Parents have long fretted about school’s ability to circumvent parental decisions when it comes to children’s critical health care matters. Now those loopholes are getting smaller after the Florida Legislature approved provisions requiring parents to be notified before their child is sent for an involuntary psychiatric exam. More on that from Lynn Hatter.
The G-O-P-backed ban on transgender students playing women and girls’ school sports is awaiting Governor Ron DeSantis’s signature. Democrats and LGBTQ advocates say the move could result in lawsuits. More from Robbie Gaffney.
This week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed his state’s hotly debated elections bill into law. Big chunks of that legislation are similar to what was signed into law earlier this year in Georgia. Blaise Gainey sat down with a journalistic colleague from the Peach State for a comparison.
For years, Democrats have not fared as well as Republicans in Florida. The GOP has long held trifecta control in the state, with the party’s members controlling both legislative chambers and the governor’s office for a straight decade. One one Democrat currently holds a statewide elected office. Valerie Crowder reports, the party is working on a strategy to get more candidates elected and more of its priorities passed in the state legislature after an election cycle that dashed Democratic hopes for gains.
A special lawmaking session to approve a new gambling agreement between the State of Florida and the Seminole Indian Tribe is scheduled to start a week from Monday (May 17.) Regan McCarthy reports the move could open the door for more money for the state, but it also opens the door for potential lawsuits.