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Here are five FL counties that have flipped from majority white to majority minority
Five Florida counties have flipped from majority-white to majority-minority in their racial composition since the turn of the century, according to an analysis of U.S. census data published by the Pew Research Center. Pew looked only at counties with 10,000 people or more, which represent 77 percent of the nation’s counties and 99 percent of […]
Florida’s governor doing high-profile hurricane prep along coast
UPDATE: Gov. DeSantis has issued a second Hurricane Dorian-related emergency declaration, extending the state of emergency to cover all of Florida’s 67 counties. “All residents, especially those along the east coast, need to be prepared for possible impacts. As it increases strength, this storm has the potential to severely damage homes, businesses and buildings, which […]
Florida leaders consider better approaches to handle the mentally ill’s revolving jail door
Court officials in Miami-Dade County have identified 97 people who, far gone into mental illness and substance abuse, together have spent 27,000 days in jail and 13,000 days in psychiatric facilities during the past five years. The cost to taxpayers: $14.7 million. These are the faces of the mental-illness crisis in Florida’s criminal justice system. […]
Gov. DeSantis taps right-wing think tank execs & campaign donor for state gov’t efficiency panel
Gov. Ron DeSantis has packed a new Florida Government Efficiency Task Force with conservative movement leaders and Republican campaign donors. The new panel is charged with proposing improvements to government operations and suggesting ways to save money every four years. DeSantis’ picks include Sal Nuzzo, connected to the James Madison Institute, a right-wing think tank […]
Another step toward cheaper drugs in FL?
Florida has taken another step toward importing bargain-rate prescription drugs from Canada – presuming the Canadians want to go along – by submitting a “concept paper” to federal authorities describing how such a program might work. The document gets into the details of a putative import scheme. For example, it would piggyback on existing U.S. […]
Hate robocalls? Florida’s AG says she’s working on it
A multistate agreement between state governments and the major cellphone companies won’t put a quick end to the scourge of unwanted “robocalls,” but will gradually allow authorities to put malefactors out of business, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said Friday. “It will be implemented shortly. We’re working on it now,” Moody told reporters. “Some of […]
It’s taking forever for Hurricane Michael disaster aid to reach the wrecked Florida Panhandle
Joel Schubert still sounds burned up about the wait for U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency trailers to reach people left homeless by Hurricane Michael last October. Two thousand or more households qualified for temporary housing, Schubert recalled. But the trailers didn’t come – at least, not in the numbers required. “By the time the trailers […]
Business boosters say there’s a 34 % chance of recession in Florida’s future
The chances of a recession in Florida have increased to more than 34 percent, notwithstanding declines in the state’s unemployment rate and other positive trends, according to an analysis by the pro-business Florida Chamber of Commerce. Meanwhile, Bay and Gulf counties – both hit hard by Hurricane Michael last October, have seen declines of more […]
FL joining key multi-state elections coalition to check voter registrations
Florida will join a key multi-state voter registration integrity coalition that will allow officials to spot duplicate registrations and identify registered voters who have died, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday. The Legislature authorized the move in 2018, and DeSantis said it makes sense, given that close to 1 million new residents arrive in Florida every […]
Florida execution planned tomorrow
Florida is preparing to execute Gary Ray Bowles Thursday for one in a string of murders targeting gay men during the 1990s. If the execution happens, it would be the second since Gov. Ron DeSantis took office in January. The execution is set for 6 p.m., the Florida Department of Corrections said. DeSantis signed the […]
It’s called ‘the Department of Corrections’ not ‘the Department of Punishment’
When it comes to reforming Florida’s criminal justice system, “everyone’s generally for it – the question is what that means,” Tallahassee lobbyist and clemency attorney Reggie Garcia says. Garcia is an expert on Florida’s clemency system. He wrote “How to Leave Prison Early: Florida Clemency, Parole, and Work Release” and a follow-up volume, “Second Chances.” […]
Florida gets more federal disaster aid for storm that hit two years ago
Florida now qualifies for federal disaster money that will cover 90 percent of the damage from 2017’s Hurricane Irma, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday. That could be worth $160 million for state and local governments still rebuilding. At a news conference at Lee County’s emergency operations center, DeSantis credited reforms his administration has pushed within […]