Florida textbook altered to remove references to Rosa Parks’s race: report

Rosa Parks – File image. (Associated Press/JOE HOLLOWAY, JR.)

A Florida textbook publisher removed all references of race from a lesson about civil rights icon Rosa Parks in order to get a Florida committee’s approval, according to The New York Times.....MORE

House approves universal private school voucher program

Florida drew one step closer to becoming one of a handful of states offering all families, regardless of income, a voucher to attend a private school of their choosing.

House legislation (HB 1) that could transform the state’s education system passed largely along party lines, 83-27, according to the announced vote.

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Texas, Florida push border laws as governors eye presidency

A migrant woman carries a child on her back while looking at the line of fellow migrants attempting to enter into El Paso, Texas. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)

Led by tough-talking Republican governors weighing presidential runs, Texas and Florida are debating especially strict legislation on border security as the GOP tests federal authority over immigration.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, considered Donald Trump's strongest possible GOP competitor so far in next year's presidential primary, has proposed making human smuggling in the state a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Hospitals would be required to collect data on patients' immigration status and people in the U.S. illegally would be denied state government ID cards.

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Woman said she was tied up and raped. Then Florida cops discovered something ‘disheartening’

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A South Dakota woman recounted a harrowing crime to Florida 911 operators through tears last week — saying she was shoved in the back of a car, tied up and raped.

Deputies quickly moved to find an alleged rapist but soon learned the woman was lying, authorities said. She’s now looking at jail time for taking advantage of law enforcement.

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Florida Board of Medicine's ban on transgender treatments for minors takes effect

Creator: Ted Eytan / Creative Commons

Florida doctors could lose their medical licenses if they order puberty blockers, hormone therapy or surgery for minors diagnosed with gender dysphoria, under a Florida Board of Medicine rule that took effect Thursday.....MORE

DeSantis seeks to limit Sunshine laws

A dark cloud is descending on Florida's Sunshine laws. Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican lawmakers are seeking to roll back open records laws.....MORE

Tampa City Council Inches Closer to Approving New Attorney for Police Review Board

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Polk County nonbinary 6th-grader speaks out against new education measures

Florida lawmakers are considering House Bill 1223 and Senate Bill 1320, which would ban discussions in schools about gender and sexuality until ninth grade and bar teachers and contractors from referring to someone by a pronoun that doesn’t correspond with that person’s biological sex.

But one Polk County nonbinary student whose pronouns are them/they is touring around other rural Florida counties sharing perspective.

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Lawsuit limitation bills keep rolling through the process

A bill that gives insurers, and businesses more protections against lawsuits could pass the House on Friday.

The Florida business community’s top priority for the 2023 Legislative Session, a sweeping bill to limit lawsuits against insurance companies and businesses, was center stage Thursday.

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‘Toxic political ideology’: Florida English professor fired over racial justice unit blames DeSantis

After working for Palm Beach Atlantic University for more than 20 years, Dr. Samuel Joeckel of West Palm Beach has been fired over the teaching of a racial justice unit.....MORE

Florida GOP Proposal Would Ban Pride Flag—But Let Confederate Flag Fly At State Buildings

A Republican lawmaker in Florida filed legislation Tuesday exempting the Confederate flag from a broad proposal to ban most flags from being flown outside government buildings in the state—including LGBTQ pride flags—as culture war issues take the forefront at Florida’s GOP-led legislative session.....MORE

Ron DeSantis Wants to Make It a Felony to Have an Undocumented Person in Your Home or Car

Around 772,000 Florida workers, students, and community members are undocumented. And Governor Ron DeSantis wants to make it a felony for anyone to have them in their home or even give them a ride.....MORE

Federal judge blocks Florida’s ‘Stop Woke Act,’ the CRT ban, again

A federal judge has once again blocked a law that would ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory in Florida’s public education institutions, from kindergarten through college.....MORE

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Panel: DeSantis’ position on Ukraine support is ‘tailor-made for the Tucker Carlson audience’

Six week abortion ban legislation advances in the Florida Senate

A bill that would ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy has moved forward in Florida after it passed a Senate panel Thursday along party lines.....MORE

Legislation expanding school choice heading to the Senate floor

A bill creating universal school choice — giving vouchers to all students regardless of income — is heading to the full Senate.

The bill (SB 202), sponsored by Sen. Corey Simon of Tallahassee, aced its third committee stop in front of the Senate Appropriations Committee, passing along party lines.

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Tampa leaders set to vote on independent attorney for Citizens Review Board

Local activists have been pushing for the CRB to have an independent attorney for months.

On Thursday, Tampa City Council members will vote on whether the Citizens Review Board should get an independent attorney.

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Florida Republicans Accused Of Using ‘Genocidal Rhetoric’ With Bills Targeting Trans People

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Florida GOP IMPOSSIBLE 6-week abortion ban

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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.

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Senate committee OKs bill eliminating Florida universities’ diversity initiatives

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.

A Senate education postsecondary committee approved SB 266. A House subcommittee approved the House version of the bill (HB 999) earlier this week.

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