Across the US, teachers are quitting. This year more than a third of K-12 teachers who responded to a Merrimack College Teacher Survey say they’re planning to quit within the next two years. While the reasons given range from pay to safety, in Florida, for some it’s concerns over anti-LGBTQ laws. WMFE’s Danielle Prieur has more.
Florida is one of the only states where the right to join a labor union is in the state constitution. But a new law has sent public sector unions into a panic, as WLRN’s Danny Rivero reports.
It’s been about a year since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade—turning decisions about abortion access over to individual states. In that time, Florida has enacted a law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks, passed a 6-week ban that remains pending, and prepared to challenge a privacy clause in the state constitution that has, in the past, been found to protect abortion rights. Now, advocates are working to put language in the state constitution that explicitly protects those rights. Regan McCarthy spoke to some of the women behind that movement.
The day before a bill tightening restrictions on immigrants goes into effect in Florida, about 60 opponents marched to the state capital. As Margie Menzel reports, they came from all over the state and from as far away as California.
Bipartisan legislation was rare during this year’s Florida lawmaking session. But Adrian Andrews tells us the topic of medical marijuana made for some rare cum-bye-yah among legislators.
Florida’s LGBTQ plus community is facing greater uncertainty than they have in years, due to growing backlash and new laws that place restrictions on gender identity, sexual orientation discussions in schools, and attempts to restrict certain healthcare services. Still, people are finding ways to persevere, live and thrive. Last year, StoryCorps paid a visit to Tallahassee, and hosted a series of sessions allowing local residents to tell their stories. One of those conversations is between former journalist and Reverend Susan Gage, and her longtime friend Terry Galloway, who share their perspectives on identity, community, acceptance and religion.