Category: Florida

Facebook to End Rule Moderating Speech for Politicians

Grant Holcomb

Facebook announced it will likely scrap its highly debated policy regarding moderating the speech and content posted on its site form politicians. Previously, politicians were subject to suspension or permanent ban under a different set of rules compared to regular Facebook users.

This decision comes on the heels of former President Donald J. Trump being permanently banned from Facebook, but no decision has come regarding whether to resurrect Trump’s Facebook account. Facebook’s Oversight Board is giving Facebook time to determine if Trump will be allowed back on the platform.

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DeSantis Signs School Choice Bill

Grant Holcomb

Last month, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill to expand school choice and education options. Some have said it could be the largest school choice expansion among any state in the country.
The bill will expand eligibility to for school vouchers to low-income students and students with unique abilities. Approximately 60,000 Florida students, including military kids, foster children, and adopted students, will now be eligible to receive vouchers to attend private, charter, or other home schooling.

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Miami Beach Mayor Asks Feds to Kill Gambling Compact

Peter D'Abrosca

In a Thursday letter to Deb Haaland, secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI), Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber asked the federal government to reject the newly-signed gambling compact between the state of Florida and the Seminole Indian tribe. 

“I support the goals of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (’IGRA’), namely, to provide Native American tribes with a pathway to greater independence and economic vitality. But the Florida Compact you are considering was not crafted in pursuit of those goals,” Gelber wrote in the letter. 

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DeSantis Slams Nikki Fried After She Enters Race for Governor

Peter D'Abrosca

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) slammed Florida Agriculture Commissioner and Democrat gubernatorial candidate Nikki Fried at press conference Wednesday in New Smyrna Beach, after Fried announced that she is running against DeSantis.

“Nikki Fried has done nothing in office. She does nothing,” DeSantis said. “All she does is emote on social media, virtue signal to small dollar donors in California and New York. She put her face, spent millions of dollars to put her face on every gas pump across this state, purely to boost her own image at your expense as a taxpayer.”

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Florida COVID Numbers Are Lowest in Months

Grant Holcomb

Florida is reporting the lowest number of COVID positive cases and hospitalizations in months. On Wednesday, Florida reported 1,234 new positive cases, which was the lowest 24-hour total since September. Florida also is currently only seeing 1,832 hospitalized patients for COVID.

The number of Floridians hospitalized was the lowest recorded single day number since the metric was initially tracked in July. The average of hospitalizations has declined 19 percent in the last two weeks and approximately 38 percent lower than one month ago.

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Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody Joins Keystone XL Pipeline Lawsuit

Casey Owens

A multi-state lawsuit against President Joe Biden that was filed in March 2021 had an amended complaint filed on Tuesday that was joined in support by Florida Attorney General, Ashley Moody.

The multi-state lawsuit is in regard to President Biden’s decision to revoke the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline that was initially permitted by former President Donald Trump in 2019.

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Nikki Fried Amends Financial Disclosure Ahead of Campaign Announcement

Steve Stewart

For the second time in less than two years Nikki Fried – the current Florida Agriculture Commissioner and gubernatorial candidate – has amended her 2018 financial disclosure form filed with the Florida Commission on Ethics.

The latest amendment, filed on May 28, 2021, comes just days before she officially announced she would be running for governor.

The amendment relates to her gross income in part D of the form. Fried changed the amount of income she received from Igniting Florida to $351,480.

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Defiant DeSantis Signs Bill That Bans Transgender Girls from Girls Sports

Peter D'Abrosca
Women playing lacrosse

A defiant Gov. Ron DeSantis Tuesday signed a bill banning transgender girls – biological boys – from competing in girls sports. 

“At a bill signing event at the Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville, DeSantis touted the ban as a way to protect the integrity of women’s and girls’ sports,” Tampa Bay Times reported, describing the bill as “controversial.”

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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Predicts Above-Average Hurricane Season in 2021

Casey Owens

It is officially the beginning of hurricane season and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts an above-average number of named storms in 2021.

As stated on the NOAA’s website, forecasters predict a 60% chance of an above-average season, a 30% chance of an average season, while predicting only a 10% chance of a below-average season. An average hurricane season produces 14 named storms, 7 of which being hurricanes, and only 3 that are considered ‘major’ hurricanes.

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Florida Department of Education Launching Listening Tour

Grant Holcomb

The Florida Department of Education is launching a listening tour for two weeks hoping to get feedback regarding revisions to education standards for civics and English-language arts (ELA). The three tour stops will take place at:
Thursday, June 3 – Osceola County
Tohopekaliga High School
3675 Boggy Creek Road
Kissimmee, FL 34744
Wednesday, June 9 – Baker County
Macclenny Elementary School
1 Wildkitten Drive
Macclenny, FL 32062
A part of the new standards is a provision explicitly stating teachers and classroom instructors will not be permitted to “share their personal views or attempt to indoctrinate or persuade students to a particular point of view” that is inconsistent with state standards.

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New ‘SunPass PRO’ Expands Prepaid Toll Program to Include 19 States

Casey Owens
Sunrise Toll Plaza

Florida’s prepaid toll program, SunPass, announced the addition of the SunPass PRO on Friday that will allow Floridians to travel through other states’ tolls with only one toll account.

The announcement comes after the Florida Turnpike Enterprise partnered with 35 toll agencies across 19 states who utilize E-ZPass for prepaid tolls which will now accept SunPass PRO.

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Florida State University Refuses to Cancel Namesake of Football Stadium

Admin
Florida State University Tomahawk Chop

The Florida State University Seminoles will kick off their 2021 season in Doak Campbell Stadium once again, after university officials refused to cancel the stadium’s namesake.

The announcement to keep Campbell, a former president of the public university, on the stadium came after several task forces had debated the issue and an FSU grad had petitioned the school to rename the stadium.

The university’s anti-racism task force voted 12-7 against the renaming, after its Historical Legacy Subcommittee voted 3-3 on the name, according to the Tallahassee Democrat, a local paper.

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DeSantis Not Backing Down on Cruise Vaccine Passports

Peter D'Abrosca

After banning vaccine passports from the Sunshine State by law and by executive order, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is now tasked with bringing the cruise ship industry, a proponent of such passports, to heel. 

“We are going to enforce Florida law,” DeSantis said Friday. “I mean, we have Florida law. We have laws that protect the people and the privacy of our citizens, and we are going to enforce it.”

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Noah Valenstein to Step Down as Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary

Casey Owens

Noah Valenstein, Secretary for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), recently announced his resignation after serving in the position for almost four years.

Valenstein has worked for the Department under former Governor Rick Scott and current Governor, Ron DeSantis, who was updated on Valenstein’s decision on May 8th. On June 4th, Valenstein’s spot will be filled by Shawn Hamilton as interim DEP secretary.

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Florida State Senator Annette Taddeo Looks to Challenge Charlie Crist for Democratic Nomination in 2022 Gubernatorial Election

Casey Owens
Annette Taddeo

Florida Senator Annette Taddeo of District 40 is eyeing a run for Governor in 2022 that challenges her former running mate Charlie Crist for the Democratic nomination.

Taddeo’s announcement came Wednesday after initial speculation of her run circulated on Twitter the day before that stated her plan to run is in response to Florida Congresswoman Val Demings’ decision to run against Marco Rubio in 2022 for a seat in the U.S. Senate.

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Gainesville Officials Challenge Prohibition of Vaccine Passports

Casey Owens
U.S. Passport with vaccine behind

Gainesville city officials are challenging a future state law, SB 2006, that prohibits local governments, schools, and businesses from requiring individuals to show proof of the COVID-19 vaccination to receive services or allowed entry.

For Gainesville city employees, the city has issued voluntary proof of vaccination, or vaccine passports, so that individuals who show proof can abide by looser CDC guidelines which involve not wearing a mask nor socially distancing for people who are fully vaccinated.

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Nikki Fried Backs Critical Race Theory in Florida Classrooms

Grant Holcomb

Days before her likely official gubernatorial launch, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried announced her support for teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) in Florida’s schools and classrooms.

Fried is making a major announcement on June 1, which most are speculating is a governor’s race campaign launch, and in preparation for statewide attention, attended a local community meeting on Tuesday night where she criticized Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for saying CRT is “divisive” and should not be taught in public schools.

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DeSantis Seeks Approval of Importation of Canadian Prescription Drugs

Peter D'Abrosca

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is asking the Biden administration to approve a plan that would allow for the importation of FDA-approved Canadian drugs to the Sunshine State, which would lower costs, according to the governor. 

“Today, Governor Ron DeSantis called on the Biden Administration and leadership at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to approve Florida’s Section 804 Importation Proposal (SIP) for Florida’s Canadian Prescription Drug Importation Program,” a Friday press release said

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Florida Supreme Court Rules Against Marijuana Industry Challenge

Grant Holcomb
Florida Supreme Court Building

Earlier this week the Florida Supreme Court unanimously ruled against a challenge from the medical marijuana industry, backing the state’s strict regulation of the industry’s business model standardized by the Florida legislature.

The challenge was filed by a marijuana company, Florigrown, where they contested the legislation put in place which limits the amount of medical marijuana licenses issued in Florida and requires dispensaries to grow and process their product. Florigrown was denied a license to become a medical marijuana treatment center in 2017.

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Big Tech Lobbyists Sue DeSantis over New Regulations

Peter D'Abrosca
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis

A pair of Big Tech lobbying groups, NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association, have filed a lawsuit against Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, along with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and other state officials, after DeSantis signed into law a bill that regulates Big Tech’s censorship abilities earlier this week. 

“Americans everywhere should oppose Florida’s attempt to run roughshod over the First Amendment rights of private online businesses,” Carl Szabo, vice president and general counsel of NetChoice said, according to POLITICO. “By weakening the First Amendment rights of some, Florida weakens the First Amendment rights of all.”

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At the Brink of Hurricane Season, Florida Insurance Companies Expect to Cancel over 50,000 Policies

Casey Owens

Less than a week from the start of hurricane season, an estimated 53,205 homeowners insurance policyholders in Florida will have their policies cancelled or nonrenewed after approval by the Florida Office of Financial Regulation.

The Florida regulator approved Office of Insurance Regulation consent orders for three Florida-based insurance companies: Universal Insurance Co. of North America (UICNA), Southern Fidelity Insurance Co., and Gulfstream Property and Casualty.

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Florida Delivers Record $765 Million Budget for Teachers

Peter D'Abrosca

Working with the legislature, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) delivered a record-setting $765 million budget for teachers in the Sunshine State.

“These investments include $550 million to continue elevating minimum teacher salaries, as well as $215 million to provide all of Florida’s eligible public school principals and teachers with $1,000 disaster relief payments,” a press release from the governor’s office said.

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Poll: Charlie Crist Leads Nikki Fried in 2022 Gubernatorial Primary Poll

Grant Holcomb

U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist (D-13) leads all Florida Democrats in the 2022 gubernatorial primary in a recently released St. Pete Polls survey. In the poll, Crist came away with 55 percent of respondents, while likely candidate and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried only drew 22 percent.

Only 11 percent of voters are supporting other candidates and 12 percent are undecided.

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Florida Groups Urge Rubio, Scott to Take Up Immigration Reform

Grant Holcomb

Business, political, and religious leaders are urging Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott to take up immigration reform legislation which would add security to around 490,000 immigrants in Florida.

Democratic Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said at a panel hosted by the American Business Immigration Coalition he is urging Florida’s senators to take up bipartisan legislation offering a pathway to citizenship for children, brought here by illegal aliens, classified under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status. Dyer noted almost 20 percent of Orlando population was born in another country and their status as workers drives Central Florida’s economy.

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FSU Settles Discrimination Lawsuit with Former Student Senate President Jack Denton

Peter D'Abrosca
The Florida State University

Florida State University has settled a lawsuit filed by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) on behalf of Jack Denton, the former Student Senate President who was removed from his role for criticizing Black Lives Matter. 

After the death of George Floyd, Denton advised fellow students in a Catholic group chat not to donate to Black Lives Matter, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) or Reclaim the Block, leftist organizations who support anti-Catholic teachings. 

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Gas Prices in Florida Expected to Decrease Heading into Memorial Day Weekend

Casey Owens
Person pumping gas into vehicle

Heading into Memorial Day weekend, Floridians can expect for gas prices to decrease for the first time in over three weeks after the attack on the Colonial Pipeline.

While the majority of the state receives gas from the multiple ports on Florida’s coast, the disruption of the pipeline caused widespread panic-buying among the parts of the state that do use it, which in turn caused gas prices to increase as demand was high and there was limited supply.

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Florida Ends Federal Pandemic Unemployment Benefits

Peter D'Abrosca
Help wanted sign

Amid an ongoing labor shortage that has hit the service industry particularly hard, Florida has become the twenty-third state to reject the federal government’s supplemental $300 per week in COVID-19 unemployment benefits. 

“Florida will end its participation in the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program, the $300 per week supplemental FPUC payment, effective June 26, 2021, as part of DEO’s ‘Return to Work’ initiative,” the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) said in a Monday press release. 

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FSU Announces Richard McCullough as New President

Grant Holcomb

Earlier this week, Florida State University (FSU) announced the Board of Trustees unanimously voted for Richard McCullough to be the next president. The Florida Board of Governors still has to approve the verdict.

McCullough currently serves as Vice Provost at Harvard University, as well as being the strategic developer for the university’s research initiatives. Specifically, the university’s website dictates his role as to ““encourage, cultivate, and coordinate high impact academic research across all of Harvard’s schools and affiliated institutions.”

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Florida TaxWatch Releases Budget ‘Turkey’ Report

Grant Holcomb
Turkey with $100 bills in the background

Yesterday Florida TaxWatch released their annual Budget Turkey Watch Report, a report designed to ensure budget oversight and accountability toward Florida’s elected leaders. The report is a compilation of “Budget Turkeys,” which are described as “local member projects, placed in individual line-items or accompanying proviso language that are added to the final appropriations bill without being fully scrutinized and subjected to the budget process.”

The 16-page report highlights the millions of dollars spent by the Florida Legislature added to the overall state budget without the same “deliberation, debate, and accountability they deserve.”

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DeSantis Signs Bill Curbing Censorship by Big Tech Companies

Grant Holcomb
Ron DeSantis at press conference

Yesterday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill, SB 7072, designed to limit the scope of Big Tech companies and their influence in Florida. The bill will fine companies $250,000 per day if they censor or suspend accounts for political candidates, with Disney World being a notable exception.

“This session, we took action to ensure that ‘We the People’ — real Floridians across the Sunshine State — are guaranteed protection against the Silicon Valley elites,” said DeSantis in a release. “Many in our state have experienced censorship and other tyrannical behavior firsthand in Cuba and Venezuela. If Big Tech censors enforce rules inconsistently, to discriminate in favor of the dominant Silicon Valley ideology, they will now be held accountable.”

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Florida Democrats Prepping for 2022 Challenges

Grant Holcomb
Stephanie Murphy, Nikki Fried and Val Demings

Republicans have dominated Florida Democrats for nearly 30 years, where currently only one statewide elected post is occupied by a Democrat: Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried. With Fried all but officially running against Governor Ron DeSantis and U.S. Rep. Val Demings (D-FL-10) challenging Sen. Marco Rubio for his Senate seat in 2022, Florida Democrats are having to rearrange who is going to be running for open positions and the potential political losses those candidates could face.

If Fried continues on her current trajectory for a likely gubernatorial bid, Democrats might lose the only statewide post they have. Fried won in 2018, weeks after Hurricane Michael devastated the agriculture-rich areas of the Florida Panhandle, which saw diminished Republican Panhandle voter turnout compared to the rest of the state. Fried won the race narrowly by approximately 6,000 votes.

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Governor DeSantis Approves Sales-Tax Holidays for Summer 2021

Casey Owens
Gov. Ron DeSantis

Surrounded by lawmakers at a Home Depot in Pensacola, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill (HB 7061) into law Friday that establishes three “sales-tax holidays” throughout the summer that aims to give tax relief to Floridians.

The sales-tax holidays include: the “Disaster Preparedness” holiday from May 28th, 2021, through June 3rd, 2021, the “Freedom Week” holiday from July 1st, 2021, through July 7th, 2021, and the “Back-to-School” holiday from August 6th, 2021, through August 12th, 2021.

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Lobbyist Secures More Gambling Revenue for Florida City His Daughter Represents

Peter D'Abrosca
Lauren Book

Two of Florida’s Senate Democrats found themselves in a tiff this week during the legislature’s special session wherein an expanded gambling compact with the Seminole Tribe is expected to be approved. 

The city of Davie, represented by Senate Democrat Leader Lauren Book, will benefit from extra gambling revenue fees from Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Those revenue fees were diverted to Davie from the city of Hollywood, where the casino is located. Revenue sharing from the new compact is one of the many questions being ironed out during the special session. 

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Florida Realtors Organization Files Lawsuit Against CDC’s Eviction Moratorium

Casey Owens

A federal lawsuit was filed Monday in Tampa by statewide real-estate group Florida Realtors, and Pinellas County based real-estate firm, R.W. Caldwell Inc. that challenges the federal moratorium implemented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The moratorium established by the CDC was originally issued in September 2020 and was meant to expire by December 31st , 2020. The expiration date has since been extended three times, with the new expiration date on June 3oth, 2021. Florida Realtors called the moratorium “an unprecedented and unlawful federal administrative order.”

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National Republican Groups Joining Fight to Defend Florida’s Election Law

Grant Holcomb
people voting

The Republican National Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee are joining the fight to defend the recently signed election law in Florida. The two organizations filed motions to intervene in two lawsuits against the law.

The law, known as SB 90 while in the Florida Legislature, is designed to curb the chances of fraudulent elections in Florida, but critics immediately called it “Jim Crow” tactics. Civil rights groups immediately filed lawsuits against it calling it a “backlash to Black voters.”

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DeSantis Vows More Action Against Critical Race Theory

Peter D'Abrosca

After a teacher in Duval County was fired for violating the ban on Critical Race Theory in the classroom, Florida’s governor has promised even more action against the practice.

“If we have to play whack a mole all over the state stopping this critical race theory, we will do it,” DeSantis said in a Friday press conference. “You can put lipstick on a pig, it’s still a pig.”

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Florida Teacher Fired for Violating DeSantis Critical Race Theory Ban

Cooper Moran

A Florida teacher was fired for refusing to remove a Black Lives Matter banner from outside her classroom, a direct violation of the Critical Race Theory (CRT) teaching ban implemented by Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this year.

“Governor DeSantis has made clear his position on CRT. It is divisive, irrational, and has no place in our classrooms. CRT is rooted in Marxism, an anti-American ideology that has caused untold suffering and death everywhere it has been implemented. Moreover, CRT teaches discrimination based on ethnicity and racial background,” Executive Office of the Governor Press Secretary Christina Pushaw told The Epoch Times.

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Florida Board of Education Proposes Anti-Indoctrination Rule for Public Schools

Casey Owens
Classroom full of kids, that are being read a book

The Florida State Board of Education will soon make a decision on an anti-indoctrination rule that will change the way U.S. History is taught in public schools.

The rule aims to establish strict guidelines for U.S. History that will try to eliminate students being indoctrinated by teachers by taking subjectivity out of the curriculum and focusing on facts that do not distort significant historical events.

Under the proposed rule, discussions held within the classroom must be considered appropriate for the different age and maturity levels of students that aligns with their specific grade level. During classroom discussion, teachers are prohibited from sharing their personal opinions and will be encouraged to let students develop their own perspective without influence or persuasion from the teacher’s point of view.

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Florida Legislature Accepts $800 Million in Rental Assistance from Federal Government

Casey Owens
Florida’s Historic Capitol and Florida State Capitol

More than $800 million in federal funds have been accepted by the Florida Legislature to provide Floridians rental assistance through the website, OURFlorida.com. The site began accepting applications last week.

The ‘OUR,’ standing for Opportunities for Utilities and Rental Assistance, is available to all Floridians. Both tenants and landlords may apply for the federal assistance to cover losses taken in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With federal funding available statewide, Floridians in counties with populations under 200,000 people, who were unable to receive previous rental assistance provided by the federal government, will now be eligible to apply for and receive assistance.

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Nikki Fried Has Financial Interest in Company Acquired by Trulieve

Grant Holcomb
Commissioner Nikki Fried

Financial disclosure forms indicate that Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried has a financial in Harvest Health & Recreation Inc., a company acquired by Trulieve Cannabis Corp. for $2.1 billion last week. Trulieve is one of the most notable cannabis companies in the United States and is the largest licensed cannabis company in Florida.

According to 2019 documents, Fried’s assets in Harvest Health totaled over $190,000, and her personal overall net worth increased by 416% during the time frame of June 2018 to June 2019. During that period, she was also gifted a $700,000 home with her fiancé Jake Bergmann, who has financial stake in another marijuana company, Surterra Wellness.

Fried has repeatedly promoted the cannabis industry as the Agriculture Commissioner while she and her family maintained financial interests in cannabis companies.

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Florida House Democrats Elect New Leaders

Peter D'Abrosca

Florida’s House Democrats have elected new leaders, each to serve a two year term beginning after the 2022 and 2024 elections. 

“Rep. Ramon Alexander, D-Tallahassee, and Rep. Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, will be the next two leaders of Florida House Democrats. The House Democratic caucus on Wednesday elected Alexander to serve as its leader for a two-year period starting after the 2022 elections,” according to The Tallahassee Democrat. “The caucus chose Driskell to serve as leader for the two-year period starting after the 2024 elections.”

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Florida Lawmakers Ratify Seminole Gaming Compact

Casey Owens
Poker chips casino

After negotiations between Governor DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the Florida House and Florida Senate passed a bill on Wednesday that ratifies the  Seminole Gaming Compact.

Under the compact, the Seminole Tribe of Florida will act as the state’s centralized location for sports betting. The deal requires the tribe to work with a minimum of three pari-mutuels within three months after sports betting goes live on Oct. 15.

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Healthcare Industry Exempt from Vaccine Passport Ban

Grant Holcomb

On May 3, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 2006 into law banning vaccine passports in Florida, with the lone exception being health care providers and facilities within the healthcare industry.  

DeSantis has been critical of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines (CDC) and vaccine passports being endorsed by states and governors across the country. He has said, long before he signed the legislation, vaccine passports being required for citizens to participate in society will not happen in Florida.

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