The dilemma: how to move to a block-tuition system without financially penalizing students while at the same time providing incentives for them to take enough courses per semester to graduate in four years.
Florida
Cops’ Dash-Cam Video Evidence Gets Big Boost in 5-2 Ruling By Florida Supreme Court
“We cannot expect officers to retain information as if he or she were a computer,” the court ruled, granting power to judges to review video evidence when available.
Scott’s $83.5 Billion Budget Seeks 3% Boost in Per-Student Funding and $618 Million in Tax Cuts
House Speaker Richard Corcoran has been a harsh critic of the governor’s plan to spend $85 million for business incentives and another $76 million to market the state’s tourism industry.
As Gov. Scott Announces His Budget, His Math Doesn’t Match Lawmakers’
Scott’s $2.8 billion surplus estimate makes some unlikely assumptions about how lawmakers will act when they return to the Capitol for the legislative session that begins March 7.
Federal Judge Dubious of Florida Law Requiring Abortion Counselors To Register
U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle repeatedly challenged an attorney fpor Attorney general Pam Bondi over the seemingly prosecutorial intent of the law, which penalizes those who don’t register.
In Flagler Again, Gov. Scott Issues $15.8 Million For Beach Fix in 4 Counties, $5.4M for Flagler
The $15.8 million is not necessarily new money but includes at least $5.3 million Flagler County has been lobbying for to rebuild dunes. Gov. Scott made the announcement at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park’s beach.
Florida House Democrats Walk Out on Immigration Leader Who Associates With White Nationalists
Krikorian’s Center for Immigration Studies has been linked to the white nationalist movement and has been the target of criticism from the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization that monitors hate groups.
Oil and Gas Lobby Fumes as Lawmakers Push for Total Fracking Ban in Florida
The proposal to ban fracking follows a heavy debate during the 2016 session about a measure that would have created a regulatory framework for fracking in the state. Flagler County passed a resolution asking for a ban.
Proposal to Shift “Stand Your Ground” Burden of Proof to Prosecutors Advances
The measure would shift the burden of proof from defendants to prosecutors during pre-trial evidentiary hearings in “stand your ground” cases.
Senate Bill Proposes Less Restrictive Approach to Florida’s Medical Marijuana Regulations
Under Sen. Rob Bradley’s bill, the state would add 20 marijuana operators, eliminate the minimum 90-day treatment before doctors can prescribe marijuana, and extend allowances to 90-day supplies for patients.
Public Schools Dealt Blows in Pair of Court Decisions Favoring Vouchers and Charters
One court decision upholds corporate tax vouchers for private schools, another diminishes the role of local school boards in deciding what charter schools may operate.
Continuing Year-Long See-Saw, Flagler Unemployment Dips Back Down to 5.4%
For the past 13 months, Flagler County’s unemployment rate has been stuck within in narrow band in the mid-5.5 percent range, bottoming out at 4.9 percent last May and peaking at 5.7 percent three times along the way.
2016 Sets Global Heat Record For 3rd Straight Year, Raising Alarms of Irreparable Threats
Central Florida felt the heat: Orlando’s temperature average for 2016 was 1.80 degrees above normal in 2016. From late November through December, it was 5, 6 and 7 degrees above normal day after day.
Stringent Rules By Florida Health Department Would Circumvent Medical Pot Amendment
The proposed rules would maintain current vendors’ stranglehold on the medical marijuana industry and give authority to the Florida Board of Medicine, not individual doctors, to decide which patients qualify for marijuana treatment.
Gov. Scott Appoints Greg Hansen, Local GOP Activist, to Frank Meeker’s County Commission Seat
Greg Hansen, 70, will fill the remaining year and a half on the late Frank Meeker’s term. He outflanked other local favorites who had included Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts and Larry Jones, an ally of County Administrator Craig Coffey.
Attention Florida Patients: You May Start Buying Your Pot Treatment in 90 Days
Florida’s top pot cop said today it’s up to doctors to decide to order marijuana for patients with eligible conditions, months before new rules are expected to go into effect.
Lawmakers File Bill to Ban AR-15-Like
Weapon Used in Orlando Massacre
Sen. Gary Farmer, D-Fort Lauderdale, and Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, announced they are sponsoring a proposal (SB 254) that would ban so-called assault rifles and “large capacity” ammunition magazines.
Attorney General Pam Bondi Downplays Speculation of Job in Trump Administration
Bondi has been rumored as a possible candidate to head the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, a position informally known as the drug czar.
Teacher May Be Disciplined But Not Fired Over Disparaging Transgender Student
An administrative law judge reversed the decision of the Lee County School Board, which had moved to terminate Angel Villanueva, a Junior ROTC instructor at East Lee County High School.
Only 20 Percent Of Americans Support Health Law Repeal Without Replacement Plan
More than a third of those said they would not want the law repealed after being told that some people with preexisting health problems would no longer be able to get insurance.
Another Emblem of Disarray for Florida Democrats: 12 Counties Have No Organizational Structure
In a state where presidential votes have decided by 1 percent margins, Democrats’ absence even in small counties point to a fatal weakness for the party.
In Bizarre Move, Court Stops Prosecutors From Seeking Death Penalty, Then Rescinds Order
The release of the Florida Supreme Court order, a mistake, according to a court spokesman, further muddled Florida’s embattled death penalty, on hold for nearly a year following a U.S. Supreme Court decision last January.
School Board’s Trevor Tucker Mulls Run for Tax Collector, Nate McLaughlin Eyes House Seat
School Board member Trevor Tucker confirmed he was considering a run for tax collector in four years, and if so would not run for school board again in 2018, while Commissioner Nate McLaughlin has his eyes on Paul Renner’s House seat in 2022.
Pot Amendment Goes Into Effect Amid Mass Confusion and “Dangerous Legal Area”
Proponents of Amendment 2 as well as some marijuana operators are demanding that the state health department provide adequate guidance to the industry about the proposal approved by more than 70 percent of Floridians in November.
Florida Ethics Commission Chairman Decries Vote to Eliminate Office of Congressional Ethics
If the Florida Commission on Ethics did not exist, its chairman argues, thousands of ethical violations and trespasses of good government would occur, continuing to diminish what little trust the people have left in government.
Eroding Florida’s Checks and Balances, One Bill at a Time
A Florida Republican lawmaker’s proposal to give the Legislature the power to invalidate any court’s decision would upend centuries of precedent and make a mockery of a balance of powers, argues Ben Hogarth.
Controversial “Best and Brightest” Teacher Bonus Pay Program Heading for Revisions
Under Best and Brightest, first approved by lawmakers in 2015, teachers who are highly rated and scored in the top fifth of the test results on the SAT or ACT, are eligible for bonuses of up to $10,000.
Striking at Balance of Powers, Florida Lawmaker Files Measures to Nullify Court Decisions
Gonzalez’s bills are a reflection of the Legislature’s latest assault on judicial power. But taking aim at separation of powers considered fundamental, if not sacred, to American government may be more of a partisan than a realistic exercise.
Knowing When To Shut Up: What Florida Gov. LeRoy Collins Could Teach Politicians
Had LeRoy Collins spoken of some things in public as he did privately, he’d be remembered not as Florida’s greatest governor but as a failure who was voted out after serving only the last two years of a deceased predecessor’s term.
Justice James E.C. Perry’s Last Dissent Denounces Florida’s Death Penalty
Justice Justice James E.C. Perry in a blistering condemnation of the death penalty in general rendered a blistering analysis of the manner in which capital punishment is carried out in Florida.
3 Flagler Death Sentences Among More Than 200 Invalidated By Florida Supreme Court
The invalidation of 55% of death sentences affect those of two Flagler double-murderers–William Gregory, of Flagler Beach, David Snelgrove of Palm Coast–and Cornelius Baker, who killed a woman in Flagler.
With Florida leading the Way, Obamacare Enrollment Jumps Despite Trump Threats
Despite the Affordable Care Act’s rising prices, decreased insurer participation and a vigorous political threat to its survival, consumer enrollment for 2017 is outpacing last year’s.
Help With Beach Recovery and an Additional County Judge Dominate Requests to Flagler’s Lawmakers
Post-Hurricane Matthew recovery occupied almost half the requests at the annual legislative delegation meeting Wednesday, when Flagler’s governments, non-profits, private associations and citizens submit wish lists to state lawmakers.
Florida Second Only to Texas in Gaining New Residents in 2015
Florida’s gain of 367,525 new residents topped California’s growth of 256,077 new residents; Texas led the nation with a gain of 432,957 people. Florida led the 10 largest states with a 1.82 percent annual growth rate.
Effort to Get Electoral College Away From Trump Fizzles as Florida’s 29 Votes Go All In
In Florida, the votes for Trump and his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, were never really in doubt. The slate of electors was made up of GOP stalwarts, from fundraisers to activists to elected officials.
In Tilt to Right Gov. Scott Appoints Appeal Court Judge C. Alan Lawson to Supreme Court
Lawson’s appointment to the Supreme Court reduces the influence of the liberal-leaning court majority, which has been made up of Perry, Chief Justice Jorge Labarga and justices Barbara Pariente, R. Fred Lewis and Peggy Quince.
Hurricanes Matthew and Hermine Damages Reach $1.59 Billion, A1A a Big Bite
By comparison the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research has placed damages from the 2004 hurricane season, in which four hurricanes hit the state, at $45 billion.
Flagler Unemployment Rate Ticks Up for 4th Month in a Row, to 5.7%, Florida’s Up to 4.9%
The streak in increasing unemployment is echoed by an equally suggestive streak: five straight declines in the number of house sales closing in Flagler County, going back to May’s post-recession peak of 259 sales.
Florida Chamber of Commerce and Business Groups File Suit Against Plan to Raise Minimum Wage
The chamber of commerce joined a retail and a restaurant association to fight a groundbreaking living wage plan adopted in Miami Beach, which could serve as a model for other local governments.
Palm Coast Council Talks As If It Wants To Be Pioneer in Medical Pot, But Post-Moratorium
In a radical departure from its previous incarnations, the Palm Coast City Council discussed medical marijuana in terms of economic development potential for the city as well as in line with its purported humane benefits.
Unlikely Alliance of Clergy and Pro-Choice Advocates Sue to Block Florida’s Abortion Law
Plaintiffs including rabbis, ministers and non-profits contend they don’t have medical training and aren’t qualified to offer information not spelled out in the abortion law.
Twelve Counties Get Money to Reduce Conflicts With Bears, But Flagler Is Not On the List
Volusia and Putnam counties will receive a combined $98,000. Flagler County will receive no grant. The announcement came six months after the Fish and Wildlife commission voted against holding a bear hunt this year.
Seizing on Orlando Murder Case, Justice Breyer Asks Court to “Reconsider Constitutionality of Death Penalty”
Justice Stephen Breyer characterized the death penalty as cruel and unusual in light of the case of Henry Sireci, 68, who’s been on Florida’s Death Row for 40 years and has yet again been cleared for execution.
Enrollment in Florida’s 28 State Colleges Plummets 13.5% as Economy Rebounds
The actual head count of state college students is about 780,000 this year, down from a peak of nearly 900,000 in 2010. More than 60 percent attend part-time.
Thrasher, at FSU, Pledges to Kill “Campus Carry” Gun Bill Again As He Did in 2011
The so-called “campus carry” bill, which in the past has been approved by the House, has already re-emerged as an issue for the 2017 legislative session.
Jacksonville Air National Guard Base a Finalist to Receive F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in 2022
The F-35 is the most expensive fighter jet–and weapon system–ever built. The program, now seven years behind schedule, has been mired in cost overruns, delays and performance failures.
Crime in Flagler and Palm Coast Continued Decline in 2016, But Violence Is Up Again
Overall crime declined in the first six months of the year but violent crime was on the rise again, with increases in murders (there were two in 2015), rapes, and aggravated assault.
Revealed: Florida Stockpiling Lethal Injection Protocol Never Used Before, Inviting Litigation
The new triple-drug cocktail would be the only one of its kind among the states that rely on similar procedures to kill prisoners, including a drug never used to that end before.
Refinancing Pushes State Debt Down to $24.1 Billion, But Rising Interest Rates Loom
State debt has declined since reaching a peak of $28.2 billion in 2010 due to several factors. Since taking office in 2011, Scott has remained largely opposed to borrowing money or issuing bonds.
Florida’s Death Penalty Law in Disarray, Supreme Court Throws Out Yet More Sentences
Signaling how it is likely to handle scores of Death Row cases, a majority of the Florida Supreme Court threw out death sentences and ordered a new penalty proceeding for a convicted triple-murderer.