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Conservation League PAC endorses FL Dems in Congress for reelection next year
Two Florida Democrats in Congress have won endorsements from an arm of the League of Conservation voters for reelection next year, and more may be forthcoming in the months ahead. The League’s Action Fund singled U.S. Reps. Kathy Castor and Darren Soto in this round. Castor represents the Tampa area, including a slice of Pinellas […]
Off the presidential trail, DeSantis jabs at the Bidens, fails to mention his campaign problems
Gov. Ron DeSantis was in Florida Wednesday to deliver a speech to a national group of conservative state legislators in Orlando. He used the occasion to deliver a series of slaps at the Biden administration — some political, some highly personal. For example, during a discussion of parental rights in education, DeSantis referred to Joe […]
Catholic bishops urge Gov. DeSantis to spare death row inmate
The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops is asking Gov. Ron DeSantis to cancel the Aug. 3 scheduled execution of a man convicted of murdering two women and commute his sentence to life in prison. In a letter dated Monday, the bishops noted that James Phillip Barnes waived his own defense in the murder to which […]
Injunction sought against new curbs on gender-confirming care for adults
Four transgender Floridians have asked a federal judge to block enforcement of a new law sharply restricting gender-confirming care for adults, arguing its provisions are irrational and not justified medically. The request comes in a lawsuit originally targeting legal restrictions against transgender care for minors but expanded recently to cover denial of care to adults. […]
ACLU to FL Supreme Court on marijuana initiative: Remember your place
In a brief supporting a citizens’ initiative to legalize recreational marijuana use, the ACLU accuses the Florida Supreme Court of abusing its authority to strike proposed state constitutional amendments from the ballot. The court is supposed to review proposed amendments to ensure the ballot summaries voters will read at the poll aren’t misleading and that […]
DeSantis ships emergency team all the way to Vermont amid crises at home in Florida
With Florida suffering crises in the cost and availability of home insurance and housing, and sweltering under record heat, Gov. Ron DeSantis is dispatching an emergency team to help Vermont recover from major flooding. The governor, who’s been campaigning in early-primary state New Hampshire next door to Vermont, home of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, announced […]
DeSantis isn’t the only presidential contender traveling the country while doing a government job
An organization critical of Gov. Ron DeSantis is complaining that the presidential contender spent 60% of his time out of state last month, and maintained a similar schedule thus far in July. DeSantis Watch, produced by DW PAC, which began as a joint project of Florida Watch & Progress Florida, argued that the governor has […]
Court: Broward public defender justified in firing assistant who criticized him
Broward County’s former chief public defender was justified in firing an assistant PD who trashed him while running to succeed him, a federal appeals court has ruled, citing the damage her remarks threatened to office cohesion. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit conceded that assistant Ruby Green’s criticisms of Howard Finkelstein were […]
Eatonville town residents sue for clarity about future of historic Black school site
A descendant of the founders of the Black-incorporated Town of Eatonville has joined a lawsuit contesting the Orange County School District’s control of property dedicated long ago to the education of Black children. The new plaintiff is Bea Leach Hatler, the great-granddaughter of Robert Hungerford, namesake for the school built on the site, which for […]
Poll shows Florida women less than enthusiastic about Gov. DeSantis
Florida women don’t find Gov. Ron DeSantis all that appealing, according to a public opinion poll suggesting that only 34% of them strongly approve of his performance in office. In contrast, 48.9% of men strongly approved of the governor, who is now a presidential candidate. Adding up the categories of “strongly approve” and “somewhat approve” […]
Federal ruling could allow sports betting in Florida by fall, in time for college and pro football
The Seminole Tribe of Florida could be free to offer statewide electronic sports betting in time for the fall resumption of college and professional football due to a ruling by a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on June 30 approved Florida’s 30-year gambling […]
Florida Supreme Court will hear abortion arguments in September
The Florida Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments for Sept. 8 in a test of whether the justices will respect their 1989 ruling finding protection for abortion access in the Florida Constitution’s Privacy Clause. In an order posted Friday, the court said arguments would begin at 9 a.m. that morning, a Friday, and that the […]