Latest news with #FDH
The Hill
06-08-2025
- Health
- The Hill
Raw milk tied to over 21 illness cases, 7 hospitalizations in Florida
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Over 20 people fell ill from consuming raw milk sold in the Sunshine State, according to a bulletin from the Florida Department of Health (FDH). The FDH bulletin, which provided an update on raw milk availability in northeast and Central Florida, said there have been 21 cases of people falling ill from campylobacter and shiga toxin-producing E. coli. The illnesses have linked to the consumption of raw milk from 'a particular' farm, but the bulletin did not name the farm. Six of these cases include children under the age of 10. Health officials said out of the 21 cases, seven have resulted in hospitalizations, and at least two have suffered 'severe complications.' 'STEC bacteria in its most severe form can result in hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) which is characterized by hemolysis and kidney failure, which is of particular concern for children,' the bulletin stated. 'Groups at higher risk for severe illness include infants and young children, pregnant women, elderly individuals, and those with weakened immune systems.' What is raw milk? Why is it dangerous? Raw milk is milk from sheep, cows, goat, or any animal that has not been pasteurized. Pasteurization is the process of mildly heating milk or other packaged food products to help eliminate harmful bacteria. Because raw milk does not go through this process, it can contain dangerous bacteria that can cause diseases like listeriosis, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, diphtheria, Q fever, and brucellosis — according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also warns that consuming raw milk can also expose people to germs such as campylobacter, cryptosporidium, E. coli, listeria, brucella and salmonella. Children under the age of 5, people over 65, pregnant women and individuals with weakened immune systems are especially at risk of serious illness. While some raw milk advocates claim it is healthier and safer, this is not supported by science, as pasteurization does not reduce milk's nutritional value. Common myths include that raw milk eliminates pathogens on its own, which is false, and that pasteurized milk causes lactose intolerance. In the context of that second myth, the ability to digest lactose is actually a mutation that is only present in 35 percent of the human population, mostly those of European descent. In reality, most humans lose the ability to digest milk as they grow, which was the default human condition until the mutation appeared between 2,000 and 20,000 years ago. Those with milk allergies will suffer symptoms whether they drink raw or pasteurized milk due to the proteins inside the product. According to the FDH, raw milk can only be sold in the state of Florida for pet or animal consumption, and raw milk products must be labeled 'for animal consumption only.' Laws vary by state, with some local governments outright prohibiting the sale of raw milk, while others, like California, Idaho, Washington and Arizona allow it under specific conditions. Health experts have stated that raw milk marketed for pets and animals 'IS NOT safe for people to drink.'
05-05-2025
- Politics
Lawsuit challenges new restrictions to getting measures on Florida's election ballot
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Progressive advocates have filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging new restrictions on Florida's process to get citizen-driven initiatives on the ballot before voters. Florida Decides Healthcare, the campaign to secure a measure on the 2026 ballot to expand Medicaid in the state, is bringing the legal challenge, along with the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Elias Law Group, which frequently represents Democratic groups and candidates. Sunday's filing came days after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the restrictions into law, over the objections of critics who argued the new hurdles would make it prohibitively expensive and effectively impossible for grassroots campaigners to get measures on the ballot. 'This bill is not about improving the ballot initiative process. It attacks the fundamental freedom of Floridians to participate in their own democracy," said FDH Executive Director Mitch Emerson. 'It is a calculated and cowardly attempt by politicians in Tallahassee to rewrite the rules — not to serve the people, but to protect their own power.' Representatives for Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd and Attorney General James Uthmeier did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press. A spokesperson for DeSantis pointed to the governor's previous posts on social media, in which he argued that lawmakers should have made the changes sooner. Under the new law, voters could be charged with a felony if they collect more than 25 signed ballot petitions, other than their own or those of immediate family members, and don't register with the state as a petition circulator. Emerson estimates the new law will mean millions of dollars in additional costs for his campaign, the price of complying with new requirements and hiring more paid circulators to make up for volunteers who back out for fear of legal liability. 'Volunteers are second-guessing whether they can legally help. Communities are confused. And that's exactly what the law was designed to do: to sow confusion and try to shut down engagement before it starts,' he said. Emerson said FDH had collected about 100,000 signatures to date in its push to bank 880,000 verified petitions ahead of a Feb. 1 deadline. Florida voters have long been able to use the citizens' initiative process to bypass the Republican-dominated Legislature and advance progressive policies such as raising the minimum wage, legalizing medical marijuana and restoring the voting rights of people with felony convictions. Lawmakers argue the new restrictions are needed to reform a process they claim has been tainted by fraud. The state's GOP-controlled Legislature pushed the changes months after Florida voters supported ballot initiatives to protect abortion rights and legalize recreational marijuana, though the measures fell short of the 60% needed to pass. 'This bill is not an attack on the citizen initiative process,' said co-sponsor state Sen. Don Gaetz, a Panhandle Republican. 'It's an attack on those who have corrupted it.' The law also restricts who can collect petitions, barring Floridians with felony convictions who haven't had their voting rights restored, as well as noncitizens and people who don't reside in the state. Under the changes, Floridians will have to provide more personal information when filling out a petition, disclosing their driver's license number, voter ID card number or the last four digits of their Social Security number. And campaigners will face shorter deadlines to return petitions to local election officials, and stiffer fines if they don't send them to the correct county.
San Francisco Chronicle
05-05-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Lawsuit challenges new restrictions to getting measures on Florida's election ballot
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Progressive advocates have filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging new restrictions on Florida's process to get citizen-driven initiatives on the ballot before voters. Florida Decides Healthcare, the campaign to secure a measure on the 2026 ballot to expand Medicaid in the state, is bringing the legal challenge, along with the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Elias Law Group, which frequently represents Democratic groups and candidates. Sunday's filing came days after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the restrictions into law, over the objections of critics who argued the new hurdles would make it prohibitively expensive and effectively impossible for grassroots campaigners to get measures on the ballot. 'This bill is not about improving the ballot initiative process. It attacks the fundamental freedom of Floridians to participate in their own democracy," said FDH Executive Director Mitch Emerson. 'It is a calculated and cowardly attempt by politicians in Tallahassee to rewrite the rules — not to serve the people, but to protect their own power.' Representatives for Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd and Attorney General James Uthmeier did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press. A spokesperson for DeSantis pointed to the governor's previous posts on social media, in which he argued that lawmakers should have made the changes sooner. Under the new law, voters could be charged with a felony if they collect more than 25 signed ballot petitions, other than their own or those of immediate family members, and don't register with the state as a petition circulator. Emerson estimates the new law will mean millions of dollars in additional costs for his campaign, the price of complying with new requirements and hiring more paid circulators to make up for volunteers who back out for fear of legal liability. 'Volunteers are second-guessing whether they can legally help. Communities are confused. And that's exactly what the law was designed to do: to sow confusion and try to shut down engagement before it starts,' he said. Emerson said FDH had collected about 100,000 signatures to date in its push to bank 880,000 verified petitions ahead of a Feb. 1 deadline. Florida voters have long been able to use the citizens' initiative process to bypass the Republican-dominated Legislature and advance progressive policies such as raising the minimum wage, legalizing medical marijuana and restoring the voting rights of people with felony convictions. Lawmakers argue the new restrictions are needed to reform a process they claim has been tainted by fraud. The state's GOP-controlled Legislature pushed the changes months after Florida voters supported ballot initiatives to protect abortion rights and legalize recreational marijuana, though the measures fell short of the 60% needed to pass. 'This bill is not an attack on the citizen initiative process,' said co-sponsor state Sen. Don Gaetz, a Panhandle Republican. 'It's an attack on those who have corrupted it.' The law also restricts who can collect petitions, barring Floridians with felony convictions who haven't had their voting rights restored, as well as noncitizens and people who don't reside in the state. Under the changes, Floridians will have to provide more personal information when filling out a petition, disclosing their driver's license number, voter ID card number or the last four digits of their Social Security number. And campaigners will face shorter deadlines to return petitions to local election officials, and stiffer fines if they don't send them to the correct county.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawsuit challenges new restrictions to getting measures on Florida's election ballot
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Progressive advocates have filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging new restrictions on Florida's process to get citizen-driven initiatives on the ballot before voters. Florida Decides Healthcare, the campaign to secure a measure on the 2026 ballot to expand Medicaid in the state, is bringing the legal challenge, along with the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Elias Law Group, which frequently represents Democratic groups and candidates. Sunday's filing came days after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the restrictions into law, over the objections of critics who argued the new hurdles would make it prohibitively expensive and effectively impossible for grassroots campaigners to get measures on the ballot. 'This bill is not about improving the ballot initiative process. It attacks the fundamental freedom of Floridians to participate in their own democracy," said FDH Executive Director Mitch Emerson. 'It is a calculated and cowardly attempt by politicians in Tallahassee to rewrite the rules — not to serve the people, but to protect their own power.' Representatives for Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd and Attorney General James Uthmeier did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press. A spokesperson for DeSantis pointed to the governor's previous posts on social media, in which he argued that lawmakers should have made the changes sooner. Under the new law, voters could be charged with a felony if they collect more than 25 signed ballot petitions, other than their own or those of immediate family members, and don't register with the state as a petition circulator. Emerson estimates the new law will mean millions of dollars in additional costs for his campaign, the price of complying with new requirements and hiring more paid circulators to make up for volunteers who back out for fear of legal liability. 'Volunteers are second-guessing whether they can legally help. Communities are confused. And that's exactly what the law was designed to do: to sow confusion and try to shut down engagement before it starts,' he said. Emerson said FDH had collected about 100,000 signatures to date in its push to bank 880,000 verified petitions ahead of a Feb. 1 deadline. Florida voters have long been able to use the citizens' initiative process to bypass the Republican-dominated Legislature and advance progressive policies such as raising the minimum wage, legalizing medical marijuana and restoring the voting rights of people with felony convictions. Lawmakers argue the new restrictions are needed to reform a process they claim has been tainted by fraud. The state's GOP-controlled Legislature pushed the changes months after Florida voters supported ballot initiatives to protect abortion rights and legalize recreational marijuana, though the measures fell short of the 60% needed to pass. 'This bill is not an attack on the citizen initiative process,' said co-sponsor state Sen. Don Gaetz, a Panhandle Republican. 'It's an attack on those who have corrupted it.' The law also restricts who can collect petitions, barring Floridians with felony convictions who haven't had their voting rights restored, as well as noncitizens and people who don't reside in the state. Under the changes, Floridians will have to provide more personal information when filling out a petition, disclosing their driver's license number, voter ID card number or the last four digits of their Social Security number. And campaigners will face shorter deadlines to return petitions to local election officials, and stiffer fines if they don't send them to the correct county. ___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Winnipeg Free Press
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Lawsuit challenges new restrictions to getting measures on Florida's election ballot
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Progressive advocates have filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging new restrictions on Florida's process to get citizen-driven initiatives on the ballot before voters. Florida Decides Healthcare, the campaign to secure a measure on the 2026 ballot to expand Medicaid in the state, is bringing the legal challenge, along with the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Elias Law Group, which frequently represents Democratic groups and candidates. Sunday's filing came days after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the restrictions into law, over the objections of critics who argued the new hurdles would make it prohibitively expensive and effectively impossible for grassroots campaigners to get measures on the ballot. 'This bill is not about improving the ballot initiative process. It attacks the fundamental freedom of Floridians to participate in their own democracy,' said FDH Executive Director Mitch Emerson. 'It is a calculated and cowardly attempt by politicians in Tallahassee to rewrite the rules — not to serve the people, but to protect their own power.' Representatives for Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd and Attorney General James Uthmeier did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press. A spokesperson for DeSantis pointed to the governor's previous posts on social media, in which he argued that lawmakers should have made the changes sooner. Under the new law, voters could be charged with a felony if they collect more than 25 signed ballot petitions, other than their own or those of immediate family members, and don't register with the state as a petition circulator. Emerson estimates the new law will mean millions of dollars in additional costs for his campaign, the price of complying with new requirements and hiring more paid circulators to make up for volunteers who back out for fear of legal liability. 'Volunteers are second-guessing whether they can legally help. Communities are confused. And that's exactly what the law was designed to do: to sow confusion and try to shut down engagement before it starts,' he said. Emerson said FDH had collected about 100,000 signatures to date in its push to bank 880,000 verified petitions ahead of a Feb. 1 deadline. Florida voters have long been able to use the citizens' initiative process to bypass the Republican-dominated Legislature and advance progressive policies such as raising the minimum wage, legalizing medical marijuana and restoring the voting rights of people with felony convictions. Lawmakers argue the new restrictions are needed to reform a process they claim has been tainted by fraud. The state's GOP-controlled Legislature pushed the changes months after Florida voters supported ballot initiatives to protect abortion rights and legalize recreational marijuana, though the measures fell short of the 60% needed to pass. 'This bill is not an attack on the citizen initiative process,' said co-sponsor state Sen. Don Gaetz, a Panhandle Republican. 'It's an attack on those who have corrupted it.' The law also restricts who can collect petitions, barring Floridians with felony convictions who haven't had their voting rights restored, as well as noncitizens and people who don't reside in the state. Under the changes, Floridians will have to provide more personal information when filling out a petition, disclosing their driver's license number, voter ID card number or the last four digits of their Social Security number. And campaigners will face shorter deadlines to return petitions to local election officials, and stiffer fines if they don't send them to the correct county. ___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
