The Point

The Point, Oct. 8, 2019: Gov. Ron DeSantis Will Ask Legislature To Increase Starting Teacher Pay To $47,500

WUFT | By Jasmine Dahlby

Published October 8, 2019 at 11:54 AM EDT

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• Gov. Ron DeSantis yesterday announced his plans to ask the Florida Legislature to increase the minimum starting salary for public school teachers from $39,000 to $47,500 a year. Florida is currently ranked in the bottom half nationally in minimum teacher pay. (AP)

• In response to concern from the community, Alachua County commissioners approved an ordinance that will go into effect Oct. 22, banning the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21. Some local vape store owners fear the new law could boost black market sales and vaping-related illnesses. (WUFT News)

• The Blue-Green Algae Task Force, which DeSantis formed to find ways to reduce algae blooms, yesterday held its sixth meeting at the University of Florida to focus its attention on the springs around Gainesville. (Gainesville Sun)

• The city of Gainesville and UF have shown interest in using e-scooter share programs. However, if Bird, Lime or Razor USA LLC want their dockless scooters in Gainesville, the companies will need to apply for a permit with the city. (WUFT News)

• Think you love books? Until October, UF English professor Richard Burt had 728 books checked out from the university's libraries. That's 378 books over the 350 book limit. Although he had permission to exceed the limit, this semester, Burt was made to return all 378 extra. (Gainesville Sun)

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Around the state today

• The Florida Straits are expected to receive rain through Thursday as a system of showers and thunderstorms that has a 10% chance of becoming a named storm moves across South Florida toward the Atlantic. (Palm Beach Post)

• A second billto allow college athletes in Florida to be compensated through endorsement deals was filed Friday by Rep. Chip LaMarca. The 2020 legislative session will begin Jan. 14. (News Service of Florida)

• In February 2018, Sarasota resident Marc Jason Levene was arrested after he was found storing 7,700 pounds of explosives in a storage unit. Yesterday, Air Force engineers performed controlled detonations at Avon Park Air Force Range where they exploded the more than 200 boxes filled with about 30 pounds of explosives, each confiscated from Levene over a year prior. (WTSP)

• The trial in a lawsuit challenging the Florida Legislature’s decision to limit the restoration of ex-felon voting rights under Amendment 4 to include only those who paid outstanding costs began yesterday. Civil and voting rights groups argued that this violates the mandate of the more than 5 million voters who approved Amendment 4. (Florida Phoenix)

• More than 2,000 community members in Sarasota attended the funeral of a veteran who was thought to have no family. It turns, out he had two sons and an ex-wife, but by the time they got word of his death, it was too late to make it to the funeral. (Sarasota Herald-Tribune)

• As of Monday, Democratic presidential candidates do not plan to attend one of the biggest Democratic events, the “Fight for Florida Gala” this coming Saturday, in the nation’s largest battleground state. Instead, they will be participating in the 20th New Yorker Festival and an LGBTQ town hall in Los Angeles. (WLRN)

• Although experts have advised waiting for the results of the 2020 census, Sarasota County plans to move ahead with the redistricting process. (Florida Politics)