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<\/a>\nFederal appeals court blocks ‘Stop Woke’ law<\/p>\n
A federal appeals court ruling blocked Florida\u2019s law that bans \u201cwoke\u201d instruction at public universities.<\/p>\n
The Stop Woke law was passed in 2022. It was pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis as a defense against \u201cindoctrinating\u201d students. It restricts how colleges and universities can teach concepts of race and gender.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, a panel of judges struck down the Florida law, saying it violated the free speech rights of professors.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ideas Florida targets may well be noxious. Or maybe not. Either way, in this context the First Amendment trusts students to figure it out for themselves. We affirm the district court\u2019s preliminary injunction,\u201d the court said in the opinion.<\/p>\n
DeSantis responded to the ruling on a post on X.<\/p>\n
\u201cState universities are funded by taxpayers and directed by elected officials and their appointees. The state has both a right and a responsibility to ensure instruction at these universities is consistent with the underlying mission and to exclude indoctrination and ideological agendas.<\/p>\n
Florida was correct to bar CRT and DEI. We also have a right to do so.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve seen so many institutions get corrupted by ideology, and universities have been perhaps the most common. The Constitution does not block us from fighting back against these ideological fads and from ensuring that our institutions stand on a solid intellectual foundation.<\/p>\n
This is a clear and unfortunate example of judicial overreach.\u201d<\/p>\n
Longtime state senator Jack Latvala dies at 74<\/p>\n
A longtime Florida senator who represented Pinellas County for several years has died.<\/p>\n
Jack Latvala was 74.<\/p>\n
His son, Pinellas County Commissioner Chris Latvala, announced his father\u2019s death on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
In a statement, Chris Latvala said, “We are grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers and support during this difficult time. Jack dedicated a lifetime to public service and was honored to serve the community he loved. We appreciate everyone\u2019s kindness as our family mourns this tremendous loss.”<\/p>\n
Born in Oxford, Mississippi, and raised in Bartow, Jack Latvala graduated from Stetson University before becoming a well-known name in Florida politics.<\/p>\n
A Republican, the elder Latvala served two stints in the state Senate, once from 1994 to 2002 and then again from 2010 to 2018.<\/p>\n
Latvala stepped down from his state Senate position in 2018, and a gubernatorial bid, following allegations of sexual harassment from female staffers and lobbyists.<\/p>\n