Staff Reports
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
The Florida Department of Health on Wednesday issued guidance on health care for transgender youth that clashes with recommendations from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, drawing the ire of LGBTQ rights advocates.
The state guidance, which is nonbinding, says minors should not receive care that aids them in transition, such as hormone therapy or gender reassignment surgery. The Florida Department of Health instead recommends transgender youth receive social support and counseling.
The state’s memo comes after HHS published a fact sheet that supported the use of gender-affirming health care for minors, calling it “crucial to overall health and well-being.”
After DOH released its memo, LGBTQ rights group Equality Florida said the state’s guidance is “political propaganda” from the Gov. Ron DeSantis administration that will harm young people.
“This guidance demonizes lifesaving, medically necessary care and asserts that the government, not parents, knows best when it comes to health care for our children. And, once again, DeSantis wants the government to intrude into doctors’ offices to pander to extremists in service to his political ambitions,” the organization said in a statement.
“Parents should be deciding, in partnership with their child’s doctor, based on science, not politics, what is best for their children. Gov. DeSantis’ runaway agenda of banning books, muzzling teachers, censoring history, and pushing government control is putting a handful of extremists in charge of every aspect of the lives of Floridians and is making the state less safe for LGBTQ families, especially transgender children.”
Evening Reads
“Florida Senate gives Gov. Ron DeSantis his congressional map; Blacks would lose two seats” via Michael Moline of the Florida Phoenix
“Behind the lines: Redistricting legislation carries more than maps” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics
“Florida releases guidance clashing with HHS advice on transgender kids” via Arek Sarkissian of POLITICO Florida
“Senate approves bill to remove Disney’s government” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics
“Senate votes to repeal Disney Plus carve-out from Big Tech law” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics
“Gov. DeSantis move to punish Disney threatens tiny water district hundreds of miles away in Broward” via Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“Democrats take cautious look ahead to property insurance Special Session” via Gray Rohrer of Florida Politics
“Housing bubbles have hit Florida hard. Is it ready for another one?” via Bernadette Berychowski of the Tampa Bay Times
“Charlie Crist questions DeSantis’ ‘free state’ motto as GOP targets Disney” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics
“Nikki Fried’s run for Florida Governor is inextricably tied to her marijuana advocacy” via Kirby Wilson of the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times
“A megafire raged for 3 months. No one’s on the hook for its emissions” via Amanda Coletta, Chris Mooney, Brady Dennis, Naema Ahmed and John Muyskens of The Washington Post
“More pandemic fallout: The chronically absent student” via Jacey Fortin of The New York Times
“Altamonte Springs homeowner faces foreclosure as state sits on $675 million in mortgage relief” via Trevor Fraser of the Orlando Sentinel
Quote of the Day
“This is kind of like parents putting their kids on restrictions. Clean up your act, apologize, say you’re sorry, and agree to change your behavior, and maybe you’ll get your phone back.”
— Sen. Loranne Ausley, on legislation removing Disney’s government.
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