From merch to donor checks: How Uthmeier campaign benefitted from Alligator Alcatraz
Fans can buy $30 t-shirts, $27 baseball hats, and an $8 set of bumper stickers to advertise their support for the attorney general and the makeshift facility he’s credited with coming up with the idea for.
ENVIRONMENT
Unleashed by Florida lawmakers, landowners move to convert farms into subdivisions
State Rep. Adam Botana pf Bonita Springs told The Trib he sponsored the law because ‘sometimes certain municipalities and counties get a little big for their britches, and they need to be either restricted or cut back.’
Watchdogs warn Amendment 3 may cut funding for flood control and drinking water
The measure would cut funding for Florida’s five water management districts, which are responsible for stopping floods, securing the drinking water supply, preventing toxic algae blooms and overseeing millions of acres of public land. About 30% of the districts’ budgets, on average, come from property taxes.
Florida sets new course for controversial herbicide program behind closed doors
Florida’s herbicide spraying has sparked public backlash and promises to reform the way the state manages invasive aquatic plants. But state officials are starting to form that strategy in secret.
Criminal Justice
How state officials fought for months to keep a lid on Hope Florida report
This week, a higher court issued a damning rebuke of the grand jury and its report, which the court found was ‘careless in its grammar, mistaken in its law, and unfaithful to its own record.’
Update: Gov. DeSantis drops death warrant for man deemed mentally unfit
After a doctor said William Lee Thompson was mentally unwell, the governor appointed a panel to help decide whether Thompson should be executed. Before its findings were released, DeSantis called off the execution.
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office failed to produce records in Death Row case, judge writes
Three decades after a Jacksonville man was sentenced to die for killing a teenage drug dealer, the Jacksonville police and prosecutors are facing increasing pressure to produce documents that could undermine the credibility of their key witnesses – and potentially blow up the case.
EDUCATION
School tax proposals will share ballot with Amendment 3, prompting fears about voter confusion
As state lawmakers push to cut property taxes through Amendment 3, over 40% of Florida’s public school districts will also have their own property tax before voters on the ballot.
Public school districts will still face financial pressure if Amendment 3 passes
School districts will experience an indirect financial squeeze because programs like summer camps are often funded by agencies that would be affected if voters approve the amendment.
DeSantis exercises ‘unprecedented’ power to label groups ‘domestic terrorists’
Gov. DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet voted to advance the terrorist designations Tuesday, approving the proposal in just over 30 seconds and with no discussion.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Recently released from prison, Aaron Zahn could be entitled to damages from JEA, arbitrator rules
The arbitrator, Leslie W. Langbein of Miami Lakes, issued a 36-page decision that does not once mention Zahn’s convictions, which followed a years-long federal grand jury investigation.
Ex-JEA CEO Aaron Zahn released from prison 20 months after reporting for 4-year sentence
Aaron Zahn was found guilty of charges connected to his contentious push to sell Northeast Florida’s public utility to enrich himself and his top executives.
Is Jacksonville prepared for the $200 million shortfall if Amendment 3 passes? Short answer, no.
So far, the Finance Committee has cut $30 million, most of which likely won’t amount to actual savings and falls millions short of next year’s potential revenue shortfall.
STATE GOVERNMENT
How Hope Florida quietly hollowed out Florida’s safety net
Florida has left mentally-ill defendants in jail for months past legal limits, lawsuit says
Trio of powerful DeSantis appointments will face voters for the first time
‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detainees were held in cages the size of a phone booth
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