Political boundaries
Florida is the latest state to consider moving political boundaries for Congressional districts in the year-long, national fight over control of the U.S. House. It started when Texas decided to redraw its Congressional districts with Republican state lawmakers hoping to shape political areas so the GOP would pick up seats. That has spurred redistricting in California, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia.
So, what happens when our political boundaries move to favor partisanship? We asked two former members of congress –one Republican and one Democrat– who now co-chair the Center Aisle Coalition.
We also checked in with our partners at PolitiFact to discuss the legal questions around these mid-decade redistricting efforts.
Guests:
- Carlos Curbelo, former U.S. Representative (R-FL-26th).
- Stephanie Murphy, former U.S. Representative (D-FL-7th).
- Samantha Putterman, Florida government reporter at PolitiFact.
Campus free speech
There are a few new cases on Florida college campuses focused on what students can say and what repercussions they can face.
The University of Florida faces a federal lawsuit for shutting down a Republican student group over antisemitic comments. The student group says UF is violating its First Amendment rights.
And the president of Florida International University is being sued by four students facing misconduct charges from the school.
While each case is different, they all raise questions around what constitutes free speech and when it becomes an illegal threat of violence.
Guest:
- Jane Bambauer, Brechner Eminent Scholar at the Levin College of Law and at the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida.
Weekly news briefing
House and Senate leaders announced this week that they’ve reached an agreement on the state’s spending plan that begins on July 1, 2026.
Lawmakers will return to Tallahassee in mid-May to hold committee hearings on the budget with the final vote expected the week after Memorial Day.
Almost 100 wildfires have burned over 15,000 acres in Florida in just the past week, according to a dashboard from the Florida Forest Service.
The wildfire threat and reality is the result of really dry conditions throughout the state. But there’s a particularly soggy part of the state known as the Green Swamp. It’s the largest preserved area in the fastest growing part of the state.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law this week requiring Florida third, fourth, and fifth grade students to learn cursive writing.