Florida
As Minnesota reels from shooting, Florida poised to make lawmakers’ addresses secret
TALLAHASSEE — As Minnesota reels from the murder of one state lawmaker and the shooting of another, Florida could shield from public disclosure the home addresses of legislators, other elected officials and their family members.
Florida lawmakers in April overwhelmingly passed a bill to create a public records exemption that would prevent the release of home addresses and telephone numbers of legislators and members of Congress. Also, the exemption would apply to the governor, lieutenant governor, state Cabinet members, county commissioners, property appraisers, elections supervisors, school superintendents, school board members, mayors and city commissioners.
The bill, which needs Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signature to become law, drew relatively little attention during this year’s legislative session.
But lawmakers said they have been threatened and harassed and have had people show up at their homes.
“All of us here are public servants,” House bill sponsor Susan Valdes, R-Tampa, said April 29, shortly before the House voted to give final approval to the measure. “We deserve to be protected. Our families deserve to be protected.”
Rep. Michele Rayner, D-St. Petersburg, said safety is “paramount.”
“A lot of us deal with this, we kind of deal with this in silence,” she said.
The issue of lawmaker safety has drawn national attention after a gunman murdered former Minnesota Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband early Saturday at their home and shot Democratic Sen. John Hoffman and his wife at their home. The Associated Press reported Monday morning that suspected gunman Vance Boelter had been arrested after a manhunt.
Florida law already provides public records exemptions for home addresses and telephone numbers for a variety of people such as law enforcement officers, judges, prosecutors, public defenders and tax collectors. The exemptions also generally apply to those officials’ spouses and children.
But the new bill would go much further in applying exemptions to elected officials and their family members. It passed the House in a 113-2 vote, after getting approved by the Senate in a 34-2 vote.
The bill, however, drew opposition from the First Amendment Foundation, which said it would reduce transparency. As an example, disputes have arisen in the past about whether lawmakers live in their districts, which might become harder for reporters and members of the public to check if addresses are shielded.
“While the bill will do little to deter bad actors, it makes it extremely difficult for people to check whether their elected officials actually live in their districts,” the First Amendment Foundation said in a report on its website.
Part of the bill includes a legislative finding that a “public necessity” exists for shielding addresses and telephone numbers. Under the bill, cities and ZIP codes where elected officials live would remain public, but not their actual addresses.
The bill, which would take effect July 1, said “public officers and their families may receive threats, including, but not limited to, verbal threats, harassment, and intimidation, while carrying out their official duties.”
“Vulnerability to such threats may discourage residents of this state from seeking elected office in order to protect themselves and their families,” the bill said. “The Legislature further finds that the harm that may result from the release of such personal identifying and location information outweighs any public benefit that may be derived from the disclosure of the information.”
By Jim Saunders, News Service of Florida
Florida
South Florida faith leaders call for Miami mental health center to finally open
Florida
SNAP benefits will be changing in Florida starting Monday
TAMPA, Fla – New SNAP restrictions will start Monday in Florida.
What we know:
These changes will ban the purchase of many sugary sodas, energy drinks, candy and ultra-processed, shelf-stable prepared desserts.
Hunger Free America, an advocacy group, is against these restrictions.
Joel Berg, the CEO, said some regulation is a good thing, but he wants to see it support access to healthy foods as a choice.
“We do support mandates to mandate that healthier food is available in stores that do accept SNAP,” Berg said. “So, it makes a lot more sense to make it easier to get healthier food.”
Berg said these restrictions are unnecessary in achieving a healthier America.
“We should make America healthier again by making healthy food more affordable, convenient and physically available,” Berg said. “We shouldn’t micromanage the eating patterns of adults to try to achieve that goal.”
The other side:
This is part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, “Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic disease epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long.”
What they’re saying:
Berg said that these changes, on top of cuts to the program nationwide, will increase hunger.
“It’s not that low-income Americans don’t want healthier food; it’s that they can’t afford healthier food,” Berg said.
This coincides with the announcement that there will be cuts to WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, which supplies food to mothers and young children.
“President Trump’s budget just announced that he’s proposing taking away fruits and vegetables from the WIC program for pregnant women and children under five,” Berg said. “So, they’re taking away healthier food.”
The WIC cuts would take away $1.4 billion in fruit and vegetable benefits from 5.4 million people.
Big picture view:
The SNAP changes come as part of the MAHA movement and include more than 20 other states that will implement changes over the next two years.
The Source: Information in this story comes from WIC, SNAP and interviews done by Fox 13’s Danielle Zulkosky.
Florida
GALLERY: Barrett-Jackson ‘Super Saturday’ takes over South Florida Fairgrounds
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — The engines are revving for one final day of high-stakes bidding and family fun at the South Florida Fairgrounds.
Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction reaches its grand finale today with an action-packed “Super Saturday” lineup, promising to close out the weekend with a full slate of collector car sales, live entertainment, and fan attractions.
“Super Saturday,” presented by Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, officially kicks off at 8 a.m. when gates, food courts, and the exhibitor marketplace open to the public.
What to expect
- 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: The Fantasy Bid presented by Dodge begins early, running in tandem with the automobilia auction in the arena.
- 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Thrill-seekers can catch Dodge thrill rides on the Barrett-Jackson Performance Track.
- 10:00 a.m.: New amenities open to the public, including the Stella Artois, Staging Lanes, and Food Court patios, which offer shaded seating and auction views.
- 10:45 a.m.: The national anthem will be performed in the auction arena, signaling the start of the main collector car auction at 11 a.m.
- Afternoon Entertainment: DJ sets run from noon to 5 p.m. across the various patios, and a detailing clinic by Adam’s Polishes is scheduled for 2 p.m. near the South Showcase.
For those unable to attend, the whole event will be livestreamed throughout the day on the Barrett-Jackson website and the HISTORY channel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Today’s finale comes on the heels of a high-energy Friday that saw significant sales and notable celebrity interest.
Star power was evident throughout the day, particularly with vehicles tied to the Busch family. A 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible owned by Samantha Busch and a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Custom Coupe were among the day’s heavy hitters, each fetching $159,500. Kyle Busch’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Coupe also drew a strong bid, selling for $143,000.
Other Friday highlights included:
- 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Replica: $137,500
- 2004 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Mamba Edition: $132,000
- 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom SUV: $126,500
- 1957 Ford Thunderbird Custom Convertible: $121,000
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With a festival-style atmosphere and high-profile sales driving momentum, organizers expect a busy crowd for the final push at the auction block today.
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