Tag Archives: Florida

A recap of what’s legal as of today in DeSantis’s Florida: In public facilities, including prisons and schools, a new requirement will go into place requiring designated bathrooms for men and women, and individuals will be required to utilize facilities based on their gender as assigned at birth. It has no exceptions even for those who have fully transitioned through …

The Miami Herald reports: Multiple federal court decisions have frozen key portions of Ron DeSantis’ campaign against LGBTQ rights in recent weeks, complicating the Florida governor’s efforts to present himself as a conservative champion with a track record of winning cultural battles over LGBTQ causes. In the last week alone, the DeSantis administration faced setbacks in three legal battles over …

The Florida Phoenix reports: Florida’s sweeping anti-immigration bill is set to go into effect this Saturday, and critics of the law warned Wednesday that it will impact far more than the undocumented immigrant population. “Floridians will see higher costs for our groceries due to worker shortages, longer waits at restaurants, struggles to keep employees, less housing options as construction workforces …

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports: Former School Resource Officer Scot Peterson, the only person other than the gunman to face charges in the 2018 Parkland massacre when he was accused of failing to rush into the building to confront the mass shooter, has been found not guilty on all charges. After the first not guilty verdict was read, Peterson placed …

Florida Politics reports: Voters will soon have little say in how the areas around them change through construction large and small, due to legislation Gov. Ron DeSantis just approved. The measure (SB 718), which goes into effect Saturday, prohibits voter referendums or ballot initiatives on land development regulation. That means all decisions over zoning, building approval, annexations and various other …

From the editorial board of the Orlando Sentinel: Orlando’s first gay nightclub, The Palace Club, opened the same year as the Stonewall riots. When Disney’s Magic Kingdom opened its gates, the City Beautiful took on added allure as a safer — though still not safe — space for non-heterosexual Americans to love and live their lives. It still took decades …

The Washington Post reports: The administration of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) steered $92 million last year in leftover federal coronavirus stimulus money to a controversial highway interchange project that directly benefits a top political donor, according to state records. The decision by the Florida Department of Transportation to use money from the 2021 American Rescue Plan for the I-95 …

The Hill reports: Ron DeSantis suggested that he would eliminate a number of government agencies during an interview on Wednesday. “Are you in favor of eliminating any agencies? I know conservatives in the past have talked about closing the Department of Education, would you do that?” Fox News’s Martha MacCallum asked. DeSantis responded with a list of federal departments he …

Florida Politics reports: Attorneys for Gov. Ron DeSantis are asking a federal judge to wait more than two years to start a trial in the administration’s long-running legal fight with Disney, a time frame that would have them in court after the 2024 presidential election. The lawyers for DeSantis, who is running for president, said that the discovery process in …

CNN reports: On the campaign trail, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has attacked Donald Trump’s signature prison reform bill, calling it a “jailbreak bill” and claiming it “allowed dangerous people out of prison who have now reoffended and really, really hurt a number of people.” But as a congressman, DeSantis voted for a House version of the bill in May 2018 …

CNN reports: Miami mayor and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Francis Suarez indicated in an interview on Tuesday that he was unfamiliar with the plight of Uyghur Muslims, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority in China whose treatment has been the subject of worldwide condemnation for years. In an interview on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show, the Republican presidential candidate was asked, “Will …

Florida Politics reports: The Governor told supporters in Hollis, New Hampshire, about the gaps between what Donald Trump promised as a candidate in 2016 and what he delivered, including on a vow to deal with then-opponent Hillary Clinton. “I remember these rallies in 2016. It was exciting. ‘Drain the swamp,’” DeSantis said, seemingly quoting Trump before pivoting to another unfulfilled …

The Messenger reports: Republican Sen. Rick Scott has issued another travel advisory, cautioning communists and socialists against visiting the state. In a video posted on Twitter on Tuesday, Scott reiterated his previous remarks, stating, “I’m warning socialists and communists not to travel to Florida. They are not welcome in the Sunshine State.” Scott initially issued a “travel advisory” in May, …

From the Centers for Disease Control: CDC is collaborating with two U.S. state health departments with ongoing investigations of locally acquired mosquito-transmitted Plasmodium vivax malaria cases. There is no evidence to suggest the cases in the two states (Florida and Texas) are related. In Florida, four cases within close geographic proximity have been identified, and active surveillance for additional cases …

Click Orlando reports: The Walt Disney Company has no basis for suing Florida’s governor in federal court over actions taken to reform the special district that governed Disney property, according to a new motion filed in the lawsuit between Gov. DeSantis and Disney. Attorneys for Gov. Ron DeSantis and Meredith Ivey, the secretary for the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, …

Florida Politics reports: During remarks in Eagle Pass, Texas, the Florida Governor doubled down on his assertion that the newly rechristened Fort Liberty should have its name changed back to honor Braxton Bragg, whose legacy as a rebel commander was undistinguished even by the markers of the rebel army. “Here’s what I said with respect to Fort Bragg is, that’s …

Florida Politics reports: The war on “woke” takes center stage in the latest ad from a super PAC backing Ron DeSantis’ bid for President. Never Back Down’s new 30-second spot depicts the Governor as an uncompromising fighter in this battle, using rally footage, a stentorian male voiceover and DeSantis’ own words to make its point. “‘Woke’ is an existential threat …

Florida Politics reports: New polling shows Disney’s favorability ratings have remained steady since last year’s controversy over Florida’s parental rights bill, while the Governor’s rating has dropped significantly. The data from left-leaning outlet Navigator shows Disney at a +31 favorability rating, almost identical to the +32 for the company in May 2022. DeSantis, meanwhile, sat at -4 in May 2022, …

Florida Politics reports: The super PAC supporting Ron DeSantis attacked Florida Politics as a media outlet being “backed by groomers.” The reasoning? Publisher Peter Schorsch posted pictures from aboard a Disney cruise. Never Back Down, a super PAC supporting DeSantis’ presidential ambitions, leveled its attack on Twitter. A volley of criticism started after Never Back Down shared a clip of …

The Tallahassee Democrat reports: A federal court blocked Florida’s new drag show law, ruling the state’s effort to bar children from attending “adult live performances,” is overly vague and likely unconstitutional. The decision Friday by U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell comes only a day after another federal court overturned another Gov. Ron DeSantis-backed law prohibiting gender-affirming care treatment in Florida …