Politics & Law
Florida’s new Secretary of State abruptly resigns after racially offensive photos surface
Florida Secretary of State Michael Ertel abruptly resigned Thursday after a newspaper published pictures of him in blackface and dressed for Halloween as a Hurricane Katrina victim shortly after the disastrous 2005 storm hit New Orleans, killing more than 1,800 people. Ertel, who was named secretary of state by Gov. Ron DeSantis Dec. 28, appeared […]
Democrats introduce “Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act”
Criminal justice advocates say that a lack of sanitary products in women’s prisons is humiliating, prompting a group of Democratic lawmakers to propose legislation that they say will create a slightly more humane environment for females jailed in Florida. The “Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act” would require correctional facilities to provide incarcerated women with some […]
A look at the new threats to a woman’s right to choose
For anyone who believes a woman has a right to choose when to start a family, these are worrisome times on both the state and federal levels. Consider: – On the national front, Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio is sponsoring a bill that would prohibit a minor from crossing state lines to get abortion services […]
LGBTQ advocates hoping this is the year that workplace discrimination protections will pass Legislature
(Updated) In Florida, it’s still legal for an employer to fire workers because they are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. That’s despite the fact that a growing number of state lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle support legislation to change that law. Unbowed by the lack of progress, two St. Petersburg Democrats, Senator […]
Two Florida congressmen fighting against animal cruelty
Two Florida members of Congress want to make it a federal crime to abuse an animal. Boca Raton Democrat Ted Deutch and Sarasota Republican Vern Buchanan are the main sponsors of the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, which was passed by unanimous consent by the U.S. Senate last year. It also had a […]
The elected vs. appointed debate: Is it time to go back to electing FL’s Education Commissioner?
Years ago, state officials from Betty Castor and Frank Brogan to Tom Gallagher and Charlie Crist had something in common: They went on the campaign trail and got elected by voters to oversee Florida’s massive education system. But the elected Commissioner of Education post has been gone since 2003 because of Constitutional changes and it’s […]
More legal weed laws coming to Florida?
Cannabis activists and supportive state lawmakers say they will propose a host of measures during this spring’s legislative session to give Floridians more access to medical marijuana. “There is going to be legislation to match every single issue under the sun related to medical cannabis and recreational adult-use cannabis this year,” promised Orlando Democratic House […]
DeSantis tilts FL Supreme Court to the right with new justice picks
Solidifying a conservative majority, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday made his third appointment to the Florida Supreme Court, selecting a former top legal aide to Gov. Jeb Bush and Attorney General Pam Bondi. DeSantis tapped Carlos Genaro Muñiz, 49, as the third justice he has appointed since he took office earlier this month. DeSantis got […]
“Broken culture,” improper spending, embarrassment, at University of Central FL
The University of Central Florida is under fire after an investigative report revealed tens of millions in improper spending for construction projects, the News Service of Florida reports. UCF President Dale Whittaker acknowledged a “broken culture” at the Orlando-based university, and has said he’ll terminate four members of the school’s finance and administration division. At […]
Former FL Attorney General Pam Bondi now a Washington lobbyist
Florida’s outgoing top legal officer, former Attorney General Pam Bondi, is heading to Washington, D.C. to join a politically-connected lobbying firm, Ballard Partners. The firm, started by lobbyist Brian Ballard in Florida, is closely tied to the Trump administration. Bondi will chair the firm’s Corporate Regulatory Compliance practice, according to a Ballard Partners press release. […]
It’s now a month with no pay for federal workers
As the partial federal government shutdown grinds on, the stress on affected federal workers in Florida is showing. They’ve now gone 32 days without receiving a paycheck. “The morale is at the bottom of the barrel, but they hang in there,” says Tampa meteorologist Dan Sobian, speaking about his colleagues at the National Weather Service, […]
DeSantis retracts dozens of appointments made in waning days of Scott administration
Former Gov. Rick Scott made dozens of appointments to various boards in the waning days of his tenure, making his own choices though new governor Ron DeSantis was just about to be inaugurated. Friday, DeSantis retracted 46 of those appointments made on January 4th and 7th — he was sworn into office on January 8th. […]