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Tag: local-politics

  • Crystal River looking to improve bathrooms at Hunter Springs Park

    Crystal River looking to improve bathrooms at Hunter Springs Park

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    CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. — The city of Crystal River is looking to make some upgrades around town, and one project involves improving the public restrooms at Hunter Springs Park.

    What You Need To Know

    • Plans are being proposed to improve the public restrooms at Hunter Springs Park

    • The City of Crystal River is looking for $350,000 to make the upgrade, citing a bed tax funding source from the Tourism Development Council

    • Last year, council member Ken Frink says roughly 50,000 kayaks were launched throughout the county showing a need for more resources

    If approved by county commissioners, the city is looking for $350,000 to make the upgrade. It may sound like a lot of money for the job, but it’s a price some say might be necessary for tourism.

    “We are the Nature Coast. This is one of the most beautiful places you can go in this entire state of Florida and we want to preserve that,” Crystal River City Councilman Ken Frink said.

    There’s just one underlying issue, an issue involving the park’s public restrooms.

    “When tourists look at the brochures and the advertisement they see to come to Hunter Springs or just to Crystal River in general, it’s a very beautiful place,” Frink said. “But the last thing we want them to do is leave with the impression of a disgusting bathroom.”

    Frink has raised the issue to Citrus County Commissioners, saying the toilets are not a smelly problem but a crowd problem.

    “The bathrooms we have today were built in 2016, prior to this huge surge in tourism,” Frink said. “So they were never designed for the amount of people coming to them. It’s the public’s duty to provide sanitary, safe and usable bathrooms to its patrons. Right now, we’re not doing that.”

    To afford the developments, Frink is pitching the idea that the money comes from tourism dollars.

    “What we’re asking is the Tourism Development Council has a funding source called bed tax,” Frink said. “And where that money comes from, for every night there’s a hotel stay, there’s a percentage of tax collected that specifically has to relate back to tourism. Mostly that’s used to advertise and promote tourism, but a percentage of it can be used for capital projects such as a new bathroom or boat ramp or kayak launch.”

    Last year, Frink says roughly 50,000 kayaks were launched throughout the county. Showing a need for more resources beyond toilets.

    “There’s a tremendous amount of need and all of this is brought on by the impacts of the sheer number of tourists the City of Crystal River is dealing with,” Frink said.

    It’s a commitment, Frink says may be necessary for continued tourism, ensuring tourists continue to visit to the Nature Coast tomorrow and beyond.

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    Calvin Lewis

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  • Haines City commissioners to discuss future of food trucks

    Haines City commissioners to discuss future of food trucks

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    HAINES CITY, Fla. — Haines City commissioners scheduled a workshop for later this month to talk about possible changes to the city’s food truck ordinance.

    According to city documents, the goal of the changes is to “foster an environment that attracts economic opportunity and sustains economic viability,” but opponents say it amounts to a food truck ban.

    What You Need To Know

    • Haines City commissioners are considering changes to its food truck ordinance
    • Opponents say the updates would amount to a food truck ban

    • The city’s mayor says the plan isn’t to eliminate the trucks, but to make adjustments to the ordinance that create a fair situation for all food businesses

    • The national nonprofit, Institute for Justice, wrote a letter to city officials asking them not to pass the changed ordinance, saying it violates both state law and Florida’s constitution

    “I think what we’re going to need to do is obviously flesh it out thoroughly so that we’re fair to what’s commonly called ‘brick and mortar’ restaurants and to the young entrepreneurs that run the mobile part of it,” said Haines City Mayor Roy Tyler.

    Under the updated ordinance, the city would stop issuing business tax receipts food trucks need to operate. Current receipts won’t be renewed after October unless trucks are in industrial or commercial zones. Food trucks would also have to stay at least 500 feet away from any existing food business. City documents also state that trucks that meet all requirements can participate in city sponsored special events. The city adopted a first reading of the ordinance on January 16.

    Food truck owners, like Gloribel Zamora and Pamela Bridges, said this raises serious questions about the future of their livelihoods. Zamora and her husband launched their Chaufa Mania food truck in July. They rent space on private property along Main Street East. Zamora said they’ve built a loyal following.

    “They say they really love it and they keep coming back. That means a lot to us,” Zamora said.

    Zamora said the couple started the business as a new way to earn money.

    “As an occupational therapist, I lost my right leg. So, I was figuring out what we can do together that will be a little different. I can do the paperwork, because physical labor is not so easy,” she said.

    Their time in Haines City could be coming to an end if the ordinance updates pass.

    “I would have to find another place, and I would have to start all over again,” Zamora said.

    Bridges said her Soul Train Express food truck offers customers unique options with its menu of soul food.

    “The community is appreciative that I’m here, so I don’t want to leave,” Bridges said. “But, you know, this is just going to put a big damper. Not even that — it’s really going to change more than they think it would. I mean, this is our livelihood.”

    Zamora and another owner reached out to the national nonprofit Institute for Justice. The law firm has sued cities nationwide, including Fort Pierce in Florida, for what it says are “unreasonable and burdensome rules” for food trucks. It sent a letter to Haines City officials this week urging commissioners not to approve the changes.

    “This is the most egregious food truck ordinance that I’ve seen in quite a while. This one is pretty bad,” said Erica Smith Ewing, an Institute for Justice senior attorney.

    Ewing said the updated ordinance would violate both state law and the Florida constitution. According to IJ, state law blocks local governments from making food trucks get separate permits to operate other than what’s required by the state. It also notes there’s a state ban on cities not allowing any space within their jurisdiction for food trucks to set up. When it comes to Florida’s constitution, Institute for Justice said the ordinance goes against a due process clause that protects residents’ right to earn an honest living. 

    Commissioners were expected to take a final vote on the ordinance Thursday. Instead, Mayor Tyler said he wanted to schedule a workshop to give members more time to talk about the issue in depth.

    “The state has kind of thrown a big pebble into the water of how we could handle food trucks,” Tyler told Spectrum Bay News 9 in an interview before the meeting.

    Tyler said the city is not trying to eliminate food trucks.

    “Never has been the plan to do that,” he said. “I think what happens is people kind of get entrenched in their side of the fence, so to speak, and then everything on the other side of the fence becomes the enemy,” Tyler said.

    The mayor said the city had around 15 food trucks when its ordinance regarding mobile vendors was first created. Now that there are more and some have more permanent set-ups, he said the city is looking to adjust the ordinance to the changing situation.

    “We’re going to be working on something that allows them the best opportunity to do business. This is still America, where small enterprise begets success. So, you know, you can’t stamp that down at any level. So, you’ve got to allow the opportunity for those businesses to keep doing business,” Tyler said. 

    The workshop is scheduled for 6 p.m on February 12.

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    Sarah Blazonis

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  • Florida’s House Speaker discusses his legislative agenda

    Florida’s House Speaker discusses his legislative agenda

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    As the legislative session in Tallahassee nears its halfway point, lawmakers reflect on the success of their agenda. Meanwhile, Moms for Liberty takes center state at the State Capitol. 


    House Speaker Paul Renner discusses his legislative agenda

    Today was day 25 of the 60-day legislative session, which means we are just about halfway through the show. On the Senate side, the priorities have been health-related. We talked previously about Senate President Passidomo’s push for the Live Healthy Act.

    Senate Bills 7016 and 7018 both passed unanimously back on January 17. They are now “In messages” to the House, meaning that the bills are in a holding pattern until the house takes them up.

    Meanwhile, it’s the same situation for Speaker Paul Renner’s priority bills. House Bills 1 and 3, dealing with social media accounts and harmful materials for minors. The House passed both bills on January 24 and they are now sitting on the Senate side of the legislature awaiting further debate and action.

    Moms for Liberty takes center stage in Tallahassee

    The group “Moms for Liberty” formed just three years ago with three Florida moms in Brevard and Indian counties.

    Fast forward to today, where the group is a political force. They’re in 48 states and they’re fighting for what they’re calling “Parental rights in education.”

    Friday, Moms for Liberty took center stage at the Florida Capitol.

    January is the group’s three-year anniversary. Since 2021, they’ve fashioned themselves as advocates for parental rights.

    “Some of these wins happen on the school district level as you get pornographic books out of your schools, as you replace raging liberal school board members that don’t have children’s best interest at heart. And some of these wins happen here at the state,” Moms for Libery Co-founder Tiffany Justice said.

    Moms for Liberty is known as a group of outspoken critics. If you don’t know them, you’re probably familiar with their work.

    They helped push the Parental Rights bill in Florida, which was dubbed the “don’t say gay” law by opponents.

    Florida Republicans delivered the bill to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

    The law now bans preferred pronouns and LGBT lessons in Florida schools.

    “The thing is, they want to silence you. They want to get to feel ashamed. I’ll you what. They brought the war to us,” State Rep. David Borrero said.

    However, not everyone is a fan. The Southern Poverty Law Center lists Moms for Liberty as an extremist group.

    Democrats, meanwhile, say they’re damaging schools. Tampa Rep. Susan Valdes is a long time educator.

    “They have impacted politics in Florida in such a negative way. Instead of uniting people for the best for our children, they are dividing communities. They are dividing people. They are dividing kids,” Valdes said.

    For Democrats, Moms for Liberty is a problem, not a solution.

    Critics say the group should focus elsewhere. Things like teacher pay and retention, they say, need attention.

    “We have a teacher shortage. We know that many young students do not want to go into the profession of education because it doesn’t pay well and they see that they can’t teach,” Valdez said.

    While book bans and school board races are the group’s focus, it was the COVID-19 pandemic that helped propel the group into the national spotlight.

    They opposed school lockdowns and even rallied alongside former President Donald Trump and DeSantis.

    Biden prepares for projected win in South Carolina Primary

    Four years ago, reeling from losses in the Iowa caucuses, the New Hampshire primary and the Nevada caucuses, Joe Biden headed to South Carolina to make his last stand for the Democratic presidential nomination.

    His decisive win in the Palmetto State helped give his lagging campaign the boost it needed to capture the 2020 Democratic primary.

    “We are very much alive,” then-candidate Biden said in his victory speech at the University of South Carolina in Columbia at the time.

    On Saturday, President Biden will once again be on the ballot in South Carolina, the site of the first official contest of the Democratic presidential primary, in the hopes that the coalition that jumpstarted his last campaign — notably Black voters — can give this one a boost.

    “You’re the reason I am president,” Biden told voters last weekend at South Carolina’s First in the Nation Dinner in Columbia, the state’s capital. “You’re the reason Kamala Harris is a historic Vice President. And you’re the reason Donald Trump is a defeated former president. You’re the reason Donald Trump is a loser, and you’re the reason we’re gonna win and beat him again.”

    Democrats upended their primary calendar to make South Carolina their first-in-the-nation contest, a move the incumbent president backed in part to reflect the diversity of the party’s voters.

    While South Carolina, a ruby red state that last picked a Democrat for president in 1976, likely isn’t in play for the incumbent in November, it does underscore the inroads the president is aiming to make with Black voters, a group that fueled his 2020 win but has shown slight signs of waning support, per some recent polling. In the 2022 midterms, Black support for Republicans increased slightly, though they overwhelmingly backed Democrats, according to AP VoteCast data.

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    Gary Darling

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  • DeSantis considers sending state guard to Texas and a public sleeping bill

    DeSantis considers sending state guard to Texas and a public sleeping bill

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    Gov. Ron DeSantis prepares to send the State and National Guard to Texas to help with enforcing the southern border while a set of bills advance in Tallahassee that aim to ban sleeping in public.


    DeSantis prepares to send State and National Guard to Texas

    Florida is going all in on the southern border. State Republicans say the border crisis is a danger to the nation.

    But for Democrats, this is another political stunt by a governor who is still dreaming of the White House.

    Florida state guard troops are planning a surge on the southern border.

    Gov. Ron DeSantis Wednesday called on the Florida National Guard plus the Florida State Guard to, “Stop the invasion.”

    “Let’s all band together as states. Let’s say that our borders matter. Let’s say that we’re going to support Texas in making sure we can stop what is happening to our country,” DeSantis said.

    The governor is offering up to 1,000 national guardsmen to support Operation Lone Star. He is mobilizing the Florida State Guard too, making this their first deployment in state history.

    DeSantis says the forces will build barriers, throw down wire and establish barricades along the southern border.

    “The federal government is no longer protecting the states. Not the state of Texas, but all the states. The states have a right to protect their citizens,” State Sen. Blaise Ingoglia said.

    Democrats are urging him to reconsider. Better yet, they’d like him to focus on more pressing issues, like affordability.

    “We should let the feds do their job and DeSantis should focus on doing his. And let me tell you something. Leadership requires courage. It requires conviction. It requires making tough choices, but it also requires doing your damn job. And right now, DeSantis is not doing his,” House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell said.

    DeSantis resurrected the state guard back in 2021. They’re a state paramilitary force, and they operate off state dollars and answer only to the governor.

    The Florida State Defense Force, the progenitor of the Florida State Guard, was created in 1941 to supplement the state’s National Guard, which was emptied as members of the guard were called into service during World War II.

    The force was deactivated and disbanded in 1947 shortly after members of the Florida National Guard returned from service.

    The state of Texas has a state guard that was used by Gov. Greg Abbott to monitor federal military exercises in his state in 2015. There are currently 22 states that have an active state guard force. 

    Bills could ban sleeping in public

    Florida lawmakers advanced a pair of bills this week that would prevent people from being able to sleep or camp on public property without permits.

    Senate Bill 1530 and House Bill 1365 are now in the Judiciary Committee.

    The bills would allow, but not require, counties and municipalities to create designated public areas for the homeless to sleep. However, these areas must fit certain criteria, including access to running water, access to behavioral health services and having security on site.

    Several local governments across the state have created their own laws on homelessness and public camping. In Miami Beach, for example, refusal to leave after camping in a public space can result in a fine of up to $500 or jail time up to 60 days.

    “Each individual person’s homelessness is just as individual as their personality, just as individual as their fingerprint,” Rick Morris said. He received help from Matthew’s Hope.

    For Morris, his story of homelessness began due to his health. He said he lost sight in one eye and ultimately lost his job.

    Now he puts in work like painting at Matthew’s Hope. In return, the organization pays for his condo, and also got him new glasses.

    “There’s no other place I’ve seen, throughout the whole central part of this state that even compares to this,” he said.

    Matthew’s Hope is geared towards long-term solutions, giving people the resources to finally get off the street for the long haul.

    Scott Billue with the organization says a new bill proposal could have negative impacts on the already-hurting homeless population.

    Senate Bill 1530 would force counties & cities to ban people from sleeping or camping on public property without a permit.

    “We’re criminalizing homelessness,” Billue said.

    He said he grew up homeless living in hotels. He saw how homelessness was treated with bandaids instead of working to get people independent.

    “We have three shelters in Orange County. And they’re all within walking distance of one another, which makes no sense at all, because your highest concentration of homeless people are in West Orange County and East Orange County and there’s nothing there,” he said.

    One area of concern for him is Apopka, where there is no homeless shelter and nowhere nearby to go if they are asked to leave.

    The sponsor of the house’s version of the bill says it’s time to come up with solutions, and sleeping on the street can’t be one of them.

    “The status quo is not okay. And it’s not okay to seek public spaces to become de facto homeless camps,” State Rep. Sam Garrison said.

    Disney files appeal to DeSantis suit ruling

    Disney has filed an appeal with the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta to overturn Wednesday’s ruling from a federal judge, dismissing the company’s lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his allies: the Florida Secretary of the Department of Commerce and members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board.

    Disney had sued in April 2023, claiming the state retaliated against it for publicly opposing the Parental Rights in Education law — called “Don’t Say Gay” by opponents.

    The governor responded at the time by supporting the Florida Legislature to strip Disney of its longtime self-governing power under the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

    For more than 50 years, Disney had significant control over its land in Central Florida, but the Legislature dissolved Reedy Creek and replaced it with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board in February 2023.

    Disney claimed the move violated the company’s First Amendment rights because the governor was punishing it for disagreeing with him.

    But a U.S. District Court judge for the Northern District of Florida in Tallahassee has now thrown that lawsuit out.

    The judge dismissed the case against DeSantis and the commerce secretary, saying Disney didn’t have standing to sue them. He also dismissed the case against the CFTOB, saying Disney failed to state a claim.

    “At the end of the day, under the law of this Circuit, ‘courts shouldn’t look to a law’s legislative history to find an illegitimate motivation for an otherwise constitutional statute’ …  Because that is what Disney seeks here, its claim fails as a matter of law,” the ruling said.

    Disney quickly responded yesterday, vowing to continue fighting the dissolution of Reedy Creek in the courts.

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    Celeste Springer

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  • The dismissal of Disney’s lawsuit against DeSantis

    The dismissal of Disney’s lawsuit against DeSantis

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    A federal judge ruled against Disney in its lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his allies, and activists on both sides of the aisle are still waiting to hear from the Florida Supreme Court about a proposed abortion amendment ballot initiative.


    Judge rules against Disney

    A federal judge has dismissed Disney’s lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Secretary of the Department of Commerce and members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board.

    The company had sued in April, claiming the state retaliated against it for publicly opposing the Parental Rights in Education law — called “Don’t Say Gay” by opponents.

    The governor responded at the time by pushing the Florida Legislature to strip Disney of its longtime self-governing power under the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

    Disney claimed the move violated the company’s First Amendment rights because the governor was punishing it for disagreeing with him.

    But the judge has now thrown that lawsuit out.

    The case against DeSantis and the commerce secretary were dismissed because the judge ruled Disney didn’t have standing to sue them.

    The judge dismissed the case against the CFTOB on the merits of the case, saying that Disney failed to state a claim.

    “At the end of the day, under the law of this Circuit, ‘courts shouldn’t look to a law’s legislative history to find an illegitimate motivation for an otherwise constitutional statute’ …  Because that is what Disney seeks here, its claim fails as a matter of law,” the ruling said.

    Florida Supreme Court weighs abortion amendment

    The Florida Supreme Court is getting ready to hear arguments regarding placing an abortion amendment on the ballot. The organization, Floridians Protecting Freedom, received over 900,000 signatures qualifying that amendment for voters to decide the state’s future on the abortion issue.

    Current Florida law allows abortion up to 15 weeks of pregnancy, but some say that’s not the only barrier women face when seeking an abortion.

    A woman, who did not give her name out of fear of retribution, says since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the violence is real and it’s not uncommon for an Orlando Police officer to be out front of the clinic protecting the peace.

    She is a volunteer with “Stand with Abortion Now” — also known as SWAN of Orlando. She’s a clinic escort, helping people needing to enter clinics.

    “Our main purpose for being here is shielding patients from harassment from protesters,” she said.

    Come November she’s hoping Florida voters can voice their opinion on the future of abortion in the state.

    “I’m born and raised in Florida, seeing the shift of the political landscape and the reproductive justice landscape in Florida change in a post-Roe world has made this so important for me,” she said. “Polls have shown that both democratic and republican voters in the state of Florida alike have signed onto this ballot initiative and believe this issue should be in the hands of the voters.”

    While her team at SWAN hope to continue defending what they say are reproductive rights in the state of Florida, they also know there are people who are always going to support anti-abortion policies.

    Some protesters show up at the clinic in hopes of changing a patient’s mind.

    “We understand the women are coming out here to make a hard decision,” said Alex Wright, who is against abortion rights. “But because we care and love for them, we want to see those babies be saved and see that mother not regret a decision she’s going to make.”

    Wright comes weekly, spreading the gospel, as well as adoption resources for potential patients. Wright says he’s for the Florida Supreme Court to strike down the potential amendment, but would love to see abortion illegal nationwide.

    “I hope that it gets struck down and hope they vote not to include it. I hope abortion never gets legalized fully. I hope it gets abolished,” said Wright.

    On Feb. 7, the Florida Supreme Court will hear the first oral arguments potentially allowing the abortion amendment on the November ballot.

    Lawmakers grill social media executives

    The top officers of some of the world’s biggest social media companies defended their commitment to protecting young people on their platforms on Capitol Hill on Wednesday as senators pressed the tech giants for less talk and more action. 

    “These companies must be reined in or the worst is yet to come,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the committee’s top Republican, said.

    Wednesday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, featuring the CEOs of some of the best-known platforms, including Meta, TikTok and X, formerly Twitter, opened with a video of people sharing personal stories about how they, or their children, faced exploitation on social media.

    Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., pressed Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg about whether he has personally compensated any of the victims and their families for what they have been through.

    “I don’t think so,” Zuckerberg replied.

    “There’s families of victims here,” Hawley said. “Would you like to apologize to them?”

    Parents attending the hearing rose and held up pictures of their children. Zuckerberg stood as well, turning away from his microphone and the senators to address them directly.

    “I’m sorry for everything you have all been through. No one should go through the things that your families have suffered,” he said, adding that Meta continues to invest and work on “industry-wide efforts” to protect children.

    The CEOs emphasized the existing tools they have in place on their platforms for users to report exploitation and protect children. The chief officer of Snap, Evan Spiegel, for instance, noted Snapchat does not have public friends lists and minors do not have public profile photos. 

    TikTok’s Zi Chew noted there is a specific experience on its app designed for younger children while Zuckerberg pointed out controls that allow parents to limit the time children spend on Meta’s services. 

    Ahead of the hearing, Snap announced it would support an act that would require platforms to report certain instances of drug trafficking. The CEO of X, formerly Twitter, Linda Yaccarino, said her site supports a bill that increases the ability of people who have experienced sexual exploitation to sue platforms. 

    Republican and Democratic senators came together in a rare show of agreement throughout the hearing, though it’s not yet clear if this will be enough to pass legislation such as the Kids Online Safety Act, proposed in 2022 by Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee. 

    Google’s YouTube was notably missing from the list of companies called to the Senate Wednesday even though more kids use YouTube than any other platform, according to the Pew Research Center. Pew found that 93% of U.S. teens use YouTube, with TikTok a distant second at 63%.

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    Katie Streit

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  • Building begins: First ever ADA Accessible playground in Manatee

    Building begins: First ever ADA Accessible playground in Manatee

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    BRADENTON, Fla. — Manatee County is beginning construction on its first ADA accessible playground at Tom Bennett Park.

    This week, a groundbreaking ceremony for the $1.2 million playground was held with officials from the Kiwanis Club, who donated more than $780,000 to the project.

    What You Need To Know

    • Manatee County held a groundbreaking ceremony on January 30th for the new ADA Accessible playground at Tom Bennett park 

    • Some of the additions include slides, climbing nets, a climbing wall, built-in sensory and cognitive activities, a wheelchair-accessible merry-go-round and zip lines with accessibility seats
    • Construction on the new playground is expected to be complete this spring 
    • Tom Bennett Park

    The club first approached commissioners to build the playground, along with aid in the design process. Kiwanis officials said it’s in honor of celebrating the club’s 100th year.

    “All children of all abilities will be able to use every piece of equipment on this playground; there will be a zipline, slides, a swing, but each one will access, no matter what physical abilities,” said Andrew Minor, President Bradenton Kiwanis.

    Cheryl Miller and her son Matthew love to stay busy and sometimes visit playgrounds.

     Matthew participates in several sports through the Special Olympics but trying to play often isn’t as easy for him.

    “We don’t go as often because it is a struggle for him,” Cheryl said. “And I want him to be able to have fun and not struggle to have fun.”

    Some of the planned features for the playground include ramp accessibility onto the play structures, slides, climbing nets, a climbing wall, built-in sensory and cognitive activities, a wheelchair-accessible merry-go-round, zip lines with accessibility seats, shade covers and synthetic turf ground. (Manatee County rendering)

    The first-ever ADA accessible playground at Tom Bennett Park in Bradenton is a joint venture between the county and the Kiwanis Club.

    “It will be more accessible for him; I think he will really enjoy it; it’s long overdue,” she said.

    The 13,000 square foot playground will include slides, as well as climbing nets, but with ramps included for easy access. And the playground has built-in sensory activities and a wheelchair-accessible merry-go-round. 

    Just like any mom, Cheryl’s main worry is safety, which is why there will be synthetic turf that meets safety requirements.

    “We will definitely come out and give it a try,” she said. “There are a lot of neat things it will have that a lot of other playgrounds don’t have.”

    She’s noticed a trend of more places accommodating people with disabilities.

    “Every year, things are getting more and more accessible for people with disabilities,” she said. “They are more accepted into society than what they ever used to be; more people are recognizing it, and it gets better every year.”

    Cheryl hopes to make this another form of exercise.

    “It’s needed; we haven’t gone to too many of the regular ones just because it wasn’t easy for him to have fun there, whereas this one has new things and experiences he will enjoy,” she said.

    This new playground aims to change that and provide the opportunity for more fun for Matthew. Construction on the new playground is expected to be complete this spring.

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    Julia Hazel

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  • Pasco Commissioner pushing back on Florida’s Live Local Act

    Pasco Commissioner pushing back on Florida’s Live Local Act

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    PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — Pasco County District 5 Commissioner Jack Mariano will be in Tallahassee Wednesday, sitting in on a debate over Florida’s Live Local Act.

    The Live Local Act was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis last year, with hopes of increasing the amount of affordable housing available across the state.

    Mariano said the legislation had good intentions, but now he says luxury apartment complexes are beginning to apply for the tax breaks even though they don’t offer what traditionally is thought of as “affordable.”

    What You Need To Know

    •  The Live Local Act was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis last March with hopes of spurring more affordable housing across the state
    • Live Local sets “affordable” rent at 120% of average monthly income (AMI), which in Pasco County allows for market-value or above market-value rent
    • Pasco District 5 Commissioner Jack Mariano is asking Florida Legislators to lower rent to 80% AMI under Live Local
    • Two Pasco apartment complexes that have filed for tax breaks under Live Local did not respond to a request for comment on this story

    “We are going to keep on pushing to get our voices heard,” Mariano said. “A lot of other counties that weren’t aware of what’s going on are starting to wake-up to find out, you know what, this is going to hurt our tax base.  

    “And it’s not helping the people we want to get affordable housing.”

    Mariano said at least two apartment complexes in Pasco County have applications on file for tax breaks under Live Local, Tapestry at Cypress Creek and the Gallery at Trinity Apartments.

    Neither complex responded to a request for comment.

    Mariano said in both cases, the properties are charging more than $2,000 in rent for some units.

    Under Live Local, apartment complexes can file for tax-breaks if they set rent at 120% the average monthly income rate, or AMI.

    Mariano said that rate is too high, allowing for the act to be abused. He is asking legislators to adjust the AMI amount downward to 80%.

    “Now it becomes affordable,” said Mariano. “Instead of a $2,200 dollar monthly payment, somebody can actually have a $1,500 payment, which is a lot more affordable. That’s the type of affordable housing we should be going after, not to subsidize these luxury ones that are already built, that they are going to be allowed to retrofit, after they are already in place and take them off the tax rolls.”

    Mariano said a single apartment complex approved under the Live Local Act could cost Pasco County up to $35 million over a 30-year period.

    Pasco County has been lobbying for changes to the Live Local Act for two weeks during the current legislative session.

    Mariano said tax breaks are currently allowed under the Live Local Act as a “charity,” and he said if changes aren’t made, he’d support lawsuits against apartment complexes that aren’t providing affordable housing in the community.

    The commissioner said his fear is even more apartment developers will buy property and build under the live local act while at the same time not providing the affordable housing the tax credits are meant for.

    The Live Local Act was a legislative priority of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo last year.

    Now that it’s been law for nearly a year, her office says “creating affordable rental units for our workers in areas that are otherwise costly to live is the entire premise behind Live Local.”

    Passidomo’s office said the amendment dealing with industrial zoning this session is a clarification to make sure the units built must be “affordable rental units.”

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    Jason Lanning

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  • Lawmakers in Tallahassee tackle monuments and gun violence

    Lawmakers in Tallahassee tackle monuments and gun violence

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    Lawmakers in Tallahassee are considering bills that would increase penalties for youth gun violence offenders and punish local governments that remove historical statues. 


    Lawmakers debate monument proposal

    Statues and monuments are the subject of ongoing debate in Tallahassee year after year.

    But in speaking to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, there are those who believe that this bill has some legs in this legislature.

    To remove or to preserve? In Tallahassee, state lawmakers are split. They’re wrestling with what to do with controversial monuments.

    House Bill 395 proposes the state “protection of historical monuments and memorials,” authorizing “all actions to protect and preserve all historical monuments and memorials from removal, damage or destruction.”

    “Over the past few years, local governments have made war on historic monuments and this recognizes that history belongs to all Floridians,” State Rep. Dean Black said.

    If local municipalities move or mess with a monument, HB 395 threatens penalties if passed as currently written. Violators could face fines or fees.

    As of 2022, roughly 75 Confederate monuments remain in Florida according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

    Supporters say the bill preserves history. They say the proposal protects all monuments.

    “The fact that this bill now is so hyper partisan I think is reflective of the country and how we’ve gotten even more partisan in the intervening six years,” State Rep. Spencer Roach said.

    Critics, however, call it offensive. They say cities, not the state, should make the call. They’re also calling it an affront to Florida’s black community.

    “Most I’ve ever been more offended by a bill. This bill is sending a message not only to Black folks in the state of Florida, but to your Black colleagues,” State Rep. Michele Rayner said.

    At the heart of this bill is the City of Jacksonville. Last month the city removed two confederate statutes, ending a nearly three-year debate.

    Youth gun violence bill would increase penalties

    As lawmakers consider toughen penalties for kids committing firearms violations, a new Florida bill is making its way through subcommittees in the Legislature.

    House Bill 1181, introduced by state Rep. Berny Jacques, would increase the punishment for juveniles caught with a gun — except in few specific scenarios — from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony.

    Jacques told the House Criminal Justice Committee this week that accountability can be a deterrent for these kids.

    “In a situation where a known youth is always known to be carrying around a firearm, and have committed offenses before, if they are addressed early on, that may deter them from doing something else in the future, because these things escalate. Today is just riding a bike with a gun on your hip, with your crew thinking it’s cool. The next day, you’re in a convenience store using that gun. But if we had a strong measure when they were held and arrested for just the bike ride and they had a minor in possession of a firearm, and something clicked, then maybe they maybe they wouldn’t go to that convenience store and Lord knows what’s going to happen,” he said.

    But critics of the bill say the proposed punishment is too harsh for minors.

    Derrick Collins wants to make a difference in his community.

    “We see them at the schools, we see them at their homes, we see them wherever they are. If they’re in the detention center, we see them there,” said Collins, the program director at Mr. and Ms. Mentoring.

    But when he heard about House Bill 1181, he had some questions.

    “I do feel like they need to understand why they might be holding a firearm in the first place,” Collins said. “A lot of the time it’s more protective rather than them just having it just cause. There are kids who use it for show, but a lot of it is for protection because of the areas that they live in.”

    Collins said that while he has kids who may be deterred if the bill is passed, other kids, the ones who fear their safety if they’re unarmed, might not.

    Instead of enacting harsher punishments, Collins said legislators should focus more on alternative programs to get kids onto the road to success.

    “We do provide a lot of alternatives, reading is one of those alternatives,” he said. “So we provide free books for them. They take them as they come.”

    If passed, the bill would also extend how long minors are held at a detention center before the court begins criminal proceedings. It states the juvenile could remain in the facility anywhere between five and 21 days, depending on the crime.

    Collins said he would like to know the reasoning behind the bill.

    “What is the overall goal for them?” he asked. “Is the goal to deter them from having it? Or is the goal to put the ones that are having it behind bars?” 

    The juvenile justice bill had its first reading this week and is currently being considered in the Justice Appropriations subcommittee.

    Biden attends two fundraisers in Florida

    President Joe Biden, aboard Air Force One, touched down in West Palm Beach this afternoon. Two fundraisers for the Biden-Harris reelection campaign were set for Miami and Palm Beach.

    Florida Democrats were quick to capitalize on the president’s visit. Party Chair Nikki Fried issued a statement that said, in part,

    “President Biden’s early visibility in Florida shows that the Biden campaign is serious about competing in the Sunshine State, and the Florida Democratic Party is happy to welcome him and his campaign to our home,” Fried said.

    Meanwhile, Americans for Prosperity-Florida had another take on the president’s visit, noting, “Floridians’ paychecks don’t go as far at the grocery store or gas station since ‘Bidenomics,’ and instead of collecting campaign dollars in Florida the president should unleash economic potential in our state,” the group said in a statement.

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    Katie Streit

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  • DeSantis gets involved in social media bill

    DeSantis gets involved in social media bill

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    Former President Donald Trump was dealt a major blow in the defamation case against him and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says a key Florida bill will need to be changed.


    Trump gets jury decision in defamation case

    Former President Donald Trump is on the campaign trail this weekend in Nevada. But across the country in a Manhattan courtroom, a big decision came down.

    A jury decided that Trump should pay writer E. Jean Carroll more than $83 million in damages for defamatory statements he made about her in 2019.

    The jury deliberated for less than three hours and ultimately awarded Carroll $7 million in emotional harm, $11 million in reputational repair, and $65 million in punitive damages. The award is more than eight times what Carroll asked for.

    Last year a separate jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages after they found Trump sexually abused her and then defamed her.

    Trump was not in the courtroom when the decision was read, but his attorney spoke afterward.

    “He took the stand. He abided by the rules of this corrupt system that I’ve seen,” Trump attorney Alina Habba said. “We will immediately appeal, we will set aside that ridiculous jury and I just want to remind you all of one thing: I will continue with President Trump to fight for everybody’s First Amendment right to speak.”

    Trump also went to his Truth Social account after the ruling to decry the jury’s decision.

    “Absolutely ridiculous! I fully disagree with both verdicts, and will be appealing this whole Biden directed witch hunt focused on me and the Republican Party,” Trump wrote. “Our legal system is out of control and being used as a political weapon. They have taken away all first amendment rights. This is not America”

    In Georgia, Trump’s lawyers want to disqualify Fani Willis from leading the election interference case against him. His team says Willis created a conflict of interest by hiring her romantic partner to help with the case, Nathan Wade.

    His lawyers also accuse her of violating state rules when she claimed that racism was behind the efforts to remove her.

    Willis hasn’t confirmed nor denied a relationship with Wade, and she has to respond to the motion by next week.

    Meanwhile, the Georgia State Senate approved the creation of a special committee to investigate Willis. Six Republicans and three Democrats will have full subpoena power and the ability to require testimony under oath.

    DeSantis responds to social media restriction legislation

    In Kissimmee this morning, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was asked if he supported House Bill 1, which would ban social media use for minors younger than 16. The bill has been a priority for House Speaker Paul Renner. DeSantis took the opportunity to not only address the legislation itself, but what successful implementation of that bill would look like.

    “Anything I do. I want a pathway for this to actually stick. So we’re going to look through that. So what I would say is I’m sympathetic to, as a parent, what’s going on with our youth. But I also understand that to just say that, you know, someone that’s 15 just cannot have it no matter what, that may create some some legal issues. And so I told the speaker I’d work with them on it. So I would say that, you know, this is something that’s likely going to evolve as it gets through the House and makes its way through the Senate. And we’ll see if we get a product that is going to be something that’s good. But I, I am concerned about the breadth of it, and I want to empower parents. I want to give parents tools to to be able to do this. And so I just think you got to be smart about how you do it,” DeSantis said.

    After Wednesday’s passage of HB 1 in the House, it is now in the Senate’s hands for consideration.

    Biden to visit Florida

    President Joe Biden is coming to visit. He announced he will travel to the Palm Beach and Miami areas on Tuesday, Jan. 30.

    The president will participate in two campaign receptions. His wife, Dr. Jill Biden, is making a stop in Florida this weekend as well. She arrives tonight in Tampa and will speak at a fundraiser in Palm Harbor tomorrow.

    Lawmakers respond to gun proposal

    A call tonight for gun reform in Florida and across the country.

    Congresswoman Kathy Castor and State House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell both appeared in a virtual call today about what Democrats want to get passed.

    And they say they have support from the public and law enforcement.

    “I strongly support a ban on assault weapons. When you talk to local law enforcement, they do not want to be outgunned,” Castor said. “And so we should re-up the assault weapons ban. We need to work on safe storage of firearms and require background checks for all firearm purchases.”

    “Poll after poll shows us that the people of Florida overwhelmingly support common sense gun safety reforms,” Driskell said. “The people are on our side and they want to be able to go to school, work, shop in church, or just walk through their neighborhoods without the fear of being shot.”

    Last night we touched on proposed legislation that would roll back some of the gun reforms that were passed in Florida in 2018 after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting.

    One of those reforms was raising the age to buy a long-gun from 18 to 21. 

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    Phillip Stucky

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  • Lawmakers focus on border battle

    Lawmakers focus on border battle

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    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pledges to support the state of Texas in their dispute with the federal government about the Southern Border, and lawmakers tour Marjory Stoneman Douglas school.


    DeSantis to support Texas in border dispute

    Gov. Ron DeSantis says Florida will stand with Texas in the border dispute with the federal government.

    Florida is one of about 15 red states vowing to support Texas Gov. Greg Abbot who says the federal government is failing to protect his state from an invasion.

    On Monday, the Supreme Court cleared the way for the federal government to remove razor wire installed by texas to help keep migrants out.

    Today DeSantis said Florida will continue sending personnel and assets to the Texas border, which is an extension of an earlier program.

    “You have Texas who is acting to enforce the laws on the books. To ensure they have a secure state and we have a secure country. So all of this is just nonsense what Biden is doing. Texas has every right to stand its ground. We even have been sending people from Florida to help for years now, because we understand it’s not just a Texas issue, it’s an American issue. And if we don’t have sovereignty in this country, then we are not going to be a county anymore. So they have every right to hold their ground, to stay the course, and Florida will continue to be there to help out every step of the way,” DeSantis said.

    There is a bill in the Florida Legislature that would expand the use of the Florida State Guard. It does not specifically mention Texas, but would allow the state guard to operate outside of Florida’s borders.

    Meanwhile, immigration is shaping up to be the defining issue of the 2024 election. Voters have consistently ranked it as a top issue in polling across the country.

    The U.S. Senate has been trying to craft immigration reform.

    Yesterday Sen. Rick Scott and conservative GOP colleagues made it clear they would not support the bill that the say would give a green light to letting in up to 5,000 migrants in per day.

    “Everyone up here would like to have a secure border. Most of us have always been very supportive of legal immigration. But what we don’t want, we don’t want drugs, criminals, terrorists, human traffickers. When President Trump was president, the border was secure. It’s not about the laws. We are talking about a new border bill, but it’s not about the laws, we actually have a lawless administration. The Biden administration is absolutely lawless. Senator Cruz is going to talk about this in regards to Texas. The Biden administration went to the Supreme Court to say they want to make sure that Texas cannot keep their border secure. Our federal government said they don’t want a secure border. They don’t want Texas to do their job to make sure their citizens stay safe. We haven’t seen the text yet, but one thing we do know about this bill, there will be nothing in there that will directly impact anything, whether it is Ukraine aid or anything else, if the border is not secure,” Scott said.

    A possible border deal that also would provide aid for Ukraine may be slipping away after months of intense negotiations.

    “I’m working with partners who want to deal. There are a lot of republican senators who want a bipartisan agreement,” Rep. Chris Murphy said.

    Former President Donald Trump, fresh off his victory in the New Hampshire primary, is amping up pressure on republicans to kill any agreement, demanding on his social media site that a border deal be “Perfect.”

    Trump is seeking to make the surge of migrants entering the U.S. A pillar of his presidential campaign, that strategy would be undercut by a border agreement.

    A deal also would give President Joe Biden a major legislative victory.

    Trump’s senate allies are welcoming his pressure campaign.

    “I hope that he’ll continue to be against it, be helpful on this, because I see absolutely no reason to give Joe Biden a pass,” Sen. Josh Hawley said.

    Minority Leader Mitch McConnell reportedly told Republican colleagues they are in a quandary, especially since unlocking assistance for Ukraine and Israel depends on lawmakers reaching a border agreement.

    On Thursday he told reporters they’re still working toward a deal.

    Some senate Republicans are hitting back at attempts to block a deal for the sake of the 2024 election.

    “The fact that he would communicate to republican senators and congresspeople that he doesn’t want us to solve the border problem because he wants to blame Biden for it is really appalling,” Sen. Mitt Romney said.

    Even if the Senate reaches an agreement and passes it, the bill is likely to face an uphill fight in the House where the speaker, a fierce trump ally, has been demanding that it contain provisions most Democrats have called unacceptable.

    School safety and gun legislation

    School safety and gun reform is being discussed at the federal and state level.

    Today Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz and parkland victims’ families lead House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark on a guided visitation of Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school, the site of the February 2018 shooting that killed 17 people and injured 17 others.

    The building of the school where the massacre took place has been preserved just as it was immediately after the shooting. It is set to be demolished sometime this summer.

    U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona joined family members who lost loved ones on a tour of Marjory Stoneman Douglas.

    Afterwards, Cardona led a discussion with the parkland families on how to make changes to prevent the next school shooting

    “The visit this morning is the beginning of a relationship that I want to have with this community,” he said.

    Moskowitz says he is hopeful that a national red flag law can be passed.

    Red flag laws allow law enforcement to petition a judge to remove an individual’s firearms if it’s believed they pose a threat to someone or themselves.

    Moskowitz said Florida’s red flag law is supported by sheriffs statewide. That red flag law was just one of the reforms that happened after the Parkland massacre.

    Right after the shooting, the Florida Legislature implemented the first gun reform in the state in 2 decades.

    They raised the age to buy long guns from 18 to 21.

    Lawmakers may roll that back this session.

    A redistricting fight awaits a federal judge’s decision

    With the 2024 election quickly approaching, a federal court case is ongoing over the redistricting of Congressional District 5

    The North Florida district saw a major overhaul before the November 2022 election. In 2016, Democrat Al Lawson was elected in 2016.

    But after the state legislature changed the map after the 2020 census, Republicans won all the North Florida congressional seats in 2022.

    Voting rights groups are challenging the redistricting, saying it was unconstitutional.

    District 5 used to stretch from Jacksonville West to Gadsden county.

    After 2020, the borders were redrawn to cover the southern and eastern parts of Jacksonville and south down the St. Johns river through St. Augustine.

    “We’re arguing that there is intentional discrimination on the basis of race when DeSantis and the Florida Legislature approved that and drew the map that is currently in place,” Common Cause Executive Director Amy Keith said.

    The organization is a plaintiff along with the NAACP and others claiming the redistricting was unconstitutional and possibly involves racial discrimination. If they’re right, that could violate the 14th Amendment, which ensures equal protection of the Constitution.

    “In redistricting terminology, we would call that cracking. So what they did is they took a black community, and they cut it up into multiple districts to weaken their voice,” Keith said.

    The state argued the new map isn’t motivated by race

    “The result was a race-neutral map that prioritized traditional redistricting criteria like compactness and adherence to geographic and political boundaries, and gone was the district in North Florida where over 80% of the population came from only two counties at the extreme eastern and western edges of the district, separated by hundreds of miles, and connected by a narrow land bridge,” the state said in its arguments.

    Keith says the breakup of District 5 resulted in a change in representation

    “That is a district where black voters have the opportunity to elect a representative of their choice. The new map which you can see splits that district into 4 different districts across North Florida and all of those districts now have a white representative,” she said.

    The trial lasted 2 weeks late last year, and a decision has yet to be made by the federal judges.

    A ruling is expected before March.

    Meanwhile, a similar lawsuit in the state court system will now be taken up by the Florida Supreme Court.

    The lawsuit was first filed in April 2022.

    The Florida Supreme Court is giving plaintiffs until February 28 to file their initial brief. Subsequent filing deadlines could extend to the end of may before the case itself is heard before the court.

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    Phillip Stucky

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  • Proposed bill would restore mangroves to help fight coastal erosion

    Proposed bill would restore mangroves to help fight coastal erosion

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    TAMPA, Fla. — As climatologists predict more frequent and stronger storms, Florida coastlines face the risk of erosion. But now, there is a bill in the state legislature that aims to help our shores by expanding protections against mangroves.

    What You Need To Know

    • Bill in state legistlature aims to help with mangrove restoration 

    • SB 32 would encourage local governments to replant and restore mangroves

    • Promoting mangrove growth would help the shorelines and provide ecological benefits

    Mangroves are so important to coastline protection that there are laws protecting them. SB 32 calls for the expansion of state statute by encouraging local governments to replant and restore mangroves. It would also implement permitting incentives for local governments to install what are known as “living shorelines,” which are the use of natural elements that protect as they grow.

    “Any kind of measures we can do to promote mangrove growth along our shoreline areas really go a long way to help those communities that are built behind the mangroves,” said Peter Clark, president of Tampa Bay Watch.

    Clark formed Tampa Bay Watch 30 years ago, and for the past decade, staff and volunteers with the organization have been installing living shorelines in the Tampa Bay region. One of the most recent installments at Lassing Park in St. Petersburg includes oyster reef balls, oyster shell bags, marsh grass and mangroves.

    “Once you construct these things, they’re natural. So they can stay there and continue to grow for many, many years,” Clark said. “If you construct living shorelines and other green infrastructure, that not only helps protect those areas but provides ecological benefits back to the bay.”

    The bill would also require the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to partner with the state’s Division of Insurance Agent and Agency Services to conduct a statewide feasibility study to determine how mangroves and other living shoreline projects could improve a community’s rating with the National Flood Insurance Program and ultimately lower insurance premiums.

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    Cait McVey

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  • Homeowners speak against development at Pine Ridge Golf Club

    Homeowners speak against development at Pine Ridge Golf Club

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    BEVERLY HILLS, Fla. — The Citrus County Board of Commissioners took public comment Tuesday on what to do with the vacant Pine Ridge Golf Club.

    What You Need To Know

    • The future of the once former Pine Ridge Golf Club is up for discussion with the Citrus County Board of Commissioners

    • Talks of building new townhomes as well as senior living apartments on the property have begun

    • Some homeowners in the area are against the idea and would like to see other plans be made for the former golf course

    There are talks of building new townhomes as well as senior living apartments on the property. But not everyone is in agreement. One homeowner has some strong feelings for the former golf course.

    “Even if it’s left natural, people are fine with that,” said Linnea Johnson, who has called Pine Ridge home for 17 years.

    Johnson says she’s worried about potential noisy neighbors in her backyard, as her property ends where the old golf course begins.

    “It’s like 50 feet from here to our pool screen,” she said.

    For a couple of years now, the golf course has sat vacant. But after a recent purchase in 2021, its new owner has plans to make it relevant again.

    “He wants to put a separate housing development in the middle of Pine Ridge and gate it,” said Johnson.

    It’s what’s sparked Johnson to get involved. She and a few other homeowners in the area have started petitioning against any development on the property.

    “To me, the green space is what it’s all about,” she said. “I mean, look at these beautiful big oak trees. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. If it can’t be brought back as a golf course, just let it be nature or maybe even part of a park or something. Just for the wildlife.”

    Johnson was one of many to speak out against the plan Tuesday night at a commission meeting in Citrus County. A vote has yet to be held on the matter.

    A vote, Johnson says, that is important not only to other homeowners but others who call the area home.

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    Calvin Lewis

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  • Marcus Button Bill to be debated during legislative session

    Marcus Button Bill to be debated during legislative session

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    LAND O’ LAKES, Fla. — A 2006 Pasco County bus crash is now at the center of a bill Florida Legislators will debate in the coming weeks.

    The crash happened in September 2006, and severely injured then 16-year-old Marcus Button.

    What You Need To Know

    • 33-year-old Marcus Button was catastrophically injured in the Pasco County bus crash in 2006
    • The jury originally awarded Button $1.65 million for his medical care
    • A bill is seeking to lift Florida’s legislative cap of $200,000 which would force Pasco Schools to pay the original jury award, plus interest 
    • A similar bill for Marcus Button has been heard by legislators more than 10 times

    He was the passenger in a car when a Pasco County bus pulled out in front of them.

    Today, at 33 years old, Button suffers from a number of mental and physical disabilities, short-term memory loss and the ability to make judgements.

    He isn’t able to work, or drive, and his mother, Robin Button, says the crash changed her son’s life forever.

    “It would seem to me, at least going through what I went through, that they kind of wish he would have just died,” Button said. “I mean, I hate to say it that way because they have not done anything to help him.

    If they actually cared, why haven’t they?”

    Button is talking about a judgement against the school district in 2010 for the crash that awarded Marcus Button $1.65 million, money to go toward his lifelong medical care.

    Instead, the family attorney, Steele Olmstead, says the district only paid what they had to under Florida’s legislative cap, $163,000.

    Marcus Button suffered severe injuries in this 2016 crash in Pasco County. (Courtesy of Button family)

    Olmstead says the Pasco School District doesn’t carry private insurance for its fleet of buses, which means if there is an accident like Marcus Button’s, the school district is only legislatively responsible to pay up to a $200,000 claim.

    “I don’t understand why the legislature hasn’t brought this up,” Olmstead said. “I don’t understand why Pasco County has not decided to be responsible, or accountable for what their actions were and accept the judgment of, you know, the verdict of the jury.”

    Under the verdict, Pasco County was responsible to pay an award of $1.65 million with 6% interest.

    To date, that award totals around $3.2 million, an award that is now the subject of a bill that would lift the legislative cap for Marcus Button, forcing Pasco Schools to pay the full amount of the jury verdict.

    The bill has gone before legislators more than 10 times since 2010, and according to the family’s attorney, has never passed.

    Spectrum Bay News 9 reached out to Pasco County School District, and it said it had nothing to add as the bill is prepared for debate.

    Read the bill for Marcus Button, SB 18.

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    Jason Lanning

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  • Sarasota School Board votes to ask Bridget Ziegler to resign

    Sarasota School Board votes to ask Bridget Ziegler to resign

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    SARASOTA, Fla. — The Sarasota School Board voted to call on board member and Moms For Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler to resign from her post.

    The vote was 4-to-1 to ask Ziegler to resign from her post. She was the lone dissenting vote, making it clear she’s not stepping down.

    Ziegler has served on the board since 2014.


    The resolution is non-binding, meaning Gov. Ron DeSantis would have to step in to remove Ziegler from the board. There’s been no indication he will do that.

    Board Chair Karen Rose called the vote following a sexual assault investigation into Ziegler’s husband, Florida Republican Party Chairman Christian Ziegler.

    He is facing allegations of rape.

    “I personally care about Bridget and her family and deeply regret the necessity for this course of action, but given the intense media scrutiny locally and nationally, her continued presence on the Board would cause irreparably harmful distractions to our critical mission,” Rose wrote.

    Ziegler spoke briefly about the resolution during the board meeting.

    “You know, I am disappointed,” said Ziegler. “As people may know, I serve on another public board, and this issue did not come up, and we were able to forge ahead with the business of the board.”

    The alleged victim says she had previously been in a three-way sexual relationship with the Zieglers.

    According to the affidavit, she canceled a meet-up with the couple when she found out Bridget would not be there. She told police Christian Ziegler allegedly still showed up at her apartment and that’s when she says the attack happened, stated the affidavit.

    Christian Ziegler said he has been falsely accused and will not resign as GOP party chair. No criminal charges have been filed against him.

    But the Republican Party of Florida is holding a special meeting this weekend to discuss his future.

     

    Prior to the meeting, several dozen people marched outside carrying signs and chanting, “Hey hey, ho ho, Bridget Ziegler has got to go.” Among the signs’ slogans were “Ban Bridget, not books” and “Real women aren’t homophobes.”

    “Bridget Ziegler must apologize and resign,” said Carol Lerner of Support Our Schools, a nonprofit group that supports public education. “The Zieglers are through and through grifters.”

    Board member Tim Enos said it’s up to Bridget Ziegler to decide whether to quit. Only Florida’s governor can remove a school board member, and only under certain conditions, such as a criminal charge.

    “If she continues and doesn’t resign and stays, we have an obligation that we all need to be focused on education,” Enos said. “The politics have to get outside the boardroom. It should be only about the kids.”

    Bridget Ziegler has long been active in conservative politics. She was a champion of the DeSantis-backed law known by critics as “Don’t Say Gay,” which restricts teaching of sexual and gender material in early school grades. Moms for Liberty, which she co-founded in 2021, aims to inject more conservative viewpoints into schools, restrict transgender rights, battle pandemic mask mandates and remove books the group objects to from school classrooms and libraries.

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    Julia Hazel

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  • Water shortage order takes effect Tuesday across Tampa Bay region

    Water shortage order takes effect Tuesday across Tampa Bay region

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    TAMPA, Fla. — New rules on when you can and can’t use water for cleaning and lawn care take effect Tuesday across the Tampa Bay region.

    Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee, Hernando and Citrus counties are all entering a Phase 1 Water Shortage Order on Nov. 21, mandated by the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

    What You Need To Know

    • New rules for watering lawns in the Bay area take effect Tuesday

    • Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee, Hernando and Citrus counties are all entering a Phase 1 Water Shortage Order 

    • The order is in effect through July 1, 2024

    That means that the “wasteful use of water” is now prohibited and what that means can vary slightly from county to county. In Tampa, where some of the more strict rules are in effect, it means starting Tuesday residents can no longer hose off their driveways or sidewalks.

    The bigger changes affecting only Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco counties take effect on Dec. 1 when a Modified Phase 1 Water Shortage Order kicks in.

    Starting that day, residents will only be able to water their lawns once a week and it must be on the predetermined day.

     

    While we saw rain last week, officials with the city of Tampa’s water conservation department said it wasn’t enough compared to the 9-inch rainfall deficit the region is in.

    “It did have some impact in raising slightly the reservoir level, but it doesn’t mitigate the fact that as a region the levels are lower than what they’re supposed to be and what they typically are at this time of the year,” explained Sonia Quinones, a supervisor in the city’s water department. “We typically would have had a busy, active rainy season and the reservoir the aquifer would have been topped off really nicely. So we’re grateful for the rain, but it hasn’t made a significant impact.”

    Quinones says the city of Tampa will be enforcing the water shortage order and issuing citations to those not in compliance. She says they don’t plan to give homeowners warnings, but fines will be issued on the first offense.

    According to Pinellas County officials, customers should refer to this schedule for watering information.

    Watering schedule for Hillsborough & Pasco counties starting Dec. 1

    • If your address (house number) ends in 0 or 1, water only on Monday
    • If your address (house number) ends in 2 or 3, water only on Tuesday
    • If your address (house number) ends in 4 or 5, water only on Wednesday
    • If your address (house number) ends in 6 or 7, water only on Thursday
    • If your address (house number) ends in 8 or 9, water only on Friday

    If you water on the wrong day or time, you could get a $100 fine in the mail. Repeat offenses mean fines will go up to $200 and after that, a mandatory court appearance will be required. In Hillsborough County, fines top out at $500.

    “We don’t want to issue citations, we’re not in the business of issuing citations, we’re in the business of delivering safe and clean drinking water. We just want folks to know it’s a precious resource and we have to work together as a community. Water conservation only works when the entire community cooperates and does their part,” Quinones said.

    The order is in effect through July 1, 2024.

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    Angie Angers

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  • Some businesses struggling to obtain legal marijuana license – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

    Some businesses struggling to obtain legal marijuana license – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

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    After the long battle for businesses in the Finger Lakes region to be able to apply for marijuana licenses, some are still waiting for their time to come.

    FingerLakes Cannabis Company co-owners Mark Byassee and Tim Hay decided to get into the cannabis industry more than two years ago.

    “I had an illness. He went through an accident. It was during the COVID time period and we were both in sales jobs,” Byassee said.

    They saw it as an opportunity to do something they enjoyed, but getting into the industry has been harder than they first imagined.

    “Cannabis became legal and Mark and I thought that this would be relatively pretty quick,” Hay said. “They would issue licenses. We’d put an application in. They’d issue licenses and we’d be able to start selling recreational cannabis. It hasn’t been like that.”

    Business owners like Byassee and Hay had to go through the New York State Office of Cannabis Management, which made sure applicants for a card license followed protocols like securing a location, getting approval from local municipalities and that the dispensary is at least 30% owned by a justice-involved individual or someone with a marijuana conviction.

    “We checked off all those boxes and are currently still waiting for a license,” Hay said.

    Despite every effort, they say they were not granted a license. Then the process was delayed because of a lawsuit filed by another company also denied approval by the state.

    Byassee claims “because he wanted a…

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