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Detectives look for assistance with Courtney Campbell Causeway child homicide
According to a police report, Tampa Police Department detectives are investigating a homicide in the 8500 block of the Courtney Campbell Causeway after a 7-year-old was shot last night around 8 pm. The child who was shot was transported to a local hospital and pronounced dead. A second victim was an adult man. He suffered a gunshot wound to his hand and was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The scene is still active with officers gathering evidence and speaking to witnesses. Anyone who may have information that could assist detectives with their investigation is asked to call 813-231-6130.
New law in effect July 1st puts children and families first
Florida now has a permanent sales tax exemption on many essentials for babies and toddlers. That’s after Governor Ron DeSantis signed a package of sweeping tax breaks – including for diapers. It went into effect on July 1st. Breast pumps and incontinence pads are also among the tax-exempt items. The law also includes a number of temporary sales tax holidays on other needs like storm supplies. One of those is coming up from August 26th to September 8th.
Latinx evangelical voters react to new laws impacting immigrants
The Tampa Bay Times reports that despite new laws impacting immigrants directly, many of Florida’s Latinx Evangelicals still plan to back Governor Ron Desantis.
Cuban Migrants have been taken into custody by Border Patrol in Key West.
In the past week, 35 migrants were taken into custody after their boat reached the shores of Key West. As of May, officials with Miami’s Customs and Border Patrol field office have encountered more than 128,000 migrants traveling by boat. That’s more than 4 times the total amount from 2022 as Federal and State sanctions have slowed landings. The majority of boats are intercepted ahead of reaching the Florida Staights.
Preliminary injunction has blocked election law changes
A federal judge Monday blocked parts of a new elections law challenged by voter-registration groups, saying the case “arises from Florida’s latest assault on the right to vote,” Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker issued a preliminary injunction against parts of the law that would prevent non-U.S. citizens from “collecting or handling” voter-registration applications and make it a felony for voter-registration group workers to keep personal information of voters. Walker sided with groups such as the NAACP, the League of Women Voters of Florida and Hispanic Federation that argued the changes are unconstitutional. The law, (SB 7050), which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed in May, made a series of changes in Florida’s elections system, particularly focused on “third-party” voter registration groups. DeSantis and other state Republican leaders argued, in part, that the law was needed to ensure that elections are secure. But voter registration groups quickly filed lawsuits challenging the law and seeking a preliminary injunction. They said the groups play an important role in signing up Hispanic and Black voters.
