Today, U.S. Representatives Darren Soto and Val Demings, State Representatives Carlos Guillermo Smith and John Cortes, and Mayor of Kissimmee Jose Alvarez joined a round table hosted by Casa Venezuela to talk about efforts to support Venezuelans in the U.S. and in their country. During the event, elected officials called on the Trump administration and…
DetailsWith Democrats focused on ousting Donald Trump from the White House in 2020, the Florida arm of the party is looking to do its part with a hefty group of hires announced Friday morning — exclusively on Florida Politics. Coming on as a Senior Advisor to the Florida Democratic Party is Christina Diamond. Diamond has also served as the finance director…
DetailsFlorida House committee voted Thursday for a broad school safety bill that would expand an existing guardian program to allow classroom teachers to volunteer to carry weapons on campus if local school boards approve. The Republican-led legislation adopted 11-5 along party lines by the House Education Committee builds on a law passed after last year’s…
DetailsAndrew Gillum is launching a massive voter registration effort aimed at ensuring that President Trump doesn’t win Florida again in 2020 and to give Democrats a decisive edge in a state where elections are often 50-50 splits. The 39-year-old Democrat and former Tallahassee mayor plans to use the list of supporters and volunteers he amassed in…
DetailsHow do you have a conversation with someone who just made a racist comment? There are different ways to deal with this situation. How do you respond? Do you tell them they are racist for saying that? Then they feel insulted and they say something back at you that is not very flattering. And by…
DetailsFDP Commits to Registering 200,000 Voters by 2020 Primary Fort Lauderdale, Fl. – The Florida Democratic Party announced Wednesday it is making a $2 Million investment in Voter Registration ahead of the 2020 Elections. With the investment, the party is committing to registering 200,000 voters before the 2020 Presidential primary. “This investment is monumental…
DetailsHarold Wanless sits on a bench in Maurice Gibb Memorial Park beside a new concrete sea wall, the sound of hammers and drills emanating from Belle Isle across a cloudy, turquoise inlet of Biscayne Bay. Knowing what he does about how fast the water surrounding these porous barrier islands is rising, Wanless, director of the…
DetailsThe issue: Last November, years of tireless work paid off when Amendment 4 restored voting rights to 1.4 million Returning Citizens in Florida. Now, those voting rights may be in danger. The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee in the Florida state legislature has voted to approve PCB CJR 19-03, today. It’s an unconstitutional overreach and would…
DetailsAmendment 4 advocates criticize Florida House bill that adds restrictions to felon voting rights A Florida House committee approved a bill addressing the rollout of Amendment 4 despite the likelihood it would undermine the ballot measure’s intent by limiting the number of former felons who could have their voting rights restored. (Read more in…
DetailsFrom Your Charlotte County Democratic Party’s Legislative Liaison Committee Education • SB 7030/HB 7075 School Choice (General Bill by Senate Education Committee/Rep. Jennifer Sullivan) Passage of this bill will greatly expand school vouchers and directs general revenue dollars to private and religious schools reducing general revenue for public schools. It is unconstitutional. We oppose…
DetailsFolks, SB 7070 is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Education on Tuesday, March 19 at 10 AM. This bill has a number of provisions, the most egregious of which would greatly expand taxpayer-funded school vouchers. This means that our public school funding would be sacrificed to pay for vouchers. WHAT…
DetailsA father and daughter are working to convince a commissioner board to approve a local project to protect the environment. Ella Thiele and DJ Thiele started a grassroots campaign to ban plastic bags across Lee County. “We live here; we play here; we work here, and it’s time to make a change,” DJ said. “I…
DetailsEvery day someone asks Jose Javier Rodriguez about his footwear. The state senator from Miami wears suits to work like most male lawmakers, but he pairs them with black rain boots with #ActOnClimate written on them in big white letters. (Read more in Ocala.com) Climate strikes: U.S. students skipping school as part of global action…
DetailsFormer Tallahassee Mayor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum has now released a time and location for his already-teased “major announcement” in South Florida. Gillum now says he’ll be appearing March 20 at Florida Memorial University’s Smith Conference Center for his announcement. Doors open at 5 p.m. A page has also been set up for those wishing to RSVP for…
DetailsPort Charlotte High School Principal Lou Long has apologized for asking a teacher to remove a Black History Month display depicting controversial former NFL player Colin Kaepernick. Following complaints from parents and students, Long ordered full-time substitute math teacher Alissa Perry to remove the display from her door just one day before the month ended. Her…
DetailsWhat is it about the trip to Tallahassee that makes state legislators want to stick it to the people who are running the show back home?… Rep. Michael Grant, R-Port Charlotte, would further squeeze the ability of local governments to do the job they were elected to do, and by home rule charter rights, have…
DetailsAgriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried says “It’s about damn time” that Florida lawmakers finally passed a bill to allow smokable medical marijuana. Commissioner Fried, who is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the Charlotte Co. Democrats’ Blue Gala next month, praised the passage in a Tweet. Today’s action to finally allow smokable medical #marijuana brings…
DetailsGrant’s bill would prohibit local governments from enacting or imposing new regulations on businesses after July 1, 2019, unless the local governing body can publicly justify such requirements are essential to protect public health, safety, or welfare; that the regulations do not “adversely affect the availability of the business’ services to the public”; and that…
DetailsCharlotteDems.com Editor’s Note: The following letter to the editor written by Charlotte Co. DEC Vice Chair Teresa Jenkins was published Tuesday, March 12, in the Sun. Editor: North Korea is guilty of murder, rape and forced abortions, yet our president “fell in love” with its ruthless leader. Trump actually said he believes Kim Jong-un when…
DetailsThe $4.7 trillion budget proposal, which encompasses everything from funding for food aid, education, and health care to national defense, seeks to slash $845 billion from Medicare — a program Trump notably promised to leave untouched — $241 billion from Medicaid through major structural reforms, as well as a 9 percent cut across non-defense programs, all…
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