Latest news with #JayWaagmeester
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Public education funding agreed to; policy still outstanding
The Stone Education building on the Florida State University campus is the home of its College of Education. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix) In a time when the Legislature is trying to pare back the size of the state budget, lawmakers agreed this week to pump more than $29 billion into K-12 education, a $945 million increase over current year spending Per student funding would increase by $142.74, to $9,130, under a plan House and Senate budget conferees agreed to this week, a 1.59% increase from the current fiscal year. 'It's adequate, it's historic, it's all of the things. It's really good,' House budget chief Rep. Lawrence McClure said of per student funding. Much of the K-12 education budget increase, 71%, would be funded by local property taxes, Politico first reported. Florida's growing school choice program, in which state dollars can be used for private school tuition or homeschooling, has decreased public schools' share of enrollment. 'I think we can all agree that the public school population is declining. The schools still are open and operating, so that expense is there, and if there's fewer students being there then money comes from somewhere [else],' Senate budget chief Sen. Ed Hooper told reporters this week. The spending agreement was made as legislators met in an extended session dedicated to crafting a budget for state fiscal year 2025-26, which begins July 1. The extension was necessary because legislative leadership couldn't agree during the 60-day regular session on how much money to spend and ways to reduce taxes. As part of the K-12 agreement, the chambers agreed to allocate an extra $101.6 million toward teacher salary increases statewide, targeting an area Florida has lagged in. Last year, salary increase allocations went up by about $200 million. Gov. Ron DeSantis proposed about $250 million for teacher and personnel salary increases this year. According to the National Education Association, Florida is 50th in the nation for average teacher salaries. Accelerated courses like Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate were facing reduced funding under earlier proposals, but pushback from school officials and constituents made a difference. Ultimately, the programs are funded at a rate consistent with the current year, $596 million. The chambers have agreed to infuse an additional $6 million into the Schools of Hope program. Schools of Hope are charter schools opened near struggling schools. While lawmakers agreed to extend the session to address the budget, they have found creative ways to use the spending blueprint to readdress substantive legislation that died during the regular 60-day session. That policy-focused legislation will be included in what's called a 'conforming bill.' Unlike the budget, which expires in a year, conforming bills make permanent changes to statutes. As of publication, a K-12 education conforming bill had not been released. The chambers have publicly discussed reviving a bill that died during the regular 60-day session to allow Schools of Hope to open inside persistently low-performing public schools or on the property. Lawmakers are looking to adjust how school choice scholarships are reimbursed as more students use the option. Throughout the session, school administrators and legislators expressed concerns about how and when money is paid to scholarship recipients or schools, saying it was impossible to track where some students were enrolled. 'Obviously, the accounting for the scholarships has not gone well. We're trying to come up with a way that the money does follow the child, the student, and instead of reporting quarterly I think we are going to report monthly,' Hooper said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Federal judge refuses to temporarily halt most of the new ballot initiative restrictions
Most of the provisions in a new state law adding restrictions to the petition-gathering process will remain in effect while litigation continues. (Photo Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix) In an early blow to groups attempting to get amendments on the ballot for the 2026 election, a federal judge declined on Wednesday to temporarily block most of the new restrictions on citizen-led initiatives. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker's ruling allows Florida to proceed with enforcing most of HB 1205, one of Gov. Ron DeSantis' top priorities for this year's legislative session, while litigation brought by some of the groups sponsoring initiatives on the ballot on May 4 moves forward. In the meantime, the state can enforce provisions requiring sponsors to turn in completed petitions within 10 days after the voter signs the form, enact stepped-up fines for providing pre-filled petitions, and collect fines and impose criminal penalties for filling out missing information and copying information from petitions. Sponsors, such as Florida Decides Healthcare and Smart & Safe Florida, claimed that HB 1205 would make it nearly impossible to get amendment initiatives on the ballot. In court hearing, attorneys debate palatability of new restrictions on citizens' initiatives 'Here, aside from demonstrating they have suffered an injury in fact, Plaintiffs' record only goes so far to show that the process of gathering signed petitions has become more expensive and less efficient, not that these post-petition-gathering regulations have severely burdened Plaintiffs from speaking such that the challenged regulations must survive heightened scrutiny to pass constitutional muster,' Walker wrote in his order. However, Walker agreed to temporarily halt a provision for one of the plaintiffs of the law that expanded the definition of racketeering to cover irregularities and fraud regarding the petition collection process, writing that the statute was unconstitutionally vague and allowed for arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement. The block only applies to Jordan Simmons, a project director of the campaign to expand Medicaid. 'Mr. Simmons faces irreparable injury because the law forces him to choose between curtailing his First Amendment rights to engage in core political speech via petition circulation or risk arrest and prosecution for a felony charge that could result in up to thirty years in prison,' Walker wrote. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Florida Decides Healthcare framed Walker's order as a win in a press release despite his denial of most of their claims. 'While the Court did not grant every part of our motion for preliminary relief, this is far from the final word,' wrote its Executive Director Mitch Emerson. 'This ruling was an early, extraordinary step in the legal process—and we are optimistic about what comes next, both for the remaining parts of HB 1205 that we're challenging and for the future of citizen-led democracy in Florida.' In a message to the group's coalition partners after Walker issued the order, Ana-Christina Acosta, the organizing director, wrote that petition collection operations will continue regardless of what happens with the litigation. So far, Florida Decides Healthcare has gathered 18,867 valid signatures and Smart & Safe Florida has gathered 379,345 valid signatures, enough to trigger the Florida Supreme Court's review of the amendment summary that could appear on the ballot, according to the Florida Division of Elections. Sponsors of citizen-led initiatives need to get approval from the Florida Supreme Court on the clarity of the amendment summary, gather 880,062 valid signatures from at least half of the state's 28 congressional districts to appear on the ballot, and get at least 60% approval to pass. While the majority of voters approved recreational marijuana and abortion-rights amendments, both failed to cross the 60% threshold after Gov. Ron DeSantis deployed state resources to campaign against the proposed measures. Lawmakers passed HB 1205 this year, citing a need to eradicate fraud in the petition-gathering process in light of a January report published by the state's Office of Election Crimes and Security claiming that more than 100 representatives of the group attempting enshrine abortion access in the Florida Constitution last year committed crimes related to gathering petitions. Floridians Protecting Freedom denied the claims in the report but ultimately dropped its challenge to the fine the state imposed. Come July 1, the state will also require people collecting signatures and petitions to register with the Secretary of State. Under HB 1205, people convicted of felonies who haven't had their voting rights restored, non-U.S. citizens, and non-Florida residents can't collect signatures or petitions. Plaintiffs filed a second motion asking Walker to temporarily block those provisions, with Smart & Safe Florida stating that it would face a fine of $23.7 million because 474 of its trained petition circulators aren't Florida residents. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Here we go: Legislators back to pass a budget
Florida Capitol in Tallahassee. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix) The state's budget expires in 27 days and legislators are back in town to make sure there's a spending plan in place July 1 to avoid a government shutdown. Leadership unveiled budget 'allocations' Monday night that show how the Legislature will spend about $50 billion in general revenue, or state funds, across various government agencies. Most of the money will go to two areas: education and health care with the former receiving more than $22 billion and the latter about $17.5 billion. The budget will also include 2% pay raises for roughly 100,000 state employees. Those workers won't have to worry about increased health insurance costs either because the chambers have agreed to pump hundreds of millions into the state employee health insurance trust fund to keep it solvent in lieu of increasing costs for state workers. As a reminder, monthly premiums for most employees are set at $50 a month for individuals and $180 a month for families. Senior-level employees have an even better deal on their monthly premiums: $8.34 for individuals and $30 a month for family plans. The pay raises were first reported by Florida Politics and confirmed in a statement the Senate released from Sen. Cory Simon, a Republican whose district includes Leon County, home to the state government and tens of thousands of its employees. Simon praised Senate President Ben Albritton and Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Ed Hooper for the investment in state employees calling it 'important for recruitment, retention, and morale.' 'Florida has one of the lowest per capita populations of state workers in the country. We have a lean, but strong and talented state workforce, and it's important to me that we invest in maintaining top talent to serve the people of our state. 'A pay raise for our hardworking and dedicated state employees has been a priority of the Senate throughout the entire budget process. The allocations finalized last week include funding for a 2% across the board pay increase for state workers ($1000 minimum). Also important, what often goes unseen is the significant investment the state is making in state employee health insurance. Again this year, employees are being held harmless from increases in premiums and copays,' Simon said in the statement. 'As we move forward into the conference, the Senate will continue to prioritize additional targeted increases for law enforcement, firefighters, and other professions where we need to further increase salaries to remain competitive with the private sector.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UF nominee's DEI position questioned before unanimous approval
The University of Florida main campus in Gainesville. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix) Santa Ono, immediate past president of the University of Michigan, won approval from UF trustees Tuesday to lead the University of Florida. Diversity, equity, and inclusion dominated much of the final vetting discussion between UF trustees and Ono. UF named Ono as a sole finalist earlier this month. His approval must be confirmed by the Board of Governors of the State University System. 'When I asked the search committee to find someone who can take this great university to the next level, I presented them with a challenging task. However, I am happy to say that I firmly believe they delivered,' Trustees Chair Mori Hosseini said. Although approved unanimously, Ono faced numerous questions about conflicting statements he's made on contentious political topics, particularly diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as how he has and will deal with antisemitism on college campuses. 'I understand and support what Florida's vision for higher education represents, a decisive move away from ideological bias and activist-driven culture that has come to define too many colleges and universities in this country and abroad,' Ono told trustees Tuesday in Gainesville. Ono said he supports Florida's ban on state expenditures on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and the overall vehement opposition to anything 'woke.' Although that has not always been his stance. Ono, starting in 2022, oversaw a university that since 2016 spent nearly $250 million on DEI, according to The New York Times. Ono supported diversity efforts at Michigan at a time when, he said, it was a universal concept in higher education. As University of Michigan president, he supported the institution's 'DEI 2.0' initiative and said the university should 'strive to nurture thoughtful and understanding citizens' and that 'racism is one of America's original sins.' 'For many of us here, conviction matters as much as clarity. I'd like to ask you very directly: How can we be confident that the views that you have articulated today are firmly held and that you will not shift your position over time, particularly in the face of pressure' and changing politics, search committee chair and trustee Rahul Patel asked. Ono said it took him time to understand the effects of DEI policies. His conviction against DEI now comes from his experience as an administrator and 'hundreds of hours' of conversations with students and faculty, he said, something that's developed over the last approximately 18 months. Before those experiences, he said, he was not an expert on the topic. Now, his conviction is 'rock solid,' Ono said. Ono told trustees Tuesday that his 'personal views' have 'evolved' and past remarks do not reflect what he believes today. Despite overseeing the 'DEI 2.0' initiative, it stopped two months ago under his tenure, along with UM's DEI office. The decision, he said, the university shut it down before the outcome of the 2024 presidential election was determined and 'before anyone approached me about the University of Florida presidential search.' 'DEI will not return to the University of Florida during my presidency. I fully support the reform signed into law by Gov. DeSantis and the steps already taken by this board, the board of governors, and this institution,' Ono said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Some Republicans, including U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, a Republican candidate for governor, have contested the candidate. Ono 'does not comport with the values of the state of Florida,' Donalds said in an interview with Fox Business earlier this month. Donalds called for Ono's candidacy to be blocked and for the search to start over. Christopher Rufo, a conservative activist and trustee at New College, said on X that UF trustees should ask Ono 'hard questions about his recent support for DEI and climate radicalism.' 'I understand why some past statements have raised questions. In hindsight, I see those moments differently now, too,' Ono said. U.S. Rep. Greg Steube posted to X Tuesday that he's 'not sold' by Ono 'walking back his woke past' and called for the Board of Governors to reject the selection. Last week, Steube sent a letter to UF trustees asking them to reject Ono. Former Gov. Rick Scott said Steube 'raises important points' and called for an investigation. DeSantis said earlier this month that he does not know Ono and was not involved in making him a finalist. The governor said he would let the search play out and 'I don't think that anyone would want to come the University of Florida if your goal was to pursue a woke agenda. You're going to run into a brick wall here in the state of Florida.' DeSantis' office has played a role in guiding several university presidents to their jobs, including Ono's predecessor, Ben Sasse. DeSantis has made clear his intentions to make universities more conservative. Ono pledged 'institutional neutrality.' 'I will not use my role to promote personal beliefs on politically or socially contested issues, including climate change,' Ono said. The recommended total compensation for the president is $3 million, including potential bonuses according to trustee minutes, although his contract remains to be negotiated. Sasse's annual presidential salary was, and still is as a professor, $1 million. He could earn up to $150,000 in performance bonuses, too. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Voters, this is how little the Florida Legislature thinks of you
Early voting for the 2024 General Election started Oct. 21 for most counties in Florida. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix) You've heard of the U.S. Constitution, right? You can see one of the 1789 originals right there in the National Archives. At least until the current regime shuts the place down for harboring wokey documents. You can get yourself a cheap copy of the newest iteration — the one with the freedom of speech part as well as the birthright citizenship, the equal protection under the law, the votes for women, term limits for presidents, and other exciting stuff — small enough to fit in your pocket. Many of us feel quite attached to the Constitution. Not the current regime, of course, but, you know, actual, normal, sane Americans, at least half the country, maybe even more. Florida also has a pretty good Constitution. From time to time, citizens have voted to make it even better, trying to improve education, preserve the environment, increase the minimum wage. The problem is, the governor and the Legislature don't much like the Florida Constitution. They don't much like each other, either. And they really don't like that actual, normal, sane Floridians have been able to amend that Constitution. So now they've made it damn near impossible. A new law demands that petition circulators and petition signers provide all manner of ID, a Florida driver's license, and last four digits of their Social Security number. Only Florida residents can gather signatures. All signatures have to be turned into the supervisor of elections 10 days after the voter signs or the gatherer will be fined $50 per day per signer. If voters sign on or before Feb. 1 in an election year, the fine for late turn-ins is $100 a pop, and, if the gatherer 'acted willfully' in holding onto voter info and providing late petitions, it'll cost the gatherer $5,000 a pop. If you're not registered as a petition collector and you have in your possession more than 25 signatures in addition to your own petition form or one from a family member, you could be charged with a third-degree felony. And if Mars aligns with Saturn on a rainy Tuesday in an odd-numbered year, well, you're going to jail, Buster. The sponsors of this idiotic bill claim it's necessary, pointing to a 900-page report alleging all manner of malfeasance in the 2024 campaigns to approve reproductive rights and allow recreational marijuana use. The report was issued by Ron DeSantis' own goon squad, the Office of Election Crimes, the same clown car cops who went around arresting people for Voting While Black. This large and extensive investigation netted 18 arrests. Nearly 1 million people, real live Floridians, signed the petition. In the end, 57.2% voted 'yes' on Amendment 4; 42.8%voted 'no.' In a normal democracy, we'd call that a win. Of course, Florida is not a normal democracy: maybe not much of a democracy at all. The Legislature can stick any amendment they favor on the ballot. You, Floridian, have to jump through hoops of fire, spin straw into gold, and answer the Riddle of the Sphinx. An amendment needs 60% to pass. It used to be a simple majority, but after citizens voted in the notorious pregnant pig amendment, many thought the threshold for enshrining something in the Constitution should be higher and chose to toughen the standard. You can kind of see why: Outlawing cruelty to our porcine friends was well and good, but did it really belong in the document that lays out the ideals and laws governing the state? I mean, if you want to see an out-of-control constitution, look at Alabama's: It's around 370,000 words long and has 900 amendments addressing such issues such as playing dominoes, impersonating a preacher, and driving while blindfolded. Problem is, if you have a gerrymandered-to-all-hell Legislature, completely unresponsive to the needs of the citizens, amending the Constitution is about the only way to get genuinely important measures passed. In 2014, 75 percent of Florida voters said 'yes' to the Water and Land Conservation Act, which mandated the state use a percentage of real estate taxes to buy and manage properties critical to clean water and wildlife habitat. But the Legislature and various state agencies chose to ignore what three-quarters of Floridians clearly said they wanted. While the state bought some land with the money, it also paid for office furniture, computers, salaries, even ball caps — none of which do much for the natural environment. Politicians know better, right? Same with the class-size amendment, passed in 2002. Voters said K-12 students would learn better if classes weren't over-stuffed. Then-Gov. Jeb Bush and the Legislature shrugged and refused to enforce the will of the people. In 2020, voters said how about we gradually increase the minimum wage to a princely 15 bucks an hour by 2026? (FYI: A 'living wage' for a single person in Florida is about $23 an hour.) This year, the Legislature thought maybe we didn't really mean that and why not let employers pay less than the current minimum of $13 an hour? They called these indentured-servitude jobs 'pre-apprenticeships' and 'work-based learning opportunities' for young people who don't happen to belong to the middle-class and might learn valuable skills such as tomato-picking and lawn maintenance. In a rare moment of sanity during this year's legislative session, that bill failed. But the governor and Legislature succeeded in casting citizens' ballot initiatives as ethically and legally dubious. There was indeed an element of alleged criminality surrounding the abortion and marijuana amendments — on the governor's part. He weaponized the state against Amendment 4, sending police to petition signers' homes to question them, posting misinformation on state websites, and threatened broadcasters who ran ads promoting reproductive rights with criminal charges. Hope Florida, a foundation controlled by Casey DeSantis, used taxpayer money to fight Amendment 3. Even some Republicans were appalled by this misuse of public funds. Indeed, the only good thing about the new bill is that it bans state officials from using your money to promote or vilify a proposed amendment. It's not airtight. But maybe it will slow down Florida's march toward autocracy. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
