Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersFebruary 21, 2018

Orlando lawyer John Morgan, who earned national leadership credibility as a proponent for marijuana while leading the approval of medical marijuana in Florida and nearly ran for governor, has blasted childhood vaccines and mood stabilizing medications for creating “monsters,” and linked the prospect to the Parkland shooter. Morgan sent out a flurry of tweets on […]

Staff ReportsJanuary 18, 2018

More money could be coming to the Jacksonville School for Autism, if legislation carried in the Senate by Aaron Bean and the House by Jason Fischer passes. The legislators seek $250,000 for the school’s Strategies and Techniques for Effective Practice (STEP) Program. “Jacksonville School for Autism has impacted numerous lives since its founding and has provided its students […]

Associated PressMay 5, 2017

Florida police officers may soon be required to undergo training to better deal with autistic individuals under a bill that has passed the state Legislature. The measure was sent to Gov. Rick Scott on Friday. It comes after a North Miami shooting that left an unarmed black therapist shot and injured while he tried to […]

Guest AuthorMay 2, 2017

You may have heard about a man having a grand mal seizure on the Florida Senate floor two weeks ago. That was me. I am a die-hard conservative activist. I support Floridians’ now-constitutional right to access medical marijuana. And I’m a patient. I was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 13 and like most went through […]

Julie DelegalFebruary 7, 2016

Last Tuesday night, the Duval County School Board voted unanimously to build a laboratory school on Jacksonville’s west side for children with autism. Parent reaction to the Oak Hill Autism Lab School proposal has ranged from skepticism to outrage. That’s no surprise, given Duval’s record in serving students with disabilities. Even in schools where administrators […]

Scott PowersJanuary 21, 2016

A new program to help students with intellectual disabilities such as autism get into college or other postsecondary schools will be coordinated through a new center to be developed at the University of Central Florida. The center startup money for such college programs and a scholarship program for such students was authorized by Senate Bill 672, a special […]

Guest AuthorNovember 2, 2015

What is your battle? Getting legislation passed? Trying to close a deal? This piece will explore different kinds of battles. Buckle up. I just watched a story on ESPN about the California School for the Deaf that focused on its football team. It detailed the most recent season as its team competed against hearing players […]

Julie DelegalAugust 27, 2014

Just when I thought I had reached inner peace about vaccines and autism, the specter of a link has reared its ugly head again — on Twitter, on Facebook, on CNN’s user-generated “iReport” website. It’s hard enough sorting through autism science. But parents like me, whose children are affected by the potentially devastating neuro-developmental condition, […]

Julie DelegalAugust 3, 2014

Dear Arne Duncan, You’ve taken some flak recently for saying that children’s disabilities can be improved by “high expectations.” As President Barack Obama’s Secretary of Education, you’ve surely developed a thick skin. But as the parent of a child with unique brain wiring, and as someone who once thought autism was “curable,” I understand. I’ve […]

Julie DelegalMarch 24, 2014

It’s been a long time since I’ve written about the long-suspected, but largely disproven, link between vaccines and autism. Jenny McCarthy, the model, actress and co-host for the television show “The View”, is mother to a child who has an autism spectrum disorder. She’s taken some hellish Twitter flack lately for her belief that infant vaccines cause autism. Like Jenny, […]

Tag: autism
Last time this happened, the Earth got plants. Image via Popular Science.

John Morgan questions whether vaccines, childhood mood drugs create ‘monsters’

Aaron Bean, Jason Fischer seek money for autism treatment

Rick Scott gets bill requiring autism training for police

Michael J. Bowen: For epilepsy, Senate medical marijuana bill is ‘step in right direction’

Julie Delegal: One Duval parent on autism lab school: Show me

Bill creates college-level assistance for students with intellectual disabilities

Blake Dowling: Check into tech to help win your battle

Julie Delegal: Autism, vaccines, science and doubt

Julie Delegal: ‘High expectations’ don’t always solve disabled students’ problems

Julie Delegal: Autism, Jenny McCarthy, and me