Jacksonville City Council member and mayoral candidate LeAnna Cumber is criticizing a City Council committee investigating why she didn’t disclose her husband’s involvement with a firm that submitted a proposal to privatize JEA back in 2019.
Cumber is calling the investigation a “blatant weaponization of City Hall” designed to attack her and help JAX Chamber CEO Daniel Davis in his bid to become the city’s next mayor.
Cumber’s attorney has told the committee that it has no legal power to investigate Cumber and that she’ll have no part in it. But a city attorney says the City Charter gives that authority to the committee and the city’s Ethics Code requires city officials to cooperate with an official investigation.
Meanwhile, Davis has filed a lawsuit against the parent companies of three Jacksonville television stations for airing what he has alleged is a false defamatory ad against him.
Also this week, students in Duval Schools have reduced dangerous behaviors in many ways, but a new survey shows alarming increases in suicide risk, hopelessness, fighting and weapons.
The data comes from the Duval County Youth Risk Behavior Survey. In that survey, nearly half of high school students said they feel sad or hopeless and a quarter have thought about suicide.
Finally: The full City Council is set to vote next week on a bill that would criminalize panhandling in roadways and medians.
Supporters say it’s a safety issue. Opponents say it will immediately face lawsuits and that panhandling is protected speech under the First Amendment.
Guests:
- Dan Scanlan, WJCT News reporter.
- Claire Heddles, Jacksonville Today reporter.
- David Bauerlein, Florida Times-Union reporter.
- Nikesha Williams, Jacksonville Today contributor.
A special pet adoption event
The Jacksonville Humane Society and THE PLAYERS Championship have teamed up to waive adoption fees for all pets this weekend, starting today.
Guests:
- Lawrence Nicolas, chief operating officer of the Jacksonville Humane Society.
- Blue, a 4-year-old mixed breed dog that’s up for adoption.
