Category: Florida

College Board Declines to Alter AP Courses to Comply with Florida Law

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The College Board, the organization that oversees the administration of Advanced Placement (AP) tests and courses, has declined to alter the contents of its materials to comply with Florida law restricting the discussion of certain sexual topics in public schools.

Florida bars discussion of those matters from kindergarten through the twelfth grade. The state previously limited such discussion from kindergarten through the third grade, but expanded the measure. The state had previously asked the College Board to review its materials to determine which of its courses would require adjustment to comply with the expanded state guidance.

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It’s Official: Miami Mayor Francis Suarez Announces Run for President

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by Mary Lou Masters   Miami’s conservative Mayor Francis Suarez announced Thursday morning he’s seeking the Republican nomination for president in 2024, joining an increasingly growing GOP primary field. Suarez filed the paperwork to run for president with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) Wednesday. The 43rd Miami mayor’s announcement comes ahead of his official campaign launch speech Thursday evening at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in Simi Valley, California. The mayor’s announcement makes him the third presidential candidate from Florida, along with his governor, Ron DeSantis, and former President Donald Trump. Suarez has the backing of a political action committee (PAC) SOS America, who has already begun fundraising for the mayor, and released a campaign-like advertisement video harping on his record in Miami for cutting taxes, decreasing crime and bolstering the business community. “America needs a leader ready to act — Francis Suarez will not back down,” the video said. “A father, a husband and a proud believer in American exceptionalism. Protecting American families, supporting law enforcement and defending the American dream — this is Miami Mayor Suarez’s Miami Model.” Miami Mayor Francis Suarez is running for President https://t.co/uTeOzqHM9U — Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) June 14, 2023 Before being elected as the city’s first Miami-born mayor in…

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Loyola Marymount President Blasts DeSantis in Op-Ed, Praises Woke Students for ‘Indoctrinating Us’

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Loyola Marymount University President Timothy Law Snyder recently wrote an op-ed for the Miami Herald arguing Ron DeSantis is on the losing end of the woke battle in education since most students today are already socially liberal by the time they enter college.

Snyder suggests that DeSantis is out of touch with undergraduates, stating, “Has DeSantis met the college students of the year 2023? If he has, he has somehow missed entirely their makeup and conviction.”

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Actress Compares Ron DeSantis to KKK ‘Grand Wizard’ During Tony Award Speech

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Actress Denée Benton directly compared Republican Florida Governor and 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis to the “Grand Wizard” of the Denée Benton (KKK) in a speech delivered Sunday night at the 2023 Tony Awards show.

Benton made reference to “the current Grand Wizard — I’m sorry, excuse me — governor of my home state of Florida” at the Tony Awards, an annual ceremony for Broadway plays and musicals. Her equation of the conservative governor to the national leader of the KKK received applause from the New York City audience.

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With DeSantis Opposition, State Funding Highly Unlikely for New Rays Stadium

The Center Square

While the owners of the Tampa Bay Rays want a new stadium and a plan could be approved as soon as this fall, state funding will likely not be forthcoming due to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ policy against public funding of professional sports stadiums.

Team owner Stuart Sternberg has denied rumors that the team would leave St. Petersburg’s Tropicana Field, but team officials want a replacement for the domed stadium built in 1990 and home to the team since their debut in 1998. The team’s lease at Tropicana Field expires in 2027.

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Florida Lawmakers Avoid Large-Scale Reforms to State’s Pension System

The Center Square

Florida public retirees will get some improvements in their benefits, but larger, structural improvements to the state’s defined benefit pension system were not pursued by lawmakers this session.

The Florida Retirement System’s 629,073 members will receive a cost of living adjustment that they last received in 2011 and first responders will have their retirement age lowered.

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Gov. Ron DeSantis Visits the U.S.-Mexico Border, Touts Florida’s Approach to Tackling Illegal Immigration

Kaitlin Housler

Florida Governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona on Wednesday and held a roundtable discussion on border security efforts with sheriffs from across the nation.

During his visit, DeSantis touted efforts taken by Florida to combat illegal immigration within the state and along the southern border, such as relocating illegal aliens who wish to be transported to sanctuary states and cities.

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Florida AG Moody Defeats Biden Administration in Court, Again

The Center Square

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody won another round against the Biden administration in federal court, this time in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

On Monday, the court ruled to keep in place an injunction against the Department of Homeland Security’s parole program. The injunction was issued by a federal district judge in Florida last month. DHS appealed the judge’s ruling and lost.

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Federal Judge Recuses Himself in Disney Lawsuit Against DeSantis

The Center Square

New details have emerged about the legal battle between the state of Florida and the Walt Disney Company after the presiding judge recused himself from the case.

U.S. Judge Allen Winsor (appointed by former President Donald Trump) will take over the case after U.S. Judge Mark Walker (a former President Barack Obama appointee) recused himself on Thursday. On Friday, Winsor issued an order setting a deadline for June 26 for the state of Florida to file a motion to dismiss the case and gave a deadline of July 26 for Disney to file a counter filing.

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New Florida Law Forces Universities to Vastly Expand Constitutional Curriculum, Civic Literacy

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Florida’s three largest universities must vastly expand their instruction on constitutional principles under a new law recently signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The new law refocuses three already established academic centers at Florida State, University of Florida and Florida International University, retooling them with an emphasis on nurturing patriotism and western-democratic thought through active instruction.

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Florida’s DeSantis Signs Bill to Help Preserve Indian River Lagoon

The Center Square

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law this week that will help protect Florida’s water resources and support conservation efforts in the Sunshine State.

House Bill 1379 was sponsored by Rep. Kevin Steele, R-Hudson, and Rep.Tobin Overdorf, R-Stuart, and will create designated funding for the state’s conservation efforts as part of DeSantis’ common sense conservation agenda.

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Florida Marijuana Initiative Has Enough Signatures to Appear on 2024 Ballot

The Center Square

Smart & Safe Florida, a campaign supporting a ballot initiative to legalize marijuana in Florida, has collected 967,528 valid signatures, exceeding the 891,523 valid signatures needed to be placed on the ballot in 2024.

State officials confirmed on June 1, that the campaign had submitted enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot and had met the signature distribution requirement mandating that signatures equaling at least 8% of the district-wide vote in the last presidential election be collected from at least half (14) of the state’s 28 congressional districts.

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Florida Poll Has Trump and DeSantis Tied, but Questions Remain About Polling Data

M.D. Kittle

A new poll shows Florida Governor Ron DeSantis statistically tied with former President Donald Trump in the Sunshine State’s presidential primary race, a reversal of fortune for DeSantis from a few months ago. 

But Fort Meyers, Florida-based pollster Victory Insights has provided no topline or key demographic background data on the poll, raising more questions about surveys used to power a narrative that DeSantis is more electable than Trump.

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Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz Declares ‘Huge Victory’ as Pentagon Cancels ‘Child-Friendly’ Drag Show at Nevada Air Base

Susan Berry, PhD

The Department of Defense has put a stop to a “child-friendly” drag show event slated for Thursday at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) declared the decision to cancel the drag show a “huge victory” in the wake of his demands for answers on why such shows on military installations are continuing despite statements to Gaetz during a House Armed Services Committee hearing by Biden Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley that they were not aware such events were occurring and that they agree they should not be held.

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Despite Inflationary Pressures, Record Numbers of Tourists Visited Florida

The Center Square
People on the beach during daytime

Florida is one of the top destinations for vacationers and the state’s economy has experienced a boost as other states continue to feel the effects of shutting down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Florida experienced record tourism numbers in the first quarter of 2023. Around 37.9 million visitors poured into the Sunshine State between January and March, the largest number of visitors ever recorded in a single quarter, according to Visit Florida estimates.

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Florida and Iowa Among the Handful of States Enacting New, Sweeping School Choice Legislation

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So far in 2023, six states signed school choice legislation into law, giving millions of families and their children education options, including access to taxpayer-funded vouchers.

Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Utah, South Carolina and Oklahoma all signed legislation into law that makes at least some, if not all students within the states, eligible for taxpayer funded vouchers or a tax credit that can be used on education expenses such as private school tuition, textbooks and transportation. Under the legislation enacted in 2023, millions of students across the country are now able to attend schools outside their designated zip code or apply to receive funding in order to seek a private or a homeschool education.

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Florida National Guard, Law Enforcement Begin Work with Texas Operation Lone Star

The Center Square

Florida National Guard, state troopers, and other personnel are in “full force,” assisting with Gov. Greg Abbott’s border security mission, Operation Lone Star (OLS), at the Texas-Mexico border, Gov. Ron DeSantis says.

On May 16, Abbott requested aid from his fellow 49 governors to help secure its border. Within hours, DeSantis announced Florida’s pledge to help. Within a few more hours, 24 governors had pledged their support.

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Florida Continues to Emphasize Civics Education as National Test Scores Fall

The Center Square

Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed several bills over the past few years designed to improve the U.S. history and civics knowledge of Florida students.

The need for such reform was spotlighted by a decline in eighth grade social studies scores on The National Assessment of Educational Progress examinations. These tests designed to measure student achievement in several subject areas in the fourth, eighth and 12th grades.

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Chinese, Cubans, Ecuadorians, Haitians, Dominicans Continue to Land Off Florida Coast

The Center Square

While much of the focus has been on the southern border ahead of the public health authority Title 42 ending May 11, Title 42 never applied to those interdicted at sea.

And a new policy implemented April 27 makes Cubans and Haitians attempting to enter illegally by sea indefinitely disqualified from a new Department of Homeland Security parole process.

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Chinese Citizens Sue Florida over Law Banning Them from Purchasing Land Near Military Installations

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Chinese citizens living in Florida sued the state Monday over a new law that prohibits people from “countries of concern” from purchasing certain property within the state.

People from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela and Syria are barred from purchasing property within 10 miles of “any military installation or critical infrastructure facility” and agricultural land under the law, SB 264, signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on May 8. Backed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the plaintiffs allege that Florida’s law, which will take effect on July 1, expands housing discrimination and has “farreaching stigmatizing effects among people of Chinese and Asian descent,” according to the complaint.

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Florida First State to Accept Classic Learning Test as Alternative to SAT, ACT

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Florida has become the first state in the nation to officially accept the Classic Learning Test as an alternative to SAT and ACT, the latter of which are considered ideologically slanted to the left.

The legislation, signed earlier this month by Gov. Ron DeSantis, makes the exam eligible as an option for students seeking to qualify for state-funded scholarships to Florida colleges and universities. It also allows school districts to offer the CLT to 11th graders.

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Florida Fifth-Grade Teacher Scolds Parents: ‘Your Rights Are Gone When Your Child Is In the Public School System’

Susan Berry, PhD

A Florida fifth-grade teacher justified her decision on CNN to show her students an LGBT-themed Disney movie claiming that parents who complained about it are “ignorant.”

Journalist and Grabien founder Tom Elliott tweeted a clip of CNN’s interview Monday night with Jenna Barbee, a fifth-grade teacher at Winding Waters School, a K-8 school in the Hernando County district, who is under investigation over possible violation of Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law, recently expanded to prohibit classroom instruction in sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades from K-12, rather than only K-3.

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Florida Students Plan ‘Alternative’ Commencement to Oppose DeSantis’ ‘Hostile Takeover’

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New College of Florida (NCF) students raised more than $90,000 to hold an alternative commencement ceremony to oppose the “hostile takeover” prompted by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appointment of conservative trustees earlier this year, according to its GoFundMe page.

The alternative commencement, titled “[NEW] Commencement: On Our Terms,” is scheduled to be held on May 18 at an alternative venue to recognize graduates on the students’ “own terms, separate from the official commencement ceremony,” its GoFundMe description reads. DeSantis appointed six new members to the Board of Trustees, which led to backlash from students who disagree with the conservative members.

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DeSantis Signs Bill Banning Use of Central Bank Currencies

The Center Square

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a measure into law on Friday that bans the use of a central bank digital currency in the state of Florida and further bans the use of CBDCs issued from foreign government reserves and central banks, including China’s digital Yuan.

“I’m just glad we are thinking ahead here in the state of Florida because once this genie is out of the bottle, I think it will be very hard to put back in,” DeSantis said, adding that cash is king, and allows a person to control their own lives.

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DeSantis Signs Legislation Cracking Down on Teachers Unions

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law on Tuesday that bans automatic payroll deductions for teachers union dues.

Under the “Employee Organizations Representing Public Employees” law, public-employee unions are no longer allowed to automatically deduct dues from paychecks and must annually notify members of union costs. The bill, signed into law by DeSantis Tuesday, passed the state Senate in March, 23-17, and the state House in a 72-44 vote.

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DeSantis Signs Bill Blocking Chinese Property Ownership Near Military Installations

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Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law Monday a bill that would block Chinese ownership of agricultural land and property near military installations, the latest state to crack down on Communist Party control of U.S. sites.

The law prohibits anyone from China and other totalitarian regimes, including Iran, Russia, Venezuela, Syria, Cuba and North Korea, from having a stake in any property within 10 miles of Department of Defense installations or critical infrastructure. A separate bill, also signed into law Monday, creates additional hurdles for foreign ownership of private schools after federal lawmakers raised red flags over Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ties to a private Florida high school operating a military pre-enlistment program.

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DeSantis Signs Bill Nullifying Disney’s Last-Minute Agreements

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Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation Friday to nullify Disney’s last-minute agreements intended to curb the governor’s state control board implemented to oversee the corporation’s special tax district.

Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District anticipated the governor’s signing of legislation to revoke the company’s self-governing privileges, and made eleventh-hour agreements granting Disney control of the district’s developmental rights and privileges. DeSantis signed the bill to nullify those agreements, as they were made within the three-month window that the state control board was enacted.

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Planned Parenthood Plots Attack to Roll Back DeSantis’ Abortion Ban

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Planned Parenthood is planning on launching a ballot measure initiative to roll back Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ newly-signed six-week abortion ban, according to Politico.

DeSantis signed a bill April 16 to protect the lives of the unborn after six weeks gestation with exceptions in cases of rape, incest and human trafficking, or when the mother’s life is in danger. Planned Parenthood, a pro-abortion advocacy group, is attempting to curb the governor’s efforts by attempting to create a ballot initiative allowing for abortions until fetal viability, according to Politico.

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IRS Data Says Florida Is a Top Choice of Americans on the Move

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New federal data says Florida is one of the most desired destinations for Americans wanting to move and continues to be the fastest growing state in the country.

According to the 2020-21 IRS migration data, Florida has gained more people than any other state in the U.S since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The Sunshine State’s government continues to add more employment opportunities and tax breaks, enhancing the chances migration to Florida could continue on the same trend.

The IRS data is derived from income tax filings.

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DeSantis Signs Bill Allowing Prosecutors to Seek Death Penalty for Convicted Pedophiles

Just the News

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is advancing his tough-on-crime message by signing a new package of crime bills, including one that would allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty for some found guilty of pedophile-related crimes.

DeSantis, a Republican, signed the bills into law Monday, including one, which allows for the death penalty for those found guilty of “sexual battery against children under the age of 12,” the governor’s office said.

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DeSantis Takes Hard Anti-Crime Stance by Signing Three Florida Bills into Law

The Center Square

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law three anticrime bills on Monday that the Republican says will strengthen pre-trial detention and push back against “soft on crime” policies that have made other states less safe.

“One of the main things people say when they come, is that they just want to be in a place that takes public safety seriously.” DeSantis said, noting that Florida’s 50-year-low crime rate is a main driver for people who relocate to the Sunshine State.

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Trip to U.K. Solidifies Possible Financial Help with Property Insurance Reform

The Center Square

As part of the last leg of a four-country trade mission, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis met with political and business leaders in the U.K. to address ongoing and new trade relationships. He also secured a commitment from British companies to increase access to property insurance carriers to stabilize Florida’s market.

While in London, DeSantis met with Foreign Minister James Cleverly and MP Kemi Badenochs, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade and president of the Board of Trade in the UK.

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Florida Lawmakers Pass Bill Allowing DeSantis to Run for President Without Resigning

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Florida lawmakers on Friday approved reforms to the state’s “resign to run” requirements that would allow Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to seek the presidency without resigning from his post.

The state requires candidates to resign from their elected posts once they qualify for the ballot when seeking higher office, CNN reported. Lawmakers approved revising the measure to exclude “any person seeking the office of President or Vice President of the United States.”

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Florida House Passes Bill That Would Change How Unions Operate in the State

The Center Square

Florida could change the way unions operate through legislation that proponents say would force union representatives to be more involved and available to their members while ensuring non-members don’t face discrimination.

Senate Bill 256 is sponsored by Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill and it would require union members to sign a membership authorization form recognizing Florida as a right to work state before they join.

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