Early in-person voting begins Saturday for special GOP primaries for Senate, House seats
Early in-person voting begins tomorrow for Republican primaries that will take place on April 1 to fill upcoming openings in Florida Senate District 19 and Florida House District 32.
Early Voting runs through Saturday, March 29, and sites will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Early voters and those with vote-by-mail ballots can use any of the nine polling places, regardless of where they live.
Only registered Republican voters who live in Senate District 19 or House District 32 can vote.
The deadline to register for the primary election was March 3rd and the deadline to register for the June 10 general election is May 12.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on April 1.
Lawmakers working on bill to keep hurricane home improvements out of property tax evaluations
Florida voters could soon decide whether people who strengthen their homes for hurricanes should be spared from paying a higher tax bill.
A resolution making its way through the legislature would prevent the assessed value of homesteaded properties from going up based on improvements made to protect homes from flood damage.
Clearwater Republican Representative Kimberly Berfield is sponsoring the bill.
“As a member who represents a district that has many properties that are susceptible to flooding. I generally seek out and support policy changes that are designed to assist homeowners with efforts they undertake when they're mitigating these types of properties that are at risk of flood damage.”
If the proposal passes the house and senate, it must be approved by 60 percent of Florida voters during the 2026 election to become part of the state constitution.
Ellis Road Widening
Traffic on Ellis Road picked up after the Interstate 95 interchange opened. The road is a gateway for half-million travelers at Melbourne Orlando International Airport.
The stretch of Ellis Road from I-95 to Wickham Road is only two lanes, leading to big backups during that afternoon commute.
Widening is planned for Ellis Road, but until recently, the $62 million project faced a $25 million expense gap.
State, County, and local cities have pulled together the funds needed to fill that gap.
If approved by state lawmakers, construction could start in 2026.
Most Florida LGBTQ+ youth want to leave the state, a national survey finds WRAP
A recent study shows that Florida has the highest percentage of LGBTQ plus youth who are considering leaving their home state.
State politics and access to healthcare are among the factors LGBTQ plus youth and their families consider when deciding where to live.
Ronita Nath is the Vice President of Research at the Trevor Project, a nonprofit advocacy group. She says state and school policies matter.
“LGBTQ+ youth living in states with more protective and inclusive policies reported lower rates of suicidal thoughts, attempts, and barriers to care.”
“I think it’s important to note that even among states with supportive LGBTQ+ policies, LGBTQ+ youth continue to face elevated suicide risk and fully high rates of anti-LGBTQ+ victimization, which really makes it clear that communities all across the country must take action.”
Nath adds that in states with stricter LGBTQ-plus policies like Florida, more young people have also experienced bullying or developed anxiety and depression.
The study found that nearly 70-percent of the LGBTQ plus youth polled are considering leaving Florida.
More: www.floridatoday.com
