A vote Tuesday could be enormously consequential for city health care providers, and potentially the health of many city residents. The Jacksonville City Council is poised to remove millions in spending on local health care programs, an effort to make budgetary space for a ⅛-mill property tax rollback. Although council members voted to restore some proposed cuts after a concerted campaign by local providers and advocates, the remaining cuts would stall one of the mayor’s signature issues and affect primarily poor and low-income residents.
Guests:
- Jennifer Ryan, CEO, Volunteers in Medicine.
- Angela Strain, CEO, We Care Jax.
- Mia Jones, CEO, AGAPE Family Health.
Then, the 2026 election season officially gets underway as a local attorney and civic leader throws his hat into the ring. We introduce you to Democrat Michael Kirwan, the District 4 candidate who announced his run live on First Coast Connect. Kirwan spoke about what drove him to seek a position in Congress, amid what he calls "chaotic" times in Washington, D.C. District 4 includes Nassau and Clay counties and most of Duval’s Westside, and is currently represented by U.S. Rep. Aaron Bean.
Guest:
- Michael Kirwan, candidate, U.S. Congress, Florida District 4.
And, though microbreweries and craft beers dominate the modern First Coast landscape, the beer industry has deep roots in Jacksonville, dating to the 1800s. We talk to the author of a new pictorial history of beer in Jacksonville, from the early saloons, to the mid-20th century dominance of the Anheuser-Busch plant, to the arrival of the first microbrews at River City Brewing Co. in the 1990s. In addition to a loving look at a favorite city beverage, the book is full of period photos, including a bustling Bay Street bar scene, a historic shot of the old Two Spot on Moncrief Road and a picture of Pete’s Bar founder Peter Jensen, after he made the transaction from bootlegger to bar owner.
Guest:
- Andrew R. Nicholas, historian and author of Brewing in Jacksonville.