Staff Reports
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist will mark the one-year anniversary of his gubernatorial campaign launch on Wednesday in Tampa.
The Crist campaign said that the candidate will deliver a “major speech outlining his vision for Florida and taking the fight to Ron DeSantis.” The 11:30 a.m. event will be livestreamed on the campaign’s Facebook page.
Crist, who announced his run for Governor in the historic neighborhood of The Deuces in St. Petersburg, has spent the last year crisscrossing the state and appears to be the front-runner in the three-way Democratic Primary for Governor.
Entering April, the former Governor raised more than $8 million between his campaign and committee accounts. He has also secured endorsements from more than 150 community leaders and elected officials and typically leads challengers Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and state Sen. Annette Taddeo in polls of the Primary race.
DeSantis, however, holds a strong lead in the money race with nearly $100 million raised and he likewise leads in the polls with a recent measure from the Florida Chamber of Commerce giving him an 11% edge over Crist if he is the Democratic nominee.
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Florida’s 2nd Judicial Circuit is celebrating “Law Day” with a celebration and awards ceremony.
Hosted by Legal Services of North Florida, the Legal Aid Foundation and the Florida State University College of Law, the Law Day Celebration 2022 will see attorneys and judges recognized for their contributions to the legal field.
Some prestigious pro bono awards will also be presented this year, with Florida Juvenile Justice Association executive director Christian Minor set to recent the Joy Akema Taps Children’s Advocate of the Year Award.
Named in memory of the late attorney, the award is given to attorneys who embody compassion and dedication to helping children throughout the area served by Legal Services of North Florida. The award is given to someone who has shown great leadership in the community and has demonstrated continued consideration of the legal needs of children.
Minor for years has worked to get legislation passed that would broaden a juvenile’s ability to expunge their arrest record in Florida.
State law currently limits expungement to minors who complete a diversion program after a first-time misdemeanor arrest, however, the Legislature passed a bill in the 2022 Legislative Session that would allow minors to expunge most felonies except for forcible felonies, such as murder and kidnapping. It now awaits a signature from the Governor.
Other awards being presented as part of Law Day Celebration 2022 include The Parks & Crump Thurgood Marshall Award for Judicial Excellence, The Richard W. Ervin Equal Justice Award and The Blaise N. Gamba Outstanding Pro Bono Service Law Student Award.
Evening Reads
“Joe Biden urges Congress to codify Roe v. Wade into law” via Oriana Gonzalez of Axios
“10 key passages from Samuel Alito’s draft opinion, which would overturn Roe v. Wade” via Josh Gerstein of POLITICO
“The original Roe v. Wade decision also was leaked to the press” via James D. Robenalt of The Washington Post
“Abortion providers brace for the summer” via Erin Durkin of the National Journal
“It can already take weeks to get an abortion” via Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux of FiveThirtyEight
“Majority of Americans say Supreme Court should uphold Roe, Post-ABC poll finds” via Emily Guskin and Scott Clement of The Washington Post
“‘This was not a surprise’: How the pro-choice movement lost the battle for Roe” via Alexandra Zayas of ProPublica
“How Roe undermined itself” via David French of The Atlantic
“Supreme Court confirms authenticity of leaked Roe v. Wade draft opinion” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics
“How rare is a Supreme Court breach? Very rare” via Josh Gerstein of POLITICO
“Florida politicians react to leaked opinion signaling likely end to Roe v. Wade” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics
“South Florida abortion rights supporters begin mobilizing after leaked draft Supreme Court opinion. Fort Lauderdale rally planned.” via Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“Florida sues DuPont, other companies over toxic firefighting foam” via Zachary T. Sampson of the Tampa Bay Times
“As hurricane season nears, AARP Florida releases preparation tips” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics
“How a congressional race may cost Daniella Levine Cava a top ally on Miami-Dade Commission” via Douglas Hanks of the Miami Herald
“CBD juice bar entrepreneur challenging Rep. Allison Tant, calls out ‘most extreme views’” via James Call of the USA TODAY capital bureau
Quote of the Day
“As someone who has dedicated more than a decade of her life’s work to reproductive freedom, I can say unequivocally that we will not give up — I refuse to go back in time to a period where women and pregnant people could not make decisions about their futures and their destinies.”
— Rep. Anna Eskamani, on the draft SCOTUS opinion overturning Roe v. Wade.
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