News
Traffic gridlock: Critics say pricey, exclusive toll lanes (“Lexus Lanes”) hurt the poor. Will it change with a new governor?
Vexing traffic congestion seems to be an issue in all of Florida’s major urban regions, yet it has not received much attention from the seven major candidates for governor this campaign season. Plenty of people have criticism for Gov. Rick Scott’s approach, which saw the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) over the past eight years […]
Activists call for Tampa Bay prosecutor to file charges in shocking ‘Stand Your Ground’ shooting case
In the wake of the shooting death of Markeis McGlockton last week in Pinellas County, a coalition of activist groups are calling on Pinellas/Pasco County State Attorney Bernie McCabe to file charges against the shooter, 47-year-old Michael Drejka. Drejka, who is white, shot and killed McGlockton, a 28-year-old African American man, outside a convenience store […]
Cash flows into “8isGreat” as battle over public schools – especially charter schools – continues
The Republican Party of Florida, investment companies, education groups and fans of charter schools have so far contributed $167,000 to 8isGreat.org, a political committee pushing to approve a contentious education amendment to the state’s Constitution. The largest contribution was from the Florida GOP — $100,000 on June 13, according to the state’s Division of Elections. […]
New political effort to let independent voters – not just Dems and GOPs – participate in Florida primaries
Though there is considerable interest this summer in who the next governor of Florida will be, the fact is that more than three million people – a quarter of all registered voters in the Sunshine State – are banned from participating in the Aug. 28 primary election. That’s because they’re a part of the fastest […]
Increase in young Floridians registered to vote post-Parkland shooting, analysis finds
The number of young people registered to vote has surged nationwide since the February massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, according to a recent analysis of voter registration data in 39 states. The TargetSmart analysis found there was a significant increase in Florida and other “key battleground races” in the number of […]
Skin color a factor in Miami-Dade criminal justice, ACLU report finds
A new report published by the ACLU of Florida found that people in the Miami-Dade criminal justice system face harsher penalties simply due to their skin color. The report, “Unequal Treatment: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Miami-Dade Criminal Justice,” says neighborhoods are targeted according to their racial makeups by the criminal justice system. “With this […]
Making history: Reporters vote for a union at Jacksonville’s 154-year-old daily paper
Sick of stagnant pay, shrinking benefits, and newsroom layoffs, reporters and other workers at the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville voted to join a national union this week, a historic vote that makes the 154-year-old newspaper the third in Florida to do so. “We think organizing as a union lets the staff speak in a voice […]
Orlando City Council approves Trust Act
(UPDATE) The Orlando City Council on Monday became the first municipality in the South to pass what is called the “Trust Act,” which would ban city employees from asking suspects about their immigration status. Similar measures have been passed in California, Connecticut and U.S. cities like Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle and Chicago. In some of those jurisdictions, […]
Rush job on school safety law causes mental-health conundrum for families, no help from state
In the rushed, traumatic days following the February shootings at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, lawmakers scrambled to approve broad gun reforms and new laws to make schools safe. But quick legislation doesn’t always equate to good legislation, says Kenneth Trump, a well-known school security expert and consultant who has testified before Congress. Case […]
Gov. Scott has no business seeking money from oil, coal execs in Oklahoma, Florida Democrats say
Florida Democrats blasted Gov. Rick Scott for flying off to Oklahoma City today to solicit campaign donations from prominent American fracking, oil, and coal company executives. Scott’s appearance at a luncheon at a restaurant in the headquarters of Devon Energy Corp. was first reported last week by the media outlet Energy & Environment News. Scott’s […]
Almost 1 in 5 public school teachers work in jobs outside of school
With Florida’s meager public school teacher pay in the news, a national survey has added fuel to the fire: Nearly 1 in 5 public school teachers across the country reported that they work other jobs outside of school to boost their income. Those outside jobs include teaching and tutoring, non-teaching jobs related to the teaching […]
Miami Herald story shows dark side of South Florida’s big-money, cash-only real estate deals
The Miami Herald has a fascinating story today: “How Dirty is Miami real estate? Secret home deals dried up when feds started watching.” The story highlights multi-million-dollar cash buyers in the real estate market who shield their identities. A new study says that once the U.S. Treasury Department issued a temporary rule to try to […]