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Capital Report: December 15, 2023

Florida is dropping hundreds of thousands of people from the Medicaid rolls. That’s a national practice since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. But advocates say some states are doing it right, while in Florida, many people are losing their health care coverage without knowing it. Margie Menzel reports.

Some advocates for criminal justice reform in Florida are working hard to steer young people away from violence. But resources are often limited, while demand for help grows. Health News Florida’s Stephanie Colombini is highlighting these efforts as part of our series on youth gun violence.

Next week on Capital Report, we’ll have part two in the series Growing Up With Guns. We'll meet families whose children died in shootings and learn how some are channeling their grief into action.

Florida’s biggest teachers union - the Florida Education Association - says the state started this academic year with 7,000 teacher vacancies. Ahead of the next teacher count in January, WMFE’s Danielle Prieur checked in on a school in Orlando using international teachers to fill the gaps.

The man who will soon be the top Democrat in the Florida Senate has been traveling the state to ask people what they want from their government. One of the main constituencies that Hollywood Senator Jason Pizzo has been turning to … is college students, as WLRN’s Kate Payne reports.

Florida’s legislative session kicks off in January (January 9) and while there’s a gaggle of potentially controversial topics up for discussion, few have ruffled as many feathers as a move to change Florida’s state bird. Regan McCarthy reports the bill has been the subject of consternation for decades.

Household electric usage tends to spike during the year end holidays. A spokesperson for FPL (Florida Power and Light) has some advice on how to reduce the resulting bill shock.