Lawmakers in Oregon considered a similar bill in February which would have restored voting rights to roughly 12,000 to 15,000 incarcerated Oregonians, but the effort failed for the second time.
Rights & Liberties
School Book Inquisitions and School Board Term Limits Head for Governor’s Signature
School board members soon could be limited to serving 12-year terms under a bill that is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis — but the measure also includes a controversial provision that would intensify scrutiny of school library books and instructional materials.
I’m a Christian Mom. I Love My Trans Daughter. The State Sees Me as an Abuser.
Texas Governor Abbott recently issued horrifying, unconstitutional orders directing our state’s office of Child Protective Services to investigate parents of transgender children for child abuse. The only one engaging in child abuse here is Abbott — and his equally cruel attorney general, Ken Paxton.
Bill Creating Elections Policing Squad, 1st of Its Kind in the U.S., Heads for Governor’s Signature
In part, the bill would create an Office of Election Crimes and Security in the Department of State. Also, it would require the governor, working with the commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, to appoint special FDLE officers to investigate allegations of election violations, with at least one officer in each region of the state.
Scorning National Outcry, Florida Senate Passes ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill in 22-17 Vote
The bill provides parents the opportunity to sue if a school district withholds certain information from them about their child’s well-being or if their child is exposed to instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity deemed not “age-appropriate.” That could mean everything from the very early grades to high school.
A Storied Gay-Pride Flag Doubles Down Outside FPC as Veterans Lead Protest of Student Leader’s Suspension
Military veterans from Key West and Washington, D.C., led a protest that drew 30 people outside Flagler Palm Coast High School at dawn today in protest of the school suspending student-leader Jack Petocz last Thursday after he led an anti-“Don’t Say Gay” walkout and distributed gay-pride flags. Petocz’s suspension ended today.
Senate Moves to Cloak in Secrecy Businesses and Drugs Connected with Florida’s Executions
The Florida Senate on Monday passed a measure that would more broadly cloak information about people and businesses involved with state executions and the drugs used for lethal injection, positioning the proposal for action by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
‘Handful’ of Students Suspended Up to 3 Days Following Thursday ‘Say Gay’ Walkouts and Fight Over Trump Flag
At least one student involved in a fight over a Trump flag that was deployed during the FPC suspension is among those who were suspended. The flag appears to have been deployed as a provocation of the students demonstrating, and was accompanied by taunts against the students, who were repeatedly called “faggots.”
Ukraine and the Fallacy of ‘All Lives Matter’
Every war brings out the best and the worst in human beings. Ukrainian resistance has been heroic and inspiring as Russia carries out its war crimes. But there’s also a strong element of bias at work in the public reaction. You know, the way a blue-eyed blond child gone missing will get page one sympathy while a missing Black child will be ignored.
‘We the People’ Are In Dangerous Territory
The state of the union is precarious because some of us have lost faith in democracy and have begun to flirt with other means to achieve political goals, other means to obtain and keep power, means based more on brute force and intimidation than on persuasion and compromise.
15 Year Old Charged With Hate Crime for Brutalizing Palm Coast Boy for Being Gay, at a Shelter
A 15-year-old Orange City boy was charged with a felony battery count after allegedly assaulting and brutalizing a 16-year-old Palm Coast boy while calling him a “faggot.” The incident, captured by surveillance cameras, took place at a secure SMA Healthcare facility in Daytona Beach. The victim was so severely beaten that his right eye was partially shut and he may have suffered a broken wrist.
Trump Just Endorsed an Oath Keeper’s Plan to Seize Control of the Republican Party
The “precinct strategy” widely promoted by Steve Bannon has already inspired thousands of Trump supporters to fill local GOP positions, intent on preventing a “stolen election” despite endless evidence that there’s been no such thing.
Beyond Ballot Suppression, Florida Lawmakers Are Shackling Voters’ Rights to Change Constitution
Floridians have relied on the ballot-initiative process in recent years to legalize medical marijuana, increase the minimum wage and limit the expansion of gambling in the state. Efforts like that may soon become much harder to pull off as Republican lawmakers aim to restrict the process.
Florida Senate Approves 15-Week Ban on Abortion, No Exceptions for Rape, Incest, or Human Trafficking
Late in the evening Thursday, amid tears, personal stories, and fears about women’s freedom, the Florida Senate approved a 15-week abortion ban for Florida, allowing the legislation to go to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk for his consideration.
A Parent’s Counsel to FPC Principal Greg Schwartz: Accommodate LGBTQ Students, Don’t Suspend Them
Randall Bertrand, the parent of an LGBTQ student who was at the forefront of the effort to protect gender-identity rights in the district, recommends to Flagler Palm Coast High School Principal Greg Schwartz how to diffuse the situation at FPC after the principal opted to suspend student-protest organizer Jack Petocz following today’s walkout protesting anti-LGBTQ legislation.
‘Say Gay! Say Gay! Say Gay!’ FPC Students Chant in Walkout Protesting Bills; Organizer Jack Petocz Is Suspended
Hundreds of students at Flagler Palm Coast High School staged a 12-minute walkout this morning to protest bills nearing passage in the Legislature that would silence educators’ freedom to discuss certain topics, including gender identity, sexual orientation and certain anti-racism themes. Jack Petocz, the organizer of the protest, was suspended after the event.
Following House, Florida Senate Poised Wednesday to Impose 15-Week Abortion Limit
After weeks of speeches and raucous protests, numerous votes in legislative committees and a full vote in the state House, Florida is at the endpoint for a decision on a 15-week abortion ban that doesn’t include rape, incest and human trafficking.
A Disgusted Sheriff Explains Why a ‘Drug Dealer Victim’ Won’t Be Charged in Home-Invasion Killing
Sheriff Rick Staly was clearly and explicitly appalled with having to call Danial G. Marashi a “victim” of the home-invasion and shooting on Dec. 29 at 8 Regent Lane in Palm Coast as he briefed reporters on the arrest of two other suspects. “This is the disgusting part of our job and the criminal justice system,” Staly said.
Think Twice Before Scanning That QR Code
Scanning a Quick Response, or QR code, is convenient and easy. And it is contactless, which can make people feel safer. But cybersecurity experts say QR codes also created new opportunities for fraudsters, who can tamper with them and direct victims to malicious websites to steal their personal and financial information.
Anti-‘Woke’ and ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bills Clear Florida House Following Emotional, Futile Debates
Yet two hotly-debated bills — HB 7, limiting conversations about racism and sexism in schools and at work, and HB 1557, restricting classroom discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity — were both passed by the House on near-party lines Thursday.
Dozens of Anti-Semitic Fliers Tied to ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ Appear in Palm Coast and Ormond Beach
The fliers, which authorities and the Anti Defamation League do not consider criminal, have been appearing at least since December in neighborhoods in Surfside, Miami, San Francisco, Denver, Las Vegas, Kenosha, Wis., Cartersville, Ga., towns in Texas, and California, according to press reports and a tally by the ADL.
Full Federal Appeals Court Re-Hears St. Johns Schools Transgender Bathroom Case
In a case with local and national implications, a previous, three-judge panel of the court had ruled in favor of the student who was denied use of the boys’ bathroom. The St. Johns school district appealed to the full court.
The GOP Is Using ‘Parental Rights’ to End Public Education as We Know It
The Florida GOP is using the Parents’ Bill of Rights to weaponize a minority of insurrectionist parents against schools, giving parents the right to violate privacy and autonomy where it counts most at school: between students and teacher. No wonder there’s a teacher exodus. It’s just what the GOP wants. Destruction from within.
Florida House Set to Take Up Bills Silencing Discussions of Race and Gender Identity
The Florida House, dominated by Republicans, is poised this coming week to pass two fiercely debated bills that would place restrictions on how issues about race, gender identity and sexual orientation are taught in public schools.
The GOP Is Now Openly Aligned Against Democracy
Majorities of Republicans report believing the ridiculous lie that the 2020 election was stolen — something not even GOP-led investigations have found a shred of evidence for. And an alarming 40 percent of Republicans now say violence against the government is justified.
A Flagler Palm Coast High School Student’s Message to Lawmakers: Stop Policing My Education
A spate of GOP bills in the Florida Legislature seek to sever the trust and safety inherent in the confidentiality of student-teacher discussions, putting the safety of students at risk and further accelerating an exodus of teachers and other education professionals from the profession at a time of critical teacher shortages in Florida.
Women’s Freedom and Autonomy? Not in Florida.
These magnanimous Republicans will allow women and girls to have control over their own bodies until the fetus inside them gets to be about the size of an apple. After that, ladies, you’re nothing but a “host body,” as former Florida House Speaker Jose Oliva famously said.
Sarah Palin’s Appeal of Libel Loss Could Set up Supreme Court Test of Decades-Old Press Freedom Rule
Before the 1964 Sullivan standard Sara Palin’s appeal could potentially overturn, the libel landscape in the U.S. consisted of a patchwork of state laws that made it easy for political figures to selectively persecute newspapers and public speakers who espoused opposing or unpopular views.
Proposed Florida Law Would Crack Down on Social Media ‘Pop Up’ Events
Authorities would be able to impound vehicles for days and double fines on noncriminal traffic infractions to crack down on large unsanctioned events put together through social media, under a measure heading to the Senate floor.
Florida’s New Elections Restrictions Are Driving Local Supervisors from Office
Some of the officials who supervise Florida elections are considering retiring under the threat of $25,000 fines if they make mistakes, according to testimony produced Tuesday in the federal trial over the GOP-dominated Legislature’s new voting restrictions.
Canada Should Be Preparing for the End of American Democracy
As Canada’s closest neighbor fractures at the seams and slides toward dangerous forms of authoritarianism, we should be deeply worried. The worst-case scenario in the U.S. — blood in the streets — isn’t necessarily the most likely, but we ought to resist the tendency to assign too low a probability to events that could have serious, catastrophic consequences.
Patriotism, Dissent, ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ and the NFL
Playing the national anthem at every game became a flashpoint in the 1960s. Today, the NFL’s promise to play the anthem at every game cuts both ways. For Super Bowl LVI, three songs performed by four Black American female vocalists will offer a musical suite of unity in the face of division.
What I learned From Watching More than 500 Jan. 6 Videos
The Jan. 6 insurrection was brutal, and no amount of spin and obfuscation will alter that truth. Hundreds of videos prove that violence did not just occur sporadically as an extreme expression of the crowd’s displeasure but rather dominated the mob’s collective energy. The full weight of the crime that occurred on Jan. 6 is hard for Americans to measure because it is hard to imagine it could have occurred in America.
The Jan. 6 Attack on the Capitol Was Not ‘Legitimate Political Discourse’
When Trump urged the Ellipse crowd to march to the Capitol and “fight like hell,” his words transformed an occasion of legitimate political discourse into an anti-democratic violent insurrection. The result was real physical violence.” Several people died and many were injured.
Shut Up, Floridians: Sweeping Bill Would Criminalize Protests Near Politicians’ Homes, Parks, Sidewalks
Protesters would be banned from picketing in front of the governor’s house, that of politicians or any residences. The prohibition would apply not only to private property but would extend to public parks, sidewalks and rights-of-way.
Whoopi Goldberg’s Holocaust Muddle
Whoopi Goldberg, co-host of ABC’s “The View,” set off a firestorm when she insisted on Jan. 31, 2022 that the Holocaust was “not about race.” Hands outstretched, she went on to describe the genocide as a conflict between “two white groups of people.” Her apology tour raised more questions about her views on race, antisemitism and the Holocaust.
‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Advances in Legislature as Speakers Are Told Not to Say Too Much
The bill allows parents to sue school districts if they are not privy to situations related to their children or if their students are encouraged to have discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity. Opponents fear the bill would bring a chilling affect to Florida classrooms regarding LGBTQ students, putting them at risk of bullying. Almost all who addressed a Senate committee today were opposed to the bill.
Palm Coast Boy’s Father Brutalizes His Son for Wearing Make-Up; 2 Felony Counts, But No Hate Crime Charge
Lomack J. Bennett, 33, was allegedly angered by his high school son wearing make-up and proceeded to slap him repeatedly, choke him, throw him to the ground and bust his lip, according to the boy’s account. He faces a child abuse “without great bodily harm” charge and a battery charge, but no hate crime charge.
Transgender Athlete’s Challenge of Florida Ban on Hold Pending Resolution of St. Johns Bathroom Case
U.S. District Judge Roy Altman last week issued a stay in the challenge filed on behalf of a Broward County transgender girl who is in middle school. The lawsuit contends that the ban, passed by lawmakers last year, is unconstitutional and violates a federal law known as Title IX, which prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs.
In Trial Over Florida’s New Voting Law, Past Suppressions at Ballot Box Reverberate Anew
Post-Reconstruction history, first-hand narrative and statistics have laid the foundation this week in a legal challenge to a state election law that plaintiffs say will curtail Black and Hispanic Floridians’ ability to cast ballots and register to vote.
Florida Judge Attacks Landmark 1st Amendment Decision Protecting Press as ‘Wrongfully Decided’
Judge Brad Thomas of the 1st District Court of Appeal wrote an 11-page concurring opinion that took aim at the Supreme Court’s 1964 New York Times v. Sullivan ruling, which, in part, required that public officials prove “actual malice” to prevail in defamation lawsuits. But the concurrence’s reasoning and citations lack context.
Sheriff Adds 160 Palm Coast Field Cameras at Parks and Other Facilities to Growing Surveillance Network
The Palm Coast City Council Tuesday voted to grant the Flagler County Sheriff untrammeled live access to the city’s 160 non-traffic surveillance cameras. Those cameras are not part of the sheriff’s license plate readers, which were installed a few years ago. The cameras in question in the latest agreement are all those located at city parks, City Hall, city facilities like its utilities department, including water and sewer plants, or public works department and other city-owned locations.
Facial-Recognition Technology’s Worrisome Government Uses
The U.S. stands at the edge of a slippery slope, and while that doesn’t mean facial recognition technology shouldn’t be used at all, it does mean that the government should put a lot more care and due diligence into exploring the terrain ahead before taking those critical first steps.
Dear Chairman Tucker: Don’t Appease School Board’s Crackpots
School Board members Janet McDonald and Jill Woolbright are directly and exclusively responsible for the board’s degradation into binges of deceit and zealotry. Until they have their third vote, it’s in Chairman Trevor Tucker’s power to re-assert the reality-based majority he speaks for. Anything less is appeasement–or complicity.
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.
FPC’s Jack Petocz Is Featured at Length in Page One New York Times Story on Schools’ Book Bans
Jack Petocz, the Flagler Palm Coast High School senior who organized last November’s protest against two local school board members’ attempt to ban books from school libraries, is featured today in a Page One New York Times article that examines a surge of attempted and actual book bans in school districts across the country, including in Flagler.
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.
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.
Retiring Nice-Guy Approach, Flagler County Will Sue 2 Flagler Beach Property Owners Over Dunes Project
Facing an ultimatum from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the county will sue two Flagler Beach property owners to secure beachside easements necessary to allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to proceed with a long-delayed dune-rebuilding project along 2.6 miles of beach in the city. The county had been threatening just such action for 15 months, but was hoping to avoid it.
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.