By John Kennedy, Capital Bureau, USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA, June 13, 2021 TALLAHASSEE – While Gov. Ron DeSantis is drawing praise from conservatives and pulling in campaign cash from across the nation, he also is attracting a crush of lawsuits spurred by the polarizing legislation he signed into law. Opponents say the outcome of the courtroom challenges will be pivotal not just…
Editor’s note: just a coincidence? I don’t buy it! By John Kennedy, Capital Bureau, USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA TALLAHASSEE – Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law Tuesday a controversial ban on transgender athletes participating in women’s sports at the high school and college levels, seizing on a trend coursing through conservative states. The Republican governor enacted the measure on…
By John Kennedy, Capital Bureau, USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA, May 28, 2021 TALLAHASSEE – Gov. Ron DeSantis is poised to declare victory on another front in what critics call a culture war – with his administration expected to approve new limits on how racial history is taught in Florida schools. The Republican governor has spent weeks ridiculing “critical race theory,”…
The state’s elections supervisors called it poorly thought out legislation for a problem that didn’t exist.
Opinion by Lizette Alvarez, Washington Post Contributing columnist, May 24, 2021 When fighting Big Government, Republicans traditionally extol the virtue of going local: Let people decide what works best for their own communities. In Florida, where Latino-rich Miami sits a universe away from Pensacola’s Southern drawl, the argument often made sense. But that was yesterday. Today’s…
NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA, Apr 20, 2021 TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis quietly signed into law late Monday a bill that will cost Florida consumers who shop online an estimated $1 billion a year in sales taxes, with the money used to cut business taxes. The governor’s office announced the decision at 11:23 p.m. Monday in…
The Florida legislative session ended on Friday, April 30. After a tumultuous year and a challenging legislative session, we wanted to make sure you knew that the ACLU of Florida has been working as hard as ever to protect our civil liberties. Despite the onslaught of undemocratic legislation introduced this year that will impact our…
By Lenny Guckenheimer, Charlotte Dems contributing writer When I attended the May 11th Charlotte County Board of Commissioners meeting, I discovered two agenda items that had nothing to do with local government but are certainly part of the Republican agenda sweeping the nation. The commissioners found it necessary to pass resolutions declaring that Charlotte County…
By Laura Cassels, Florida Phoenix, May 11, 2021 Florida’s new anti-riot/protest law targets people of color protesting racial injustice in the United States and subjects them to harsh treatment at the hands of the police they are criticizing, asserts a major lawsuit filed in federal court on Tuesday. It is the second lawsuit filed against the “Combating…
On May 6, 2021, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) filed a federal lawsuit against Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee challenging Florida’s new law that greatly obstructs voting access. The lawsuit argues that S.B. 90 creates barriers and burdens that impact all Florida voters and disproportionately impacts the ability of Black voters, Latino…
BY THE MIAMI HERALD EDITORIAL BOARD, MAY 02, 2021 State Sen. Shevrin D. Jones, right, hugs Sen. Randolph Bracy after addressing police-reform bill near end of legislative session. Halfway through Florida’s 60-day legislative session, this Editorial Board declared lawmakers were pushing an anti-people agenda. We’re not here to retract that statement. Lawmakers did, after all, wrap…
By Barrington Salmon, Florida Phoenix, April 30, 2021 Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is running scared. So fearful is he and his collaborators of the rising power of primarily Black racial justice protesters, they concocted and signed a sweeping bill into law that criminalizes the constitutionally guaranteed right to protest. Going forward, those who march in…
The bill, which Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to sign, is the latest Republican effort to restrict voting after the 2020 election. It will make Florida the first major swing state won by Donald Trump to pass such a law. By Patricia Mazzei and Nick Corasaniti, New York Times, April 29, 2021 MIAMI — Republicans in the Florida…
Florida Phoenix reporter Issac Morgan writes: “With just a few days left in the 2021 legislative session and COVID-19 still infecting and killing Floridians, the Legislature will not fully utilize federal coronavirus relief funds from the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan. About $3.5 billion will be used to bolster the state’s reserves rather than provide…
Governor Ron DeSantis this morning surrounded himself with legislative leaders, two cabinet officers, and several law enforcement personnel–all white–and except for Attorney General Ashley Moody–all male. One purpose of the gathering was to show the governor signing HB 1 into law. The event also gave DeSantis an opportunity to blow racist dog whistles in the…
By Laurie Ulrop, DWC Legislation Liaison and Jean Siebenaler, DWCF Legislative Chair It appears Republicans want to destroy our Public School system at all costs. It’s about the money, nothing else. We need to educate our Democratic Senators and make sure that our Republican Senators understand that we know what they are doing and we…
Please note the talking points below and take a few moments to call or email your representatives to voice your concern. Thank you for all your help! By Jean Siebenaler, DWCF Legislative Chair and Laurie Ulrop, DWC Legislative Liaison Florida Republicans love state preemption laws that usurp local government policy-making decisions and give them…
Florida is one of at least 30 states debating such a bill. By Kirby Wilson, Tampa Bay Times, April 14, 2021 TALLAHASSEE — In one of the most contentious votes of the legislative session, the Florida House voted Wednesday to ban transgender athletes from women’s and girls’ scholastic sports. The bill passed by lawmakers, HB 1475, is…
The anti-protest bill — HB 1 Combating Public Disorder — will be debated and voted on the Senate floor Wednesday April 14th. If it passes, goes to the Governor for his signature. So, we ask you to contact your individual Senator before Wednesday to VOTE NO on this anti-democracy bill. If this bill passes, it will be sent directly to the Governor. Our…
Editor’s note: Charlotte Dems member Karen Fisk emailed this letter. Perhaps you can join her? Email him at [email protected] ` Dear Senator Gruters: ` Certainly, there are some favorable provisions in this year’s Florida budget. However, given the $10 billion in extra funding we received from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, the Republican Majority should…