Jacksonville Bold for 4.30.25: Parental rights push

Jacksonville Florida Downtown skyline by night with iconic Everbank and Vystar buildings - JACKSONVILLE, USA - OCTOBER 30, 2024

Attorney General James Uthmeier visited the Jacksonville Classical Academy on Tuesday to announce that his office will aggressively protect parental rights in education, a priority of his former boss, who appointed him to the role.

According to a press release, his Office of Parental Rights (OPR) will “empower parents and protect children.”

“This first-in-the-nation initiative is established to provide justice to parents and families whose rights have been violated. In Florida, parental rights are reserved for the parent of a minor child without obstruction or interference from the state, any of its political subdivisions, governmental entities or institutions,” the AG’s office asserts.

“Governments should understand that, when it comes to raising a child, they don’t know best. The parents do, and they deserve an Attorney General’s office working on their behalf. This first-in-the-nation office is a mechanism for parents and families to seek justice where local governments and school systems seek to ‘treat,’ indoctrinate, or collect data from students without parental involvement. This new initiative is another way we are making Florida the best place to raise a family,” Uthmeier says.

Expect a portal to report violations of parental rights in areas such as inappropriate library books, unauthorized health services, interference with educational choices and encouragement to withhold information, among others.

Deepfake shake

Legislation allowing people who have been victims of pornographic deepfakes to get offensive material pulled from online platforms is heading to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk.

The Senate unanimously approved the House version of “Brooke’s Law” (SB 700), which would require internet platforms to develop and prominently promote a policy by the end of 2025 for removing deepfake images and videos of this type after the victim is identified.

Republican Sen. Alexis Calatayud, who sponsored the legislation, said it “addresses the reality that there is no current avenue by which an altered sexual depiction posted on an internet platform can be removed by the individual whose image was used.”

“This is specifically referring to deepfake images, of which 99% are targeted toward women and 98% are pornographic in nature. This experience, unfortunately, occurs to Floridians of all ages and is a traumatic experience,” she

added. The bill, which envisions the Florida Unfair Trade and Deceptive Practices Act as its enforcement mechanism, would expand on legislation championed by former Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book that imposed criminal and civil penalties by creating a law to require sites to remove objectionable images.

The legislation was inspired by what Jacksonville’s Brooke Curry went through in the Summer of 2023, when a deepfake nude of her was posted to social media. The measure would conceivably create a mechanism to stop the victimization she suffered from happening to others.

“Her phone flooded with messages from her friends of an altered depiction, and a damaging photo circulated on Snapchat, and a stranger with whom she had mutual friends had manipulated one of her own Instagram photos to create this,” Calatayud said, describing the incident.

Curry, the daughter of former Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, lacked immediate recourse despite her family’s proximity to power. If this bill becomes law, others may ultimately benefit from her struggle.

It is paralleled by federal law championed by First Lady Melania Trump that would also combat exploitative deepfake images.

Clot-ure

A bill that will enhance blood clot screening and treatment is ready for the Governor’s signature after the Florida Senate unanimously passed it on Monday.

Jacksonville Republican Sen. Clay Yarborough presented the bill (SB 890) that creates the Emily Adkins Family Protection Act, which was ultimately substituted for its House bill companion, HB 1421, sponsored by Jacksonville Republican Dean Black.

The bill requires hospitals to establish training and protocols for assessing and treating patients at risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) upon admission. It also requires the Department of Health to contract with a nonprofit to establish a statewide VTE registry.

Residents in assisted care facilities would also be given information on VTE upon admission. Certified nursing assistants serving in nursing homes would be required to receive training on recognizing the signs and symptoms of VTE and techniques for responding to emergencies.

Power move

There may be more severe consequences for attacking utility workers trying to restore normalcy after a disaster.

The Senate passed SB 1386 on Thursday.

Sponsor Yarborough made the case that the bill was necessary, given recent events.

“Last year, we passed legislation that provides stringent penalties for individuals who intentionally damage critical infrastructure. Increased threats to utility workers have led to a need for this bill in order to keep workers safer,” Yarborough said Thursday ahead of the unanimous vote to pass his bill.

The legislation would deem utility workers as deserving of protection as an “officer, firefighter, emergency medical care provider, hospital personnel, railroad special officer, traffic accident investigation officer, traffic infraction enforcement officer, inspector, analyst, operator, law enforcement explorer, parking enforcement specialist, public transit employee or agent or security officer.”

Under the bill, simple assault on a lineman would be reclassified as a first-degree misdemeanor. It’s now a second-degree offense.

Battery against a utility worker is currently a first-degree misdemeanor. Under this bill, it would be a third-degree felony, carrying a prison sentence of at least six months.

Those guilty of aggravated assault would spend three years in prison, and five years would be the penalty for aggravated battery.

“Our utility workers play a critical role in maintaining power, water, gas and communication services and they are especially important during hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters. This additional protection ensures they can work safely and efficiently,” Yarborough said.

The House version of this proposal is on the Second Reading Calendar, meaning the odds are good that this legislation ultimately lands on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk.

The Florida Municipal Electric Association, the Florida Municipal Natural Gas Association, TECO, the Orlando Utilities Commission, Florida Public Utilities Company, Florida Natural Gas Association, and Associated Industries of Florida all support the bill.

Après le déluge

The Legislature is backing a measure by Sen. Jennifer Bradley that would extend to renters the same flood risk disclosures now mandated in home sales.

The House passed the bill (SB 948) on a 114-0 vote, which means the Governor will ultimately have the final say.

Under the bill, if a landlord fails to disclose flood information correctly, the renter can terminate the rental agreement, and the landlord must refund all advance payments.

The Senate bill was amended before it was taken up in the House to require tenants to give landlords notice of their plan to break their lease and surrender possession of the domicile within 30 days.

Back next year

Sen. Tracie Davis temporarily postponed her bill Monday to expand Medicaid coverage for mammograms and breast cancer screenings.

And this late in the Session, that means she’s running it back in 2026.

SB 1578 was scheduled to be voted on the Senate floor after clearing three committee stops with three unanimous votes.

“I would just like to thank the members of this Chamber and the chairs that heard this bill, but today I will be TPing it so I can work on this just a little bit more over the Summer,” said Davis, a Jacksonville Democrat.

If passed, her bill would have required the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) to cover mammograms and supplemental breast cancer screenings in Medicaid for women as young as age 25. Current law permits a “baseline mammogram” once a year for women who are at least 35 years old but under 40.

G-O-S-P-E-L

The House would like it to be harder to miss Florida’s state motto in public schools.

But it remains to be seen if the Senate will agree.

On Wednesday, House lawmakers passed HB 1009, which requires “In God We Trust” to be in a “clearly visible location and public area of the school which is readily accessible to and widely used by students and in a clearly visible location and public area of each building used by the district School Board.”

The companion bill did not get a Senate committee hearing, narrowing its path, but the House is moving ahead despite the lack of interest in the upper chamber.

Rep. Kim Daniels, the Jacksonville Democrat who introduced the measure, framed the bill as a way to make sure consumers of Florida’s education system “know their rights.”

“Prayer in public schools in Florida is legal today, but constituents don’t know it. And in 2018, a bill was passed that requires ‘In God We Trust’ to be conspicuously displayed in public schools, which is already law. But most citizens of Florida are not aware of this,” Daniels said, noting that the bill compels the Florida Department of Education to “advertise” so people know they are safe in faith.

Just ahead of the 102-7 vote, Daniels offered her personal narrative to justify how the bill would keep people from being “discriminated against or judged based on their faith.”

“We’re all passionate about things and folks are passionate about LGBTQ and they’re passionate about other things. Well, I’m passionate about the G-O-S-P-E-L, the gospel,” she said.

Coffee clash

The National Labor Relations Board continues to side with workers over capitalists at one location of a Jacksonville corporate coffee shop.

According to Bloomingtonian: “An administrative law judge found that Starbucks also violated workers’ rights at a store in Jacksonville, Florida. The judge ruled that Starbucks unlawfully began strictly enforcing its dress code in June 2023 — after years of tolerating union shirts and other non-approved clothing — without bargaining with the workers’ union. Workers testified that prior to the crackdown, managers routinely allowed them to wear shirts featuring union logos and other graphics.”

The Mandarin location is the one affected here.

Happy Emerald Trails

The ever-growing Emerald Trail, which offers walking, hiking and biking opportunities through Jacksonville, may expand further.

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA), the City of Jacksonville and Groundwork Jacksonville are seeking key residential input on potential additions to the Emerald Trail, now under consideration. Those stakeholders want input from residents of Durkeeville, New Town and College Gardens.

Representatives from the city will engage in a walking tour of some of those areas on Saturday. Officials are encouraging residents to turn out and provide input as officials survey the areas that the Emerald Trail could go through. They’ll begin the walking tour at 10 a.m. in Durkeeville at the Emmett Read Community Center, 1093 W. Sixth.

“Join us for a guided walking tour this Saturday to learn about the proposed Emerald Trail route through your neighborhood, ask questions of the planning team and share your thoughts about what the Emerald Trail will mean for your family, business and community,” said a statement on the JTA X account.

Time to talk tourism

Amid booming tourism numbers, Visit Jacksonville, the city’s tourism bureau, is hosting a gathering to discuss the industry.

Next week is National Travel and Tourism Week, and Visit Jacksonville wants to chat with residents about the city’s increasing lure for travelers landing in the First Coast city for getaways and for business conventions and meetings. Visit Jacksonville is planning a reception on Wednesday, May 7, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at its downtown office.

The Visit Jacksonville reception comes on the heels of an upbeat report released by the tourism bureau in March, which shows that the First Coast city and area are attracting more vacationers. The analysis released by Visit Jacksonville shows that more people are visiting the River City, and they are spending a lot of money.

According to a report conducted by Downs and St. Germain Research, more than 8 million visitors generated over $7.4 billion in economic impact from October 2023 to September 2024.

Those wishing to attend the Visit Jacksonville reception on Wednesday can register at their website. Visitation officials ask those wanting to participate in the reception at 100 N. Laura St., Suite 120, in Jacksonville. To RSVP, please do so beforehand.

In the money

A well-heeled media maven is moving into the management reins of the Money Pages in Jacksonville.

Sara Pomposo is taking over the position of vice president of Sales for Money Pages. Pomposo is no stranger to the Jacksonville media scene. She is the former market president and publisher of the Jacksonville Business Journal.

Pomposo has been in Jacksonville since 2017 when she joined the Business Journal. She was the first woman to be the paper’s publisher. She held that position for seven years before leaving to become president of Marketing and Brand Strategy at BHRS Companies in Jacksonville.

“Sara knows sales and publishing inside and out – and she’s worked hard to build relationships and understand this market as well as anyone,” Money Pages CEO Alan Worley said. “We’re in a growth mode right now – both locally and with franchises across the Southeast, and Sara’s skills and experience will be invaluable as we continue to grow.”

Pomposo said she’s enthusiastic about the opportunity at Money Pages.

“Money Pages is an incredible local brand that has continued to adapt and evolve to better serve businesses and consumers,” Pomposo said. “Jacksonville is a great place to live, a great place to do business, and I can’t wait to join the team and get started.”

New Jaguars’ profile

In the months between James Gladstone’s hire as the Jaguars’ general manager and the NFL draft, he consistently used the phrase “intangibly rich” to characterize the kind of players he wanted to bring to the Jaguars.

Now that the draft is complete, we can start to unpack what Gladstone favors in prospects.

For the moment, let’s leave the first-round pick out of the conversation. We’ll come back to him.

For now, let’s focus on the other players the Jaguars drafted. After trading away their second-round pick, the Jags selected Tulane cornerback Caleb Ransaw and West Virginia offensive lineman Wyatt Milum in the third round.

Ransaw is likely to be asked to move to safety for the first time in his football career. Milum could contend for a starting position on the offensive line but is more likely at guard. Both may have to play a different position in the NFL than they did in college. Milum originally signed to be a left-handed pitcher at Marshall. Alabama head coach Nick Saban said that he wanted to lure Milum to join the Crimson Tide, but couldn’t get him to enter the transfer portal.

The Jaguars spent a pair of draft picks on running backs. Bhayshul Tuten of Virginia Tech was selected in the fourth round, and LeQuint Allen was a seventh-round pick from Syracuse. Tuten, like Ransaw, has excellent speed, running a 4.3 in the 40. Allen is also a terrific pass catcher out of the backfield and could factor into the Jaguars’ coverage unit on special teams.

The same can be said of linebackers Jack Kiser (fourth round, Notre Dame) and Jalen McLeod (sixth round, Auburn). Kiser spent six seasons in college football and was named the Notre Dame Man of the Year. How’s that for intangibly rich?

McLeod played five seasons between Appalachian State and Auburn.

Another sixth-round pick, Rayuan Lane, played four seasons at Navy, starting 43 games in four seasons. Seventh-round pick Jonah Monheim started 45 games on the USC offensive line. He played right and left tackle, right guard, and center for the Trojans and is expected to play center in the NFL.

What are the common threads? Experience, leadership and positional flexibility.

Gladstone is not trying to outsmart the scouting community by projecting a player who has not had significant playing time. Still, he is looking for prospects who have proved themselves as football players, even if they have more to prove in specific roles.

Add those traits to Hunter’s rare abilities, and Gladstone’s first draft class has the chance to set the tone for the Jaguars’ new era.