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Tag: ron desantis

  • Judge gives Trump administration and Florida partial victory in

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    A federal judge on Monday tossed out part of a lawsuit brought by detainees at a temporary immigrant detention center in the Florida Everglades, handing a partial victory to the Trump administration and Florida state officials — though other challenges over “Alligator Alcatraz” are still pending. 

    Civil rights attorneys had sued the Trump administration and the state of Florida, seeking a preliminary injunction to ensure that detainees at the facility have confidential access to lawyers. It’s the second lawsuit challenging practices at Alligator Alcatraz, a controversial detention facility that the Trump administration has cast as a symbol of its crackdown on illegal immigration — along with a suit arguing the facility had skirted environmental rules. 

    But after a hearing on Monday, Miami-based U.S. District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz dismissed one part of their suit that alleged the government was violating the Fifth Amendment because it hadn’t made clear for weeks which immigration court had jurisdiction over Alligator Alcatraz, preventing detainees from filing court petitions. Ruiz ruled that this claim is now moot because the government has since said publicly that the court at the Krome Detention Center in South Florida will hear the detainees’ claims.

    “The Court can do no more,” Ruiz wrote.

    The judge did not dismiss several other claims that the government is violating the First Amendment by allegedly making it difficult for detainees to talk to their lawyers, especially in confidential settings. Ruiz said that continues to be a “live controversy.” But he ordered the case to be transferred to a different federal court, because Alligator Alcatraz is technically within the boundaries of the Orlando-based Middle District of Florida.

    The federal government has denied that defendants are blocked from meeting with attorneys.

    Alligator Alcatraz jurisdiction clarifications

    The civil rights attorneys wanted Ruiz to identify an immigration court that has jurisdiction over the detention center so that petitions can be filed for the detainees’ bond or release. The attorneys say that hearings for their cases have been routinely canceled in federal Florida immigration courts by judges who say they don’t have jurisdiction over the detainees held in the Everglades.

    At the start of Monday’s hearing, government attorneys said they would designate the immigration court at the Krome North Service Processing Center in the Miami area as having jurisdiction over the detention center in the Everglades in an effort to address some of the civil rights attorneys’ constitutional concerns. The judge told the government attorneys that he didn’t expect them to change that designation without good reason.

    But before delving into the core issues of the detainees’ rights, Ruiz wanted to hear about whether the lawsuit was filed in the proper jurisdiction in Miami. The state and federal government defendants have argued that even though the isolated airstrip where the facility was built is owned by Miami-Dade County, Florida’s southern district is the wrong venue since the detention center is located in neighboring Collier County, which is in the state’s middle district.

    The hearing ended without the judge making an immediate ruling. Ruiz suggested that the case against the federal defendants might be appropriate for the southern district because a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Miami is responsible for oversight of the detention center under an agreement between the state and federal governments.

    But Ruiz also questioned whether the case against the state defendants might be better in the middle district, because all of the purported civil rights violations occurred at the facility itself, which is located in Collier County, several miles outside the southern district.

    All parties have agreed that if the complaints against the state are moved to another venue, then the complaints against the federal government should be moved as well.

    Second lawsuit seeks halt of operations at Alligator Alcatraz

    The hearing over legal access comes as another federal judge in Miami considers whether construction and operations at the facility should be halted indefinitely because federal environmental rules weren’t followed.

    U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams on Aug. 7 ordered a 14-day halt on additional construction at the site while witnesses testified at a hearing that wrapped up last week. She has said she plans to issue a ruling before the order expires later this week.

    State says claims in lawsuit are false

    The state of Florida has disputed claims that Alligator Alcatraz detainees have been unable to meet with their attorneys. The state’s lawyers said that since July 15, when videoconferencing started at the facility, the state has granted every request for a detainee to meet with an attorney, and in-person meetings started July 28. The first detainees arrived at the beginning of July.

    But the civil rights attorneys said that even if lawyers have been scheduled to meet with their clients at the detention center, it hasn’t been in private or confidential, and it is more restrictive than at other immigration detention facilities. They said scheduling delays and an unreasonable advanced notice requirement have hindered their ability to meet with the detainees, thereby violating their constitutional rights.

    Civil rights attorneys said officers are going cell-to-cell to pressure detainees into signing voluntary removal orders before they’re allowed to consult their attorneys, and some detainees have been deported even though they didn’t have final removal orders. Along with the spread of a respiratory infection and rainwater flooding their tents, the circumstances have fueled a feeling of desperation among detainees, the attorneys wrote in a court filing.

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  • Abortion Measure Loses In Florida After Getting 1 Million More Votes Than Ron DeSantis

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    Republicans showed what the undercutting of democracy looks like in Florida after a measure to make abortion a constitutional right in Florida despite getting 1 million more votes than Ron DeSantis.

    Adam Smith posted:

    The amendment lost because the gerrymandered Florida legislature put a 60% threshold on passage. The measure received 57% support and passed overwhelmingly, but it means nothing, because DeSantis has tied his legacy and political future to banning abortion.

    What happened in Florida was example of what happens when Republicans gut democracy and send the message that the will of the people does not matter.

    DeSantis wants to use Florida as an example of what Republican governance for the entire country, and what that governance looks like individual rights will get trampled and if it looks like the will of the people will triumph, the government will rig the game against fundamental rights.

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    Jason Easley

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  • Florida Republicans Are Trying To Change A 25-Year Precedent

    Florida Republicans Are Trying To Change A 25-Year Precedent

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    When Florida voters head to the polls next month, they will decide if school board candidates should appear on ballots in future elections as either Republicans or Democrats. It seems like a mundane administrative change, but Democrats and education advocates are worried about what that would mean for the state’s students and educators.

    For the last 25 years, Florida’s school board races have been officially nonpartisan after voters decided by ballot measure in 1998 to remove the political affiliations.

    But as Moms for Liberty, an extremist organization that espouses conservative ideology about public schools, grew in popularity in the last few years, attacking public schools has become a priority for Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis. The actual motivation behind partisan labeling for school board races, critics say, would be to increase the politicization of those races in a state where Republicans are opening a wide party-affiliation gap in new voter registrations.

    “You’ll no longer see educators, school counselors and parents,” Jennifer Jenkins, the lone registered Democrat on the Brevard County school board, told HuffPost.

    “It’ll just be people doing this just for politics.”

    Donald Trump won Brevard County by 16 percentage points in 2020, and DeSantis won it by 28 percentage points in 2022.

    Of Florida’s nearly 14 million registered voters, 5.4 million are Republicans and 4.4 million are Democrats. The remaining 3.5 million voters are unaffiliated.

    And the Republican Party has swung so far to the right that there is essentially no incentive for a moderate Republican candidate to run for school board. “They know they won’t have the support of their party,” Jenkins said. “You’ll end up with the most extreme on either side of the spectrum, it’ll cost more money and we’ll get less-qualified candidates.”

    And while it’s true that Florida’s school races have already become extremely partisan, having unaffiliated races means that a variety of candidates are still able to run and serve as a check on the more extreme elements. But if the amendment passes, those candidates will go away.

    “Ultimately, there will be less resistance to the hyper self-serving political agendas coming from the top,” Jenkins said. “You’re not going to hear any resisting voices.”

    This amendment was introduced as legislation in the Florida House by Republican Rep. Spencer Roach and requires 60% of the vote to pass. It also seems to be just another avenue to further DeSantis’ goal of overhauling the state’s public school system.

    “You’ll no longer see educators, school counselors and parents. It’ll just be people doing this just for politics.”

    – Jennifer Jenkins, the lone Democrat on the Brevard County school board

    For his part in the war on public schools, DeSantis supported legislation that censors what teachers can say in the classroom and that has led to the removal of books from school libraries. Before dropping out of the GOP presidential race in January, he touted himself as the only candidate who could end “woke indoctrination” in public schools and beyond.

    Because of DeSantis, Florida has been on the front lines of the conservative culture wars. Republican school board candidates can be found attacking transgender students who want to play sports and use the bathroom that matches their gender identity. They have falsely claimed that schools are indoctrination centers and that students are receiving gender-reassignment surgeries at school.

    Conservatives baselessly claim that books with LGBTQ+ themes are sexually explicit and materials about racial justice are really designed to make white students feel bad about their race.

    DeSantis has long been trying to remake Florida’s schools as a haven for conservative ideology, with mixed success. When he made endorsements in Florida’s school board races in 2022, his candidates won 22 of 25 races. But in August, all but six of his candidates lost outright, with another six headed to runoffs this fall.

    The amendment would also effectively disenfranchise millions of the state’s voters. Florida is a closed primary state, meaning that voters who aren’t affiliated with a political party are barred from voting in the primary in partisan elections.

    “We would be shutting them out from a very important local decision,” Jenkins said. Though school board races are down-ballot, their impact is significant. In Brevard County, the school system has 74,000 students, 8,000 staff members and an operating budget of $1.6 billion.

    But DeSantis and Republicans seem to believe that politicizing the schools even further is a good idea. In 2023, when DeSantis appeared to be a top candidate for the GOP presidential nomination, he lamented the nonpartisan elections, accusing school board candidates of running one way and then governing in another.

    “What we’ve seen over the years is you have counties in Southwest Florida that voted for me by like 40 points. And yet they’re electing people, the school board, who are totally the opposite philosophy,” he said at the time, according to Politico. “But those people are running saying that they’re sharing the philosophy, then they get on and they do something different.”

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    Other Republicans believe that making the races partisan will simply provide voters with more information about whom they’re voting for.

    “It’s simply about transparency,” Roach said in the legislature when lawmakers were debating the measure. “I simply think, as policymakers, that we have an obligation to furnish to the voters as much information about a candidate as possible.”

    The continued politicization of Florida’s schools has led to an extremely toxic environment, Jenkins said.

    “I’ve gone through absolute hell the last four years,” she said.

    She has been on the receiving end of nasty rumors, death threats and false accusations of child abuse. “I can only see stuff like that happening more, the more you inject politics into it.”

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  • Biden Praises DeSantis’ Preparation for Hurricane Milton

    Biden Praises DeSantis’ Preparation for Hurricane Milton

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    Credit: The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    By Steve Wilson (The Center Square)

    President Joe Biden on Tuesday praised Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his efforts to get the state ready for a strike in the Tampa Bay area by Hurricane Milton. 

    “The governor of Florida says he’s gotten all that he needs,” Biden said. “I talked again to him yesterday and I said no, you’re doing a great job, we thank you for it and I literally gave my personal phone number to call.

    “There was a rough start in some places, but every governor from Florida to North Carolina has been fully cooperative and supportive and acknowledged what this team is doing and they’re doing an incredible job, but we’ve got a lot more to do.”

    RELATED: Kamala Harris Drinks Beer With Stephen Colbert While Floridians Trying To Flee Hurricane Milton Face Gas Shortages

    The praise from Biden comes as DeSantis and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, continue to be at odds. Harris called him “selfish” for not taking her calls and DeSantis shot back, saying she was trying to “parachute” her way into storm recovery and relief efforts. 

    Biden also said in a briefing at the White House that his administration would help “communities before, during and after these extreme weather events.”

    The federal government’s response to Helene has been under fire from former President Donald Trump, the 2024 Republican nominee. 

    “They’re offering $750 to people whose homes have been washed away, and yet we send tens of billions of dollars to foreign countries that most people have never heard of,” Trump said at his Butler, Pa. rally Saturday.

    His comment was without context. The Biden administration has confirmed more than $137 million in assistance with more expected, and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said more than $33 million in FEMA assistances to individuals had already been paid to more than 109,000 people. More than 2,100 are housed in hotels through FEMA transitional sheltering.

    Hurricane Milton, likely one of the worst storms in 100 years in Tampa, is predicted to make landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday morning as a Category 3 storm packing winds of 120 mph.

    RELATED: Deficit Nears $2 Trillion as Lawmakers Borrow $5 Billion Per Day

    It’ll be the second storm in as many weeks to hit the state and DeSantis urged Floridians in a news conference in Ocala on Tuesday to not lose faith in the state’s ability to bounce back.

    “It’s not easy,” he said. “I know people have been working around the clock, not just with state government, but our local counties and cities and then all the other partners that participate in this. But people are pushing forward. They’re stepping up. I know some of our residents that just experienced hurricane damage from Helene are also fatigued. Just hang in there and do the right thing. Just let’s get through this. We can do it together.

    “And then on the other side of it, make sure everybody’s safe and and we’ll put the pieces back together. The state is strong, we’re going to be able to weather it. Not going to be easy. We’re going to suffer damage.”

    The storm surge in Tampa Bay, which hasn’t been hit directly by a hurricane since 1921, could be as high as 15 feet. That’s triple what the area experienced with Hurricane Helene, which passed offshore on Sept. 23 before making landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida. 

    Helene’s biggest impact has been in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, where flash flooding destroyed communities and killed 230, including 84 in North Carolina. 

    Syndicated with permission from The Center Square.

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    The Center Square

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  • (Media News) DeSantis Administration Threatens Tampa TV Station Over Abortion Rights Ad

    (Media News) DeSantis Administration Threatens Tampa TV Station Over Abortion Rights Ad

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    Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s administration is threatening legal action against Tampa NBC affiliate WFLA for airing an abortion rights ad. The ad features a woman, Caroline, who says she needed an abortion and cancer treatment after being diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2022. Florida’s six-week abortion ban passed under DeSantis, would make such a procedure illegal.

    The Florida Department of Health sent a letter to WFLA, calling the ad “false” and “dangerous” and warning that legal action would follow if it isn’t removed within 24 hours. The state cited a law allowing it to remove material deemed a health “nuisance.” The ad supports Amendment 4, a November ballot measure seeking to overturn Florida’s near-total abortion ban.

    Critics, including local Democrats, have called the move “government bullying.” WFLA has not yet responded publicly.

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  • Florida slow to roll out federally funded electric-vehicle charging stations at Wawa, Buc-ee’s

    Florida slow to roll out federally funded electric-vehicle charging stations at Wawa, Buc-ee’s

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    click to enlarge

    Photo via Buc-ee’s/Instagram

    Wawa, Buc-ee’s and Busy Bee have come together over the slow rollout by Florida and about a dozen other states of a federally funded electric-vehicle charging stations program.

    Introduced three years ago, the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure, or NEVI, program allows chargers to be built by private entities, if the owners put up a 20 percent match.

    But Florida is among states that have not issued requests for proposals on the charging program, according to a report by Route Fifty, a sister publication of The News Service of Florida. Both are part of the GovExec media company.

    Wawa, Buc-ee’s and Busy Bee are part of a national organization known as the Charge Ahead Partnership, which seeks to expand the electric-vehicle charging network.

    “Florida has countless businesses that would love to use NEVI funds to help build out the state’s EV charging infrastructure, the same way that businesses in other states are,” Charge Ahead Partnership Executive Director Jay Smith said in a June statement. “It’s unfortunate that the state has still not issued an application for funds, while states like Ohio are opening NEVI-funded chargers.”

    The federal match program is seen as a way for businesses to compete with power companies in operating charging stations, according to the Route Fifty report.

    Loren McDonald, CEO of EVAdoption, which provides data and forecasts on the electric-vehicle industry, said the delay is a concern for convenience stores that offer fuel pumps.

    “In some cases, they haven’t prioritized it. In some states, they don’t have the expertise in charging,” McDonald said, according to the Route Fifty report. “In a few cases, it’s hard to tell if politics are involved or if they’re just moving slowly, trying to cross the t’s and dot the i’s.”

    Florida has the second-most electric vehicles in the country, but Gov. Ron DeSantis has routinely criticized the Biden administration and the infrastructure law for imposing ideology on states.

    Michael Williams, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Transportation, said in an email to Route Fifty that the federal government updated its regulations governing the charging program in June.

    “As this is a newly created program with many requirements, it is important that FDOT completes our due diligence to ensure we are effectively planning the proper use of taxpayer dollars, especially as we have already seen individual projects delivered under this program costing millions of dollars,” Williams wrote. “As custom department practice, FDOT takes a thoughtful and strategic approach to all programs and projects we develop, including researching best practices and exploring innovative opportunities.”

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    Jim Turner, the News Service of Florida

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  • Florida Gov. DeSantis says ‘likely more than 15’ people have died from Hurricane Helene

    Florida Gov. DeSantis says ‘likely more than 15’ people have died from Hurricane Helene

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    The International Longshoremen’s Association announced Thursday evening that negotiators had reached a tentative wage settlement and agreement to reopen ports until Jan. 15. ” Effective immediately, all current job actions will cease and all work covered by the Master Contract will resume,” the union said on its webpage.

    “I want to thank the union workers, the carriers, and the port operators for acting patriotically to reopen our ports and ensure the availability of critical supplies for Hurricane Helene recovery and rebuilding,” President Biden said in a written statement. “Collective bargaining works, and it is critical to building a stronger economy from the middle out and the bottom up.”

    +++

    Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state has confirmed 15 deaths from Hurricane Helene, most of them in Pinellas County.

    That county has reported 12 deaths from the storm. DeSantis said he thinks the statewide total “is probably at a minimum 15, I think it’s likely more than 15.”

    The governor gave the death toll Thursday in Anna Maria, where he announced three executive orders to assist those recovering from the storm and who may be affected by striking port workers.

    The Florida National Guard and Florida State Guard will be deployed to support port operations in the state to “mitigate the impact of the current labor strike across Florida,” the governor announced.

    Guard members are prepared to handle heavy equipment, warehouse operations, security operations, transportation, and command and control, according to the Florida National Guard.

    Three major ports in Florida are part of a 14-port strike for higher pay and job security.

    “This has the potential of really disrupting the hurricane recovery and of hurting the people who were victims of the storm, and I don’t think it’s right to try to cripple the recovery that our storm victims are undergoing,” DeSantis said.

    The Florida Department of Transportation has received permission from the governor to waive tolls and size and weight restrictions for commercial vehicles for the duration of the emergency.

    A second executive order DeSantis signed was to temporarily lift time restrictions on rental units in storm-affected areas to provide housing for those fixing storm damage in their primary residence.

    The governor noted that regulations vary in different jurisdictions, with some requiring rentals to be greater than or less than 30 days, depending on the locality.

    “Bottom line is, you may need less than 30 days if you’re rehabbing your home,” he said. “Maybe you need a little bit more. If you are a victim of Hurricane Helene, those regulations are lifted, and you can rent what you need to rent, regardless of any arbitrary rules. This will help provide immediate housing that will last 30 days or more for those who need it, but also cover those who need less than 30 days.”

    The order will take effect for the 61 counties already declared to be under a state of emergency last week ahead of the storm.

    Voting changes

    In a third order, the governor granted county election supervisors permission to make appropriate accommodations to enable voting access. A similar order followed Hurricane Ian in 2022.

    “Obviously, we are continuing with voter security efforts, none of those are being lifted,” DeSantis said, adding that polling places destroyed by the storm can be relocated.

    DeSantis granted the privilege to the following counties: Charlotte, Dixie, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, and Taylor.

    “This will ensure that residents that were impacted by this storm and displaced maybe still have the ability to vote in this November’s election,” DeSantis said.

    Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Diane Rado for questions: [email protected]. Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and Twitter.

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    Jay Waagmeester, Florida Phoenix

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  • Trulieve sues Florida GOP for defamation over ad featuring ‘Big Weed’ character

    Trulieve sues Florida GOP for defamation over ad featuring ‘Big Weed’ character

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    Florida’s largest medical-marijuana company filed a defamation lawsuit Wednesday accusing the state Republican Party of launching an “intentionally deceptive campaign” to mislead voters about a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow recreational use of marijuana.

    With voting by mail already underway in the Nov. 5 election, the lawsuit filed by Trulieve, Inc. — which has spent nearly $93 million on the recreational-marijuana initiative — also accused the owners of two Fort Myers-based television stations of running a “demonstrably false” ad “trying to fool Florida voters” into voting against what will appear on the ballot as Amendment 3.

    “The GOP knew that the claims in the deceptive mailer and ad were false, intentionally deceptive, and duplicitous but published them anyway in order to trick Florida voters into voting against a ballot initiative that would legalize the recreational use of cannabis in Florida,” the lawsuit said.

    The TV ad features a gardener who sees a news broadcast saying that the amendment could “legalize recreational marijuana.” The gardener rushes to start planting but is confronted by a “Big Weed” character that says, “Actually, we wrote the amendment, so we’re the only ones that can grow it.”

    The inability of people to grow their own weed has become a major issue in efforts to defeat the proposal. Opponents of the marijuana measure, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, contend that the proposal will help the state’s “monopoly” of licensed medical-marijuana companies because it will allow them to begin selling recreational pot. The measure also would allow the Legislature to expand the number of operators.

    “Amendment 3 cannot prohibit something that is already prohibited, and the plain text of Amendment 3 says nothing about the home cultivation of cannabis and does not change the current state of the law with respect to that issue,” the lawsuit said.

    Trulieve’s lawyers argued that the “Big Weed” character “is reasonably understood” by Florida voters to be Trulieve, because the company is “the largest cannabis manufacturer in the state, and because prominent Florida Republicans have publicly claimed that Trulieve authored Amendment 3.”

    The “gist of the ad” is that Trulieve drafted the proposal to minimize competition, the lawsuit alleged.

    According to the lawsuit, the Republican Party of Florida “paid the media defendants” to broadcast the “deceptive” television ad.

    The challenge also focuses in part on mailers sent out by the Republican Party of Florida calling the marijuana proposal “a power grab by mega marijuana corporations, eliminating their competition and enshrining their monopoly advantage in the Constitution forever.”

    The mailer is false because the proposal would allow the Legislature to increase the number of marijuana operators in the state, the lawsuit alleged.

    “In truth, Florida has a competitive market of 25 licensed” medical-marijuana operators, “in which no single company accounts for even half the market,” lawyers for Quincy-based Trulieve wrote in the lawsuit filed in the 2nd Judicial Circuit. “And rather than eliminating competition, the ballot initiative would increase competition by allowing the state to authorize additional licenses to grow and sell cannabis.”

    In addition to the Republican Party of Florida, the lawsuit nameas defendants Sun Broadcasting, Inc., which owns and operates the WXCW station, and Fort Myers Broadcasting Company, which owns and operates station WINK and is affiliated with Sun Broadcasting.

    Trulieve is the main money source behind the ballot initiative, providing about $92.8 million of the nearly $101.4 million in cash and in-kind contributions made to the Smart & Safe Florida political committee, which is sponsoring the proposal.

    State Republican Chairman Evan Power fired back Wednesday against the company.

    “It is so funny that a company that puts almost $100 million into a political campaign is so sensitive about honest TV ads,” Power said in a text message. “The proponents of Amendment 3 are trying to take down these ads that they know are truthful and are working. That is why they are using lawfare to try to silence us, but we will not be deterred in our efforts. If this huge, powerful corporation can’t handle it, then they should go sit at the little kid’s table.”

    The TV stations did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the lawsuit, which was provided to The News Service of Florida and filed in Gadsden County.

    Trulieve has 151 dispensaries throughout Florida — almost double the number of any other medical-marijuana operator. Trulieve sold nearly 38 percent of the total amount of smokable marijuana sold statewide during the week that ended Sept. 26, according to a report issued by the Florida Department of Health. The company sold about 30 percent of other products sold statewide, the report said.

    Trulieve filed the lawsuit “to set the record straight, to vindicate its rights under civil law, to hold the defendants accountable for deceiving voters, and to recover compensatory and punitive damages,” the lawsuit said.

    Republican leaders in Florida largely have come out in opposition to the marijuana proposal.

    DeSantis’ chief of staff, James Uthmeier, is heading two political committees aimed at defeating Amendment 3 and Amendment 4, a measure seeking to enshrine abortion rights in the state Constitution. The DeSantis administration has used state resources to oppose both measures. As an example, the Florida Department of Transportation recently released public-service announcements that say passage of the marijuana proposal could lead to more car crashes and higher auto-insurance premiums.

    The state Republican Party in May approved a resolution opposing Amendment 3, saying the proposal would endanger the state’s “family-friendly business and tourism climates.”

    Former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee in the 2024 presidential election, is backing the measure, however.

    The lawsuit filed Wednesday repeatedly said Florida has 25 licensed medical-marijuana companies and that state regulators have accepted applications for another 22 licenses.

    Trulieve filed the lawsuit about a week after sending letters to the TV stations demanding that they pull down the ad.

    “The GOP acted with actual malice, either knowingly or recklessly disregarding that the statements it published about Trulieve were false … and — when specifically put on notice of the truth and asked to retract — refusing to retract, because the GOP intends to dupe Florida voters into voting against a ballot initiative that would legalize the recreational use of cannabis in Florida,” the lawsuit said.

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    Dara Kam, News Service of Florida

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  • Florida may have to pay $750K in legal fees over DeSantis’s ‘Stop Woke Act’

    Florida may have to pay $750K in legal fees over DeSantis’s ‘Stop Woke Act’

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    Florida could face paying nearly $750,000 in legal fees for businesses that successfully challenged part of a 2022 law that Gov. Ron DeSantis dubbed the “Stop WOKE Act.”

    Citing what they called a “resounding victory,” attorneys for the businesses filed a motion Friday seeking $749,642 in fees. Also, they sought $41,144 in additional costs related to the lengthy legal battle.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker in August ruled that the plaintiffs were entitled to seek fees, clearing the way for Friday’s detailed motion. The state faces an Oct. 28 deadline to respond to the request.

    The underlying case involved a challenge to part of the state law that placed restrictions on addressing race-related issues in workplace training. Walker in 2022 issued a preliminary injunction against the restrictions on free-speech grounds. A panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in March upheld the preliminary injunction, and Walker followed in July by issuing a permanent injunction.

    “It is hard to envision greater success than what plaintiffs attained in this case,” Friday’s motion for fees said. “This court’s opinion, and the Eleventh Circuit’s opinion affirming the same, now stand as important constitutional markers for courts across the United States. Plaintiffs, in turn, have been able to continue their diversity trainings both as employers and trainers without fear of government encroachment on their free speech, which is exactly what they had wanted.”

    Attorneys from the international law firm Ropes & Gray LLP and the non-profit group Protect Democracy represented the plaintiffs — Primo Tampa, LLC, a Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream franchisee; Honeyfund.com, Inc., a Clearwater-based technology company that provides wedding registries; and Chevara Orrin and her company, Collective Concepts, LLC. Orrin and her company provide consulting and training to employers about issues such as diversity, equity and inclusion.

    The motion seeks $458,676 in legal fees and $32,128 in costs for Roper & Gray and $290,966 in legal fees and $2,641 in costs for Protect Democracy. It also seeks $6,375 in expert fees.

    It details requested attorney fees ranging from $200 an hour to $775 an hour and said the rates were reduced to reflect the “prevailing market rates” in the federal Northern District of Florida, where the case was filed. Lower fees were requested for the work of people such as paralegals.

    To try to bolster their request, the plaintiffs’ attorneys pointed to what the state paid the Washington, D.C.-based Cooper & Kirk firm to represent it in the case. Citing state data, the plaintiffs’ attorneys said the state paid a “blended rate” of $725 an hour for each Cooper & Kirk lawyer who worked on the case.

    The Stop WOKE Act — short for what DeSantis called the “Stop Wrongs To Our Kids and Employees Act” — drew fierce debate in 2022 before being approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature. Part of the law put restrictions on workplace training, while another part included restrictions for the education system.

    The workplace-training part listed eight race-related concepts and said that a required training program or other activity that “espouses, promotes, advances, inculcates, or compels such individual (an employee) to believe any of the following concepts constitutes discrimination based on race, color, sex, or national origin.”

    As an example of the concepts, the law targeted compelling employees to believe that an “individual, by virtue of his or her race, color, sex, or national origin, bears personal responsibility for and must feel guilt, anguish, or other forms of psychological distress because of actions, in which the individual played no part, committed in the past by other members of the same race, color, sex, or national origin.”

    In court documents, the state disputed that the law violated speech rights, saying that it regulated “conduct.” It said businesses could still address the targeted concepts in workplace training — but couldn’t force employees to take part.

    But, for example, the appeals court described the law as the “latest attempt to control speech by recharacterizing it as conduct. Florida may be exactly right about the nature of the ideas it targets. Or it may not. Either way, the merits of these views will be decided in the clanging marketplace of ideas rather than a codebook or a courtroom.”

    Walker also separately issued a preliminary injunction against the law’s restrictions on the way race-related concepts can be taught in universities. A panel of the appeals court held a hearing in that case in June but has not issued a ruling.

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    Jim Saunders, News Service of Florida

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  • Central Florida under tornado watch, tropical storm warning as Helene nears

    Central Florida under tornado watch, tropical storm warning as Helene nears

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    Image via National Weather Service

    As Category 2 Hurricane Helene continues its path up the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida’s Big Bend region, much of Central Florida has been placed under both a tropical storm warning and a tornado watch.

    Effective in Orange, Seminole, Lake, Volusia, Brevard, Osceola, Indian River, Okeechobee, St. Lucie and Martin counties, a tornado watch is in effect until 8 p.m. Thursday. The area can expect wind gusts up to 50 to 60 mph and possibly deadly lightning.

    All of east central Florida remains under a tropical storm warning, with tropical-storm-force winds expected Thursday afternoon into the night. Preparations should be fully complete, according to the National Weather Service Melbourne.

    Helene’s outer bands have begun to reach the Sunshine State, with tropical-storm-force winds extending up to 345 miles from its center, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 11 a.m. update. Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 110 mph with higher gusts.

    As of 11 a.m., Helene was about 195 miles southwest of Tampa and about 230 miles south of Apalachicola. Maximum sustained winds hit 110 mph and the system is moving at about 16 mph.

    Helene is expected to remain on its projected path of a Thursday evening landfall in the Big Bend region.

    At least 22 Florida counties have been placed under partial or total mandatory evacuation orders. All residents of Franklin, Taylor and Wakullla counties, all in the Big Bend, have been ordered to evacuate.

    Gov. DeSantis and Florida officials warned residents time is running out to make preparations for the large, fast-moving and potentially life-threatening system.

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    Chloe Greenberg

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  • Live blog: Updates on Hurricane Helene as major storm closes in on Florida’s coast

    Live blog: Updates on Hurricane Helene as major storm closes in on Florida’s coast

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    ABOVE: Watch WESH 2’s continuous live coverage of HeleneAs Helene strengthens in the Gulf of Mexico and eyes landfall in Florida as a major hurricane, Gov. Ron DeSantis and other officials are addressing the state many times in regards to preparation and safety.>> The latest on Helene >> Interactive RadarHelene strengthened into a Category 2 storm on Thursday morning and is expected to intensify even more before making landfall in the Big Bend region Thursday. >> Bookmark this page to watch all press conferences and read updates from officials on Helene. All times are in EST.Thursday> 8 a.m.: Hurricane Helene reaches Category 2 status, according to the National Hurricane Center’s latest advisoryHelene is currently located about 320 miles southwest of Tampa with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, prompting the upgrade.> 6:45 a.m.: Nearly all of Central Florida put under tornado watch as Hurricane Helene strengthens in Gulf of MexicoThe watch is currently set to expire at 8 p.m. tonight. Keep up with all active alerts by clicking here.> 5 a.m.: The National Hurricane Center issues its latest advisory on HeleneHelene is creeping up on Category 2 strength, but holds at Category 1 status with winds of 90 mph. Landfall in the Big Bend region is expected late Thursday or early Friday.> 4:55 a.m.: Gov. Ron DeSantis expected to address state from TallahasseeAt 9 a.m., the governor, along with other state officials, is expected to speak from the State Emergency Operations Center ahead of Hurricane Helene’s landfall.You can watch the news conference in the player above at that time.> 2:00 a.m.: The National Hurricane Center issues advisory on HeleneThe Category 1 storm is currently located about 430 miles south-southwest of Tampa with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph and a minimum central pressure of 971 mb.Wednesday> 6:33 p.m.: Jimmy Patronis and Sen. Rick Scott provided Hurricane Helene updates from the Big Bend region.More: Hurricane’s size prompts advisories for nearly all of Florida > 4:20 p.m.: Gov. Ron DeSantis finishes speaking from Tallahassee for the second time today and urges residents to prepare ahead of Hurricane Helene’s landfall.DeSantis, Guthrie, and Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue spoke from the State Emergency Operations Center at 3:30 p.m. They all highlighted the importance of being prepared for the hurricane and following safety measures to avoid fatalities.Watch the full video below> 3:50 p.m.: Buddy Dyer, mayor of Orlando, prepares the city drains to prevent flooding ahead of Hurricane HeleneMayor Buddy Dyer spent the day helping city crews clean out storm drains in Orlando to avoid flooding from anticipated rainfall. He said many of the storm drains in Orlando have baskets to catch anything that may slide down, making the cleaning process a bit easier.If you see flooding or other issues, you can report them on the city’s website by clicking here.> 3:13 p.m.: SunRail Service announces suspension of services for ThursdayThe Florida Department of Transportation will suspend SunRail service on Thursday in anticipation of Hurricane Helene.Services will resume as early as possible Friday morning if conditions are safe. > 1:45 p.m.: Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings finishes addressing residents, says the county is going into “emergency mode”Even though Hurricane Helene is not expected to directly pass through Orange County and other Central Florida locations, the storm’s massive size means everybody will feel impacts.Demings gave an overview of how the county is preparing, including opening a special needs shelter, providing sandbag service until 7 p.m. Wednesday and putting emergency officials on standby. “We’re in good shape,” Demings said.The mayor noted that utility officials from both OUC and Duke Energy were ready to deploy and mitigate any power outages that result from Helene’s high winds and heavy rains.All Orange County Public Schools will be closed Thursday, and a decision on Friday’s closure is still pending.Trash pickup in unincorporated Orange County is suspended Thursday. If your pickup time is affected, officials will collect your trash on Saturday, Demings said. Watch the full video in the player below.> 12:20 p.m.: Gov. Ron DeSantis will speak from Tallahassee for the second time todayDeSantis, Guthrie and Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue are expected to speak from the State Emergency Operations Center at 3:30 p.m. > 11:30 a.m.: Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings is expected to provide an update on the county’s storm readiness and preparation.The press conference is expected to begin at 1 p.m. > 11:40 a.m.: Rhome finishes giving NHC update on Hurricane Helene, now a Category 1 stormAs wind speeds increase and pressure drops inside Helene, NHC officials are tracking the storm’s projected path with 11 a.m. data. Rhome says Helene is expected to reach Category 3 status before making landfall in the panhandle. Watch the full video below.> 11 a.m.: The National Hurricane Center’s Deputy Director, Jamie Rhome, is expected to provide an update on Hurricane Helene at 11:30 a.m.The system was just upgraded to hurricane status. > 10:25 a.m.: Ron DeSantis finishes address from Tampa, urges Floridians to make final storm preparationsAs Helene moves into the Gulf of Mexico and gains strength on the way to Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis updated residents on the state’s preparations for the storm and urged Floridians to finalize their own plans.All preparations, including clearing yards, stocking up on materials, etc. should be complete by Wednesday, officials said. Florida will begin feeling impacts from Helene late Wednesday or early Thursday, and they will gradually become more severe.The governor said residents should pay attention to cones and projected maps, but reminded listeners that impacts will extend far beyond those models. In preparation for the massive tropical system, DeSantis said residents should pay close attention to their evacuation zones and orders, heeding any orders to leave low-lying or vulnerable areas. Click here to find your home’s zoneIn addition, DeSantis and Guthrie gave important updates about how the state is preparing for Helene. Click here to learn more.Watch the full press conference below.> Wednesday, 7 a.m.: DeSantis prepares to speak from Tampa as Helene gains strengthAhead of Helene’s projected landfall in Florida, the governor, along with Attorney General Ashely Moody and Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie, is expected to speak from Tampa. The conference is set to begin at 9:30 a.m.More Helene coverage:>> Latest on Helene>> Track Helene: Spaghetti models, maps, projected path>> See Central Florida impacts in each county as Helene moves through state

    ABOVE: Watch WESH 2’s continuous live coverage of Helene

    As Helene strengthens in the Gulf of Mexico and eyes landfall in Florida as a major hurricane, Gov. Ron DeSantis and other officials are addressing the state many times in regards to preparation and safety.

    >> The latest on Helene

    >> Interactive Radar

    Helene strengthened into a Category 2 storm on Thursday morning and is expected to intensify even more before making landfall in the Big Bend region Thursday.

    >> Bookmark this page to watch all press conferences and read updates from officials on Helene. All times are in EST.

    Thursday

    > 8 a.m.: Hurricane Helene reaches Category 2 status, according to the National Hurricane Center’s latest advisory

    Helene is currently located about 320 miles southwest of Tampa with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, prompting the upgrade.

    > 6:45 a.m.: Nearly all of Central Florida put under tornado watch as Hurricane Helene strengthens in Gulf of Mexico

    The watch is currently set to expire at 8 p.m. tonight. Keep up with all active alerts by clicking here.

    > 5 a.m.: The National Hurricane Center issues its latest advisory on Helene

    Helene is creeping up on Category 2 strength, but holds at Category 1 status with winds of 90 mph. Landfall in the Big Bend region is expected late Thursday or early Friday.

    > 4:55 a.m.: Gov. Ron DeSantis expected to address state from Tallahassee

    At 9 a.m., the governor, along with other state officials, is expected to speak from the State Emergency Operations Center ahead of Hurricane Helene’s landfall.

    You can watch the news conference in the player above at that time.

    > 2:00 a.m.: The National Hurricane Center issues advisory on Helene

    The Category 1 storm is currently located about 430 miles south-southwest of Tampa with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph and a minimum central pressure of 971 mb.

    Wednesday

    > 6:33 p.m.: Jimmy Patronis and Sen. Rick Scott provided Hurricane Helene updates from the Big Bend region.

    This content is imported from YouTube.
    You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

    More: Hurricane’s size prompts advisories for nearly all of Florida

    > 4:20 p.m.: Gov. Ron DeSantis finishes speaking from Tallahassee for the second time today and urges residents to prepare ahead of Hurricane Helene’s landfall.

    DeSantis, Guthrie, and Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue spoke from the State Emergency Operations Center at 3:30 p.m.

    They all highlighted the importance of being prepared for the hurricane and following safety measures to avoid fatalities.

    Watch the full video below


    > 3:50 p.m.: Buddy Dyer, mayor of Orlando, prepares the city drains to prevent flooding ahead of Hurricane Helene

    Mayor Buddy Dyer spent the day helping city crews clean out storm drains in Orlando to avoid flooding from anticipated rainfall.

    He said many of the storm drains in Orlando have baskets to catch anything that may slide down, making the cleaning process a bit easier.

    If you see flooding or other issues, you can report them on the city’s website by clicking here.

    > 3:13 p.m.: SunRail Service announces suspension of services for Thursday

    The Florida Department of Transportation will suspend SunRail service on Thursday in anticipation of Hurricane Helene.

    Services will resume as early as possible Friday morning if conditions are safe.

    > 1:45 p.m.: Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings finishes addressing residents, says the county is going into “emergency mode”

    Even though Hurricane Helene is not expected to directly pass through Orange County and other Central Florida locations, the storm’s massive size means everybody will feel impacts.

    Demings gave an overview of how the county is preparing, including opening a special needs shelter, providing sandbag service until 7 p.m. Wednesday and putting emergency officials on standby.

    “We’re in good shape,” Demings said.

    The mayor noted that utility officials from both OUC and Duke Energy were ready to deploy and mitigate any power outages that result from Helene’s high winds and heavy rains.

    All Orange County Public Schools will be closed Thursday, and a decision on Friday’s closure is still pending.

    Trash pickup in unincorporated Orange County is suspended Thursday. If your pickup time is affected, officials will collect your trash on Saturday, Demings said.

    Watch the full video in the player below.

    > 12:20 p.m.: Gov. Ron DeSantis will speak from Tallahassee for the second time today

    DeSantis, Guthrie and Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue are expected to speak from the State Emergency Operations Center at 3:30 p.m.

    > 11:30 a.m.: Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings is expected to provide an update on the county’s storm readiness and preparation.

    The press conference is expected to begin at 1 p.m.

    > 11:40 a.m.: Rhome finishes giving NHC update on Hurricane Helene, now a Category 1 storm

    As wind speeds increase and pressure drops inside Helene, NHC officials are tracking the storm’s projected path with 11 a.m. data. Rhome says Helene is expected to reach Category 3 status before making landfall in the panhandle.

    Watch the full video below.


    > 11 a.m.: The National Hurricane Center’s Deputy Director, Jamie Rhome, is expected to provide an update on Hurricane Helene at 11:30 a.m.

    The system was just upgraded to hurricane status.

    > 10:25 a.m.: Ron DeSantis finishes address from Tampa, urges Floridians to make final storm preparations

    As Helene moves into the Gulf of Mexico and gains strength on the way to Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis updated residents on the state’s preparations for the storm and urged Floridians to finalize their own plans.

    All preparations, including clearing yards, stocking up on materials, etc. should be complete by Wednesday, officials said. Florida will begin feeling impacts from Helene late Wednesday or early Thursday, and they will gradually become more severe.

    The governor said residents should pay attention to cones and projected maps, but reminded listeners that impacts will extend far beyond those models. In preparation for the massive tropical system, DeSantis said residents should pay close attention to their evacuation zones and orders, heeding any orders to leave low-lying or vulnerable areas.

    Click here to find your home’s zone

    In addition, DeSantis and Guthrie gave important updates about how the state is preparing for Helene. Click here to learn more.

    Watch the full press conference below.

    > Wednesday, 7 a.m.: DeSantis prepares to speak from Tampa as Helene gains strength

    Ahead of Helene’s projected landfall in Florida, the governor, along with Attorney General Ashely Moody and Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie, is expected to speak from Tampa.

    The conference is set to begin at 9:30 a.m.

    More Helene coverage:

    >> Latest on Helene

    >> Track Helene: Spaghetti models, maps, projected path

    >> See Central Florida impacts in each county as Helene moves through state

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  • Governor Highlights Florida Prepaid Program Success, Encourages Parents to Claim Refunds

    Governor Highlights Florida Prepaid Program Success, Encourages Parents to Claim Refunds

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    During National College Savings Month, Governor Ron DeSantis announced record refunds to parents through the Florida Prepaid program and encourages all Florida families to take advantage of an affordable prepaid college plan.

    In total, Florida has returned nearly $1 billion to Florida families through Prepaid Florida refunds. Florida Prepaid is the largest and longest running prepaid program of its kind, with a 35-year track record of helping over 1.2 million Florida families save for college so they can graduate and enter the workforce without burdensome loan debts.

    “Because of our focus on academic achievement and fiscal responsibility, Florida has both the number one ranked higher education system and the lowest tuition in the country,” said Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. “Florida’s flexible college savings options like the Florida Prepaid program allow parents to get a head start on paying for the future, and even get money back when tuition stays low. And because I have ensured tuition has not been raised in Florida since I’ve become Governor, we have another round of refunds available for parents now.”

    The Florida Prepaid college saving program allows Florida families to lock in future tuition costs at today’s prices. Because the program factors in what tuition may cost in the future, parents receive a refund if tuition stays lower than what is predicted, often resulting in thousands of dollars back.

    “Florida is setting an example for the rest of the nation for ensuring that students can access higher education without taking on high amounts of debt,” said Florida Department of Education Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr. “I am proud that Florida not only offers options like Florida Prepaid, but we are also returning money to parents because Governor DeSantis has kept tuition low.”

    “There is a national narrative that higher education is extremely costly and not worth it. As the number one state for higher education for eight years in a row, Florida universities are a great return on investment. Florida has held tuition and fees flat and continues to prioritize textbook affordability,” said Ray Rodrigues, Chancellor of the State University System of Florida. “National College Savings Month provides an opportunity to highlight the affordability of our public institutions and the benefit Florida’s Prepaid College Savings Programs offer to families.”

    Since Governor DeSantis took office, Florida has secured two rollbacks on Florida Prepaid Plan rates, one in 2020 and another earlier this year. These rollbacks have resulted in hundreds of thousands of families paying less, with their prepaid plan rates being reduced by a cumulative amount of $2.6 billion. In fact, more than 40,000 families still need to collect their 2024 refund, with over $130 million in unclaimed refunds.

    To find out if you have an unclaimed refund, please login to your Florida Prepaid account.

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  • Florida Gov. DeSantis defends targeting marijuana petition workers

    Florida Gov. DeSantis defends targeting marijuana petition workers

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    click to enlarge

    While supporters of proposed constitutional amendments face stringent requirements for gathering petition signatures, Gov. Ron DeSantis contends additional steps could be needed.

    As he crusades against proposals on the November ballot that would allow recreational use of marijuana and enshrine abortion rights in the state Constitution, DeSantis this week suggested more anti-fraud measures are needed.

    “There’s a lot of money that’s at stake here,” DeSantis said Monday during an appearance in Orlando. “People make money off the petition process. There’s an incentive to commit fraud. The Legislature tried to address it, but I don’t think that they’ve addressed it adequately.”

    Backers of proposed constitutional amendments had to submit at least 891,523 valid petition signatures to get initiatives on this year’s ballot.

    The Republican-controlled Legislature and DeSantis in recent years have banned a longstanding practice of paying petition gatherers based on the number of signatures they collect. They also have required petition forms to include information identifying petition gatherers, who are required to register with the state.

    DeSantis’ comment came as he responded to a question about the recent arrest of a petition gatherer amid an investigation by the state’s Office of Election Crimes and Security.

    Last week, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced that Colton Brady, 34 of Fayetteville, Ga., was arrested Sept. 5 on eight counts of petition fraud crimes, including criminal use of a dead person’s information and submitting false voter registration information.

    An agency news release said Brady’s arrest was tied to “petition fraud on the personal use of marijuana initiative” and that Brady submitted 71 invalid forms.

    But the Smart & Safe Florida political committee, which is leading efforts to pass this year’s recreational-marijuana initiative, said Brady wasn’t part of their ballot drive, despite the possible inference by the state agency. The committee said Brady collected signatures for another marijuana measure. The Smart & Safe initiative will appear on the November ballot as Amendment 3.

    “That initiative (involving Brady) was completely separate and independent from Amendment 3 and these signatures were not related to Amendment 3,” Smart & Safe Florida said in a statement. “This individual was never paid by Smart & Safe Florida nor do we have any record of affiliation with him.”

    DeSantis backed the FDLE announcement as “accurate.”

    “This was somebody who had submitted fraudulent petitions, I think, during the 2022 (election) cycle. That’s a fraud. I mean, we’re not going to turn our backs on that,” DeSantis said.

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    Jim Turner, the News Service of Florida

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  • State approves $200 million plan for New College of Florida, despite concerns about spending

    State approves $200 million plan for New College of Florida, despite concerns about spending

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    Photo via New College of Florida/Facebook

    A five-year, multimillion-dollar effort to expand student enrollment and continue other major changes at New College of Florida was approved Wednesday by the state university system’s Board of Governors, despite some concerns about the spending.

    The Board of Governors approved a New College strategic plan, which will allow the school to receive $15 million that was included in the state budget. The plan also puts the small liberal-arts college on pace to request more than $200 million over the next five years.

    “We are supporting the spending of a lot more money to educate a very small number of students that already cost exponentially more of state taxpayer dollars to educate, and I personally have concerns about that,” said Board of Governors member Eric Silagy, who voted against the plan during a meeting at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

    Silagy, a former president and CEO of Florida Power & Light, said the funding is “the equivalent of USF (the University of South Florida) asking for $13 billion” over five years.

    Silagy calculated that New College spent nearly $91,000 per student based on a 2023-2024 enrollment of 732 students, while the average for the state university system is about $10,000 per student.

    Silagy also questioned plans to increase student-athlete enrollment at the Sarasota college to 36 percent of the student body over the next decade.

    “Is this strategic plan the way that New College should go forward?” Silagy asked. “Should we be focusing on having a third of the student body be student-athletes and spending $100 million for that?”

    For other board members, the answer was yes.

    Board Vice Chairman Alan Levine said the issue of per-student spending isn’t new for New College, which historically has had the lowest enrollment in the university system. Levine, the chairman, president and CEO of Ballad Health, added it isn’t unusual for small schools to have a high percentage of students participating in athletics.

    Board Chairman Brian Lamb said that while he wasn’t “happy” with the costs at New College, he was “supportive” of where the school is headed in student achievement.

    “Getting your students through the university, performing at a high level, driving the outcoming in performance-based funding … I’m almost more focused on that,” said Lamb, a managing director with JPMorgan Chase Commercial Banking.

    New College has undergone major changes during the past two years, with Gov. Ron DeSantis remaking its Board of Trustees and former state House Speaker Richard Corcoran taking over as college president. It has tried to bulk up enrollment through adding athletic programs while taking controversial steps such as deciding to eliminate the school’s gender studies program.

    Corcoran told the Board of Governors he was given the responsibility of rapidly turning around New College, and “that’s what we’re doing.”

    “What the Legislature said with this is that we should have a premier liberal-arts college, but we’re tired, exhausted with the last 15-year history of this college and we want massive changes,” Corcoran said.

    He said that based on updated student enrollment figures, and the annual fluctuation in state money, the cost per student should be around $68,000.

    The plan compares New College with what are considered the “best” liberal-arts colleges across the nation, including Washington and Lee University and the University of Richmond in Virginia and Davidson University in North Carolina.

    New College offers 12 intercollegiate sports and has a goal of fielding 24 teams by 2028 and 30 by 2034, with $100 million needed to upgrade athletic facilities.

    This year’s state budget provided $10 million that became immediately available for “operational enhancements” and student scholarships at New College. An additional $15 million was contingent on the approval of the five-year strategic plan and is expected to be used for temporary student housing, additional scholarships, campus security and technology updates.

    The school, which has experienced heavy faculty turnover during the past couple of years, has targeted increasing enrollment from 750 students to 1,200 by 2028 while keeping a 7-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio. That could require up to 148 potential hires over the next five years, with a projected potential loss of 84 professors.

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    Jim Turner, the News Service of Florida

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  • Florida fights challenge to age restriction law for strippers

    Florida fights challenge to age restriction law for strippers

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    click to enlarge

    Photo via Gov. Ron DeSantis/Twitter

    Pointing to efforts to curb human trafficking, Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office Friday urged a federal judge to toss out a constitutional challenge to a new Florida law that prevents strippers under age 21 from performing in adult-entertainment establishments.

    Lawyers in Moody’s office filed a 35-page motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed in July by operators of two nude-dancing establishments, a dancer and a retail store that sells adult-oriented items. The lawsuit primarily alleges that the ban on workers under 21 violates First Amendment rights.

    But the state’s motion Friday disputed the arguments, saying, in part, that the law (HB 7063) “is narrowly drawn to further the state’s legitimate interest of protecting this vulnerable age group from human trafficking.”

    “The statute furthers an important or substantial governmental interest unrelated to the suppression of free expression,” the motion said. “The statute is part of a larger bill designed to combat human trafficking. The statute prevents persons aged 18 to 20 from working in these establishments because this age group is vulnerable to the exploitation of human trafficking. It does not prevent adult entertainment establishments from hiring nude dancers, employees, and contractors altogether.”

    But the lawsuit said the Legislature did not “consider any alternative forms of regulation which would burden First Amendment rights less severely; that is, the Legislature made no effort to solicit information in support of a more narrowly tailored law.” Also, it said the state had not shown a connection between human trafficking and adult-entertainment establishments.

    “HB 7063 does not actually target human trafficking or the individuals responsible for those criminal acts,” the lawsuit said. “Instead, it regulates only the potential (if unlikely) victims of trafficking and only the subset of potential victims who are actively engaged in speech activities. The state considered no evidence or studies supporting the notion that human trafficking is associated with adult entertainment establishments or that trafficking is more common in such establishments; or, to the extent that such information was considered, it consisted of shoddy data which is insufficient to support the asserted government interest.”

    The lawsuit was filed by operators of Cafe Risque, a nude-dancing establishment in Alachua County; operators of Sinsations, a nude-dancing establishment in Jacksonville; Serenity Michelle Bushey, who performed at Cafe Risque but is barred by the law from working there because she is under 21; and Exotic Fantasies, Inc., which operates a retail store in Jacksonville.

    While most of the attention about the law has focused on strippers, it also prevents adult-entertainment establishments from employing other workers under age 21. That includes workers at retailers such as Exotic Fantasies, which does not have dancers.

    “HB 7063 prohibits Café Risque, Sinsations and Erotic Fantasies from contracting with and employing individuals of their choosing to assist in the production, promotion and dissemination of their First Amendment protected communications,” said the lawsuit, filed by Gary Edinger, a longtime First Amendment attorney in Gainesville. “All of the plaintiffs’ speech rights have been chilled now, and in the future, as they risk prosecution and the loss of their livelihoods, if they continue to engage in the kind of speech to which the state of Florida objects; to-wit: exotic dance performances and the sale of adult retail goods.”

    The Legislature passed the law in March, and Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it in May. The law, which took effect July 1, includes second-degree felony charges for people who employ or allow dancers under 21 to perform nude in the establishments.

    “While plaintiffs Café Risque and Sinsations will no longer be permitted to promote and produce entertainers between the ages of 18 to 20, these businesses are still permitted to promote and produce entertainers,” the state’s motion Friday said. “Removing 18-to-20 year-olds from their lineup serves a substantial governmental interest which is not substantially broader than necessary, while allowing for reasonable alternative avenues of expressive conduct. Bushey also has reasonable alternative avenues of communication at other establishments that are not adult entertainment establishments, such as bikini bars which are not included in the definition of adult entertainment establishments.”

    The lawsuit names as defendants Moody, State Attorney Brian Kramer, who prosecutes cases in Alachua County, and State Attorney Melissa Nelson, who prosecutes cases in Jacksonville. In addition to disputing the First Amendment arguments, Moody’s motion Friday also argued that she is not a proper defendant because she does not have enforcement authority over the law.

    The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor.

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  • DeSantis continues to complain about Florida Republicans not publicly opposing abortion amendment

    DeSantis continues to complain about Florida Republicans not publicly opposing abortion amendment

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    photo via the Governor’s Office

    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is again expressing dissatisfaction that members of Florida’s Republican congressional delegation have yet to speak out publicly against Amendment 4, the ballot initiative to enshrine abortion rights in the Florida Constitution.

    DeSantis has been passionate in advocating against the proposal, which would repeal Florida’s existing ban on most abortions after six weeks and restore it legally to the “point of viability,” estimated at around 24 weeks.

    The measure needs 60% support on the ballot to become state law. Almost daily, the governor has been speaking out about how Floridians need to reject the proposal, and in the past 10 days has been taking on the few GOP federal lawmakers who have yet to weigh in.

    “You have people who have been elected as Republicans to have run saying that how passionately pro-life they are. Talking about how this is such an important issue and this and that,” DeSantis said Monday on WFSX 92.5 FM in Fort Myers with state GOP Rep. Spencer Roach.

    “These are people that ran on this, saying that this was something that was so important. And so now you have this amendment, which would make Florida one of the most radical abortion jurisdictions in the world, and yet you have people that won’t even say that they’re going to vote no on it? I mean, forget about actually putting in some sweat to say they shouldn’t be in the Constitution and actually going out and doing something about it — they won’t even say that.”

    This is the second time that DeSantis has mentioned his disappointment that not all 20 members of Florida’s Republican congressional delegation have publicly opposed the measure. Speaking during the Republican Party of Florida’s Victory Dinner fundraiser earlier this month, DeSantis individually named each member of the Florida Cabinet and Congress who have opposed the measure, highlighting lawmakers who have made financial contributions.

    The only Republicans he did not mention in that speech were Laurel Lee, Anna Paulina Luna, Bill Posey, and Brian Mast (who had released a statement saying that he opposed the measure a few days before).

    Posey is not running for re-election, but the reluctance of Luna and Lee to speak publicly has become campaign fodder for their Democratic opponents.

    “Luna is dodging questions on the FL abortion amendment, even from her own supporters,” Democrat Whitney Fox, who is running against Luna in Florida’s Congressional District 13 race, wrote last week on X. “She’s willing to force her extreme beliefs on you but is too afraid to answer honestly when challenged. There’s only one word for that: cowardice.”

    Dripping hints

    Luna hinted that she would vote against the measure when speaking to this reporter during a radio interview last month but refused to take a public stance.

    “What I will tell you is that I am personally very pro-life and I’m not ever going to change that position,” Luna said on WMNF 88.5 FM in Tampa on Aug. 2.

    “I think that as a federal legislator, that it would be wrong for me to tell the states what to do on these topics because that’s not what our founding fathers anticipated, so what I will tell people is to vote your conscience. I think you know how I will probably be voting on that, but again, that’s not my decision, that’s up for the people to decide.”

    “Here’s the thing,” DeSantis said to Roach on Monday.

    “What I have found is that you can’t expect politicians by and large to do the right thing for the right reason. Sometimes they’ll do the right thing because their feet are held to the fire, they fear the political consequences or whatever, but I think the people that are just willing to get out there, stand up for what’s right, do what’s right, because it is right, you know, those are few and far between, unfortunately.”

    First Lady Casey DeSantis on Friday reposted a comment on X by a man who had linked to a POLITICO post quoting Luna saying that it was a states’ rights issue.

    “The clear answer to whether FL should enact a constitutional amendment that allows abortions until birth, removes doctors from the process, and takes away parental consent for minors — which Amendment 4 would do — is: No,” Mrs. DeSantis wrote.

    The proposed “Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion’s ballot summary reads: “No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider. This amendment does not change the Legislature’s constitutional authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion.”

    Campaign issue

    Lee, who is running for re-election in Florida’s 15th Congressional District, which includes parts of Hillsborough, Polk, and Pasco counties, has also been silent on the issue, notes Pat Kemp, her Democratic opponent.

    Lee did applaud the overturning of the Roe decision, saying she supported the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling to let the states decide. But she has been silent about Florida’s recently enacted six-week abortion ban, declining to comment when asked where she stands on the law when asked by the Tampa Bay Times about the matter in April.

    Several polls have shown the measure getting more than 60% required for passage, but the last major survey from Emerson College showed the measure falling short by getting 55% of the vote.

    Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Diane Rado for questions: [email protected]. Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and Twitter.

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    Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix

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  • Another lawsuit challenges Florida Gov. DeSantis’ anti-abortion amendment website

    Another lawsuit challenges Florida Gov. DeSantis’ anti-abortion amendment website

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    Photo by Matt Keller Lehman

    A political committee leading efforts to pass a constitutional amendment on abortion rights filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging that the state Agency for Health Care Administration is using a website and ads to spread “misinformation” about the November ballot measure.

    The lawsuit, filed in Leon County circuit court by attorneys for the Floridians Protecting Freedom committee, seeks a temporary injunction to prevent the agency from continuing to disseminate the information online and through television and radio ads.

    “In educating the electorate about the purpose and ramifications of a proposed constitutional amendment, the government cannot do so in a manner that is inaccurate, misleading, abusive, or fraudulent,” the lawsuit said. “AHCA’s actions regarding Amendment 4 (the abortion rights amendment) … have been inaccurate, misleading, abusive and fraudulent.”

    The lawsuit alleges that the agency has violated Floridians Protecting Freedom’s right to propose constitutional amendments and that state law prevents officials from participating in political advocacy.

    “Under the guise of providing ‘facts’ to the public, the website contains harmful statements that are fundamentally misleading at best, if not outright false,” the lawsuit said. “It includes multiple statements that lead only to the conclusion that AHCA is using its official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with an election, or to influence votes and affect the result of the decision on Amendment 4.”

    But Gov. Ron DeSantis this week defended the agency’s information, describing it as “above board” and likening it to public-service announcements by other government agencies.

    “You know, we have resources to do public-service announcements across a wide variety of fronts. That goes to the Department of Transportation, for example, on safe driving,” DeSantis said Monday during an appearance in Miami Lakes. “It’s being used by the AHCA agency to basically provide people with accurate information. And I think that that’s something that’s really important, because, quite frankly, a lot of people don’t usually get that in the normal (information) bloodstream. So, everything that’s put out is factual. It’s not electioneering.”

    DeSantis is helping lead efforts to defeat the proposed constitutional amendment, which comes after the Legislature last year passed a law to prevent abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. In part, the proposed amendment says, no ”law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.”

    The website targeted in the lawsuit includes statements such as, “Current Florida Law Protects Women, Amendment 4 Threatens Women’s Safety.”

    Also, for example, it takes issue with wording of the amendment, such as the use of the term “healthcare provider,” which it contends “could include a wide range of professionals connected to healthcare which might differ from the current requirement that these important decisions be made only by a physician.”

    “Here’s the truth: The Florida Legislature will lose the ability to protect basic, common-sense health care regulations due to these open-ended and arbitrary terms,” the website says.

    But the lawsuit disputed such arguments and quoted a decision by the Florida Supreme Court that signed off on the ballot proposal’s wording.

    “The Florida Supreme Court rejected the claim that Amendment 4 was deceptive or misleading, finding that ‘the ballot title and summary fairly inform voters, in clear and unambiguous language, of the chief purpose of the amendment and they are not misleading,’” wrote attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and Southern Legal Counsel, who are representing Floridians Protecting Freedom.

    An emergency motion for a temporary injunction filed with the lawsuit alleged that the state has “unlawfully weaponized taxpayer resources” to oppose the amendment.

    “Through this website, AHCA disparages Amendment 4 and Floridians Protecting Freedom as its sponsor, alleging fearmongering and lying,” the motion said. “AHCA presents voters with false information about Amendment 4 and current law and creates a sense of urgency that ‘Current Law Protects Women. Amendment 4 Threatens Women’s Safety,’ that Amendment 4 will ‘lead to unregulated and unsafe abortions,’ and ‘We must keep Florida from becoming an abortion tourism destination state.’ Voters can only be left with the impression that this state agency is advising them to vote no on Amendment 4.”

    But in an email Monday, the agency’s communications office said AHCA was providing facts and information to Floridians.

    “Part of the agency’s mission is to provide information and transparency to Floridians on the quality of care they receive,” the email said. “Our new transparency page serves to educate Floridians on the state’s current abortion laws and provide information on a proposed policy change that would impact care across the state.”

    The lawsuit came two days after Palm Beach County attorney Adam Richardson filed a case at the Florida Supreme Court about the agency information. Richardson asked the Supreme Court to issue what is known as a writ of quo warranto to Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Jason Weida, DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody “forbidding them from misusing or abusing their offices to interfere with the election for Amendment 4, and to unravel whatever actions they have already taken to do so.”

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    Jim Saunders, News Service of Florida

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  • Florida defends decision to send election police to question those who signed abortion ballot petition

    Florida defends decision to send election police to question those who signed abortion ballot petition

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    Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd on Wednesday defended a statewide investigation into potentially fraudulent signatures used on petitions to help put an abortion rights state constitutional amendment on the November ballot.

    Testifying as one of six election officials in a hearing held by the House Administration Committee in Washington, Byrd was asked by Hillsborough County Republican U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee to explain why it was harmful to both the public and the elections process if fraud takes place during the petition-gathering process.

    “Those initiative petitions change or have the potential to change our state constitution,” he told Lee, whom Byrd succeeded as Florida’s Secretary of State after being appointed by DeSantis in May 2022.

    “If they pass, they enshrine it in state law. There are organizations and businesses that send people out of state into the states, pay them to gather signatures. We have victims of felony identity theft. They have come and reported that to us that their signature has been put — their identity has been stolen, their signature has been placed on a signature petition.

    “We have a duty and obligation to investigate and provide relief to those victims, but also most of the reports of election fraud in Florida are reported by the county election officials. It is happening and it is our duty under the law to investigate.”

    The Tampa Bay Times reported last week that the Department of State has asked supervisors of elections in at least six counties to collect approximately 36,000 signatures for the state to review. There have also been reports of state police showing up at voters’ homes to question them about whether they signed the petition to put Amendment 4 on the ballot.

    The Times reported that signatures involved in the probe have been validated by county election supervisors and that the deadline to challenge the validity of signatures has already passed.

    If approved, the measure would enshrine abortion rights into the Florida Constitution, but it is bitterly opposed by DeSantis and the Republican Party of Florida. A state agency has posted at taxpayer expense a website attacking the amendment, drawing a lawsuit alleging election interference.

    Election police

    Lee, who served as Florida’s Secretary of State from 2019 to 2022, also asked Byrd about the state’s Office of Election Crimes and Security, a state police force created in 2022 to ferret out voter fraud.

    “I think it’s really important to note that people think when they think of election fraud they think of the presidential race,” Byrd said.

    “Election fraud includes campaign finance violations, voter registration fraud, initiative petition fraud, candidate qualifying fraud. We investigate all of those, and for all of the people who say that there is no evidence of non-citizens voting, come to Florida, we have the evidence, because my office is required to report it to the governor and the Legislature every year.”

    Lee asked a series of leading questions to Byrd in an attempt to debunk some conspiracy theories raised by “voting integrity” activists in Florida.

    “While voting is going on during elections, or those voting systems ever connected to the internet?” she asked. Byrd said they were not connected to the internet, causing her to follow-up.

    “In other words, Secretary Byrd, is it possible to hack a voting system during an election?”

    “No, it is not,” he replied.

    In addition to Byrd, the secretaries of state from Ohio, Arizona, Michigan, West Virginia, and New Mexico participated in the hearing.

    Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Diane Rado for questions: [email protected]. Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and Twitter.

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    Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix

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  • Scientologist megadonor gives $1 million to DeSantis PAC fighting Florida abortion, marijuana amendments

    Scientologist megadonor gives $1 million to DeSantis PAC fighting Florida abortion, marijuana amendments

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    Photo via Ron DeSantis/Twitter

    A political committee linked to Gov. Ron DeSantis raised more than $1.11 million from Aug. 24 to 30, and the bulk of it came from one local Scientologist megadonor.

    The Florida Freedom Fund, a committee chaired by DeSantis’ chief of staff, James Uthmeier, raised $1,115,025 during the period and had almost $3.49 million on hand as of Aug. 30, a report posted on the state Division of Elections website shows.

    Most of the money received during the period came in a $1 million contribution from Belleair Shores resident Trish Duggan, who is also the “world’s top donor to Church of Scientology,” reports the Tampa Bay Times.

    The Times also reports that she and her now ex-husband, billionaire venture capitalist Bob Duggan, have donated more than $360 million to Scientology.

    Trish Duggan, a major donor to Donald Trump, was notably a primary financier behind the church’s wave of secretive land purchases in downtown Clearwater, which began in 2017.

    The Florida Freedom Fund was launched last May, and aims to stop a pair of ballot initiatives that would allow recreational use of marijuana (Amendment 3) and write abortion rights into the state Constitution (Amendment 4).

    Earlier this week, Republican presidential nominee Trump came out in support of Florida’s recreational pot amendment, and claims he will be voting for Amendment 3 this November.

    “As President, we will continue to focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug, and work with Congress to pass common sense laws, including safe banking for state authorized companies, and supporting states rights to pass marijuana laws, like in Florida, that work so well for their citizens,” wrote Trump on Truth Social Sunday night.

    However, the former president’s opinions on abortion are a lot less clear. Trump has previously stated that the six-week abortion ban, currently in place in states like Florida, is too harsh, but has since walked that back.

    This story first appeared in our sister publication Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.

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    Colin Wolf

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  • DeSantis urges Legislature to address problems facing Florida condo residents

    DeSantis urges Legislature to address problems facing Florida condo residents

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    Image via Gov. Ron DeSantis/X

    Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday that lawmakers should act before the 2025 regular legislative session to address problems facing condominium associations and owners, including soaring costs.

    Suggesting no-interest or low-interest loans to help condo owners being hit with large assessments for such things as repairs, DeSantis said lawmakers before the end of this year can tweak laws passed after the 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium building in Surfside that killed 98 people.

    The 2025 regular session will start March 4.

    “We do need to do something this year,” DeSantis said during an appearance at the Roberto Alonso Community Center in Miami Lakes. “I don’t think this is something that you can just put off until next March or April.”

    Lawmakers aren’t expected to return to Tallahassee until after the November election, but DeSantis said they need to talk with constituents and develop ideas that can be implemented quickly.

    “Let’s just be nimble with this. Let’s listen to people,” DeSantis said. “Let’s make sure they’re able to stay in their home.”

    Lawmakers will start holding committee meetings in December in advance of the 2025 session. House committees will meet during the week of Dec. 2 to Dec. 6, while Senate committees will meet during the week of Dec. 9 to Dec. 13.

    Both chambers will hold meetings during the weeks of Jan. 13 to Jan. 17; Jan. 21 to Jan. 24; Feb. 3 to Feb. 7; Feb. 10 to Feb. 14; and Feb. 17 to Feb. 21.

    Lawmakers during a 2022 special session passed a measure aimed at requiring condominium associations to have adequate financial reserves to pay for needed repairs to buildings. Also, the bill set requirements for inspections of condominium buildings that are three stories or higher.

    Any “substantial structural deterioration” found by engineers or architects would require more-detailed inspections. Association boards were also required to have “structural integrity reserve” studies to determine how much money should be set aside.

    The law, which was signed by DeSantis, was tweaked in 2023, and the Legislature this year passed a measure that targeted wrongdoing by members of association boards.

    In addition to the requirements passed by lawmakers, many condo associations are facing soaring property-insurance costs.

    Rep. Tom Fabricio, R-Miami Lakes, called the threat of condo owners being priced out of their homes “probably the most important issue in the state of Florida at this time.”

    Fabricio, appearing at Monday’s event with DeSantis, said one problem is many condo boards have overly deferred maintenance and now have to impose “excessive” assessments to meet needed costs and reserves.

    Fabricio added that the assessments also create issues for people, including seniors on fixed incomes, who are trying to sell their units.

    “Unfortunately, what they’re seeing is that it’s not that easy to sell, because when you try to sell that unit, and you do your seller’s disclosure, you have to disclose these assessments and the repairs that are required,” Fabricio said. “So, that’s causing issues with the market throughout. So, it’s causing a problem for these seniors.”

    On Aug. 16, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, ruled out a special legislative session before the November election to address condo issues.

    In a memorandum to senators, Passidomo said condo laws can be addressed during committee meetings after the elections and during the 2025 regular session. She pointed to what she described as “misconceptions and inaccuracies” about condo laws passed the past several years.

    “In my view, no law is perfect. Sometimes issues arise during implementation, and there is often room for improvement,” Passidomo wrote in the memo. “However, the legislative process best serves Floridians when there is analysis, collaboration, and input from all stakeholders. I believe the upcoming committee weeks and regular session following our post-election reorganization provide the best opportunity for this type of dialogue.”

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    Jim Turner, the News Service of Florida

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