Florida
Last Call for 1.31.24 — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
A bill that would ban alternative cannabinoids and cap the amount of THC in hemp products is headed to the Senate floor.
Sen. Colleen Burton’s bill (SB 1698) targets substances that produce the same “high” as delta-9 THC, the euphoria-inducing compound commodified by the state’s medical marijuana program.
Ahead of a 17-2 vote, more than one lawmaker on the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee shared their experiences with over-the-counter hemp products — Sen. Corey Simon, a Tallahassee Republican, said he took a hemp product with delta-8 to help him sleep but ended up in the emergency room.
In the House, Republican Rep. Ryan Chamberlin pitched a bill (HB 1371) that would examine abolishing property taxes in Florida. He’s not the first lawmaker to float the idea, and similar plans have failed to gain traction over the decades.
The freshman lawmaker from Belleview said now “it’s time” to try again, equating revenue stream to a tax on unrealized gains and even “slavery” since homeowners must fork over cash every year to keep their homes, even if their mortgage is paid free and clear.
“Think about it. If the IRS started charging us a tax not just on your income but what they thought we could have earned, we would have riots in the streets,” he said. “Yet we get a property tax increase every year on most of our properties in Florida not based on any realized gain in our bank account but based on what the gain could be if we decided to sell it.”
Though Democrats expressed concern on how abolishment could impact local governments, Republicans on the panel embraced the idea and intimated it has support from House Speaker Paul Renner and Speaker-designate Daniel Perez.
The House also moved forward with a plan that would boost pay for the Governor and members of the Cabinet.
The plan, which was introduced with unanimous support from the House Appropriations Committee, would increase statewide elected officials’ salaries to match the pay of Florida Supreme Court justices, who make $251,414 a year. That amounts to a $110,014 pay increase, however, it would not go into effect until 2027 — after Gov. Ron DeSantis and current Cabinet officials term out of office.
Bill Day’s Latest
Evening Reads
—“‘Traitor’: After bitter primary, Ron DeSantis may struggle to win over Trump supporters if he runs again” via Jill Colvin of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
—“Recruited to play sports, and win a culture war” via Susan Dominus of The New York Times
—”Donald Trump to lose 53% of swing-state voters if convicted of a crime” via Jordan Fabian and Gregory Korte of Bloomberg
—”Federal judge dismisses Disney lawsuit against DeSantis” via Skyler Swisher of the Orlando Sentinel
—”The broken promises of the NFL concussion settlement” via Will Hobson of The Washington Post
—“Florida child labor bills: Women farmworkers worry about kids working longer hours in fields” via Jackie Llanos of the Florida Phoenix
—“A trove of ‘lost Basquiats’ led to a splashy exhibition. Then the FBI showed up.” via Bianca Bosker of The Atlantic
—”We can still make a good economy much better” via Oshan Jarow of Vox
Quote of the Day
“When I used to smoke marijuana, one joint maybe had about 10 milligrams (of THC). As I’m listening and been researching this hemp thing, it would be like me smoking 100 joints.”
— Sen. Rosalind Osgood, who would go on to describe herself as a “former professional marijuana smoker” currently in “recovery.”
Put It on the Tab
Look to your left, then look to your right. If you see one of these people at your happy hour haunt, flag down the bartender and put one of these on your tab. Recipes included, just in case the Cocktail Codex fell into the well.
House Budget Chief Tom Leek is warning that the days of state coffers overflowing with pandemic cash are over and that the next budget will be “austere.” Maybe you can shave a few bucks off your bar bill by ordering him something plain, such as a whiskey-water.
Whatever you do, don’t order members of the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee a CBD-infused Hop Water — they’ll stick to regular booze; thank you very much.
Deliver a round of Sidecars to the tiny home down the street; just double-check that it’s under 400 square feet before you hand them off.
Breakthrough Insights
Tune In
The Florida Gators shoot for a fourth straight win when they travel to Rupp Arena to face 10th-ranked Kentucky tonight (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).
The Gators (14-6;4-3 in SEC) and Wildcats opened SEC play on Jan. 6 in Gainesville with a two-point Kentucky win. Florida has lost five straight games in the series and has won just one of the last 10 against the Wildcats (15-4; 5-2).
A Florida win could pull the Gators to within a game of the top spot in the SEC standings.
Florida’s leading scorer, Walter Clayton Jr. scored 23 points against Kentucky in the first meeting between the two teams. He has played well on the road, averaging nearly 18 points per game as a visitor.
Florida has been one of the top-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 85.4 points per game. Only 10 Division I teams are scoring more per contest than the Gators. One of those teams is Kentucky (88.5 points per game). One statistical area the Gators could exploit is rebounding. Kentucky ranks 102nd in the nation in rebounding. Florida is the fifth-best rebounding team.
Getting over the hurdle and beating Kentucky has been a challenge for Florida for most of the last decade. A win in Lexington would be a huge emotional boost in addition to being a substantial win in the standings.
Also tonight:
6:30 p.m. — NCAAW: Florida Gulf Coast Eagles @ Bellarmine Knights
7 p.m. — NCAAW: Florida Atlantic Owls @ UAB Blazers
7 p.m. — NCAAW: Stetson Hatters @ Eastern Kentucky Colonels
7 p.m. — NCAAM: South Florida Bulls @ East Carolina Pirates
7 p.m. — NCAAM: Lipscomb Bisons @ North Florida Ospreys
7 p.m. — NCAAM: Austin Peay Governors @ JU Dolphins
7 p.m. — NCAAM: Baylor Bears @ UCF Knights
7:30 p.m. — Sacramento Kings @ Miami Heat
8 p.m. — Orlando Magic @ San Antonio Spurs
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Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson, with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.
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ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A former Florida juvenile probation officer is facing more than 100 felony charges after investigators said she leaked confidential court and law enforcement information to people tied to a drug trafficking investigation.
Crystal Gaynell Ann Lawson was booked into the Orange County Jail on Thursday, according to Orange County Corrections records.
Investigators said Lawson improperly accessed the Comprehensive Case Information System, or CCIS, more than 100 times and shared information from active criminal cases with members of a drug trafficking organization.
FOX 35 Orlando reported Lawson was arrested on 113 felony counts of computer crimes for unauthorized access. Investigators said she allegedly accessed the database 106 times between January and May.
Lawson is accused of using the database to search for active criminal cases tied to members of the organization. Authorities said some of the information that was leaked included arrest warrants and documents connected to an active investigation.
Lawson was hired by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice in February 2022. As part of that job, she was given access to the CCIS database. Authorities said she was fired later that year after an arrest, but her database access was not terminated.
See also: ‘Elf,’ ‘Couples Retreat’ actor jailed with no bond after Florida arrest
Investigators said the leaks resulted in lost evidence, unrecovered assets and at least one person fleeing to avoid arrest before later being taken into custody.
Lawson previously worked for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, where she had access to the court information system as part of her job. Authorities said she was later fired, but her database access was not terminated.
Orange County Corrections records list Lawson’s case status as “presentenced” and show multiple entries for “offense against computer users.”
The records list the arresting agency as the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and show bond amounts of $10,000 on several listed case sequences. The jail record also notes an “ICJIS Affidavit.”
ORLANDO, Fla. – Strong thunderstorms continue to push across Central Florida Thursday evening, with a few storms capable of producing gusty winds, frequent lightning, torrential rainfall and isolated damage before activity gradually winds down later tonight.
The strongest storms are expected through about 10 p.m., with most of the activity weakening and moving offshore by around 11 p.m. Storms are being fueled by sea breeze collisions and abundant moisture across the state. In addition to strong wind gusts, torrential downpours could lead to ponding of water on roads and minor flooding in low-lying and poor-drainage areas.
While storms remain the immediate concern this evening, another round of impactful weather is expected Friday.
The News 6 Weather Team has designated Friday as a Weather Aware Day due to the combination of dangerous heat and the threat for strong to severe thunderstorms.
Before storms develop, temperatures will climb into the low to mid-90s Friday afternoon. Combined with high humidity, it will feel more like 102 to 107 degrees across much of Central Florida. Some locations could once again approach or exceed Heat Advisory criteria.
Scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop during the afternoon and evening hours. The atmosphere will be loaded with tropical moisture, allowing storms to produce frequent lightning, damaging wind gusts, and torrential rainfall.
The Storm Prediction Center has placed all of Central Florida under a Level 1 out of 5 risk for severe weather Friday. While widespread severe weather is not expected, a few storms could become strong enough to produce damaging winds.
In addition, the Weather Prediction Center has highlighted portions of Central Florida for a Level 1 out of 4 risk of excessive rainfall. Any storm will be capable of producing very heavy rain in a short amount of time, which could lead to localized flooding.
The unsettled pattern continues into the weekend. Storm coverage is expected to increase Saturday, and some locations could see multiple rounds of heavy rain. While a few stronger storms remain possible, the flooding threat may become a greater concern by Saturday afternoon and evening.
Looking ahead to next week, rain chances are expected to gradually decrease, but the heat is not going anywhere. High temperatures will remain in the low to mid-90s, with heat index values frequently climbing above 100 degrees. Forecast guidance suggests a higher heat risk could develop once again across Central Florida as we head deeper into next week.
At the beaches, a moderate risk of rip currents continues. Make sure you swim near a lifeguard if you’re heading to the beach.
Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA)— A Florida mental health counselor walked into a surprising number of bats inside her office last week.
“We had about 50 bats. In the toilet, in the sink. All over,” Shaltala Boss, a licensed mental health counselor, said.
Boss has since moved her office due to maternity season, when it is illegal to exclude or remove bats from April 16 to August 14, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
“Any form of eviction during this time period will result in baby bats being trapped along with adult bats that may not have emerged. Trapped bats will attempt to escape and may end up in the living space of buildings,” FWC said.
Video provided by Boss showed a bat lying on the ground.
“You definitely didn’t want to come to counseling that day,” Boss said.
Boss has since moved to another location and said it is bat-free.
“Most bats will avoid humans at all costs and use natural roosting structures for shelter during the day. However, bats sometimes find their way into our homes and structures, which can present a health hazard,” FWC said.
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