Florida lawmakers have introduced bills that would make Florida the 34th state to offer special protection to firefighters, but the measure faces obstacles in large part because of local governments’ opposition.
Florida
“I’m Against It,” Sheriff Manfre Says of Open-Carry as Bill Picks Up Momentum
Opponents of open-carry, including a number of Florida sheriffs, Flagler County’s Jim Manfre among them, warn that people who openly display guns could get hurt as a result, either by criminals or law enforcement.
Public School Testing Could Move Away From Statewide Exams as Lawmakers Study Fix
Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, is working on legislation that would allow schools to use tests other than the statewide standardized exams, which are used in some graduation and promotion decisions, teacher evaluations and school grades.
Florida Gibberish: Subbing Computer Coding For Foreign Languages Is Idea of a Yahoo
The bill in the Florida Legislature by an ex-Yahoo executive wanting to push computer science at the expense of foreign languages would worsen education, not improve it.
Judge Tosses Part of Amendment 1 Challenge, But Environmentalists Claim Success
A Leon County judge Thursday removed a major part of a lawsuit that contests how lawmakers decided to spend money that voters approved last year for land buying and preservation. However, an attorney for four environmental groups challenging the state’s spending called the ruling a victory. “We’re in this case,” said David Guest, managing attorney […]
In Light of Paris and San Bernandino, Smaller Cities Re-Evaluate Their Soft-Target Potential
People who don’t live in big cities typically viewed as likely terrorist targets may not think about terrorism affecting their communities or about devoting the resources to countering the possibility they could be hit. But they ought to.
Hunting Undocumented Immigrants,
Travis Hutson Discovers His Inner Jim Crow
Sen. Travis Hutson filed a pair of bills that would criminalize undocumented immigrants in Florida. The bills are unconstitutional, bigoted and unnecessary.
Transgenders in Flagler Schools: District Takes It Case By Case as State Scrutinizes More Than Nurtures
The state and, to some extent, Flagler County, have a long way to go to ensure that transgender students are treated not only fairly and equitably, but that the environment they face is more respectful than questioning, more welcoming than inhibiting.
Proposal Would Allow Students to Sub Computer Coding for Foreign Language Classes
Bill sponsor Jeremy Ring, a Margate Democrat who is a former Yahoo executive, said the proposal would give Florida students a “true leg up” in the increasingly tech-driven world.
Killed in House, Stand Your Ground Bill That Shifts Burden of Proof Lives Again in Senate
A proposal that would shift the burden of proof to the state in cases involving Florida’s controversial “stand your ground” law is poised to go to the full Senate.
Supreme Court Approves Congressional Districts; Flagler’s Stays Whole, Inching Left
The congressional district the Supreme Court approves keeps Flagler County whole, shedding Putnam and moving it south to take in more of Volusia County, which will help Democrats slightly.
Florida Protest Group Delays Rally in Light Of Terror Attack at Planned Parenthood
Orlando-based Florida Family Policy Council’s “Rally to Defund Planned Parenthood,” slated for Dec. 7 at the Florida Capitol, will take place in the spring instead, the council organizers said.
Proposal Would Force Cities, Including Bunnell and Flagler Beach, to Move Elections to November
Cities intend to fight a proposal now before state lawmakers that would take away their ability to set local election dates and could extend the terms of some current elected officials.
Hurricane Season Ends as Florida Escapes Direct Hit For 10th Straight Year
The current streak is made even more remarkable since Florida, with its 1,260 miles of coastline, has accounted for about 40 percent of hurricane landfalls on U.S. shores in that recorded time period, according to the National Weather Service.
Florida Picks 5 Nurseries to Grow and Distribute Medical Marijuana for Select Patients
Parents of children with severe epilepsy pushed for a 2014 law to legalize the purportedly non-euphoric marijuana — low in THC, high in CBD — as it can end or dramatically reduce life-threatening seizures.
Scott’s $79.3 Billion Budget Proposal Draws Criticism for Gimmickry and $250 Million Fund
The budget would cut taxes $1 billion, create a business fund and raise per-student funding but would still be $1,284 per student below the 2006, inflation-adjusted level.
The Politics of Resentment: Why Poorer Areas Are Increasingly Voting Republican
A political puzzle: Parts of the country that depend on the safety-net programs supported by Democrats are increasingly voting for Republicans who favor shredding that net. The reason: the poor don’t vote.
Conservatives Should Be Leading the Charge to Accept Syrian Refugees. We Have No Choice.
Doesn’t American exceptionalism demand that we lead where others have neither the will nor the courage? We have no choice. America gives sanctuary to those fleeing persecution, argues Nancy Smith. This is what we do and who we are. We’re the good guys.
Flagler Unemployment Falls to 5.9%, an 8-Year Low; Job Growth at 23.7% Since 2007
The number of people with jobs in Flagler has grown by 23.7 percent since 2007, even though the population has grown by just 13.6 percent, pointing to a relatively robust recovery.
Measure Allowing Guns on Florida College Campuses Heads for Likely House Passage
But the fate of the NRA-supported gun measure, vehemently opposed by university officials, still hangs in the Senate, where passage is less certain.
Trump in Florida Maintains Big Lead Over Rubio and Easily Beats Clinton in Latest Poll
Donald Trump has double the support of Marco Rubio, with Ben Carson a distant third, and would beat Hillary Clinton by 8 points in Florida Atlantic University Business and Economics Polling Initiative.
In Rare Defeat for NRA in Florida, Lawmakers Kill Broader Stand Your Ground Measure
A National Rifle Association-backed measure that could have made it easier legally for people to claim self-defense in shooting incidents failed to get through its first House committee on Tuesday.
Gov. Scott Orders DCF to Stop Aiding Relocation of 425 Syrian Refugees
Governors in Arizona, Arkansas, Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Ohio and Wisconsin have also announced they will refuse to accept any more Syrians.
Florida Wildlife Officials Call Bear Hunt a “Success,” Opponents Call It a Slaughter
Some 304 bears were killed in two days and few hunters cited for violations, but critics called it a slaughter, saying most of the bears were killed on private land, where state regulations could be more easily skirted.
Another Dire Forecast for Florida Oranges And Grapefruit as Citrus Greening Raids On
The industry has been trying to fend off a decrease in agricultural land because of development while also confronting massive losses from the spread of citrus greening.
Legislature on Defensive After Congressional Redistricting Fight Reaches Supreme Court
A key Florida Supreme Court justice sounded skeptical Tuesday about the Legislature’s proposal for a contested South Florida district in a battle over the map for the state’s congressional delegation.
Court Uphold 45-Year Sentence for Inmate Convicted of Rape and Robbery When 15
Continuing to grapple with decades-long sentences for juveniles who commit serious crimes, a divided state appeals court refused Monday to order a new sentence for Thomas Kelsey, now 28, but asked the Supreme Court to take up the question.
3rd Special Session Implodes as Senate Kills Redistricting Plan and Blames Fair Law
This time, instead of blaming each other, GOP leaders blamed a pair of voter-approved constitutional amendments that ban political gerrymandering in legislative and congressional redistricting.
Campus Gun Bill Advances in House While Opponents Pitch More Police Funding
If the aim of more guns is to prevent more rapes on campus, one opponent of the legislation said more police officers would provide better protection.
Angry With Liberal Court, Florida Lawmakers Propose Judicial Term Limits
The proposal comes after years of rising anger in the Legislature at members of the Supreme Court. With its more-liberal majority, the state’s highest court has emerged as the only major hurdle in Tallahassee to Republicans’ conservative agenda.
In Muted Appearance at Sheriff’s Opening, Gov. Scott Speaks of Unappreciated Police
Scott, his energy more Carsonesque than usual was as if upstaged by the pride and eagerness of local officials reveling in the new operations center and framing the occasion in touching personal stories.
Battered and Bewildered, Bush Seeks Florida Reboot in “Jeb Can Fix It” Campaign
Bush debuted the “Jeb Can Fix It” tour while acknowledging criticism that he’d given his advisers too much control and failed to gain traction on the national level.
Two Sisters and a Solar-Electric Boat, on a 9-Day Journey for a Cause on ICW, Dock in Palm Coast
Nancy and Paula Frainetti are spending nine days aboard a solar-aided electric boat from Miami to Jacksonville to raise awareness and money for breast cancer–and for electric boating.
At Disney, Florida Democrats’ Big Bash Draws Snubs from Clinton and Sanders
The candidates have “other fish to fry,” noted U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, when asked why Clinton and Sanders would ignore the convention in a winner-take-all primary state — and its 99 delegates.
House Pitches New Redistricting Senate Map, But Hutson’s District Would Still Shift South
Rep. Jose Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, said in a memo to House members that his proposal for the 40 state Senate districts was inspired in part by a plan floated by the League of Women Voters of Florida and Common Cause Florida.
In Defeat for Florida Carry Inc., Court Upholds UF Policy Banning Guns in University Housing
The appeals court rejected Florida Carry’s argument that the Legislature provided for gun possession in dorms as it does in homes. That leaves it up to lawmakers to change. There’s been movement in that direction.
Name-Calling on Florida Senate Floor Further Divides Republicans Over Leadership
Referring to Sen. Jack Latvala, Sen. Don Gaetz said, “when a bully throws a sucker punch, you hit back and never give in.” The fight is over the Senate’s helm.
Gov. Scott, Back in Flagler for 7th Time, Will Open Sheriff’s New Operations Center Tuesday
Gov. Rick Scott will mark the grand opening of the $5 million Sheriff’s Operations Center in downtown Bunnell, with numerous local elected officials at his side. He last visited Flagler more than a year ago, during a campaign stop.
Hutson’s District Boundaries Would Shed Putnam for Daytona But Leave Flagler and St. Johns Whole
Even Senate supporters of the map say they aren’t sure whether House leaders will accept the proposal before a redistricting special session ends next week.
Senate Bill Would Overhaul Florida’s Foster-Care Placements to Child-Centered Approach
The bill, aimed at reducing instability for foster children, would match children with their best placement options — rather than, as critics charge, the first beds that are handy.
Bear-Kill Quota Popped 5 Days Early:
Florida Officials Reassess Before Next Hunt
Florida Fish and Wildlife officials acknowledged the agency “underestimated the hunter success for the first day,” and said a number of scenarios from the planned week-long hunt — cut down to two days — will have to be factored into future planning.
Charlie Crist and His Convertible Wedding Dress: Perfect Fits for Washington
Based on all he’s done in the past, having gone from Chain Gang Charlie to Populist Charlie the freshman congressman is going to be a go-to guy for all the blues on the Hill, writes Nancy Smith.
No Sanctuaries: Undocumented Immigrants’ Fears Persist Even as Deportations Are Down
Immigrants’ fear can prevent them from cooperating with police, derail attempts to ensure that all drivers are licensed and endanger growth in areas looking to immigrants to help reverse population losses.
Seek Cover, Teddy: 3,500 Hunters Take Guns and Bows to Bears Across Florida
The hunt, which includes Flagler County, limits each permit holder to killing a single bear weighing at least 100 pounds and won’t exceed the overall 320 bears targeted for what the commission calls a “harvest.”
Supreme Court Clears Floridians for Solar Choice’s Ballot Initiative, Setting Up Battle With Utilities
The initiative has drawn opposition from a coalition including major electric utilities and has spawned a competing solar ballot proposal. That proposal, spearheaded by the group Consumers for Smart Solar, is awaiting a review by the Supreme Court.
NFL’s Dolphins Want $3 Million a Year in Taxpayer Subsidies, Daytona Speedway May Be Next
The Legislature created a new funding method for professional stadiums in 2014 in an attempt to reduce the lobbying from prior years for state money.
Corey Jones Killing by Cop Triggers Black Lawmakers’ Calls for Independent Review
Corey Jones, 31, a church musician whose car stalled on an Interstate 95 exit ramp early Sunday after a gig, was shot by a plainclothes officer in an unmarked car. Some lawmakers are calling for automatic reviews of all police-related shootings, among other safeguards.
Openly Displaying Handguns and Guns on Campus Bills Win Senate Panel Approval
One of the Florida Senate committees also supported a measure that might make it easier for people to claim they have stood their ground in self-defense when shooting others.
Regulators Again Approve Billing FPL Customers For Unbuilt, Unlicensed Nuke Plants
FPL will charge customers–including most of Flagler County power customers–$34.2 million for a pair of nuclear reactors that have yet to be licensed and may not be built until the end of the 2020s.
Citing Abuse, Cigna Pulls Out of Florida Health Marketplace, Affecting 30,000 Clients
Individuals can still enroll in a Cigna plan by seeing an insurance agent. But enrollment through the Marketplace, which begins Nov. 1, is the only way to obtain tax credits that subsidize the cost of premiums.