Staff Reports
New legislation that would stop the removal of Confederate statues and give Gov. Ron DeSantis a right to remove non-compliant officials from office — with fines for scofflaws — is raising a ruckus in Jacksonville.
HB 395, filed by Rep. Dean Black of Jacksonville, proposes state “protection of historical monuments and memorials” and authorizes “all actions to protect and preserve all historical monuments and memorials from removal, damage or destruction.”
“An elected official acting in his or her official capacity who knowingly and willfully violates this section is subject to removal from office by the Governor,” the bill reads.
The bill explicitly stipulates that “any official, agent, or member of a local government who directs, permits, facilitates, or votes to remove or destroy a monument or memorial is subject to a civil penalty of up to $5,000, or the actual cost of the removal and replacement of the monument or memorial, including repairs that may be necessitated due to the relocation and replacement, whichever is greater. Such penalty shall be paid from the official’s, agent’s, or member’s personal funds without any reimbursement from any other entity.”
Black’s legislation would resolve a long-simmering controversy in Jacksonville, where former Republican Mayor Lenny Curry has already removed one significant monument in what is now James Weldon Johnson Park. At the same time, a tribute to the women of the Confederacy in Springfield Park remains despite the former Mayor’s best efforts.
Current Democratic Mayor Donna Deegan has lobbied the City Council to allocate funds to remove the remaining statue, which would be moved off public lands and left somewhere private for monument enthusiasts to visit.
Thus far, the supermajority Republican Council has resisted those executive branch efforts.
State legislation would make such efforts moot.
Deegan denounced the proposal Thursday afternoon.
“This bill would be just another slap in the face to our Black community, which has already endured so much. It’s also an unconstitutional overreach that is the latest example of home rule being stripped away from Florida cities,” she said.
Meanwhile, Rep. Angie Nixon also takes umbrage.
“It’s evident that Dean Black doesn’t like Black people. He’s used racist dog whistles and sayings throughout his history as Republican Party chair,” she said.
Black responds in kind.
“I’m not going to be lectured about marginalized people by a Representative that just proffered a racist, antisemitic resolution in the Florida House. When we stand with Israel, we stand with the most marginalized people in history. When we support preserving our history, we support the history of all people,” Black said, alluding to her resolution urging Israel to commit to a cease-fire in Gaza. This bill saw just one other Democrat vote with Nixon.
This new bill, controversial in 2023, will be a big talker again in the upcoming Legislative Session.
But don’t expect DeSantis to say much along the way.
“I’m not familiar with it. So, I would have to take a look at it. I don’t know,” DeSantis said in Jacksonville Tuesday.
It’s the second time the Governor’s Office has said it knows nothing about the bill, which was filed in a different version before.
“Since this legislation is still subject to the legislative process (and therefore different iterations), the Governor will decide on the merits of the bill in final form if and when it passes and is delivered to the Governor’s Office,” asserted Press Secretary Jeremy Redfern, who used the language he’s used before when asked about bills that hadn’t passed yet when we pushed for comment last week.
— Badenoch company —
Meanwhile, the Governor was in town Tuesday for a Memorandum of Understanding signing with British Business Minister Kemi Badenoch’s government.
The Messenger, which got an advanced look at the document that it published when the news conference was to begin Tuesday afternoon, notes the MOU covers “space, financial technology, medical tech, supply chains and logistics, transportation, infrastructure and cybersecurity, legal services, agricultural biotechnology and semiconductors and photonics.”
DeSantis said the U.K. was Florida’s “top global investor” with $18 billion of total holdings in the state and is Florida’s top bilateral trade partner globally, with a “strong tourism relationship” and a “great potential” to expand business ties further via the MOU.
DeSantis said the U.K. was a “second home” for Americans, given how the country “was birthed” and the “rule of law,” driven by the fact our “Founding Fathers considered themselves Englishmen,” and a “special relationship” writ large.
Badenoch lauded Jacksonville as a city built on “free trade, free markets and freedom itself” and credited DeSantis with facilitating the “most efficient” MOU in her experience. Britain has signed six other MOUs with states, she said.
JAXPORT was not the only stop for Badenoch. She also met the city’s Mayor at the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce event.
Following up on our recent @JAXPartnership delegation in London, it was great to meet with UK Secretary for Business and Trade @KemiBadenoch earlier this morning. It was a pleasure to share more about Jacksonville and our many attributes, as well as strategize on increasing trade… pic.twitter.com/V9VEuteLa6
— Mayor Donna Deegan (@MayorDeegan) November 14, 2023
— Don’t drill, baby —
Rep. John Rutherford is defending Florida’s relatively pristine shorelines from the depredations of offshore drilling, as evidenced by recent comments to the Florida Roundup. He said, “Seismic guns with those blasts have detrimental effect on all sorts of mammals out in the ocean.”
“Rutherford wants to extend moratoriums in place to prohibit the exploration and drilling of oil and gas reserves off the Florida coasts of the Atlantic, the Florida Straits and the Gulf of Mexico,” reports Jacksonville Today, whose parent WJCT carries the program and was involved with the production in the past.
The Congressman wants a 200-mile buffer zone.
“Our No. 1 economy in Florida is tourism. And they come for our pristine beaches. And so, we wanted to protect that. But also wanted to protect it not only from drilling but from seismic testing because of the harm that it does to our mammal population in the oceans.”
Offshore drilling is an issue yet again, given attacks from Nikki Haley against DeSantis during the most recent presidential debate.
She attacked the “liberal” DeSantis for his opposition to “fracking,” a major issue in the 2018 gubernatorial campaign that was put into the state constitution by Florida voters that year and strengthened by an early executive order from the Governor compelling the Department of Environmental Protection to end the practice.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to drill in the Florida Everglades,” DeSantis said. “And I know most Floridians agree with me.”
He will, however, frack in other places, he made clear.
Florida Republicans have been consistent in recent years in opposing drilling off our coast.
— Vax attacks —
A new bill from Sen. Clay Yarborough puts guardrails on compulsory vaccinations during public health emergencies.
SB 402 would clarify the legislative intent that “treatment” for a disease does not include inoculation.
Furthermore, the bill cleans up language about what a public health emergency is, saying it “expires” 60 days “after the declaration” unless the Governor “concurs in the renewal,” in which case it’s extended for 30 more days, contingent on a ⅔ vote in the House and the Senate.
The bill does open the potential sequestration of those who don’t want medical treatment if they “refuse examination, testing, or treatment for reasons of health, religion and conscience” in writing to the Department of Health.
If it becomes law, the new language will take effect in July 2024.
— Health priorities —
Rep. Sam Garrison helms the House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee, and the Fleming Island Republican (slated to be Speaker in 2026) has some thoughts on the path forward.
He describes behavioral health as “the biggest challenge of our post-COVID world” and says funding state mental health hospitals is a priority.
“Now more than ever, funding health care for Floridians includes the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions. This will be a massive, multiyear undertaking and the sad reality is there’s not enough money in the world to fix all the behavioral health problems our society has created for itself.”
He also wants to circle back to the state’s health care transparency website, built in 2016, saying it’s “time to circle back and see if the project is achieving its intended results.”
“We must distinguish between data or platforms that facilitate reliable and informed decision-making and those that perpetuate bureaucratic busywork.”
To that end, Garrison wants to “create and support systems that reduce the risk of fraud, waste and abuse.”
“Bad actors who take advantage of our most vulnerable must be held accountable. Transparency and accountability are required in equal measures.”
Read the Florida Times-Union op-ed here.
— Chill out —
Rep. Angie Nixon has her second bill filed for the 2024 Session dealing with air conditioning.
Earlier this year, she filed a bill requiring prisons to have air conditioning for inmates and staff.
This week, her HB 423 would apply to landlords, adding cooling to other required offerings for renters, such as heat during winter, running water and hot water.
There’s no Senate companion to this bill, but there are similar bills filed in the House and the Senate by Democrats, so time will tell if these move.
— Mission critical —
The Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) has facilitated the movement of 877 pieces of military equipment, including dozens of aircraft, to support Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria.
The aircraft and other equipment were moved through the Blount Island Marine Terminal after the U.S. Army’s South Carolina-based 841st Transportation Battalion shipped them to support the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade’s deployment to the Middle East.
Operation Inherent Resolve is fighting terrorist groups. The Blount Island Marine Terminal was ideal for completing the loading mission due to its proximity to Fort Liberty in North Carolina and its available staging areas and deep-water piers.
“One of our most important roles at JAXPORT is serving as a U.S. Strategic Seaport,” said JAXPORT CEO Eric Green. “The strength of Jacksonville’s transportation network and experienced maritime service providers complement our capabilities to serve our nation’s military forces any time the need arises.”
JAXPORT is one of 17 strategic seaports throughout the U.S. on call constantly to move U.S. military cargo to further efforts related to national defense, foreign humanitarian aid and disaster relief. It is the only strategic seaport in Florida with that designation.
Operation Inherent Resolve is the U.S. military’s name for its war against the Islamic State. The Joint Task Force’s mission is to advise, assist and enable partner forces to secure defeat against IS and to establish an enduring security cooperation framework.
It is not related to U.S. military aid to Israel as it continues its conflict against Hamas.
— Happy motoring —
Two area residents earned Gov. DeSantis’ appointment to the state Commercial Motor Vehicle Review Board.
Jacksonville’s Kathy Panozzo is the Director of Operator and Equipment Compliance at Landstar, a promotion from previous posts at the same company: Director of Trailer Maintenance and Coordinator of Automotive Operations. She is a current member of the Technology and Maintenance Council.
Scott Reagan of St. Johns is a Senior Risk Control Representative at Great West Casualty Company. He previously served as the safety director at Centurion Auto Transport. Reagan has a bachelor’s degree in political science from The Citadel.
The board includes three permanent members: The Secretary of Transportation, the Executive Director of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and the Commissioner of Agriculture or their representatives, as well as four (4) additional members — three appointed by DeSantis, including representatives from the road construction industry, the trucking industry, and someone with a general business or legal background.
— Realty bites —
Interest rates and sticky price points are putting a damper on a previously robust Northeast Florida housing market.
“The monthly supply of inventory in the region increased to 3.5 months,” observed Northeast Florida Association of Realtors President Diana Galavis, noting there was a 19% increase since September. “Overall, the Northeast Florida market is strong with the sales median holding with very little change.”
Sellers aren’t dropping prices, leading to an all-time low in overall value for buyers’ money, per the Home Affordability Index NEFAR cites. It’s now 63. To put that number in perspective, 100 means that a median income can buy a median-value home, a dream out of reach for more people than ever, except in rural Putnam County, where the index is 105.
Meanwhile, St. Johns County’s index is 45, and Nassau is in the 60s, with Duval and Baker in the 70s — again indicating that the housing price is out of whack with what money people make.
The Federal Reserve is partially to blame.
“Interest rates reached the highest levels in October,” Galavis said. “Buyers were cautious and took a little longer to make offers, which reflected in higher median days on the market. Closed sales slid down. The home affordability index had a slight dip. The cost of goods, services, and borrowing money is much more expensive today than a year ago.”
— Slaughterhouse jive —
Japanese pop-punk band Shonen Knife once advised listeners to “know your chicken.”
Yet employees at a Northwest Jacksonville processing plant got fowl news from a corporate titan in the cluck-cluck industry this month, as Tyson Foods is laying off 219 people — the majority of them being food handlers or butchers — from its facility on West 5th Street per a WARN notice chopped up in the Jacksonville Daily Record.
The terminations will be effective Jan. 8, 2024, adding a job search to the holiday shopping list for soon-to-be-former workers.
“Tyson Foods regrets that team members at the Jacksonville facility must be permanently displaced yet hopes to accomplish this plant closing with the least possible disruption to the lives of the team members, their families and the community,” the notice read.
In a quote from the Meat and Poultry trade publication, Tyson said it would “make every effort to offer them opportunities to remain with the company at other locations and partner with state and local officials to provide additional resources. With a focus on optimizing our operational footprint, we are reallocating resources to operate as efficiently as possible while maintaining ample capacity to serve our customers.”
Tyson has closed plants around the country in recent months.
— Illuminating —
The holiday season promises to lighten up the St. Augustine sky again this year, and the Lighthouse and Maritime Museum will again be in on the action during the city’s Night of Lights.
The yearly Lighthouse Illuminations event will be on select days between Nov. 22 and Jan. 13, with tour times starting at 6:30, 7 and 7:30 p.m.
Ticket holders can “explore the Keepers’ House and grounds illuminated by lights and garlands and enjoy a sensational view of the lighthouse.” They can “escape the crowds this winter season and experience Nights of Lights from the top of the St. Augustine Lighthouse.”
Additionally, attendees will see the 21 “adorned trees,” with themes that include Lighthouse Memories, Toys from the Past, Nutcracker Folklore, Old Florida, Lighthouses of America and High Seas.
Adult tickets are $24.95, with two dollars off for those attendees aged 12 and under. Attendees must be 44 inches tall to climb the lighthouse. It is not recommended to boost your height with hidden heels, as the vertical trek is demanding and requires sound footing and coordination.
— Jaguars bounce back? —
From a five-game winning streak to questions about making the playoffs.
The Jaguars have proved the NFL is a week-to-week league.
After the team’s worst performance of the season, a 34-3 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, big questions remain to be answered by the Jaguars.
First, the big picture. The Jaguars still lead the AFC South with a 6-3 record. If the playoffs were to begin today, Jacksonville would hold the third seed in the AFC playoffs and would host the Cleveland Browns in a wild-card game at EverBank Stadium. That’s the best news.
And then there are the many concerns highlighted on Sunday: poor offensive line play, the worst game of the year for quarterback Trevor Lawrence, limited pass rush, turnovers and, somehow, an inability to play well at home. All three of the Jaguars’ losses have come in Jacksonville, all three coming to teams in playoff contention (the AFC-leading Kansas City Chiefs and the suddenly surging Houston Texans are the other two).
This Sunday, the Jaguars will host the Tennessee Titans. It’s a game they should win at home. But the Titans aren’t a playoff contender. Following the Titans game, the Jaguars will face four straight AFC playoff contenders: the Texans, Ravens, Browns and Bengals. Doug Pederson’s team must solve the problems that led to the 31-point blowout.
“I talk to the guys all the time about their preparation when they’re outside this building,” Pederson said this week. “What are they doing a little extra? Are they studying extra tape? Are they looking at every cutup of a certain route or coverage or defensive front blitz, whatever it might be? It just comes down to each person owning that responsibility.”
Those are damning words considering the Jaguars turned in their worst game of the year coming off their bye week. Teams cannot hold practices from Tuesday through Sunday of a bye week, but players can still study future opponents or self-scout. The 49ers took a greater opportunity during their bye week, which coincided with Jacksonville’s.
So, where do the Jaguars go from here?
Their words show that the Jaguars’ players take personal responsibility for the loss. Safety Rayshawn Jenkins said on Monday that it would take a little longer to get over the defeat than usual and running back Travis Etienne didn’t shy away from the criticism.
“We definitely have to be critical of our situation and what we put on film because you are who you put on film,” Etienne said. “We can’t keep putting those bad losses out there. When it rains, it pours and (Sunday), I felt like nothing was going right for us, and we could never really shake that feeling. We will get over it; we’re professionals, and we understand that we are who we want to be, but as professionals, we never want to go out there and do that. I feel like that’s why it hurts a little bit more because I feel like everybody in the locker room feels it and understands that’s not who we are as a team; we laid an egg.”
