Tag Archives: Florida

Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix April 4, 2024 Gov. Ron DeSantis says that the constitutional amendments that Floridians will vote on in November — abortion access and recreational weed — are “extreme” and “radical” and predicts that both measures will come up short of the 60% voter threshold required to become …

Mel Leonor Barclay, Shefali Luthra Originally published by The 19th The Florida Supreme Court struck down its state abortion protection — paving the way for a six-week ban passed in 2023 to take effect — but will allow voters to weigh in on whether they can amend the state’s constitution …

Michael Moline, Florida Phoenix Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation Friday designed to make it harder for undocumented immigrants to live in the state — thereby, he said, possibly deterring them from coming here. The measures include driving without a license, “non-official ID cards,” and bumping up certain criminal penalties, all …

Florida education officials and civil rights attorneys recently reached a settlement that provides clarity on the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in the state’s classrooms. This settlement follows the controversial “Don’t Say Gay” law, which prohibited formal instruction on these topics in early grades. The resolution aims to …

Nadra Nittle Originally published by The 19th In the digital age — when the meaning of any unfamiliar word can be found with the click of a button — printed dictionaries have suffered a steep decline in usage. But the waning popularity of reference books hasn’t spared them from the …

Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix There was national outrage last summer when the Florida Board of Education issued a new set of standards for African American history. It included a section on “how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.” Criticism rained down on …

Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix Less than a year after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill banning abortions in Florida after six weeks, a House Republican in the Legislature has filed a bill that essentially calls for the banning of all abortions in Florida. The move comes as the 2024 legislative …

Jessica Corbett, Common Dreams On the heels of Maine officials confirming that the shooter who killed 18 people in Lewiston earlier this week was found dead, shootings in Florida, Illinois, and Indianapolis early Sunday fueled further calls for action by U.S. lawmakers to reduce gun violence. Around midnight, one person …

Michael Moline, Florida Phoenix As fitting for a case of this magnitude, Florida’s First District Court of Appeal will put on a rare show during oral arguments in voting-rights groups’ challenge to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ congressional districting map — specifically, its elimination of a Black-opportunity district in North Florida. All …

Michael Moline, Florida Phoenix A legal challenge to a Florida law forbidding university classes that “distort” history or programs that foster diversity may turn on whether it has actually harmed the group of professors, students, and others behind their lawsuit. That’s the inference from about two hours of oral arguments …

Michael Moline, Florida Phoenix Gov. Ron DeSantis, back in Florida amid his presidential campaign, urged Americans to defy any new federal public health guidance to wear masks, take vaccines, or engage in social distancing in light of an upsurge in COVID cases and emergence of a new viral variant. The …

President Joe Biden on Saturday observed the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia in Florida and took a walking tour of a recovering city. Notably absent was Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who declined to join Biden, citing concerns about the impact on disaster response efforts. Biden, when asked …

A judge ruled on Saturday that Governor Ron DeSantis’ new congressional districts in North Florida go against the state’s constitution. The judge ordered the Republican-controlled Legislature to create a new map. This decision is a strong criticism of the governor. He had previously rejected the Legislature’s efforts to redraw Florida’s …

Brett Wilkins, Common Dreams The Republican-controlled Florida Board of Education on Thursday effectively banned Advanced Placement Psychology by notifying school district superintendents that teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity—key subjects in college-level psychology curricula—is prohibited under the state’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law. That means class schedules …

Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix Vice President Kamala Harris returned to Florida on Tuesday, where she continued to hit Gov. Ron DeSantis over the recent controversy about the state’s new African American history standards for K-12 public schools. A day before, DeSantis challenged her to visit him in Tallahassee and have …