There’s “a new sheriff in town: declared Governor Ron DeSantis this week as he and House Speaker Paul Renner fielded questions about a bill stripping Disney of it self-governing status. As W-Q-C-S’ Kevin Kerrigan reports, the measure would effectively give the governor control over the former Reedy Creek Improvement District near Orlando.
Some advocates for looser gun laws in Florida say Gov. Ron DeSantis promised them a far broader expansion of permit-less carry than what’s currently proposed. They want open carry to become law. But the so-called constitutional carry measure would only lift permitting requirements for concealed carry. And as Valerie Crowder tells us, that disappointment was on display this week in one of the few hearings on the bill.
After a new state elections police force arrested about 20 previously incarcerated people on charges of voter fraud, several of those cases were thrown out. Lawyers argued their clients only voted in one place--meaning charges brought by a statewide prosecutor didn’t apply. But as Regan McCarthy reports a bill from the special session could soon change that.
Florida was once a leader in allowing college athletes to get paid. Now the state will lift some of those early restrictions to make the state’s collegiate sports programs more competitive. As Lynn Hatter reports, the measure cleared the state senate earlier today.
After a huge outcry, the Florida High School Athletics Association removed all questions about student athletes’ menstrual cycles from its physical examination form at an emergency meeting Thursday morning. That actually makes Florida one of the only states in the country that does not ask student athletes questions about their periods. The association also revoked its requirement that students turn their entire forms in to schools. The whole controversy began last month when a committee made up of doctors and athletic trainers said the questions SHOULD be mandatory — prompting broad pushback, including from state lawmakers. Kati Kokal [KAY-tee KOH-kull] covers education for the Palm Beach Post — and her reporting has been driving this debate. WLRN's Sherrilyn Cabrera spoke with her about how we got here and why it matters.
Across Florida anti-Semetic sentiments have been projected onto buildings, hung from an overpass, tossed into yards in the night. As Margie Menzel reports, a bill before the Legislature would toughen the penalties for some of this.
A record high number of Americans are putting off medical care because of costs, according to a recent Gallup Poll. It comes as inflation and rising rent make it harder for people to make ends meet. Health News Florida's Stephanie Colombini talked with residents feeling the crunch and advocates working to expand access to care.