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‘Religious freedom’ bill to prevent gay adoptions refiled for 2016

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State Rep. Julio Gonzalez filed his first bill of the 2016 legislative year on Wednesday, and it was a doozy: a proposal to give immunity to certain businesses who wish not to render certain services on grounds of “religious freedom,” including private child-placement agencies. Specifically, the bill amends the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1998 to read that an entity owned by a religious institution is “not required to produce, create, or deliver a custom product or service that would be contrary…

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House panel pulls trigger on open carry

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

A House panel Tuesday morning advanced a bill to allow concealed weapons licensees to carry their guns openly in Florida. Or as sponsor state Rep. Matt Gaetz put it, restore a right “granted not by government, but by God.” Despite an admonishment from Chairman Carlos Trujillo to keep questions to the text of the bill itself and avoid “philosophical” discussion, the Federalist Papers, constitutional jurisprudence, and the very notion of civilization all shot through an hour-long debate on the measure, which saw testimony from…

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Rena Frazier blasts Ross Spano on upholding ban on shacking up in Florida

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Did you know that it’s technically illegal in the Sunshine State to live with a member of the opposite sex in Florida? Not that it’s being actively enforced, but yes, there has been a prohibition on cohabitation in the Sunshine State since 1968. (Michigan and Mississippi are the only other states with such a law.) Which means that, according to 2014 census data, there are nearly 438,000 unmarried male-female couples among the state’s 7.3 million households. However, for those couples…

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Former RPOF chair Leslie Dougher announces run for House District 19 seat

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Former Republican Party of Florida chair and current Clay County Chair Leslie Dougher is running for state House District 19, becoming the third Republican to get into the contest. HD 19 encompasses southern Clay County and all of Putnam, Bradford and Union counties. “Today I am excited to announce my candidacy for House District 19,” Dougher said in a statement issued Tuesday night. “Hard work and determination will set our campaign apart and deliver a new voice in Tallahassee that will…

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New law requires made-in-USA flags for Florida governmental use

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Gov. Rick Scott signed HB 225 into law today, formally codifying into state statute that all state, county and municipal governments that purchase American flags for public use must do so from manufacturers based in the United States. The bill provides, according to staff analysis, that: “The United States and state flags must be displayed in certain venues under current law. The United States flag must be displayed at the state capitol and at every county courthouse, public auditorium, polling station on…

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Florida Legislature passes expanded access to overdose treatment drug

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Florida lawmakers approved a medication that could save lives during a drug overdose, with a bill now awaiting Gov. Rick Scott’s signature. On Tuesday, the Legislature passed SB 758/HB 751, known as the Emergency Treatment for Opioid Overdose Act, which increases availability of Naloxone, a drug that immediately reverses effects of opioids — prescription painkillers, heroin and the like — in the event of an overdose. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 44,000 people lost their lives to…

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House panel votes to urge president & Congress to potentially increase sanctions on Iran

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Talks to secure a preliminary accord that would limit Iran’s nuclear program continued today in Lausanne, Switzerland, a day after negotiators extended the March 31 deadline. There is tremendous pressure on the Obama administration, with members of Congress already prepared to denounce an agreement between the P+1 nations and Iran that has yet to be finalized. A coalition of Republican lawmakers and some key Democrats in the Senate say they’re poised to impose additional sanctions on Iran, depending on the…

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