Voter referendum would give Brevard commissioners 70% pay raise.
Brevard County voters will be deciding on a proposed charter amendment to give county commissioners a $40,000 pay raise. WFIT’s Rick Glasby reports:
The language that appears on the ballot does not directly say that commissioners will be receiving a substantial pay increase. Instead, the language focuses on the move to using the state formula for commission pay. The current salary for Brevard County commissioners is over $60,000. If the amendment is approved, the salary would increase to over $102,000. The current pay for Brevard commissioners trails neighboring counties. Indian River County, with a much smaller population, pays over $74,000 a year. Orange County, with double Brevard’s population, pays commissioners $113,000 annually.
Students in Satellite Beach spoke remotely with NASA astronaut Suni Williams
Students at Coastal Community School in Satellite Beach spoke to NASA astronaut Suni Williams, who was part of the two-member Boeing Starliner mission that launched from Space Coast in June — and who, due to spacecraft issues, will remain there until next February.
The kids asked questions and learned a lot about life on board the ISS, and about Williams' experience there.
It’s all part of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station program, which allows students all over the planet to talk with crew members directly.
The group's goal is to use amateur radio to inspire students to go into STEM careers.
During the event, students encouraged Williams to hang in there as she completes an eight-month assignment on the ISS that was supposed to only last eight days.
The Platinum Coast Amateur Radio Society put on the event at Coastal Community School.
Abortion-rights groups outspend opponents by more than 6 to 1 in ballot measure campaigns
The groups promoting ballot measures to add amendments to the constitutions in nine states that would enshrine a right to abortion have raised more than $160 million.
That's nearly six times what their opponents have brought in.
Proponents have spent more than three times as much as opponents in ads on TV, streaming services, radio and websites.
Abortion-rights supporters have prevailed on all seven ballot measures that have gone before voters since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, which ended a nationwide right to abortion and opened the door for the bans and restrictions that are now being enforced in most Republican-controlled states.
Florida has raised the most in this year’s abortion ballot-measure campaigns.
Proponents of the measure have raised more than $75 million and opponents $10 million. Combined, that's nearly half the national total.
The state Republican Party is using additional funds, including from corporations nationwide, to urge voters to reject the measure.
Florida's ballot measure rules boost opponents: Passage requires approval from 60% of voters instead of a simple majority.
Over 6.2 Million Ballots Already Cast
With five days left until Election Day, more than 6.2 million Floridians have already cast ballots through the mail or at early voting sites.
That’s nearly 45 percent of all registered voters in the state.
As of Thursday morning, Republicans held a large lead over Democrats in ballots cast.
While more Democrats have voted by mail, the GOP has dominated in early voting.
Early voting will continue through November 2nd statewide,
Election Day is November 5th.
More: www.floridatoday.com