Latest news with #TomLeek
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Black history museum makes it through Senate, remains stalled in House
Senators gather in their chamber for the opening day of session on March 4, 2025. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix) The Florida Senate voted unanimously on Wednesday to pick St. Johns County as the site of the state's Black history museum. St. Augustine Republican Sen. Tom Leek sponsored the bill, SB 466, which would establish a board of directors to oversee construction and operation of the museum. The governor, Senate president, and House speaker would each appoint three board members. The legislative leaders would also appoint two lawmakers from each chamber. Although the upper chamber's vote brings the museum closer to the finish line, the House version of the bill hasn't been heard as the time to move forward policy in this year's session dwindles. However, the Senate and House budgets both include a $1 million appropriation for the museum. 'Understanding Black history is crucial because it's an integral part of American history, a beautiful part of Florida history,' said St. Petersburg Democratic Sen. Darryl Rouson, a co-sponsor of the bill. 'It illuminates the struggles and triumphs of a people who have significantly contributed to the shaping of not only the nation, but of the state. Importantly, it's contributed to the very uniqueness of the state of Florida.' The vote comes two years after the Legislature created a task force to recommend a location for the museum, a design, a business plan, and its educational content. However, the museum's potential site became the task force's focus over its 10 meetings as St. Johns County and Eatonville in Orange County emerged as the leading locations. The late Orlando Democratic Sen. Geraldine Thompson, who chaired the task force, wanted the museum in Eatinville, one of the first self-governing Black municipalities in the country. Florida Memorial University agreed to lease 17 acres of land for the museum, about a 10-minute drive outside of St. Augustine. St. Johns County was the site of Florida's first Black settlement (Fort Mose) in 1738, when the Spanish still colonized the region. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Designation of West Augustine as home of Black History Museum uncertain despite senate support
The Florida Senate unanimously gave the green light to constructing the future Florida Museum of Black History in West Augustine Wednesday, but there are some indications that the plan could be in trouble in the House. The legislation passed by the Florida Senate follows through on the selection made by a state task force last summer. 'The story of Florida cannot be told without also telling the story of Black Floridians,' said Senate sponsor Tom Leek (R-St. Augustine). But the deal isn't set in stone. The House companion bill hasn't even been scheduled for its first of three committee hearings, despite there only being just over three weeks remaining in the legislative session. There is $1 million included in both the House and Senate budgets for phase one of the museum's construction in West Augustine, but in the House budget, there's also $375,000 included for construction of the Florida Museum of Black History in Opa-Loka. Opa-Locka was one of the finalists under consideration by the task force last year, but it lost out to West Augustine in the end. We reached out to State Representative Kyan Michael (R-Jacksonville Beach), who is sponsoring the House bill designating West Augustine as the museum's future home for an update on the legislation's status, but didn't hear back. Before the start of the session, bills seeking to have the museum built in both Opa-Locka and Eatonville were also filed. At the time, St. Johns County Commissioner Sarah Arnold (R-District 2) told us she was confident the legislature would follow through with the task force's recommendation and support West Augustine as the museum's future home. 'We went through the process, which was unanimously supported on both sides of the aisle, and again, we won on our merits alone. I don't think that it's going to hinder us getting this museum at all,' said Arnold in a February interview. The House has yet to take action on any of the three bills seeking to designate the future home of the Black History Museum. Commissioner Arnold told Action News Jax, so long as the phase one funding makes it into the final budget and that competing funding doesn't, it shouldn't matter whether the West Augustine bill passes. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida Senate passes Officer Jason Raynor Act
The Florida Senate passed the Officer Jason Raynor Act on Thursday. The measure was postponed last week after some lawmakers took issue with the language in the bill. Ormond Beach Republican Tom Leek returned to the Senate floor with an amendment that addressed his colleagues' concerns. Raynor was working in uniform for the Daytona Beach Police Department when he was shot and killed in the line of duty in 2021. The legislation will enhance penalties for people found guilty of killing a police officer. The bill will now go to the House floor for a vote. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida animal abusers may soon show up on a statewide list. What to know about SB 494
In 2015, an Ocala man pleaded guilty to three counts of cruelty to animals after stabbing and beating his then-girlfriend's dog, Molly, the previous year. The dog suffered a fractured skull and three stab wounds to the head. Molly survived and became the namesake of Molly's Law, an ordinance adopted in Marion County that established a public registry listing people convicted in the county of animal cruelty-related crimes to allow residents, pet sellers and rescue organizations to make sure they are not placing an animal with an animal abuser. A bill in this year's legislative session would make a similar registry statewide, much like the sex offender registry. 'Most notably, such access is critical to animal adoption organizations to ensure that perpetrators are disqualified as recipients of animals seeking placement,' said Sen. Tom Leek, R-St. Augustine, who filed the bill in the Senate. Molly, an American boxer mix who became a beloved ambassador for animal rights, died in 2023 at the age of 15. SB 494, Animal Cruelty is very short. It simply adds this requirement to state animal cruelty laws: "Beginning January 1, 2026, the Department of Law Enforcement shall post on its website, in a searchable format prescribed by the department, the names of those individuals who have been convicted of, or who have entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, a violation of this section." An identical bill, HB 455, was filed in the House by Rep. Meg Weinberger, R-Palm Beach Gardens. It doesn't go quite as far as Molly's Law, which also fines offenders an extra amount to cover the costs of the registry, requires them to notify the county if they move or change their name, and blocks them from owning or working with animals or living in the same residence as one. There are currently 11 or 12 Florida counties with animal abuse registries, SPCA of Ocala President Lilly Baron (and the person who adopted Molly) told but they are not consistent, with different data and different periods of time for offenders to stay listed. Florida dogfighting law: Florida man gets 7 years for dogfighting. What is Florida, federal law? How to spot signs Hillsborough County started one just before Marion did. Volusia County added one after Ponce's Law — named after a 9-month-old Labrador puppy was beaten to death in Ponce Inlet — strengthened the severity of animal-abuse-related crimes and allowed judges to bar people convicted of animal cruelty from owning pets. 'The registry is the thing that's going to be the kicker, make the difference throughout the state," Baron said. Leek also filed SB 502, which would strengthen penalties of anyone convicted of animal cruelty toward a domestic animal as a primary offense. In 2018, he was the primary sponsor of the House version of Ponce's Law. According to Florida statutes: It's a first-degree misdemeanor to unnecessarily overload, overdrive, torment, starve, mutilate, or kill any animal, or to carry them in a cruel or inhumane manner, punishable by up to a year in prison and/or a fine of up to $5,000. A person who intentionally excessively or repeatedly hurts an animal or kills one, or has custody or control of the animal and fails to prevent excessive pain or death, commits animal cruelty, a felony of the third degree, punishable by up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000. If the person is found to have intentionally tortured or tormented the animal leading to injuries, mutilation or death must pay a minimum mandatory fine of $2,500 and undergo psychological counseling or complete an anger management treatment program on first offense. On second or subsequent offenses, it's a minimum mandatory fine of $5,000 and a minimum mandatory six months in prison without eligibility of parole. A person committing multiple acts of cruelty on an animal, or acts of cruelty on multiple animals, may be charged for each individual offense. It's a third-degree felony to intentionally trip, fell, rope or lasso the legs of a horse for entertainment or sport purposes. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida animal cruelty registry bill would be similar to Molly's Law
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawmakers gear up for Black History Museum battle
Months after a committee selected St. Augustine as the preferred location of a future Florida Black History Museum in a vote tainted by controversy, a new battle appears to be taking shape in Tallahassee. Lawmakers have filed three competing proposals for facilities in St. Augustine, Opa-Locka and Eatonville, which were the three finalists weighed by committee members. Each bill professes its site as the best location and asks for state funding to help get the project moving. St. Augustine's bill cites the committee selection, while its backers spoke about the historic city and the tourism it draws. 'The great thing about putting it in the St. Augustine area is that tourism is driven by people who are studying history,' Sen. Tom Leek (R-St. Johns) said in an interview with WJAX. 'People who want to come to the nation's oldest city, right?' Opa-Locka's proposal says the city is the most ready to break ground and asked for $1.5 million to help construct a temporary museum until a proper project is advanced. Rep. Bruce Antone (D-Orange) filed Eatonville's proposal Thursday and marveled at the site right off I-4 and minutes from the world's tourism capital. 'The best quality museum is best suited for Orlando,' he said. Antone's proposal asks for $75 million over five years and frames the museum as a Florida Museum of History. While much of the space would be dedicated to Black history, he said at least a third would go to exhibits showcasing nature, citrus, railroads, rockets and the Cuban migration. Because of this, Antone said his bid did not compete with the other two. 'It's going to be a tough road ahead, but again, I'm just going to try to outwork and outsell my colleagues. I think we can get it done,' he said, predicting any museum in Orlando would be self-sufficient once it's operational. 'It can be an economic driver and work if done properly.' Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
