News
Catholic bishops call on Rick Scott to stop this week’s scheduled execution
The state of Florida is scheduled to execute Jose Antonio Jimenez by lethal injection Thursday at 6 p.m. for the 1992 murder of Phyllis Mina. Jimenez was 29 years old when he was convicted of beating and stabbing 63-year-old Phyllis Minas after she caught him burglarizing her Miami-Dade apartment. Governor Rick Scott originally signed a […]
Taking on the status quo: Freshman Democratic lawmaker says no thanks to attending exclusive corporate-sponsored event
Newly-elected Orlando Democratic Rep. Anna Eskamani says she plans to fight for her constituents in Tallahassee, and that means the battle has begun in the status-quo world of Florida’s capital. The 28-year-old, independent-minded Eskamani is refusing to attend an event hosted by one of Tallahassee’s most powerful business and lobbying organizations — an unusual rebuff […]
League of Women Voters of Florida: Not so fast on new FL Education Commissioner
The League of Women Voters of Florida is reminding the State Board of Education to do its job on selecting a new Education Commissioner. Essentially, that means doing a national search for the best candidate rather than quickly choosing Governor-elect Ron DeSantis’s choice — former House Speaker Richard Corcoran. “As members of the State Board […]
Should the state require teens to take a standalone class in “financial literacy?”
Lawmakers are gearing up again to change high school graduation requirements and ensure kids who graduate know about financial literacy and money management. That means understanding how to open a bank account, balance a checkbook, complete a loan application, and fill out federal income tax forms, among other finance-related activities. Republican state Senator Travis Hutson, […]
It’s official: Gov. Rick Scott spent more than $63-million in U.S. Senate race
The final, official tally of spending in Florida’s widely-watched U.S. Senate race was reported Thursday, with Gov. Rick Scott spending more than $63 million out of his own pocket to defeat Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson. That’s a whopping amount in the race that sparked lawsuits, recounts and national media attention. All told, the Rick Scott […]
The haves and have nots in state worker pay: Disparity looms large in Florida’s capital.
Tens of thousands of state workers earn an annual salary below the state average of roughly $43,500, but some high-echelon public employees earn six-figure salaries and can be eligible for public pensions as well. In some cases, those salaries are $200,000 to $300,000 and even higher, the Florida Phoenix found in a review of more […]
Gov-elect DeSantis recommends former House Speaker Richard Corcoran for Florida’s new Education Commissioner
Governor-elect Ron DeSantis on Thursday recommended former House Speaker Richard Corcoran to serve as Education Commissioner and oversee Florida’s mammoth education system — one of the largest in the country. Corcoran would follow Pam Stewart, who has served since 2013. She announced earlier this week that she was stepping down and plans to retire. The […]
Orlando state senator moves to remove restrictions against prosecuting rape cases
Democratic state senator Linda Stewart from Orlando filed legislation Wednesday in hopes of trying to remove barriers on prosecuting rape cases. “Many young sexual battery victims do not come forward when they are first assaulted,” Stewart said in press release. “Sometimes they don’t understand, sometimes they are afraid, and sometimes they are simply ashamed. Each […]
Florida may not know how to give the right to vote back to newly-enfranchised felons
Questions, concerns and some confusion has arisen now that voters have approved a Constitutional Amendment to restore voting rights for thousands of Florida felons who have done their time. It’s even unclear whether the Florida Legislature needs to weigh in how Amendment 4 goes into effect after Jan. 8, according to according to the Herald-Tribune. […]
Marco Rubio & Bill Nelson continue to push for US Senate to include emergency funding for Hurricane Michael victims
Florida’s two U.S. senators are urging congressional leaders to include U.S. Department of Agriculture emergency appropriations for Floridians affected by Hurricane Michael in an upcoming spending bill, but key House Republicans are still resistant. Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson were part of a group of southern U.S. senators who penned a letter to Senate Majority […]
Florida Dems sign onto letter demanding an investigation into what led Homeland Security to kill key US immigration program
Saying that the program has been abused, the Department of Homeland Security announced earlier this year it that would be moving to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 300,000 immigrants in the U.S. Under TPS, immigrants from countries that have suffered a natural or man-made disaster are allowed to live and work in the […]
National anti-censorship groups blast Florida Dept. Of Corrections for banning recent editions of socialist publication
National anti-censorship groups are chastising the Florida Department of Corrections for banning the Militant, a weekly newspaper published by the Socialist Party. Christopher Finn, the executive director of the National Coalition Against Censorship, accused the Department of Corrections’ Literature Review Committee of abusing its censorship power in a letter sent last week to DOC Library […]