Category: Florida

Marco Rubio Proposing GOP Divorce from Big Business

Grant Holcomb

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (R) is calling for Republicans to break from big business in policy and polities when he spoke at the National Conservatism Conference yesterday. He also penned an op-ed in the Orlando Sentinel saying America’s largest companies have peddled “anti-American ideologies” and “wokeness” which has contributed to America’s growing partisan divide.

Rubio comments from the conference were pared down into another op-ed posted in The American Conservative where he said if conservatives do not fight back using “corporate patriotism,” Rubio said “we would lose America.”

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DeSantis’ Florida Offers In-N-Out Haven from Regulatory Overreach in Newsom’s California

Admin
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis

Refusing to ask patrons if they got the COVID-19 shots or to show a negative test in order to eat in, the popular California-based burger chain In-N-Out is taking a stand — and paying for it. But the company may have a new place to call home, if it takes up an offer from the state of Florida.

If the besieged fast-food chain were to leave, it would follow Elon Musk’s recently decamped Tesla in a growing exodus of companies from a Golden State that has lost its luster for many business owners.

Currently, three Bay Area health jurisdictions — San Francisco County, Contra Costa County and the city of Berkeley — are requiring restaurants to screen customers for on-site indoor dining by either showing proof of a negative COVID test or of COVID vaccination status.

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University of Florida Now Says Professors Can Testify in Election Law Case if Unpaid

Grant Holcomb

The University of Florida (UF) has modified their previous position prohibiting faculty and staff participating in activities in a professional capacity deemed against the interests of, or in conflict with, the state of Florida.

The Ocala Star Banner reported late Sunday that UF would allow three professors to serve as expert witnesses in a case that challenges a new state law restricting voting access if they are not paid and don’t use university time or resources.

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Appropriations Chairman Sparks Debate About Virtual School Funding Ahead of 2022 Legislative Session

Casey Owens

A debate about whether Florida lawmakers should change the way public schools fund virtual learning has begun as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic causing virtual school numbers to skyrocket in the past year and a half.

In an interview with the News Service of Florida, Florida House PreK-12 Appropriations Chairman, Randy Fine, expressed the concern Florida education lawmakers are facing.

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Florida Republicans Unite Against Biden Vaccine Mandates Ahead of Special Session

Grant Holcomb

After Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) called for a special session last week to legislatively oppose President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandates, the date has now been set and Florida’s top Republicans have said they are unified in their message and intent alongside DeSantis.

Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls (R-FL-65) and Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson (R-FL-10) issued a joint message ahead of the special session set to run from November 15 through November 19.

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Florida Gov. DeSantis Defends Florida Surgeon General After Ladapo’s Spat with Polsky

Grant Holcomb
Gov. Ron DeSantis stands behind newest appointed Surgeon General: Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) defended Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo after he and State Sen. Tina Polsky had a back-and-forth over mask wearing that garnered much attention across statewide media.

Ladapo initially came under fire for not wearing a mask in a scheduled meeting with Polsky (D-FL-29) who cited her recent breast cancer diagnosis as the basis for her request. Ladapo preferred to not wear a mask and asked if they could meet outside, but Polsky insisted on meeting in her own office.

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Florida Attorney Jim Lewis Has Emerged as Candidate to Challenge Attorney General Ashley Moody

Casey Owens

After months of wondering whether Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody would face any challengers in the 2022 general election, criminal defense lawyer and Democrat, Jim Lewis of Ft. Lauderdale, has emerged to try and take down Moody.

Lewis released a statement slamming Moody for her opposition towards public health mandates amid the pandemic, as well as her position on challenging the results of the 2020 Presidential election.

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Florida Gov. DeSantis Sues Biden over Vaccine Mandate for Federal Contract Workers

Grant Holcomb
Blue Collar worker with hard hat on

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced this week he is suing the President Joe Biden administration over a vaccine mandate for federal contractors. The lawsuit says the president does not have the authority to impose such a mandate.

The mandate from Biden says that federal contract workers will have to be fully vaccinated by December 8, 2021, in order to keep their jobs. DeSantis said his administration’s decision to sue the federal government is a kept promise to rein in “federal overreach.”

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City of Tallahassee Passes Pro-Abortion Resolution

Grant Holcomb

The Tallahassee City Commission passed a resolution urging the Florida Legislature to protect abortion policy and access to abortion. The resolution was passed with a 3-2 vote with Mayor John Dailey and Commissioners Jeremy Matlow and Jack Porter voting in the affirmative.

Commissioners Curtis Richardson and Dianne Williams-Cox did not support the resolution because they did not feel the city had the authority to request action from lawmakers.

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Florida Judge Restores Online Medical Marijuana Purchases

Grant Holcomb

Judge Suzanne Van Wyk found, this week, that the ban on online medical marijuana purchases through third-party sites to be an unadopted rule and ordered the state to “immediately discontinue reliance on its policy … regarding online ordering of medical marijuana through third-party websites.”

Van Wyk is an administrative law judge who presided over the decision to reinstate the online purchases after the state banned the practice.

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Senator Rick Scott Says He Will Not Support Herschel Walker, Other Primary Candidates

Casey Owens

When asked about former Georgia Bulldog, Herschel Walker, running for U.S. Senate in 2022, Florida Senator Rick Scott was reluctant to express support for Walker or any other candidate for the upcoming cycle of Republican Senate primaries.

Scott, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), stood by their decision to stay out of the upcoming primary even with situations like Walker who has gained a magnitude of support, including an endorsement from former President Donald Trump in March.

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Broward County Schools Remove Mask Mandate for High School

Grant Holcomb
Two women at table together, wearing masks

The Broward County School District voted to remove their mask mandate for high schools and will go into effect on Monday, November 1. The mandate will be maintained in elementary and middle schools, but high school students will still be encouraged to wear masks.

“I’m proud of the School Board of Broward County for standing firm on keeping mask mandates in place for Broward County Public Schools’ elementary and middle school students, and strongly encouraging high school students to wear masks,” said Broward Teachers Union President Anna Fusco.

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Biden Administration Warns Florida About Penalties for Mask Mandates

Casey Owens

After the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) proposed to ramp up punishment for school boards enforcing mask mandates, the Biden Administration warned them on Monday to “reconsider” their “threatened actions.”

On October 7th, Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran announced his proposal to prevent school boards from receiving federal funding from the Project to Support America’s Families and Educators grant program – or “Project SAFE” – that provides funding to school districts that are financially penalized for implementing CDC guidelines such as mask mandates.

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Polsky-Ladapo Spat Could Have Been Politically Motivated

Grant Holcomb

State Sen. Tina Polsky (D-FL-29) recently scheduled a meeting with Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo, where the meeting quickly went south.

It was reported over the weekend that Polsky asked Ladapo and his two legislative aides to leave her office because Ladapo did not want to wear a mask during their conversation. Polsky cited her breast cancer diagnosis as the reasoning for her desire to have all parties masked.

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Florida School Boards Association Voices Concern over Federal Interference

Grant Holcomb

The Florida School Boards Association (FSBA) has issued a letter to the National School Boards Association (NSBA) over their concerns of federal overreach in local school district meetings.

The original letter from the national organization to President Joe Biden said teachers were under “immediate threat” from parents over their vocal opposition to Critical Race Theory (CRT) and mask mandates in public schools and asked federal law enforcement agencies to launch investigations against the parents.

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New Hampshire Poll Shows Governor DeSantis More Favorable Than Donald Trump in 2024 Presidential Primary

Casey Owens

A recent poll by the University of New Hampshire shows the state having Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ahead of former President Donald Trump in approval rating among 2024 GOP primary voters.

While DeSantis shies away from questions regarding his potential presidential campaign, his approval rating being higher than Trump’s in New Hampshire is pivotal given that it is the first state on the Republican primary calendar in 2024.

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Florida Hospital Association Declares COVID Delta Variant Surge is Over

Grant Holcomb
Close-up of person's hands being washed in a sink

The Florida Hospital Association (FHA) declared the COVID delta variant surge is over in Florida and daily hospitalization counts are no longer needed for the time. Mary Mayhew, President and CEO of the FHA, said the availability of treatments has helped lessen the impact of the variant and she maintained getting vaccinated is the still the best way to combat COVID.

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Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry Forecasts Political Future

Grant Holcomb

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry is term limited in his current post, but he has already begun teasing his future political plans.

“I’m looking forward to the upcoming political season. 2022 & 2023 are coming at us fast,” Curry tweeted. “I’m as rested, rejuvenated & ready to roll as ever. & I’ve been in the middle of some tough campaigns. Elections matter. I am older, wiser, more experienced and have more energy & stamina now than any campaign I’ve been in or apart of. Got into this with purpose many years ago and will see it through.”

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DeSantis Calls for Special Session over Vaccine Mandates

Grant Holcomb
Ron DeSantis giving speech on saving Florida jobs

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has called for a special legislative session to resolve the issue of vaccine mandates in Florida. On Twitter, DeSantis said no one should lose their job over a vaccine.

“I am calling the Florida Legislature back for a Special Session to pursue stronger protections for Floridians against federal government mandates,” DeSantis said. “No one should lose their job over a COVID shot.”

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Florida’s Supervisors of Elections Ask Officials to Tone Down Presidential Election Rhetoric

Grant Holcomb

A group of Florida’s Supervisors of Elections have signed on to a letter entitled “Our Democracy, Our Priority” where they are asking officials across Florida to ease off of the rhetoric regarding questions of the validity of the 2020 presidential election.

They are asking Floridians to accept the results of the election: that then-President Donald Trump won Florida and President Joe Biden was elected president.

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Governor DeSantis Comments on Florida’s Job Growth in September

Casey Owens

Governor Ron DeSantis announced Friday in a press release that Florida’s job growth in September grew three times faster over the month than the rest of the nation.

According to the press release, overall for the month, Florida gained 84,500 total jobs, including nearly 73,000 private-sector jobs, which marks 17 months of private-sector job growth, increasing by 5.6% over the year.

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Governor DeSantis Backs Orange County Fire Chief Who Was Terminated Due to Vaccine Mandates

Casey Owens

After COVID-19 vaccination requirements caused the termination of an Orange County Fire Rescue (OCFR) battalion chief on Tuesday, Governor DeSantis released a statement slamming the county and backing Chief Stephen Davis.

DeSantis talked of Davis and first responders in general, then questioned why Orange County would turn their backs on people that have given so much in the past year during the pandemic.

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Parkland Shooter Pleads Guilty to All Counts

Grant Holcomb

The assailant in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. in 2018 plead guilty to all charges related to the tragedy at the school. He plead guilty to 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder.

The assailant is facing life in prison and a jury will determine if he will face the death penalty. The selection for that jury will be begin on Jan. 4, 2022.

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Florida Family Files Federal Lawsuit Against School Board over Gender Policy

Steve Stewart

On Monday, the Child & Parental Rights Campaign, Inc. filed a lawsuit in the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Florida on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Littlejohn against the Leon County School Board (LCSB) related to the Board’s gender policy. The defendants also include Superintendent Rocky Hanna and Dr. Kathleen Rodgers.

The suit alleges that the LCSB ignored the Littlejohn’s parental rights relating to their daughter’s gender confusion by concealing from them actions taken by school officials.

Child and Parental Rights Campaign, Inc. (CPR-C) is a non-partisan, non-profit public interest law firm whose mission is to defend parental rights and protect children’s well-being against the impacts of gender identity ideology.

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Florida Board of Governors Supports More Funding for Major State Universities

Grant Holcomb

The Florida Board of Governors (BOG) has requested the Florida Legislature to allocate approximately $150 million more to funding three major Florida universities: University of South Florida (USF), University of Florida (UF), and Florida State University (FSU).

The request is a part of the BOG’s total $3.57 billion budget request for all of Florida’s college and universities. If approved by the Florida Legislature, each university would receive $50 million.

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Governor DeSantis Says Florida’s Ports Could Fix Supply Chain Crisis

Casey Owens

Governor DeSantis has suggested to the Biden Administration that Florida ports are open for business amid the global supply chain crisis that has bottlenecked cargo ships in California ports.

At a press conference at Jacksonvilles’ JAXPORT on Tuesday discussing his proposal with Florida seaport executives, Governor DeSantis made it clear that Florida is prepared for increased operation and that he is determined to meet holiday demand.

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Families of School Shooting Victims Reach $25 Million Settlement

Casey Owens

After almost four years since the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school (MSDHS) in Broward County, the school district reached a $25 million settlement on Monday with the families of 52 people who were killed, injured, or traumatized during the tragic event.

The shooting, which happened in February 2018 when an ex-student open-fired on his former classmates, resulted in 17 people who were injured, and the death of 14 students and three faculty members.

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Florida Judge Clears Pathway for Possible Lawsuit Against University of Florida

Grant Holcomb

Florida Judge Monica Brasington refused to dismiss a potential class-action lawsuit against the University of Florida which says the school should refund the fees to students who were forced to study from home during the COVID-induced school year.

If it is considered a class action lawsuit, then Anthony Rojas’ lawsuit against the university, would likely affect tens of thousands of students who were forced to study and learn from home when the university shut campus down during the pandemic.

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Biden Sends Illegal Immigrants to Florida

Grant Holcomb

Numerous reports have been released revealing the President Joe Biden administration has been flying illegal aliens into states, including Florida, in the dead of night. On Saturday night, a Boeing 737 landed in Jacksonville, Fla., originating from Texas, after 10:00 p.m.

Soon after, the group of travelers were escorted onto charter buses and driven to the Twin Oaks Academy, a juvenile detention center in the Apalachicola National Forest, outside of Tallahassee, Fla.

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AAA Says Gas Prices in Florida Will Continue to Rise Through Winter Months

Casey Owens
Gas up the car

In a recent report from AAA auto club, it suggests that gas prices in Florida will continue to increase into the winter months as a result of global supply concerns over crude-oil and gasoline.

According to AAA, as of Monday, the average price per gallon of unleaded gas in Florida is $3.18 and is expected to increase to $3.20 before they expect for it to go back down. The national average gas price is $3.33.

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Vacation Rental Battle Lined Up for Florida Legislature

Grant Holcomb

Regulation over the vacation rental industry is teed up, once again for the upcoming Florida Legislative session. Sen. Jason Fischer (R-FL-4) filed legislation to grant the regulation of vacation-rental platforms, like Airbnb or Vrbo, to the state. The bill, HB 325, would remove the regulatory power away from local municipalities.

City and county governments have fought similar legislation, saying they should be able to regulate their properties on a local level.

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Florida Seeking Long-Term Rule on Mask Mandates, Quarantines in Schools

Grant Holcomb

The Florida Department of Health (FDOH) is proposing a new long-term rule to ban mask mandates and enshrine its new quarantine rules for students in Florida’s public school system. Florida’s new surgeon general, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, signed off on the first phase of the new rules last month which said students would no longer have to quarantine if they are exposed and asymptomatic.

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Florida Middle School Teachers Encouraged Not to Share Student Conversations on Gender/Sexuality Issues with Parents

Steve Stewart

Emails show that the sponsor of the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) club at Montford Middle School – located in Tallahassee, Florida – advised a teacher that they were not obligated to share information from students related to gender/sexuality issues with their parents.

Stacy Thompson, the media specialist at Montford and GSA sponsor, was asked a question by a teacher after Thompson sought out volunteers to post “Safe Place” flags in Montford classrooms.

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DeSantis Announces $5.8 Million Grant for Glades Technical College

Steve Stewart

On Friday, Governor Ron DeSantis announced more than $5.8 million in Florida Job Growth Grant Funds to support the opening of  iTECH Glades Technical College in Moore Haven, a new location of Immokalee Technical College.

“When I took office, I asked DEO to focus on finding ways to support and invest in our rural communities – today, they delivered,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “I am proud to award $5.8 million through the Governor’s Job Growth Grant Fund to create a new technical college campus in Moore Haven.”

The new iTECH Glades campus in Moore Haven will serve an area that does not have any post-secondary training programs within 30 miles. The $5.8 million award will cover five years of startup costs for the technical college and will allow the campus to offer 12 career training programs. Workforce training will be offered in high-demand fields such as HVAC, diesel systems, accounting, nursing, welding and healthcare, and will be available to Floridians in Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Okeechobee and Collier counties.

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Sarasota County School Board Removes Black Lives Matter Reference

Casey Owens

The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has been removed from the Sarasota County School district’s fifth-grade curriculum in accordance to the Florida Department of Education’s ban on critical race theory (CRT) that was passed in June.

Sarasota parents with fifth-grade students received a letter from the FDOE this week discussing the change of a “reading passage” in the students’ textbook, but did not directly mention Black Lives Matter as the subject of removal.

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The James Madison Institute Releases Priorities for 2022 Legislative Session

Casey Owens

The James Madison Institute (JMI) released its list of legislative priorities that they want Florida lawmakers to tackle in the upcoming legislative session of 2022.

JMI’s proposed policies include the advancement of; innovation practices, education opportunities, expanded healthcare solutions, the protection of individual liberties, and the safeguarding the values of free markets, choice, and liberty in federal policy.

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Charlie Crist Will Legalize Recreational Marijuana If Elected

Grant Holcomb

Congressman and gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist (D-FL-13) said earlier this week that if he is elected governor, he vowed to legalize recreational marijuana and expunge criminals with marijuana convictions.

The announcement came as part of the unveiling of Crist’s “Justice for All” criminal justice reform plan, which also included some gun control policies. Crist said the plan is for the communities who have felt left behind by the government.

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Hundreds of Doctors Criticize Florida’s Surgeon General, Call for Close Monitoring

Grant Holcomb

Over 350 doctors from across Florida signed on to a letter asking the Florida Senate to scrutinize Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo. The doctors took part in the effort alongside the Committee to Protect Health Care (CPHC), as they outlined numerous questions regarding Ladapo’s positions.

Ladapo, upon announcing his appointment to the position, said Florida is “done with fear” and began a process of pushing back against universal mask mandates and vaccine mandates. He was appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and some DeSantis opponents called Ladapo “an anti-masker and a vaccine skeptic.”

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