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Should wealthy golfer Tiger Woods’ kids be able to attend private schools on public dollars in FL?
The question of whether families of millionaires and billionaires should benefit from an expanded taxpayer-funded voucher program to send their children to private schools has become a sticking point as state lawmakers and even Gov. Ron DeSantis grapple with whether the very wealthy should qualify. In a House committee Friday, the debate centered on a […]
Some FL GOP lawmakers want school boards to be partisan; would there be consequences?
With the growing spotlight on school board races in recent years, some Florida GOP lawmakers want to see if voters think local school boards should be partisan — meaning school board members could be Democrats, Republicans, or another signifier of political alignments. For at least two decades, the status quo has been nonpartisan school boards. […]
FL teens shouldn’t start school too early; lawmakers want to do something about it
Almost half of public high school students in Florida start their school day before 7:30 a.m., despite years of studies showing later start times are better for teens. Now, lawmakers want to make changes to the school-day hours. House Speaker Paul Renner mentioned the issue during his opening remarks on the start of the 2023 […]
Opening day of session: Renner wants to defend ‘life’; Passidomo doesn’t mention abortion
On the first day of the 2023 legislative session, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo mentioned several legislative priorities for the Florida Senate, but she was mum on a crucial topic: further restrictions on abortion. Meanwhile, House Speaker Paul Renner made it clear that it will be the House of Representative’s goal to “defend the right to […]
FL university system under siege as state lawmakers convene for 2023 legislative session
Two years ago, a GOP Florida lawmaker wanted to discourage students from pursuing liberal arts degrees to promote more lucrative careers. It didn’t pan out, but there was far more to come: University of Florida professors were told they couldn’t testify in a federal court case. Lawmakers pushed through a bill to undercut tenure protections. […]
GOP lawmakers move to ban puberty blockers, hormone replacement therapies for minors
Just last month, Florida medical agencies banned minors for receiving gender affirming care. Now, GOP lawmakers want to make those prohibitions state law. Legislation filed on Friday would make it illegal for minors to receive gender affirming care, such as hormone replacement therapies and puberty blockers to anyone under the age of 18. The bills […]
It’s not clear when new abortion restrictions will show up in the 2023 session; Is that on purpose?
On the first day of the 2022 Legislature, Jan 11, 2022, then-Rep. Erin Grall, who has been at the forefront of abortion restrictions in Florida, suddenly filed a bill that would become Florida’s 15-week abortion ban. The Senate’s version was filed on that day as well. This year, it appears that the first day of […]
Transgender advocates fear FL legislation could ban or restrict drag shows
The longstanding LGBTQ+ tradition of drag shows, where performers dress in elaborate costumes that caricaturize or amplify gender performance to heightened levels for entertainment, may soon be under threat. A piece of legislation entitled “Protection of Children” was filed Thursday by Florida Sen. Clay Yarborough, a Republican who represents Nassau County and part of Duval […]
What’s next? An expanded ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill and restrictions on ‘preferred’ pronouns for kids
As the 2023 legislative session looms, GOP lawmakers are looking to expand the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law in Florida that earned national notoriety last year and restrict the use of “pronouns” for students and school employees. The LGBTQ community and civil rights advocates have already sounded the alarms over potential discrimination, censorship and cruelty […]
DeSantis’ trajectory of takeovers: Gov replaces FL board members with ‘extremist idealogues’
In mid-February, a Republican lawmaker made a quick change to a piece of legislation: Allow Gov. Ron DeSantis to take control of Florida’s high school athletics association, an organization that had been independent for a century. It wouldn’t be the first time DeSantis would take control over a state or local board, or another entity. […]
DeSantis family honors Black History Month following outcries, protests in FL state capital
Gov. Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis held a reception at the Governor’s Mansion Friday to honor Black History Month, just days after civil rights advocates marched to the Capitol and college students walked out of classrooms in Tallahassee to protest the DeSantis administration’s handling of a college-level African American studies course for Florida […]
College kids in FL capital ditched class in protest against DeSantis’ attacks on higher ed
College students of Tallahassee’s two universities and community college ditched class Thursday afternoon in an outrage against Gov. Ron DeSantis’ contentious higher education agenda, from attacks on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives to a rejection of an AP African American Studies course and the invasion of medical privacy of LGBTQ+ students. The mass walkout in […]