Ok, one thing to point out - regardless of where you stand on mask mandates - school district budgets are a combination of federal, state and local tax dollars. School district budgets are not appropriated by the Florida Legislature
The way it works is this way: The Florida Legislature set asides money for school districts in several distinct categories. The biggest category is the FEFP & it is technically a matching program - In other words, districts must abide by certain requirements to draw down the $
A school district could theoretically tell the state - we don't want the state money from FEFP. Not saying it would happen, but some districts have contemplated it because they weren't allowed to use enough of their own local property tax money.
The Legislature each year adopts by reference the FEFP funding sheet that spells out how that's year formula will be applied to each district. In the EO, the governor said that the state could "withhold" money to districts that did not comply with order
Then the administration said yesterday they were talking about withholding the money of superintendents & school board members. So how is that even legal? Well today @richardcorcoran told districts they may withhold an "amount equal" to their salaries. See the distinction?
A reflection of this ongoing balancing act: For years the Legislature was highly resistant to taking action to boost teacher salaries - they argued that's a local decision. Under @GovRonDeSantis they revamped the FEFP so that a portion of the money goes directly to salaries
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@politico And to follow that up. ... During a p.m. press conferencce @GovRonDeSantis has a scripted response to @POTUS "Governor who" quip.
"Well, I guess I’m not surprised that Biden doesn’t remember me. I guess the question is, is what else has he forgotten? Biden’s forgotten about the crisis at our Southern border, I can tell you that....."
Spent 2 plus hours watching a court hearing over Norwegian' Cruise Line's lawsuit seeking to strike down Florida's vaccine passport ban.
and well it was something....
Derek Shaffer, the lawyer representing Norwegian, framed Florida's new vaccine passport ban law this way... It basically protects liars who don't want to show documentation of their status. Bc nothing in law says a cruise line can't ask.....they can't ask for proof
Shaffer also said that Fla. legislators did not offer any evidence as to why law was needed. Showed to judge an exchange btw @DannyBurgessFL & @TinaPolsky where she asked why schools need proof of other vaccines but not this one. Burgess doesn't really answer the question
The audit - which looked at how the state Division of Elections reviewed voter files from 2017 to 2019 - found one instance where someone who was listed as dead voted 219 days later.
Auditors, however, said they did not find any "widespread irregularities" or "pervasive errors." Important to note - audit mostly covered period before passage of Amendment 4
Attorneys for @GovRonDeSantis late last night filed - like at 11:57 p.m. - responded to SCOFLA on Francis appointment battle. At 12:22 a.m. lawyers for governor asked for oral argument in the case
The governor's legal team is asserting that Rep. Thompson erred by asking him to choose someone else on finalist list other than Francis. Says governor should still have a chance to appoint Francis (even though the court already said she was ineligible.)
Then the legal team for the governor has an entire section on whether the governor made an appointment or merely announced an appointment
On the same day that @realDonaldTrump says schools must open in fall @EducationFL Commissioner @richardcorcoran issues an executive order ordering it to happen...and this might be...
@realDonaldTrump@EducationFL@richardcorcoran@GovRonDeSantis The reason this is so fascinating? Because apparently the governor and state officials were hesitant to close schools for elections - and if you recall they gingerly asked schools to close in spring...
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday took steps to help localities prepare for what could be high voter turnout this year, but stopped short of extending early voting or letting counties consolidate polling places in the battleground....
DeSantis called on schools to close during the August primary and November general election to make room for what might be record voter turnout. He also issued an executive order that makes it easier for state employees to work at the polls on Election Day.