DeSantis redistricting map draws fierce opposition, masks are now optional at Orlando International Airport, state health officials move to ban approved treatments for trans youth and other news you may have missed last week. »
After Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed into law new congressional district lines that he pushed lawmakers to pass, the controversial plan immediately drew a legal challenge. Voting-rights groups including the League of Women Voters of Florida filed a lawsuit in Leon County circuit court contending the congressional map fails to comply with state redistricting laws and is “a naked attempt” by DeSantis to “rig” congressional elections for Republicans. During a special legislative session this week, Republican lawmakers passed the plan, which was drawn up by DeSantis’ office. The bill drew fierce opposition, at least in part because it likely will reduce the number of Black Democrats elected to Congress. “The League (of Women Voters) and the other plaintiffs have chosen to not stand by while a rogue governor and a complicit state Legislature make a mockery of Florida’s Constitution and try to silence the votes and voices of hundreds of thousands of Black voters,” LWVOF President Cecile Scoon said. Joining the League of Women Voters in the lawsuit were the Black Votes Matters Capacity Building Institute, the Equal Ground Education Fund, the League of Women Voters of Florida Education Fund, Florida Rising Together, and 12 registered Democrats from Duval, Leon, Seminole, Orange, Pinellas, Hillsborough and Miami-Dade counties.
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Orlando Rep. Anna Eskamani roasts Randy Fine on CNBC for taking Disney’s ‘woke money’ In the midst of Florida Republicans’ ongoing tiff with the Walt Disney Company, CNBC invited two local legislators onto their morning show Squawk Box to duke it out. Orlando Rep. Anna Eskamani and Brevard County Rep. Randy Fine offered their takes on the fight against the company’s mild and ineffectual criticisms. And Eskamani took the opportunity to drag Fine over the coals for the Disney money in his political war chest. “Randy Fine has taken over $20,000 from Disney in political contributions. This ‘woke money’ he has not yet returned,” said Eskamani. Fine alleged that Disney was running afoul of its fiduciary duty to shareholders by speaking out against legislation harmful to LGBTQ people. Eskamani noted that she has never taken a dime in political contributions from Disney. Ultimately, Eskamani linked Republican outrage to Disney turning off the money spigot after facing backlash for the way it handled the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. “That’s really what this about. Florida Republicans want Disney to get back in line, continue to donate to their coffers and be silent in the face of injustice,” Eskamani said.
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her “not qualified” for the position, noting that she has next to no experience inside a courtroom. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis praised Mizelle for “follow[ing] the law” and ending the “misery” of wearing a piece of paper on your face for an hour. Former Surgeon General Jerome Adams, also a Trump appointee, criticized the ruling on Twitter, asking how a single unelected official could jeopardize the health of millions of Americans. The Department of Justice appealed the ruling Wednesday after the CDC determined that masking is still necessary for public health and safety.
Gov. DeSantis’ newly approved Florida congressional districts draw instant legal challenge
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Florida Department of Health issues guidance against genderaffirming treatment for trans youth Flying in the face of opinions from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Florida Department of Heath is urging state doctors not to give gender-affirming care to transgender youth. The FDOH issued a statement claiming that “current evidence does not support the use of puberty blockers, hormone treatments or surgical procedures for children and adolescents.” The statement comes as part of a wave of anti-trans legislation and rhetoric by state leaders. The Florida Legislature recently passed laws barring trans youth from competing in high school sports and another making discussion of gender identity in public schools illegal. Gov. Ron DeSantis followed that up by declaring the second-place finisher in a women’s swimming race to be the winner after realizing the champion was transgender. HHS did not mince words in a statement declaring that gender-affirming care is better for the mental health of trans youth than the alternative. “Attempts to restrict, challenge or falsely characterize this potentially lifesaving care as abuse is dangerous. Such attempts block parents from making critical health care decisions for their children, create a chilling effect on health care providers who are necessary to provide care for these youth, and ultimately negatively impact the health and well-being of transgender and gender nonconforming youth,” they shared in a statement.
Orlando had the third-highest increase in rent in the nation over the last year Renters are suffering under a sudden and intense increase in their monthly rent. The pain was particularly acute in Orlando, where rent year-over-year experienced some of the largest jumps in the entire United States. The roughly 25 percent jump in average rent since spring of 2020 is the third-highest in the nation, according to a recent report from Zillow. The only two cities suffering through greater spikes are our neighbors: Tampa and Miami. Tampa has seen a 28 percent increase in average asking rent, and Miami’s average rent has jumped by nearly a third. The rent surge has forced local lawmakers to consider novel solutions. Orange County Commissioner Emily Bonilla floated the idea of a percentage cap on rent increases, and State Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith asked the governor to declare the housing crisis a state of emergency. Studies on relative affordability have found that Orlando is less affordable for the people who live and work in it than notoriously pricey San Francisco.
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Face masks are now optional at Orlando International Airport Shortly after a Florida judge struck down the CDC’s mask mandate on planes, trains and buses, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority announced that they won’t be requiring face masks for travelers inside MCO. The law was stuck down by Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, a Trump appointee who had never tried a case as a lead attorney before receiving her lifetime appointment to the federal judiciary. The American Bar Association called orlandoweekly.com ● APRIL 27-MAY 3, 2022 ● ORLANDO WEEKLY
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