Despite pleas from students, faculty and Democrats, a Senate bill targeting state universities and colleges’ diversity programs and faculty tenure moved a step closer to passage Wednesday.
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Wednesday, March 15, 2023
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Florida House panel supports lowering a threshold for sentencing defendants to death
The House Justice Appropriations Subcommittee voted 8-6 to approve a bill (HB 555) that would eliminate a requirement for unanimous jury recommendations before death sentences can be imposed. Under the bill, judges would sentence people to death based on recommendations of eight of 12 jurors.....MORE
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Florida universities told to hand over more records, this time on union talks
State University System Chancellor Ray Rodriguez
On March 1, State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues sent a request to presidents for details on the last round of negotiations with their two largest unions. He asked for the names of the bargaining units, the date of last the agreement, how long the negotiations lasted, the total cost of the effort and other information....MORE
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Trump team accuses DeSantis of breaking election laws in ‘shadow presidential campaign’
In documents obtained by NBC News, former President Donald J. Trump, now running in a third campaign for president, has filed an ethics complaint against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis regarding his “shadow presidential campaign” for the 2024 election.....MORE
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New College of Florida interim president Richard Corcoran fires the school's diversity dean
...last week, Interim President Richard Corcoran fired Yoleidy Rosario-Hernandez, the school's dean for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.....MORE
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Florida six week abortion limit will get its first hearing
A House panel Thursday is scheduled to take up a bill that seeks to prevent abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
The Healthcare Regulation Subcommittee will hold the first hearing on the controversial proposal (HB 7), which was filed last week by Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, R-Fort Myers.
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Tuesday, March 14, 2023
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Week of HATE
LISTEN IN: Tomorrow (Wed) 3/15 at 10 am we will hear from Brandon Wolf, Press Sectr'y for Equality Florida, and several young trans and queer activists about the anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ bills proposed in the Florida legislative session during this "Week of Hate." Tune in to WMNF 88.5 FM or stream wmnf.org. You can join our conversation at 813-239-9663, email dj@wmnf.org or text 813-433-0885 during our live show. WMNF Community RadioWMNF News MidPoint on WMNF Radio
Defamation bill advances in Florida House
Legislation that would make it easier to sue news media, among others, for libel and defamation advanced Tuesday in the Florida House.
The proposal (HB 991) is a legislative challenge to a longstanding U.S. Supreme Court precedent, which provides legal protections to publishers unless proven in court, they reported recklessly.
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Nearly a century old, Tampa Theatre hoping for $42 million restoration
The theater hopes to raise $42 million in the coming months to allow for a full restoration of the theater before its centennial celebration in 2026.
The theater is hoping that most of the $42 million will come from private sources, but it's also asking for public investment from the City of Tampa, Hillsborough County, and the State of Florida.
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Marco Rubio distances himself from Ron DeSantis’ new position on Ukraine
Obviously, he doesn't deal with foreign policy every day as Governor.'
Florida’s senior Senator isn’t completely on board with the Governor’s evolved position on the war in Ukraine.....MORE
Republicans on Florida House panel vote to approve bill that allows 18 year olds to buy rifles
With backing from Speaker Paul Renner, a House panel on Monday approved a bill that would lower the minimum age from 21 to 18 to buy rifles and other long guns in Florida.
The bill (HB 1543) would reverse part of a 2018 law that set the minimum age at 21 after a gunman killed 17 students and faculty members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Nikolas Cruz, then 19, used a semi-automatic rifle to carry out the attack.
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Monday, March 13, 2023
Florida House committee advances bill to eliminate diversity programs
A Florida House subcommittee has advanced a bill that would bring major reforms to higher education at the state’s dozen public universities.
Republican lawmakers are supporting House Bill 999 which would eliminate diversity programs and certain majors, while Democratic lawmakers are pushing back, saying the legislation threatens academic freedom.
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Democrats, advocates castigate GOP over LGBTQ-related bills
A group of about 50 LGBTQ rights advocates and Democrats convened in the Capitol to condemn efforts by Republican lawmakers to restrict access to care for transgender children and expand the ban on teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom.
“Free states don’t throw parents in jail for caring about their children,” said Brandon Wolf, a spokesman for Equality Florida.
He was referring to a bill (SB 254) that would require courts to intervene in custody battles between parents over children who seek out medical treatments that would lead to a gender transition.
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Democrats pan Republican plans to loosen gun laws, crack down on higher ed, limit abortion
Republican agenda meant to 'divide and dictate,' House Democrats argue.
House Democrats are painting a bleak picture of the state’s future if Republicans’ legislative agenda is allowed to pass unchecked — as it’s largely expected to.
Democratic leaders held a wide-ranging news conference largely criticizing the GOP’s efforts to ban abortion (HB 7) before most know they are pregnant, ending all diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the state’s higher education institutions (HB 999), and allowing people to carry concealed weapons without a license (HB 543).
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Florida House to review expanded list of banned majors in higher education reform
The Florida Legislature is considering a ban on certain college degrees, and will vote on expanding the list of banned majors in the bill during a House Committee hearing on Monday.
House Bill 999, introduced by State Rep. Alex Andrade (R-Escambia), echoes proposals from Gov. Ron DeSantis. The bill would ban majors or minors in critical race theory and gender studies and subjects like intersectionality. HB 999 also builds on previous legislation from 2022 that created a five-year review process for tenured faculty in Florida, which passed last year.
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Is DeSantis darkening Florida’s sunny open-records laws?
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, weighing a presidential bid, is pursuing a home-state agenda that could make it harder for people to learn what public officials are doing or to speak out against them. In an unprecedented move for the Sunshine State, DeSantis has claimed an executive right to keep key government records secret. He’s also seeking to weaken a nearly 60-year-old national legal precedent protecting journalists and others who publish critical comments about public figures.....MORE
Sunday, March 12, 2023
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