Briefs
New report says Florida prosecutes more children in the adult criminal justice system than any other state
According to a new study that looks at how many American teenagers are serving time in in adult jails, a full 60 percent of the youths serving life without parole sentences for a non-homicidal crime are from Florida. That’s the most of any state in the union, according to a report from the UCLA School […]
Florida Supreme Court kicks lawsuit challenging six constitutional amendments down to lower courts
Florida’s Supreme Court on Tuesday kicked a lawsuit down to circuit courts in Leon County for the lower courts to decide whether to knock six constitutional amendments off the November ballot. Harry Lee Anstead, a former Florida Supreme Court justice, and Robert Barnas first filed a lawsuit Aug. 14 in the Florida Supreme Court challenging […]
Group supporting amendment to end dog racing calls on opponents to disavow accused animal abuser
A group supporting the constitutional amendment to end greyhound racing in Florida wants greyhound dog racers to publicly reject a member of their group charged with 11 counts of animal cruelty. The Yes on 13 campaign – the group that wants to ban dog racing – said Jesse James Hodges, accused of animal cruelty in […]
Charter groups hope to sway Florida Supreme Court to put education-related Amendment 8 back on the ballot
Key charter school supporters and two community groups are urging the Florida Supreme Court to keep an education-related Constitutional amendment on the ballot in November, saying, “Students should not be denied the best, most innovative learning options because of constitutional barriers.” The amendment was kicked off the ballot last week, when a Leon Circuit Court […]
Philip Levine campaign sign defaced with swastika in St. Petersburg
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Philip Levine, who is Jewish, reacted defiantly today after his campaign was made aware of a campaign sign of his that was defaced with swastika symbols in St. Petersburg. “As governor, I will never be held hostage to hatred, or bigotry, or intolerance. Never,” Levine said in a statement issued out by his campaign. […]
More than 1.86 million Floridians have already voted before Election Day
Floridians have voted by mail or at early voting precincts in record numbers leading up to Tuesday night’s primary election – with even more voters participating than in 2016 – the last presidential election. That’s significant because turnout is usually higher during presidential election years and lower during mid-term elections like this one. A total […]
Orlando group joins in calling on Seminole County tax collector to resign over “bigoted” social media posts
The Orlando chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America has added its name to a growing list of groups calling for Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg to resign following social media posts Greenberg made which the groups say are Islamophobic and divisive. Greenberg’s original Facebook post on Aug. 18 asked social media friends […]
Gubernatorial candidates react as Florida endures another shooting, this time in Jacksonville
Florida is certain to remain a lightning rod in the national debate about gun violence and gun-control legislation after Sunday’s mass shooting in Jacksonville. The shootings at a video gaming event in downtown Jacksonville – which followed the Orlando nightclub massacre in June 2016 and the February killings at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School […]
AG candidate Ryan Torrens tossed off the ballot — for now
A Leon County Circuit Judge has tossed Democratic attorney general candidate Ryan Torrens off the August 28 ballot, but Torrens has filed a notice of appeal. In a ruling handed down late Friday afternoon, Judge Karen Gievers ruled that Torrens had improperly filled out a campaign “loan” check to qualify for the race and “should […]
George Sheldon dies: “This is a devastating loss for all of us.”
George Sheldon, a former Florida lawmaker, state agency secretary and longtime child advocate, has died at 71. The Miami Herald reported Friday that Sheldon died Thursday, “three weeks after he fell at his home gym, fracturing a vertebra in his neck.” Sheldon had most recently been working as the CEO and President of Our Kids […]
How old is too old when you’re a political candidate?
This summer, campaign ads in the race for Florida’s U.S. Senate seat have depicted Democrat incumbent Bill Nelson as “terribly confused,” as well as a politician in Washington for a “half-century.” To set the record straight: Nelson hasn’t been in Washington D.C. for a half century – he served in various elected positions in Florida […]
Sunshine State not so great for women
Florida is one of the worst states in the country for women’s equality, according to a recent study which used metrics such as salary, gender representation in the workplace and number of hours worked. The WalletHub report compared data from all 50 states and ranked Florida at a low 42 overall for “best states for […]