Florida
‘Yes on 4′ rally held in Orlando as Florida justices tee up ballot measure to codify abortion rights
ORLANDO, Fla. – The “Yes on 4″ campaign kicked off with a rally in Orlando on Saturday, about two weeks after Florida’s Supreme Court ruled to allow a November ballot measure on making abortion rights part of the state’s constitution.
Hundreds of people showed up to the rally at Lake Eola Park, including those on both sides of the issue. For Danielle Tallfuss, the subject hits close to home.
“I can tell you where I was and what I was doing the day Roe v. Wade was overturned,” Tallfuss said. “My experience was having to have an abortion at almost 23-weeks pregnant due to a fetal anomaly and at the time, Florida was a 24-week state, but I assure you if it had happened after the 15-week ban or now after the six-week ban, we would have traveled out of state to receive this care.”
On Monday, April 1, Florida’s Supreme Court passed down a ruling allowing a ballot measure to let voters decide whether the right to an abortion should be enshrined in the state’s constitution. The same court also upheld Florida’s 15-week abortion ban, which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed in 2022 and would ultimately make room for a six-week abortion ban he signed last year.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
Now, organizations across the state have come together for the “Yes on 4″ campaign to educate voters and gather support ahead of the November election.
“We can’t let patients be under the risk that the government is putting them under right now,” said Lauren Brenzel, “Yes on 4″ campaign director. “We need to get these politicians out of these healthcare decisions so that they can sit with patients and their doctors instead of their senator and their representatives.”
Those against the amendment also shared their thoughts at the rally. We asked Mark Romagosa if he would like to see a total abortion ban.
“Yes. We don’t choose, God chooses. It is not our choice, it’s God’s choice whether we live or die, it’s not up to us,” Romagosa said. “I’m very opposed to abortion, I think it’s one of the saddest things to ever hurt our nation and I’m totally against it. I’m hoping it can be reversed. It’s going to be a tough uphill battle.”
Amendment 4 will be on the ballot for the November 2024 general election.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily:
Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
TCPalm staff share their top restaurant recommendations in Vero Beach, Sebastian, Fellsmere.
Indian River County is home to many unique restaurants, far too many to choose from.
There are so many restaurants on the Treasure Coast to try, but it can be hard knowing where to start.
Here are the TCPalm staff’s recommendations for restaurants in Vero Beach, Sebastian and Fellsmere.
Indian River County restaurant recommendations
Olivia Franklin is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com, 317-627-8048 or follow her on X @Livvvvv_5.
Florida
Pilot program aims to build $200K homes in Central Florida to help low-income families buy, not rent
ORLANDO, Fla. – For many Central Florida families, the dream of owning a home feels further out of reach than ever.
With the median home price now topping $400,000, a new pilot program in Orlando is trying to change that by building new homes for about half the cost.
A lot off Quill Avenue in Parramore may not look like much right now, but organizers say it could soon be the site of a new home priced around $200,000 for low-income families.
“We just really wanted an opportunity to bring actual affordable housing to people who have basically been forever renters,” said Satrina Whithead with the GXVE Homes Initiative.
The GXVE Homes Initiative says the goal is to help families earning between $16,000 and $65,000 a year get a chance at homeownership. Whithead said the homes could range from 500 to 1,400 square feet, depending on the lot size and location.
The Orlando Regional Realtor Association reports the median home price in the area is now more than $400,000. Whithead said GXVE hopes to sell homes for about half that.
“There’s nothing wrong with profit, but at the end of the day, I want to help where the need is greatest,” Whithead said.
Organizers say they are already planning to build in Parramore and are working to close on two additional properties. They also say they have properties planned in Sanford and Mims, with a goal of bringing eight homes a year to Central Florida.
“You can pay 80 percent of your salary on rent just to have a place to live. So getting that number back down to around 50 percent is extremely important,” said Mike Harris, vice president of GXVE Homes.
Florida Made Tiny Homes, which is partnering with the organization, said it plans to build concrete homes that exceed safety requirements for the area.
“I don’t think there’s going to be anything available on the market in that price range, much less new construction,” said Dylan Grace, co-founder of Florida Made Tiny Homes.
Program organizers say they expect to start construction in the fall and hope to complete the first home within six to eight months after work begins. For more information please click here.
Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
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.”
-
Illinois35 seconds agoIllinois GOP chair says Obama Center is political operation on public land | Fox News Video
-
Indiana8 minutes agoMadam Walker Legacy Fest block party celebrates Black excellence with food, music, and community
-
Iowa11 minutes agoBlocked Iowa HHS director resigns but is appointed deputy director
-
Kansas16 minutes ago1 man dies after being shot June 9 in Kansas City, Missouri; police working to identify person of interest
-
Kentucky23 minutes agoTornado ripped through Florence area during storms, NWS confirms
-
Louisiana25 minutes agoHow Louisiana nitrogen gas executions could be affected by court ruling on Alabama
-
Maine31 minutes agoTwo charged with assault after boater dies overboard in Hurricane Sound
-
Maryland38 minutes agoTwo Injured In Waldorf Shooting, One Flown To Trauma Center – The BayNet
