New College of Florida professors denied tenure
New College of Florida’s board of trustees declined to grant tenure to five veteran faculty members last night, a controversial move critics say stems from inappropriate interference from the Sarasota school’s president, Richard Corcoran. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports the vote followed a heated debate among the trustees, frequently interrupted by jeers and chants of “shame on you” from a crowd of onlookers who sat through the nearly 3 hour-long meeting.
The move comes as the new conservative majority board seeks to use 15 million dollars in state funding to attract new teachers, while dismissing calls from about 50 public speakers to retain professors by awarding them tenure. Students and some board members worry about what this could mean for the liberal college’s future.
Many Tampa Bay residents near poverty
More than 600,000 families across Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota and DeSoto counties are living paycheck to paycheck, according to a new report from the United Way. That’s the equivalent of 2 in 5 households on the brink of poverty. As the Tampa Bay Times reports, the system of measurement — called the ALICE threshold — uses census data and cost of living adjustments specific to ZIP codes to identify working poor households. ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.
The report published yesterday documents the pandemic’s effect on Floridians living below the ALICE threshold. During the first two years of the pandemic, the number of households statewide grew by 227,000. The most vulnerable are single people under the age of 25, Black and Hispanic households and seniors. Florida has one of the highest percentages of households struggling to make ends meet. It ranks 44th among states for financial security.
House bill could prohibit living wage ordinances
Tens of thousands of Floridians could eventually see their paychecks slashed under a bill advancing through the state Legislature. HB 917 would prohibit local “living wage” ordinances like the ones passed by St. Petersburg and Miami-Dade County. The Tampa Bay Times reports the bill has the backing of powerful business groups including the Florida Chamber of Commerce. But labor unions and Florida’s counties argue the bill would hurt some of the state’s lowest-paid workers while the cost of living continues to rise. Bill sponsor, New Port Richey Republican Brad Yeager said the labor market will dictate how much people should be paid.
Senate bill could aid DeSantis if he runs for president
DeSantis assembling campaign staff for presidential bid
Meanwhile, DeSantis is quietly assembling a senior staff for a possible 2024 presidential campaign that the Guardian reports will be headed by his top political adviser, Generra Peck, with around seven other Republican operatives serving as top advisers, according to two people familiar with the matter. Peck is one of DeSantis’s most trusted advisers, who most recently shepherded his 2022 gubernatorial re-election win against Democrat Charlie Crist.
Eight Florida school districts to sue social media companies
Orange County Public Schools is considering joining eight other school districts in Florida and throughout the country in a lawsuit against major social media companies. Companies being targeted include Tik Tok, YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat.
Information from the Florida Public Radio network, News Service of Florida and Associated Press was used in this report.
