No sooner did Florida lawmakers wrap up a special session to redraw the state’s congressional maps than they’ll be back in Tallahassee to pass the budget they couldn’t finish during the regular session. Tristan Wood has the details.
Florida’s mid-decade congressional redistricting effort was spearheaded by Pensacola Republican Senator Don Gaetz (GATES). he chairs the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee and he is a former Florida Senate president. Gaetz sponsored the legislation that produced Governor Ron DeSantis’ new congressional map — and a shift that could significantly reshape Florida’s political landscape. On the “Between the Lines with Dara (DARE-uh) Kam (Cam)” podcast from State Affairs, Gaetz called the approach leading to the redrawn districts a “shortcut.”
That was Pensacola Republican Senator Don Gaetz on the “Between the Lines with Dara Kam” podcast from State Affairs. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has put his signature on two broad education bills. The signings happened at Fort Myers High School, along with a news conference where a sign on the podium declared "Florida is the Education State. "WGCU’s Dayna Harpster reports.
Florida teachers salaries are among the lowest in the nation, despite legislative efforts to boost paychecks. WGCU’s Jennifer Crawford discusses the impact of low teacher wages with Florida Education Association President Andrew Spar.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. In Miami, it also marks the 10 Days of Connection festival. The events are designed to encourage people to put down their phones and connect with others in the community. Former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, was in Miami for some of those events. He's been sounding the alarm about the health risks of isolation and loneliness, even calling it an epidemic. Dr. Murthy's been around the country to talk with people about their loneliness – and he started his conversation with WLRN's Tim Padgett by describing what he's been seeing in his recent travels.
Despite some recent rains, much of North Florida is facing what’s considered an exceptional drought—the worst category on the federal scale. Water is disappearing from some rivers and lakes, and Regan McCarthy reports that's created a unique challenge for some of the state's most famous inhabitants.