The ethics complaint added to questions that dogged Gillum throughout his gubernatorial campaign about possible ties to an FBI investigation of Tallahassee City Hall.
Florida
DeSantis Rewards Friends With Appointments. Experience Must Wait.
Gov. Ron DeSantis’s appointments are a pile of mismatches in critical state agencies so far, reflecting a normal if immoral right of passage in Tallahassee, writes Nancy Smith.
Secretary of State Ertel Resigns on Revelation of Picture in Blackface Mocking Victim of Hurricane Katrina
Mike Ertel was the elections supervisor in Seminole County for eight months when he wore the bigoted Halloween costume to a party in 2005.
Lawmakers Again Trying to Ban
Red-Light Cameras Across Florida
As of December, 49 local governments in Florida had red-light cameras in operation, according to the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
In Restoration of Felons’ Voting Rights, Meaning of ‘Murder’ Becomes Stumbling Block
A new constitutional amendment grants “automatic” restoration of voting rights to felons who’ve completed their sentence, but it excludes people “convicted of murder or a felony sexual offense.”
With Carlos Muniz as 3rd Pick, DeSantis Touts ‘Newly Constituted’ Supreme Court
The appointment of Muniz, 49, solidifies a conservative majority on the court after years of justices regularly thwarting the Republican-led Legislature and the GOP governor.
Faced With Millions in Misused Money, UCF President Acknowledges ‘Broken Culture’
An investigation outlined $84.7 million in state operating funds that were used or slated to be used by UCF in direct violation of state policy.
Capping Weeks of Tension, DeSantis Scraps 46 Midnight Appointments by Rick Scott
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday rescinded 46 of the last-minute appointments former Gov. Rick Scott, now a member of the U.S. Senate, made in his final days in office.
Flagler Unemployment Ends Year at 3.9%, Florida at 3.6% As Tourism Spurs Jobs
Leisure and hospitality job gains led the way in 2018, with an increase of 45,800 jobs statewide, while Flagler’s labor force and number of people with jobs set new records.
DeSantis Poised To Liberalize State’s Approach to Medical Marijuana, Ending ‘Foot-Dragging’
DeSantis said his medical-marijuana announcement will deal not only with “the litigation” but also with “legislation that I think is needed to implement the people’s will.”
FPL Plans Vast Expansion of Solar Power Fields by 2030, Adding 11,000 MW of Capacity
FPL over the years has shifted away from using coal and oil to fuel power plants and relies heavily on natural gas, nuclear and, increasingly, solar.
DeSantis Appoints Robert J. Luck, Second Miami-Dade Judge in 5 Days, to Supreme Court
Last week, DeSantis appointed Barbara Lagoa, who had served as chief judge of the Miami-based appellate court, to the Supreme Court. Two of three vacancies are now filled.
Gov. Ron DeSantis Suspends Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, Charging ‘Neglect of Duty’
Israel, a Democrat first elected in 2012, has faced fierce criticism for his agency’s handling of the Parkland massacre that resulted in the death of 17 people. Israel vowed to contest his ouster.
To Travel the State, DeSantis Is Using King Air Plane FDLE Seized in a Drug Bust
Gov. Ron DeSantis, with a net worth of just over $300,000, doesn’t have former Gov. Rick Scott’s millions that allowed him to buzz around the state in his own plane.
DeSantis Names Barbara Lagoa, a Conservative Cuban-American, to Supreme Court
DeSantis’ selection of Lagoa, the daughter of Cuban émigrés, was the first of three Supreme Court appointments the new governor will make, following the mandatory retirement of three justices who comprised what had been the court’s more liberal-leaning bloc.
Was Elections Supervisor Brenda Snipes Treated Unfairly? Federal Judge Weighs Due Process
Brenda Snipes’ lawyers accused Gov. Rick Scott of trying to embarrass and humiliate the long-serving elections official. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker is hearing her lawsuit.
In Contrast With Scott, DeSantis Expected To Make Easier Access to Medical Pot a Priority
A new administration headed by DeSantis, who takes over as governor Tuesday, seemingly presents a friendlier stance toward medical pot than the administration of outgoing Gov. Rick Scott.
Transgender Inmate Spurs Appeal as Florida Prisons Seek to Deny Her Gender Identity
Inmate Reiyn Keohane contends that her rights have been violated at least in part because she has not been allowed to wear women’s undergarments and groom as a woman.
New Year Raises Florida’s Minimum Wage To $8.46 and Lowers Workers Comp Rates
Minimum-wage workers will start earning $8.46 an hour Tuesday, up from $8.25 an hour in 2018 — and more than a dollar above the $7.25 federal minimum wage.
2018 Roundup: For Florida, Another Massacre, Another Hurricane, Another Shift To the Right
Florida was struck by a hurricane for the third year in a row, was the site of yet another mass shooting, saw the end of the Supreme Court’s liberal wing and the election of a Donald Trump acolyte as governor.
Citing Company’s Tax Savings, FPL Customers Seek $736 Million Refund and Lower Rates
Florida Power & Light has asked state regulators to reject a petition that seeks to force the utility to refund as much as $736 million to customers and reduce base electric rates.
Florida School Enrollment Grows at
Slowest Rate Since the Great Recession
Florida has about 17,000 fewer students in its kindergarten-to-high school system than lawmakers anticipated this year, a new report shows.
Nine Charged With Animal Cruelty Toward Bears in 4 Counties, Including Flagler
Defendants posted videos of bears being chased and mauled by large packs of dogs after being lured with dog food, doughnuts, pastries and peanut butter in areas of Baker, Flagler, Marion and Union counties.
Broward Elections Supervisor Sues Scott, Calling Suspension ‘Malicious and Politically Motivated’
Suspended Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes has filed a federal lawsuit against Scott and Senate President Bill Galvano as she tries to regain her job.
State Board of Education Approves Appointment of Richard Corcoran as Education Commissioner
The appointment of Corcoran, who has scant education experience but a lengthy political resume, was all but assured when Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis announced his support for the former lawmaker.
T.K. Wetherell, Former House Speaker and Florida State President, Dies at 72
Wetherell, a Daytona Beach native, served in the House from 1980 to 1992, the final two years as speaker. He died of cancer.
Florida Supreme Court Clears Cops to Use Stand Your Ground Defense in Shootings
Stand your ground applies to “persons,” and “a law enforcement officer is a ‘person’ whether on duty or off, and irrespective of whether the officer is making an arrest,” the court ruled unanimously.
‘Culture Change’ Needed In Schools as Parkland Massacre Commission Finalizes Its Work
The panel will ask the Legislature to impose sanctions if school districts failed to put into effect some of the school-safety measures, including measures already required by law, such as active-shooter drills.
In Novel Argument, Constitutional Amendment Spurs Call for Stay of Execution
The arguments center on part of Amendment 11, which was approved by 62 percent of voters and which changed a more than century-old provision dealing with how revisions in criminal laws should be applied to older crimes.
Opposing Scott Court Cases, DeSantis
Signals Friendlier Approach to Medical Pot
DeSantis, a Republican who will take office on Jan. 8, is unwilling to continue some of the court battles now being waged by outgoing Gov. Rick Scott’s administration.
DeSantis Names Jared Moskowitz, a Democrat, as Florida’s Emergency Management Chief
Moskowitz will succeed Division of Emergency Management Director Wes Maul, who was appointed by outgoing Gov. Rick Scott last year.
Pushing For Charter Schools and Vouchers, DeSantis Will name Corcoran Education Commissioner
Corcoran, a lawyer and Republican from Pasco County, secured the passage of two major charter-school and voucher-friendly bills during his 2016-18 tenure as speaker.
Putnam Stays Out Fight Over Concealed Weapons Permits as His Office Goes to a Democrat
After the concealed-weapons permitting processed revealed serious flaws under Adam Putnam, attempts are afoot to move the process to state police, out of the agriculture commissioner’s purview.
Supervisors of Election Seek Answer on Amendment Restoring Felons’ Right to Vote
Florida officials don’t have a plan for how to carry out a constitutional amendment that restores the right to vote to more than a million Floridians convicted of felonies.
Calling Loss of Life a ‘Catastrophe,’ Judge Backs Revoking Nursing Home’s License
The deaths and evacuation of the Broward nursing home drew national attention in the days after Hurricane Irma, which made landfall Sept. 10, 2017 .
Leery of All-White Supreme Court, NAACP Demands Nomination Process Be Reopened
The call to Ron DeSantis came after revelations that the Supreme Court will not have a black justice for the first time in 36 years when Justice Peggy Quince leaves the bench on Jan. 8.
Hurricane Season Shakes Up Florida
For the Third Year In a Row
Michael didn’t affect as large of an area in Florida as Hurricane Matthew, which ran up the East Coast in 2016, or Irma, which traveled the state from the Keys to Jacksonville in 2017.
Florida Supreme Court Will have No
Black Justice For First Time in 36 Years
None of the nine candidates from whom Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis will select three justices is black, although six of the original 59 applicants were African-Americans.
Shortlist of 11 Young Ultra-Conservatives Lined Up for 3 Florida Supreme Court Seats
Ron DeSantis will pick from the list to replace liberal justices Barbara Pariente, R. Fred Lewis and Peggy Quince, who have reached retirement age. All nominees were GOP appointees.
Court Sides With Two Central Florida Counties on Juvenile Justice Costs Owed By State
The case — and earlier litigation involving counties and the department — is rooted in a law that involves counties and the state sharing juvenile-detention costs.
Now That Voters Have Restored Felons’ Voting Rights, Is Case Against Florida Ban Moot?
A federal appeals court is questioning whether it needs to rule in a high-profile case about how Gov. Rick Scott and the state Cabinet have handled requests to restore felons’ voting rights.
Emails May Be ‘Disgusting,’ But Judge Dismisses Part of NRA Lobbyist Hammer’s Lawsuit
A federal judge said Hammer was not threatened and the ugly emails she received are protected by the First Amendment. She received emails she objected to from three other men.
It Won’t Be Like Medical Pot: Senate President Pledges Not to ‘Slow-Walk’ Amendments
Galvano said of amendments from restoring felon rights to limiting gambling that the “people have spoken,” and “I want to make sure we are being true to the intent of the voters.”
Nelson Concedes as Scott Wins Senate-Seat Recount With 10,000-Vote Margin
Scott, a two-term Republican governor, held a 10,033-vote edge — or 0.12 percent — over Nelson, a Democrat who was seeking re-election to his fourth six-year term in the U.S. Senate.
Divided Supreme Court Signs Off On Process to Replace Three Justices
In a 4-3 decision, the court held that the Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission was acting within its authority to conduct a process that resulted in 59 judges and lawyers applying to replace justices Barbara Pariente, R. Fred Lewis and Peggy Quince.
DeSantis Wins Governor’s Race (Again), Manual Recounts For 2 Other Statewide Races
Ron DeSantis maintained almost his exact lead over Andrew Gillum after a machine recount. Manual recounts are ordered for the Scott-Nelson and Fried-Caldwell races.
No ‘Remedy In the Dark’: Federal Judge Rejects Nelson Bid To Extend Recount Deadline
The ruling could resolve questions about whether the recount process will move forward and whether official election results will be certified Tuesday as scheduled.
Nature Is Dying. Florida Is Sinking. Are Republicans Up to the Challenge?
A string of recent hurricanes reminded Floridians they don’t have to look across the country to see climate change in action. But the GOP continues to be in climate-change denial mode.
As Nelson Charges Interference, Scott Will Step Down From Canvassing Board
Democrats have alleged that Scott has improperly tried to use his authority as governor to influence the recount, which could decide his political future.
Voters in 3 Red States Approve Obamacare’s Medicaid Expansion, Bringing Total to 36
Florida under Gov. Rick Scott repeatedly blocked Medicaid expansion, which provides benefits to all adults earning up to 38 percent above the federal poverty line, an annual income of $16,753 or less.