A massive storm over the Yucatan Peninsula may drench Florida over Memorial Day weekend, days before the start of another hurricane season.
Florida
Brushing Aside 1st Amendment Claim, Appeals Court Uphold Florida Ban on a Prison Magazine
Florida alone among 50 states bans Prison Legal News. Paul Wright, the publisher of the magazine, intends to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
FPL Will Reimburse Customers Modest Amount Following Overcharge For Matthew Recovery
For a residential customer who uses 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a month, the credit would amount to $3.18, to be credited in a future bill.
In Lawsuit, Pam Bondi Accuses Pill Manufacturers of Causing Opioid Crisis
Bondi filed a civil suit accusing five of the nation’s largest opioid manufacturers and four distributors of causing the opioid crisis that is killing an average 15 Floridians daily.
Court Upholds Shifting Burden of Proof to Prosecution in Stand Your Ground Cases
With backing from the NRA the Legislature in 2017 shifted the burden from defendants to prosecutors to prove whether self-defense claims are justified.
After Worst Harvest in 8 Decades, Florida Citrus Industry Is Losing Its Iconic Status
Florida’s overall citrus production for the current season to 49.65 million boxes, the lowest cumulative mark since the 1937-38 season, when 40.87 million boxes were filled.
ProPublica, WMFE and Orlando Public Library to Host Forum on PTSD in First Responders
First responders who are interested in sharing their stories are also invited to register for interview recording sessions.
No Move to Plug Budget Despite Warnings About Cuts to Prisons’ Substance-Abuse Programs
The Senate appropriations chairman said lawmakers aren’t planning to plug a $28 million budget gap at the Florida Department of Corrections until next year.
New Gambling Rule Would End ‘Designated-Player’ Card Games, Costing Millions
Florida gambling regulators’ rule could cost $50 million a year and hundreds of jobs, according to a lawyer representing several of the state’s cardroom operators.
State Objects to Anonymity of 19 Year Old Woman Seeking to Join NRA Lawsuit
Lawyers for Attorney General Pam Bondi asked a federal judge to deny the anonymity request, calling it unjustified, and open court proceedings more important.
Flagler Judge DuPont’s Fate in Supreme Court’s Hands As He Pleads For ‘Second Chance’
Flagler and Putnam Circuit Judge Scott DuPont, facing removal, filed his last pleading before the Florida Supreme Court decides his fate in the next few weeks.
Florida Prisons’ 40% Cut in Substance-Abuse and Mental-Health Treatment Draw Criticism
Some $7.6 million in substance-abuse services in prisons will be eliminated, Another $1.6 million will be cut in transitional housing services.
Supreme Court Unanimously Rejects Challenge to Red-Light Camera Enforcement
Justices said a local government could use a private contractor to review images — so long as a city officer makes the ultimate decision on whether to issue a ticket.
Florida Prisons Cut Drug-Rehab and Re-Entry Programs That Help Felons From Re-Offending
Florida’s prisons are slashing substance-abuse services, transitional housing and re-entry programs, the very programs that keep inmates from returning to prison.
Florida Woman Seeks Anonymity in NRA Lawsuit, Citing Potential Threats to Her Safety
The woman wants to join the National Rifle Association’s challenge to a new Florida law that made it illegal to sell guns to anyone under age 21.
Citing Net Losses Near End of 2017, Report Raises Questions About Job Growth in Florida
A new federal report cast Florida in an unusual role: as the state with the most net job losses, at least for the third quarter of 2017, contrasting with Gov. Rick Scott claims.
Don’t Ask Democrats To Fall On a Sword In Race Aiming To Flip Flagler Seat Blue
Despite Nancy Soderberg’s advantage, fellow-Democrats John Upchurch and Stephen Sevigny say they’ll let voters, not the Democratic Party, decide who should be the nominee in the congressional race.
With Sharpton Headlining, Rally Calls For Restoring Felon Rights After Stinging Court Defeat
The long-planned march followed a late-night ruling from a federal appeals court that gave Gov. Scott a victory in a bitterly fought challenge to the state’s voter-restoration system.
Florida Angling Closer to More Restrictions On Shark-Fishing From Beaches and Piers
Calls to restrict or ban shark fishing from beaches, piers and bridges led the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to direct staff to craft new rules.
Shot By Shot Recreation of Cruz Rampage Through School Highlights Commission’s First Day
The first meeting of a 16-member commission studying the Parkland school massacre included a chilling recreation of the shot by shot progression of Nikolas Cruz through the school.
At Flagler Beach Rally, Democrats Charge Blue Wave With Eyes on Flipping Congressional Seat
Congressional Democratic candidates Nancy Soderberg, Stephen Sevigny and John Upchurch all showed at Sunday’s Rally By the Sea by Flagler County Democrats.
16-Member Commission Will ‘Investigate System Failures’ in Parkland School Massacre
The commission will review Florida’s policies for dealing with “active assailants” on school campuses, with a comparison to “best practices” policies around the nation.
Judge Rejects Local Districts’ Challenge of Controversial Law Shifting Money To Charter Schools
The controversy highlights continuing tensions between local school districts and the state about oversight and expansion of charter schools, which are public schools but are often run by private operators.
Flagler and Florida Unemployment in Holding Pattern For Seventh Month In a Row
Flagler’s unemployment rate is at a healthy 4.1 percent, where it’s been, give or take a few decimal points, for seven months, with the state’s unemployment mirroring the holding pattern.
Florida Moves to Shut Down For-Profit Residence After Finding Horrific Abuse and Neglect
The move follows years of complaints that patients at a center for children with disabilities were violently mistreated by staff and subjected to physical restraints like straitjackets.
Scott Wants To Cut Medicaid Application Window From 90 Days To 30; His Savings Claims Are Challenged
The Scott administration’s cost analyses sometimes have not made sense to Medicaid experts or health and social-service providers in the trenches.
Voters Will Decide School Board Term Limits and Ending Local Control Over Charter Schools
Under current law, school boards operate and control public schools within their counties. That would end if voters approve a constitutional amendment.
Flagler Moves to Protect Public’s Use Of Beaches Ahead of Law Granting Property Owners Restrictive Rights
The new law allows beachfront private property owners to trespass the public from private beaches, something not allowed currently, and never done in Flagler.
Ballot Proposal Would Ensure Crime Victims Have Their Say in Plea Agreements and Sentencing
The proposal, which will need support from 60 percent of voters in November, would seek to ensure the rights of victims to receive information and provide input during criminal cases.
Felons’ Lawyers Accuse Scott and Cabinet of Foot-Dragging Over Judge’s Rights-Restoration Order
A federal judge who found the state’s vote-restoration process unconstitutional gave Scott and the Cabinet until April 26 to overhaul the process. They’ve done nothing.
Flagler Judge Scott DuPont Called “Unfit,” “Outrageous,” “Disturbing,” “Beyond Reckless” and Contemptuous of Law
A devastating 21-page opinion by a disciplinary judicial commission repeats in harsher language a call for Judge Scott DuPont’s removal, a recommendation going before the Supreme Court.
Cities and Counties Pushing Back Against State Law Limiting Local Gun Regulations
Local governments are challenging the 2011 “preemption” law, which bans them from imposing gun restrictions tougher than those in state laws.
Judge Says Cancer Patient May Grow His Own Pot Plants, Seeding New Front in Florida Marijuana Wars
The patient is forced to grow his own plants to make liquid treatment because the state hasn’t allowed any marijuana operators to sell whole plants to patients.
Sheriff Staly’s Heimlich Saves Elected Party Official’s Life at Candidate Forum
Sharon Demers, an elected Republican state committeewoman and a former candidate for school board, was choking when Staly successfully executed a Heimlich maneuver on her.
Court Rejects Curbs on “Deer Dog Hunting” in Florida Wildlife Management Area
Property owners sued the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission for not properly keeping hunters’ dogs away from their lands. They won, only for an appeals court to reverse the decision.
Trump Picks 5th District Court of Appeal’s Wendy Berger for Central Florida Federal Court
Wendy Berger serves on the Daytona Beach-based 5th DCA and was a Jeb Bush aide. Trump nominated her to the federal bench’s Middle District of Florida.
Trump Expected to Loom Over Nelson-Scott Senate Battle as Governor Announces Run
The Senate contest between Bill nelson and Rick Scott is termed a “proxy battle” about Donald Trump and a referendum by Floridians on Trump’s presidency.
Florida GOP Says It Can Fend Off Blue Wake and Keep “Trump Agenda Alive”
But Florida Republicans, gathering for a convention in Tampa, say they’ll need to increase turnout to retain congressional and legislative majorities and to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson.
12 Amendments Nearing Ballot, Including Bans on Offshore Drilling and Workplace Vaping, and Home Rule Overrides
The list includes 12 ballot proposals that incorporate 24 potential changes to the Florida Constitution. All of the proposals were initially endorsed by the commission.
Trial Day 2: Jury Hears Kim Weeks Insult Secretary of State and Others As Ken Detzner Sat in Witness Box
Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner was a star witness for the prosecution today, saying Kim Weeks recorded him without his permission. he then heard her call him a “dumb bastard.”
10 Florida Cities Challenge State Law Barring Local Governments From Passing Gun Ordinances
Elected officials from 10 Florida cities are challenging an NRA-backed state law that imposes strict penalties on local lawmakers for enacting gun ordinances.
New Law Gives Property Owners Right to Restrict Beach Access. Flagler Working On Protecting Public’s “Customary Use”
The new and unusual Florida law allows beachfront property owners the right to wall off or restrict dry-sand areas from public use, but Flagler government intends to protect that “customary use” despite the law.
Florida an Outlier on Restoration of Felons’ Right to Vote, Barring 1.6 million Off Rolls
Automatically restoring the right to vote for convicted felons in Florida could add between 600,000 and 1.6 million voters to the state’s voting rolls.
Superintendents Say Money May Not Cover All School Resource Officers Despite $100 Million
Superintendents are asking the state Board of Education for support in shifting money allocated to school marshals to the school resource officer program instead.
Gov. Scott Fuels Speculation About Senate Run By Tapping Brad Piepenbrink Again
The chief of staff announcement was made within minutes of social-media postings from the governor saying he will make a “big announcement” in two weeks.
“March For Our Lives” Draws 100 Along Palm Coast Parkway in Orange Echo of Global Student Movement
The Palm Coast demonstrators joined some 800 planned March For Our Lives protests across the globe today, calling for sensible gun control and a ban on assault-type weapons.
Florida Voters Denied Choice on Gun Restrictions as Constitution Commission Holsters Proposal
Floridians won’t have an opportunity to decide whether the state should ban semi-automatic weapons or have gun-related restrictions after the Constitution Revision Commission rejected attempts to debate the proposals.
Flagler’s Labor Force and Number of Job-Holders Jump to New Highs as Unemployment Falls
Flagler County’s labor force has grown by 42 percent since the recovery began in 2010, and more impressively, the rate of people holding jobs has grown 63 percent, by a net 17,500 people.
Proposal of 8-Year Term Limits For School Board Members May Head for November Ballot
School board members would be limited to eight years in office under a proposal that moved forward Wednesday in the state Constitution Revision Commission.
Nursing Home Industry Successfully Quashes Residents’ Bill of Rights
Florida Constitution Revision Commission member Brecht Heuchan withdrew a proposal that would have guaranteed rights to nursing-home residents and allowed them to sue facilities if those rights were violated.