Jason Delgado
UPDATE: After publication, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried was later granted one minute to address the Florida Board of Education.
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Agricultural Commissioner Nikki Fried vowed to “speak out” Tuesday after her request to testify at a state Board of Education meeting went unacknowledged by Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran.
In the request sent Monday, Fried voiced opposition to plans by Gov. Ron DeSantis to impose financial consequences against school districts who implement mask mandates on school grounds.
At the Tuesday emergency meeting, the State Board of Education will consider funding cuts against two school districts — Alachua and Broward — Corcoran deemed “non-compliant.”
The school districts require students and teachers to wear masks in school and only allow opt-outs in certain instances.
“There can be no room for error or leniency when it comes to complying with your agency’s and our state’s constitutional requirements and the health and educational needs of children,” Fried wrote in the letter.
Fried, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, asserted that masks are the most effective COVID-19 mitigation tool for children, who are ineligible for vaccination.
Without masks, she contended, Florida cannot uphold its constitutional obligation to “protect the lives” of students and staff.
“Well over one thousand students across the state are currently quarantined due to COVID-19 outbreaks in and around Florida schools,” Fried wrote in the letter. “Florida leads the nation in child hospitalizations due to COVID-19, with pediatric ICU capacity close to zero at the present time.”
Notably, the Republican Governor’s plans to impose sanctions have drawn the ire of the White House.
In early August, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki acknowledged the White House is indeed searching for legal avenues to intervene.
DeSantis, meanwhile, vowed to “fight back.”
“It’s about parental choice, not government mandate,” DeSantis told reporters in August.
Fried will host a COVID-19 press conference at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday with educational professionals and the parents and grandparents of students at the Florida Capitol.
Yesterday, I wrote @EducationFL Commissioner @richardcorcoran seeking to testify at today’s emergency meeting on punishing local school districts for keeping kids and teachers safe from #COVID19.
He hasn’t responded. But I’m speaking out anyway — 3:15 PM on @floridachannel. pic.twitter.com/xJ1FJTBZjk
— Commissioner Nikki Fried (@NikkiFriedFL) August 17, 2021
24 comments
Cliff Gephart
August 17, 2021 at 2:06 pm
I thought schools could implement dress codes, no?
And funding cuts for schools who want to keep the students safe isn’t the great look that MoRon DeathSantis seems to think it is.
I mean, after one week nearly 150 kids in Pasco County tested positive, and nearly 6,000 in Hillsborough are no Quarantined.
This idiot governor has lost his damn mind.
Ed
August 17, 2021 at 4:00 pm
Dress codes in schools. Ha! Ha! Don’t you know the liberals want the kids to express themselves with no consequences. You are dating yourself thinking “dress codes”.
Anna
August 18, 2021 at 1:16 am
My neighbor’s aunt makes 62 every hour on the internet..l she has been without work for eight months but the previous month her revenue was 19022 only working on the laptop 5 hours a day..
check this …… …. http://SwagTip.com
Gabby
August 17, 2021 at 2:12 pm
Funding cuts ultimately only punishes the students and their parents.
Why does DeSantis hate Florida’s children and public education so much?
Ed
August 17, 2021 at 2:14 pm
A couple of things. One, when was the last time Fried actually sat in her office and performed work as the Ag Commissioner? Two, I can see why she is friends with Rebekah Jones. Both of them are crazy as hell.
tjb
August 17, 2021 at 3:17 pm
Ed, “Health and Safety” is a department that falls under the works of the AG Commissioner. Covid is a health and safety concern in our education system.She is doing her job.
The question is why was she left out of the meeting addressing health and safety policies for Florida schools.
Tom
August 17, 2021 at 3:33 pm
Progress will be made with out her.
She can go to the curb.
tjb
August 17, 2021 at 3:57 pm
So you don’t want her to do her job? Her input is not allowed. Is the boys club excluding Nikki because her thoughts are not the same as theirs? Is Democracy Dead when a top-ranking elected leader is denied from participating in a policy meeting?
Tom P
August 18, 2021 at 9:18 am
Nice try! Just a little research will show that the State Surgeon General reports directly to the Governor. The Ag Department is responsible for food and agriculture safety, not human health.
tjb
August 18, 2021 at 10:54 am
Good catch, I am busted. I figured that the other Tom would have never noticed the misdirection. Regardless her voice should not be denied.
Tom
August 17, 2021 at 3:19 pm
That’s a fake story.
That has not happened anywhere is the country or the world. Liar, haters.
Tom
August 17, 2021 at 3:32 pm
You are the idiot partisan Democrat hack.
tjb
August 17, 2021 at 4:09 pm
Tom,
Wow, a whole one minute. Generous! How long did the meeting last, two minutes? Both would have last longer than yours … sorry can’t say it, it is too premature to make a derogatory comment.
Ed
August 17, 2021 at 4:14 pm
Everyone knows that the self promoter was going to use this meeting to campaign for Governor. That’s what she has been doing since she plastered her picture on every gas pump in Florida.
Tjb
August 17, 2021 at 4:22 pm
And DeSantis never self promote? What time is he on Fox tonight to campaign for President? Funny how politicians self promote, maybe it is a part of their endless campaigning.
Ed
August 17, 2021 at 5:11 pm
TJB,
Fried is on so often on MSNBC (no one watches). that they should give her own show.
Tom
August 17, 2021 at 5:41 pm
Wah, Wah, Wah.
Tjb, call Alex, Frankie, TomPalmer.
This new one Gephardt.
Tom
August 17, 2021 at 4:19 pm
Just go to the local street
Curb.
Tom
August 17, 2021 at 8:45 pm
That never stopped you.
You can’t help yourself Tjb.
Laughing, so Nikki Fraud was fried!
Perfect, can’t make it up.
She’s such a cannabis queen loser.
On another point, DHS announced up to 20 pct of the illegals have Covid.
BTW, Tjb maybe you or your Manchurians can answer why your team Biden, POTUS has not named a FDA commissioner. Why is that? 6 months later. Inept.
Also, over 100,000,000 million people have taken the vaccines. Why hasn’t FDA approved the emergency use of the vaccine? You purposefully questioned the monoclonal lack of FDA approvals. Cause Gov Ron created a strike force brilliantly to provide the monoclonal. Typical of your hate and hypocrisy. America’s Governor.
Robert Miller
August 18, 2021 at 2:26 pm
It just to bad Nikki Fried will more than likely win in the midterm and be our next governor by have recreational marijuana as a primary platform. me personally i do support recreational adult use but it is not the only reason i would vote for ether one of them. Although i can’t say the same for most of the millennial I’ve talked to. As a governor i think desantis is doing a great job and only disagree with him on couple things or to tell the truth one thing (pot). Maybe because i am not only a pothead i am also a patient and have been for many years but even the medical marijuana system here in florida is for lack of a better word is broken. And Fried would not make it better for anyone except big cannabis because that is where her loyalty lies.
Tjb
August 17, 2021 at 9:43 pm
Tom, do you even a a simple understanding on how the FDA approve drugs? The answers is NO. Also, you never show your source for 20% of the illegals having Covid. And if they did have Covid, did our law enforcement protecting our borders returned the immigrants to their homeland? So many of your comments are simply FALSE and not very well researched.
PS …hate is not having different views.
Tom
August 17, 2021 at 11:24 pm
You asked today if the monoclonal was approved? You did earlier.
You didn’t question the vaccine, with over 100,000,000 million shots. How many samples are needed? Mr fda ? To approve the Covid vax? Oh yeah,he hadn’t named an FDA comm. How incompetent is that. You are an idiot. Depart of HS reported up to 20% have Covid crossing illegally. Go do some research. NIH Collins confirmed on Chris Wallace Sunday.
No your illegals are not turned away, how ignorant are you?
Allow the illegals and strand the Americans in Kabul.
Your comments are ludicrous. You are a cocoon liberal. I stepped on Alex and you got seconds and thirds.
I suffer Manchurians gladly.
And yes it’s hate, you and the rest engage in. Enjoy.
Tom
August 17, 2021 at 11:24 pm
You asked today if the monoclonal was approved? You did earlier.
You didn’t question the vaccine, with over 100,000,000 million shots. How many samples are needed? Mr fda ? To approve the Covid vax? Oh yeah,he hadn’t named an FDA comm. How incompetent is that. You are an idiot. Depart of HS reported up to 20% have Covid crossing illegally. Go do some research. NIH Collins confirmed on Chris Wallace Sunday.
No your illegals are not turned away, how ignorant are you?
Allow the illegals and strand the Americans in Kabul.
Your comments are ludicrous. You are a cocoon liberal. I stepped on Alex and you got seconds and thirds.
I suffer Manchurians gladly.
And yes it’s hate, you and the rest engage in. Enjoy.
Evan Miller
August 18, 2021 at 7:52 am
Having Nicki Fried at the meeting, is like having Jim Acosta at a press conference.
Comments are closed.