent of Florida voters approved an amendment to the state Constitution that said the Legislature had to spend a certain amount of money buying environmentally sensitive land. Legislators have been illegally appropriating hundreds of millions of dollars away from the intended purpose of the amendment.
Federal Judge Ridicules UF Attorney’s Attempt to Smear Professors in Conflict-of-Interest Battle
In a fiery hearing Friday, a federal judge excoriated a lawyer for the University of Florida who accused political science professors of having “misled” the court in a lawsuit challenging the school’s conflict-of-interest policy.
Flagler’s Covid Cases Near 1,500 in a Week, Shattering Record Even as Peak Is in Sight; 3 More Deaths Bring Total to 288
Like most communities across the country, Flagler County this week shattered its weekly covid-infection total, with 1,469, exceeding last week’s record of 1,166, though emergency-care clinics’ numbers suggest that the region is near or at its peak of this latest wave, driven mostly by the astonishingly infectious but less lethal omicron variant.
Supreme Court Blocks Vaccine Mandates for Big Employers But Backs Mandates for Health Workers
After Florida and other states fought the plans, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday blocked a Covid-19 vaccination mandate for large employers while clearing the way for a requirement that health-care workers get shots to try to curb the virus.
Sen. Travis Hutson’s Bill Giving Business Power to Suspend Ordinances Through Suits Worries Local Officials
The Republican-controlled Senate Community Affairs Committee voted 7-2 along party lines to approve the proposal (SB 280), which would require counties and cities to produce a “business impact statement” before passing ordinances and to suspend enforcement of the ordinances amid legal challenges.
DeSantis Scripts State of the State’ ‘Freedom’ Rhetoric With Eyes on Re-Election and Presidential Ambitions
Gov. Ron DeSantis opened the 2022 regular session of the Florida Legislature on Tuesday by crowing that he has kept Florida “the freest state in these United States” during the Covid crisis and promising to continue to oppose a “coercive biomedical apparatus.”
Full Text: Gov. DeSantis State of the State Address
The prepared text of Gov. Ron DeSantis’s 2022 State of the State Address before the Florida Legislature as he opened the session. “We have 60 days to work together to build upon our rock of freedom,” he said.
Senate Panel Backs Change That Would Make Drug Overdose Prosecutions Easier
A bill that seeks to change the burden of proof in first-degree murder cases involving drug overdose deaths began moving through the Senate on Monday as the 2022 legislative session is set to kick off. The measure (SB 190), sponsored by Sen. Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford, was approved in a 7-3 vote by the Judiciary Committee.
DeSantis and Guthrie Admit to Expiration of Between 800,000 and 1 Million Covid Test Kits
Gov. Ron DeSantis and Kevin Guthrie, director of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, acknowledged Thursday that 800,000 to a million Covid tests had expired in a state stockpile, with the omicron variant spreading and residents facing long lines for testing.
Abortion, CRT, Elections Police, School Boards: 10 Issues to Watch in 2022 Legislative Session
With the Covid-19 pandemic continuing and fall elections looming, Florida lawmakers will start the annual 60-day legislative session Tuesday, with major issues including potential abortion restrictions, a $100 billion budget, prohibitions on teaching critical race theory, more elections policing, and other ideological issues that may give the session a retro feel.
In Contrast With Last Year, Legislative Session Will Open Next Week Without Covid-Safety Restrictions
During the 2021 session, the Senate sharply restricted public access to try to prevent spread of Covid-19. For example, people who wanted to speak before Senate committees had to go to the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, a few blocks west of the Capitol at Florida State University, and appear through a livestream feed.
Private Universities Switch to Remote Learning as Covid Surges, But Florida’s Public Universities Will Not
Several private colleges and universities such as Harvard, Howard, Stanford, Syracuse and Northwestern plan to resume classes in a virtual setting for at least part of the spring semester. So far, none of Florida’s public universities are making that transition, despite concerns from faculty union leaders that officials aren’t making the right decisions to protect campus communities throughout Florida.
Flagler’s Omicron-Led Covid Infections Surge Toward Record as DeSantis Sees Schools and Business as Usual
Infection numbers are surging across Florida, but in a 50-minute news conference this morning, Gov. Ron DeSantis and Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo not only projected a business-as-usual approach, but said testing protocols will be revised toward less testing, with testing and treatment focused on higher-risk patients, while schools are to remain open and operating under previously relaxed guidelines that de-emphasize quarantines, masking and distancing.
Florida’s 1st Time Unemployment Claims Now at Pre-Pandemic Levels
If unchanged, the estimate would be the fewest number of claims for a single week since another holiday-shortened week in late December 2019 and would put the average of new claims over the past four weeks at 5,347.
University System Officials Urge Vaccinations and Return to Masking As Spring Semester Nears
Saying it is “clear the pandemic is not over,” top university system officials are asking students and employees to wear masks on campus and get booster shots to protect against Covid-19 as the spring semester prepares to start.
Proposal Would Lead to Surveillance Cameras in Every Classroom, and Teachers to Wear Microphones
School districts could adopt policies that lead to installing cameras in classrooms and requiring teachers in the classrooms to wear microphones, under a Florida House proposal filed this week. Local school boards would have to vote on the proposal–and pay for it.
DeSantis Tells Cops He Won’t Treat Them as Political Tools as He Distributes Bonus Checks in Campaign Video
The short ad, posted Sunday to DeSantis’ Facebook feed, features footage of recent appearances in which the Republican governor merged his political role with campaigning, flanked by cops and political supporters.
Election Police, Gas Tax Cut, Cryptocurrency, Deportation: 10 Things DeSantis Wants in 2022 Session
Gov. Ron DeSantis recently released a $99.7 billion budget blueprint for the 2022 legislative session and has touted a series of other proposals. Here are 10 of DeSantis’ priorities — big and small — for the session, which will start Jan. 11.
10 Florida Political and Entertainment Figures Who Died in 2021
From political and legal trailblazers to longtime education and corrections leaders, here are 10 people who died in 2021 after leaving marks on Florida politics, government, the courts–and entertainment.
Gov. DeSantis Seems Hellbent on Taking Us Back to the ’60s — the 1860s
Gov. Ron DeSantis likes to call this the “Free State of Florida.” If he hasn’t yet wrapped himself in the Tenth Amendment or threatened secession, it’s only because he’s been too busy playing soldiers, organizing his private battalion, rewriting the past, and trying to destroy democracy.
Biden Names Nancy Abudu to 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, 1st Black Woman on Bench that Hears Florida Cases
Pointing to an effort to ensure diversity in the court system, President Joe Biden on Thursday nominated Southern Poverty Law Center attorney Nancy Gbana Abudu for a seat on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which hears cases from Florida, Georgia and Alabama. Abdu is the daughter of immigrants from Ghana, a graduate of Columbia University and Tulane University Law School.
Proposal to Let Death Row Inmates Represent Themselves on Appeal Sparks Sharp Opposition
The proposal, which was released in May, has spurred opposition from a wide range of groups that argue Death Row inmates are not qualified to represent themselves in the often-complicated proceedings, including many inmates who have mental illnesses.
Florida Department of Education Removes LGBTQ Resources. Nikki Fried Provides Her Own Instead.
Advocates complain that removing resources for LGBTQ students is the latest attack on LGBTQ Floridians by the DeSantis administration. Earlier this month, the department scrubbed dozens of informational links from its webpage on “Bullying Prevention.”
Environmentalists Threaten EPA with Lawsuit Over Pollution Killing Manatees in Mass Numbers
An environmentalist coalition has served notice of its intent to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency unless it intervenes with state regulators to halt the release of pollutants into the Indian River Lagoon, where endangered Florida manatees are undergoing an historic die-off.
Continuing a Pre-Covid Trend, State College Enrollment Continues To Shrink Sharply
The steady decline of college enrollment in Florida began long before the coronavirus pandemic. The system now has about 100,000 fewer students than it did at the height of enrollment a decade ago. The 2010-11 academic year had an enrollment of 375,292 college students.
Angela TenBroeck, Marineland Mayor and 4th Generation Farmer, Is Florida Woman of the Year in Agriculture
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried named Marineland Mayor Angela TenBroeck, an innovator of sustainable and innovative farming techniques, Florida Woman of the Year in Agriculture. TenBroeck is CEO of a 30-acre aquaponics farm in East Palatka and heads the non-profit Center for Sustainable Agricultural Excellence and Conservation.
Florida Lawmakers’ Proposals Would Require National Anthem at Games
The state Senate and House will consider a proposal that would require Florida professional sports teams receiving government assistance to play the U.S. national anthem before every home game.
DeSantis Wants to Deal With Florida’s Sea Level Rise Without ‘Left-Wing Stuff’
At his press conference in Oldsmar last week, DeSantis emphasized how much of the taxpayers’ millions the state was going to spend on “resilience.” That’s a politician code word for coping with the symptoms of climate change, but not doing anything about what’s causing it.
Florida Democrats Call on DeSantis to Declare Emergency Over Affordable Housing
The Democrats cite data from the National Low Income Housing Coalition showing 40 percent of middle-income households in Florida are “cost-burdened” in terms of housing expense and that 89 percent of poor households pay more than 30 percent of their monthly income for rent.
Federal Officials Drop Feud Over School Masking as Districts End Defiance and State Returns Money Owed
In early November, citing steep drops in local coronavirus cases, the last of the eight districts came into compliance with the health department’s rule aimed at preventing mask requirements. The state education department on Nov. 29, returned nearly $878,000 to districts.
Facing Record Exceeding 1,000 Manatee Deaths This Year, Wildlife Officials Seek Permanent, Effective Solutions
In 2017, manatees were upgraded from an “endangered” designation to “threatened” under the federal Endangered Species Act, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pointing to an increase in the manatee population and habitat improvements because of conservation efforts. That trend appears not to have lasted. The number of deaths this year is estimated to be about one-sixth of the population of manatees in the waters of the southeastern United States and Puerto Rico.
Judge Orders Walgreens to Turn Over Company Data on Opioid Profits in Florida
Pasco County Circuit Judge Kimberly Sharpe Byrd on Friday gave Walgreens until Dec. 31 to start turning over “financial information sufficient to show all rebates, discounts, chargebacks, coupon reimbursements and any other money back it received on opioids” it purchased or sold in Florida since 1996.