John Rutherford

Update 7/27 at 8:29 a.m.: This story has been updated to include additional comments from Congressman Rutherford.

A rule change at the federal Justice Department could allow police officers to confiscate more people’s property if they believe it’s being used in a crime — even if they never arrest someone.

Some states have outright banned the practice known as civil-asset forfeiture, while others including Florida have established strict limits.

  Today on “First Coast Connect,” our weekly Media Roundtable included Charles Griggs from the Jacksonville Free Press, Jacksonville Business Journal Editor Timothy Gibbons and WJCT reporter Lindsey Kilbride (01:13). We also spoke with Florida Education Association President Joanne McCall (33:31), and Fuada Velic told us about Saturday’s Srebrenica genocide remembrance in Jacksonville. 

Northeast Florida Republican Congressman John Rutherford is helping lead a bipartisan effort against seismic airgun testing in the Atlantic Ocean, which could lead to drilling for oil and gas.

Rutherford said the blasting could hurt coastal businesses relying on healthy oceans.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approved more than $17 million Wednesday for deepening a portion of the St. Johns River. But with the full cost of the JaxPort dredging estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars, the newest allocation is just a drop in the river.