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Bills signed
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed bills on Wed. that will expand his migrant relocation program and enhance the prosecutorial power of his election police unit. Republican lawmakers in the GOP-dominated Legislature voted to approve the bills during a special session last week. One of the new laws creates a dedicated program in the governor’s office for migrant relocations and specifies that the state can transport migrants located anywhere in the country.
The other bill he signed clarifies that the statewide prosecutor has the authority to prosecute election crimes in federal and state races, a move aimed at strengthening DeSantis’ election police unit. Since its creation, some of the voter fraud cases tied to the unit have been dismissed by judges who said the statewide prosecutor did not have jurisdiction to bring charges.
Hillsborough tax funds
The Hillsborough County Commission has approved a final plan regarding millions of dollars in defunct transportation tax funds. The $570 million collected has been frozen for two years after the state Supreme Court ruled the voter-approved sales tax unconstitutional in February of 2021.
On Wednesday commissioners voted to spend $424 million on transportation needs. That would include repaving roads, sidewalk repairs, bridge repair and replacement and intersection safety. However, the county commission does not have the final say in how the funds will be spent. The state legislature must approve the plan. And Governor DeSantis has indicated he wants the funds to be returned to taxpayers.
Sex-trafficking probe of Matt Gaetz dropped
The Justice Department formally dropped its sex-trafficking probe of Rep. Matt Gaetz without charges on Wed. The North Florida Republican has been under investigation for over 2 years for allegedly having sexual relations with a 17-year-old girl and paying for her to travel with him.
The Gaetz probe was launched after the arrest of a family friend, former Florida tax collector, Joel Greenberg, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison for sex trafficking of a minor and other offenses. Investigators in the Gaetz case had warned the Justice Department in the fall that two key witnesses were unreliable.
Faith leaders support AP African-American studies
Hundreds of pastors and faith leaders from across the state gathered in Tallahassee Wednesday to protest against Gov. Ron DeSantis’ move to block the new AP African-American studies course. The “Rally to Save our History,’’ was led by Rev. Al Sharpton of the National Action Network.
Andy Oliver, head pastor at Allendale United Methodist Church in St. Petersburg, joined the group saying, “My two boys are both in public school. It is important to me that they have the opportunity to take an AP African American studies class so that they can know the mistakes of our past and do better moving forward….”
State workers unions
Union members negotiating on behalf of Florida’s state employees tentatively agreed Wednesday to a proposal from state management, which includes a 5% wage increase for all state workers, plus additional 10 percent wage increases for so-called “hard-to-hire” positions.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees represents more than 40,000 state workers employed in hundreds of different positions across Florida.
The union’s bargaining unit members will now vote to ratify the agreement before it goes before state lawmakers to be formally approved during next month’s legislative session.
Expect a sharp rise in uninsured children and families in Florida
Federal pandemic health emergency protections are set to expire starting in April. Trimmel Gomes reports, that has child advocates concerned that the program that has kept Florida’s uninsured children stable will result in a sharp rise in children and families becoming uninsured.
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