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U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor hopes to push Gov. DeSantis on climate change
By any credible measurement, Florida is in serious trouble when it comes to combatting the effects of climate change. A 2018 report published by Science magazine said no state will suffer more economic damage from a warming planet than the Sunshine State. And Florida is one of a minority of states in the country that […]
Republicans want to overhaul redevelopment agencies that help rebuild blighted areas
For the past two legislative sessions, state Republicans have tried to overhaul what’s called Community Redevelopment Agencies (CRAs) that finance improvements in blighted areas. The measures haven’t passed, but now there’s a new attempt in the Legislature that’s gaining traction. State Rep. Chris LaMarca, a Republican from Broward County, has filed a bill that would […]
Running for president in 2020? Get in line, with a newcomer mayor from South Florida
The emerging field of candidates running for the Democratic Party nomination for president grows each week with a new name added to what is likely the largest primary field ever in American politics. There’s Bernie. Kamala. Beto. And now, Wayne. That would be Wayne Messam. A day after being overwhelmingly reelected to a second term […]
Andrew Gillum launches major registration campaign to ‘evict’ President Trump in 2020
Vowing to turn Florida blue in the 2020 presidential election, former Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum announced Wednesday night that he’s committed to registering one million voters over the next year-and-a-half. “We can deny Donald Trump a second term, right here in the state of Florida!” he said to a cheering crowd gathered at […]
Some legislators want undocumented immigrants to get FL driver’s licenses
Republican lawmakers are pushing bills that would deport more undocumented immigrants detained by Florida law-enforcement agencies. On Wednesday, two Democratic lawmakers announced an entirely different legislative proposal: allow undocumented immigrants to get a Florida driver’s license. Although the idea is controversial, twelve other states allow undocumented people to get driver’s licenses, including in the very […]
Legislature takes first steps to “clarify” Florida’s felon voting rights law
Democrats and voting rights advocates blasted the first bill introduced in the Florida Legislature Tuesday that seeks to add clarity and definitions to Amendment 4, the constitutional amendment that restores voting rights to an estimated 1.4 million felons in the state. The measure, approved by more than 64 percent of Florida voters last fall, calls […]
Is “telehealth” – with big tax breaks – the answer for Florida’s doctor shortage?
Florida has a a growing shortage of doctors – and lawmakers say “telehealth” is the answer. Legislation proposed by state Rep. Clay Yarborough, a Republican from Duval County, would increase the use of telecommunications – using remote professionals – to provide services where there’s a shortage of medical services. The shortage is so bad, legislative […]
Prominent Florida Republicans blame feds for state’s faulty immigration measures
Two prominent Miami-area Republicans say the federal government’s inability to address comprehensive immigration issues is creating a void that’s allowing state lawmakers to push controversial bills like the one now moving through the Florida Legislature. That proposal would ban so-called “sanctuary cities” and compel local law enforcement agencies to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs […]
State lawmakers moving to kill off the venerable Florida Constitution Revision Commission
Saying it isn’t representing Florida citizens the way it should, a committee in the Republican-controlled state House voted unanimously on Thursday to abolish the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC), the state panel that’s supposed to review and propose changes to the Florida Constitution every twenty years. Last year’s CRC placed eight proposed constitutional amendments on the […]
We voted to give felons voting rights – now the Legislature is involved, so advocates are at the Capitol, keeping watch
Hundreds of advocates for felon voting rights have been meeting with state lawmakers this week in the state Capitol. They have three major concerns: – First and foremost, they want the Legislature to fully implement Amendment 4, the state Constitutional Amendment that more than 64 percent of Floridians supported last November. The measure restored voting […]
The ERA only needs one more state to get ratified. How about Florida?
Ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) might seem like a moment from a bygone era, but the truth is that it only needs to be approved by one more state to become part of the U.S. Constitution. On Tuesday, Democratic legislators and women’s rights advocates held a boisterous Capitol rally in hopes that Florida will […]
Legislature advances proposals to let more people carry guns around schools, churches
The Republican-led Legislature is advancing two proposals that would let more people have guns around schools and houses of worship. One measure would repeal a state law that gives Florida school boards the right to prohibit anyone over the age of 18 from parking on a school campus with a gun securely locked in their […]