This month the State Board of Education released a plan setting different goals for student achievement based on race and ethnicity. The move has been condemned by some education advocates who say it’s discriminatory and perpetuates stereotypes that some racial and ethnic groups are academically inferior. Others, applaud the goals, and say they’re a needed recognition of the achievement gap that exists and puts Florida on a path to closing it faster. Lynn Hatter has more.
The committee charged with reviewing the state’s stand-your-ground laws met at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville this week. The Task Force on Citizen Safety and Protection was created by Governor Scott in the wake of the shooting death of 17-year old Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman who’s using stand-your-ground as his defense. As WJCT’s Cyd Hoskinson reports, the 19-member panel chaired by Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll heard testimony from 3-gun rights groups…
Florida’s unemployment rate edged down in September by the smallest of margins. Tom Flanigan reports, despite the modest drop, state officials say it’s a sign that Governor Scott’s drive to create private sector jobs is really working…
With about 11 constitutional amendments on the November ballot, we’re continuing our series by exploring one of the most talked about amendments: Amendment 6. It essentially would prohibit the use of taxpayer dollars for abortions, except in certain cases, and there are several campaigns for both sides of the issue. As Sascha Cordner reports, while some say a vote “yes” would allow politicians to interfere with a women’s right to choose, others say a vote “no” would block future attempts to allow parents to have a say if their child wants an abortion.
Climate change is changing the way local Florida governments are planning for the future. And with the final presidential debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney coming up on Monday in Boca Raton [Ruh-TONE], Jessica Palombo reports, local Florida leaders and scientists are asking the next U.S. president to keep climate change on the national agenda as well.