In what could fuel a new round of legislative battles about gender identity, a House Republican on Tuesday filed a bill that would place restrictions on government agencies in the use of personal pronouns. The bill (HB 599), filed by Rep. Ryan Chamberlin, R-Belleview, for the 2024 legislative session, also …
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Farrah Maswadeh doesn’t wish to live in the United States anymore. As a 25-year-old Palestinian American who grew up in Jordan and now lives in Gainesville, she said she was disgusted to live in the country after seeing the behavior of U.S. news outlets and people around her during the …
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State lawmakers on Monday moved toward temporarily nixing a cap on the number of students who can participate in a school-voucher program for children with disabilities. The Senate Fiscal Policy Committee and the House Appropriations Committee unanimously approved identical measures (SB 4-C and HB 3C) aimed at allowing more students …
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As Gov. Ron DeSantis prepares proposals for the 2024 legislative session, continuing to give financial breaks to frequent users of toll roads could be on the table. Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez hinted at the issue Saturday as she spoke during the Republican Party of Florida’s “Freedom Summit” in Orlando. A …
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Arguing that a $1.33 million price tag is unjustified, a medical-marijuana operator is challenging a license-renewal fee boost that came after Gov. Ron DeSantis said pot companies aren’t paying enough to conduct business in Florida. The state Department of Health in December adopted a rule creating a formula that set …
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Attorney General Ashley Moody late Tuesday urged the Florida Supreme Court to reject a proposed constitutional amendment that seeks to ensure abortion rights, describing the measure as an effort to “hoodwink” voters. Moody filed a 39-page brief contending that the proposal should be kept off the 2024 ballot because the …
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Tens of thousands of books are being banned or restricted by U.S. prisons, according to a new report from PEN America. The list includes everything from self-help books to an Elmore Leonard novel. “The common concept underpinning the censorship we’re seeing is that certain ideas and information are a threat,” …
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Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration has gone to the U.S. Supreme Court in a fight about a ruling that blocked statewide a new law aimed at preventing children from attending drag shows. The state’s attorneys want the Supreme Court to approve a partial stay of a preliminary injunction that U.S. District …
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Students gathered Thursday night to support Palestine. The event was not a protest; rather, organizers say they hoped to educate the public about the Israel-Palestine conflict.
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Jasmine Brown, an Ocala mother of four, has been on waitlists at some local daycare centers for almost two years. Unable to find a program she can afford that could enroll her 1- and 3-year-old sons together, she’s split them between two different centers this year. The 29-year-old single parent …
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WUFT News News and Public Media for North Central Florida from the University of Florida in Gainesville