Lawmaker’s suggestion to arm teachers met with resistance by educators – Some Tampa Bay-area teachers are responding to state Rep. Dennis Baxley’s call to arm the state’s teachers in the wake of the Newtown shooting. “Are you crazy?” asked Joe Vitalo, president of the Hernando Classroom Teachers Association. Tampa Bay Times
Lessons in Politics and Fine Print in Assault Weapons Ban of ’90s – It took five years after a 1989 school shooting in California for the assault weapons ban to pass Congress, with input and tweaks from pro- and anti-gun forces. The bill, which was not renewed in 2004, also allowed for many loopholes. New York Times
Without Magic, Santa Would Need 12 Million Employees – Talk about your seasonal jobs… NPR talked with logistics and delivery experts at FedEx and UPS, and calculated that Santa, Inc. would need 46 international distribution centers and millions of employees to deliver just one gift to each of the estimated 760 million Christian children in the world. NPR
St. Petersburg City Council to decide future of red light cameras – The St. Petersburg City Council is weighing the red light camera program after a report omitted statistics on rear-end crashes: at intersections with cameras, incidents increased 44 percent (compared to a 19 percent increase at other crash-prone intersections without the cameras). Tampa Bay Times
Poll: Majority of Floridians against charging tuition based on majors – A poll by Quinnipiac University released Thursday found that Floridians, in a 66 to 26 percent margin, are opposed to charging different tuition rates for different majors at the state’s colleges and universities. The poll also showed that the state is evenly divided on the issue of gay marriage and slightly opposed to legalizing personal use of marijuana. News Service of Florida via Tampa Bay Times
Florida schools buy emergency toilets for extended lockdowns – Pasco County schools have been distributing classroom emergency kits that include a portable toilet (read: bucket with a seat) to classrooms without adjacent bathrooms for instances where students need to remain in the classroom for extended periods during emergencies or disasters. “Never. Unh-uh,” said Sydney Steele, 14. “I would just hold it.” Miami Herald
