Capital Report

Capital Report: February 21, 2025 Feb 21, 2025

On tonight’s program: One lawmakers wants to let students carry guns on college and university campuses; A committee of lawmakers is reviewing the 950 million dollars in projects Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed last year; Florida’s insurer of last resort, Citizens Property Insurance, is raising its rates. And for some, it could be a good thing; We’ll hear about an effort to support Everglades restoration and flood planning. One lawmaker calls it a “great opportunity”; A Florida State University professor talks AI in education. It turns out it’s about a lot more than worrying about whether students are teaching on tests; And we’ll hear from a former first lady of Florida A & M University about helping to pave the way for future students.

Capital Report: February 14, 2025 Feb 14, 2025

On tonight’s program: A special legislative session on immigration also seems to signal a lessening of power for Governor Ron DeSantis; An attorney weighs in on Florida’s efforts to reform immigration policy; Florida lawmakers may again try to pass a bill restricting the kinds of flags that can be flown over government buildings or public schools; Artificial intelligence could be an effective way of detecting illicit firearms. Republicans aren’t happy with that, but some public safety proponents believe it’s a good thing; Florida’s agencies that help kids provide lots of services. But being a place where the children spend the night isn’t supposed to be one of them; The desperate search for something – anything – to halt the spread of citrus greening disease in Florida’s shrinking citrus groves may have turned up a solution. The problem is, that solution could take years to have a positive impact; And a civil rights champion in the Florida Legislature has died.

Capital Report: February 7, 2025 Feb 07, 2025

On tonight’s program: Governor DeSantis rolls out his proposed spending plan. But it includes a lot fewer state government workers than what’s now employed; Pro-gun folks have been pushing Florida lawmakers for years to approve open carry of firearms. Is this the year their efforts finally bear fruit?; Concern abounds over the move by Elon Musk and his team to access sensitive federal government information. Especially since it seems President Trump doesn’t seem to mind; Churches have religious freedom. But when it comes to shielding undocumented immigrants from the law, the government is arguing that’s going too far; Meanwhile, a dedicated organization stands ready to help immigrants caught up in deportation sweeps; In advance of the Florida legislative session, some lawmakers are already looking to improve services for children who have autism; And we get a jump on preparations for what could be yet another busy hurricane season.

Capital Report: January 31, 2025 Jan 31, 2025

Experts say a standoff between Governor Ron DeSantis and the legislature on proposed immigration legislation could be about political ambition; Undocumented immigrants in Florida are worried about what the fight between the governor and the legislature could mean for their futures; Florida’s agriculture commissioner shares his experience with addressing illegal immigration; We’ll hear local reaction to a proposal from President Donald Trump that Could do away with FEMA; The federal government appears to be taking a page from Governor Ron DeSantis’ book as the Department of education says complaints about book bans are unfounded; And we’ll hear about a new approach to tackling Red Tide

Capital Report: January 24, 2025 Jan 24, 2025

On tonight's Capital Report: Florida lawmakers will come to Tallahassee on Monday for a special session; Governor DeSantis wants the federal government to turn over its Everglades restoration program to the State of Florida; It wasn’t exactly a winter wonderland, but a big chunk of North Florida was hit this week by a mix of snow and sleet. Although weather experts point out this isn’t the first time; Although not everyone who endured the frigid assault was unhappy; The head of Florida’s House Democrats talks about the challenges of being so dominated by those in the other party; Speaking of challenge, Florida Democrats are picking new leaders this weekend. Although organizers of the event hope it will project a positive message about the party; And one of those who worked most closely with President Jimmy Carter has memories and stories that didn’t get much coverage during the former president’s funeral earlier this month.

Capital Report: January 17, 2025 Jan 17, 2025

On tonight’s program: We explore why Marco Rubio may be the perfect guy to be President-Elect Donald Trump’s secretary of state; Despite some pushback from the legislative leadership, Governor DeSantis still wants lawmakers to tackle undocumented immigration during a special session later this month. We’ll talk to an immigration attorney about it; We talk with a woman who could face deportation under new immigration policy proposals; Being a first responder is stressful. Now there’s a new emphasis on providing more resources to mitigate that stress and its impact on responder readiness; There seems to be yet another threat from climate change. Along with rising sea levels, there’s also rising levels of stormwater runoff; A campaign to elect moderate and progressive local school board members is chalking up some victories in Florida and beyond; And Florida bids farewell to the man who served a brief and accidental stint as governor, but is fondly remembered as a true statesman.

Capital Report: January 10, 2025 Jan 10, 2025

On tonight’s program: Florida represent! A bunch of sunshine state folks are coming aboard the incoming Trump administration; But there are also those in Florida who fear the new administration’s tough talk on immigration; Governor DeSantis would like state lawmakers to make a quick trip to Tallahassee before the regular 2025 session starts in March to tackle what he considers some critical issues; A possible – and risky – solution to Florida’s property insurance crisis? Just don’t have any insurance at all; A renowned Florida jurist retires and leaves a lasting legacy; Florida citrus production keeps falling; And We get up close to some wintering Manatees. We just won’t get TOO close.

Capital Report: January 3, 2025 Jan 03, 2025

On tonight’s program: Despite approval from a majority of Florida voters, a constitutional amendment guaranteeing access to abortion fails in the 2024 election; A former Florida Attorney General becomes the incoming president’s top – but not first – pick for U.S. Attorney General; A plan that would have allowed commercial development in Florida’s State Parks led one Republican State Senator to insist the purpose of the park system is….; Florida is a national ground zero for telephone and internet scams targeting seniors. Maybe it’s a subject that more law students should learn about and specialize in; It’s one thing to keep young kids away from inappropriate content on social media. But how do you do that and still allow unfettered access to grownups?; And Florida’s utility companies are preparing for worsening hurricane seasons.

Capital Report: December 27, 2024 Dec 27, 2024

On tonight’s program: After the devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene, President Biden paid a supportive visit to storm-tossed Taylor County; We speak with some recognized experts when it comes to such things as climate change. And we’ll celebrate the golden victory of a young Florida athlete; A Florida climate expert explains why hurricanes are getting stronger; Florida says goodbye to a former governor and U.S. Senator. Famed political analyst Susan McManus remembers Bob Graham; And a Florida State University swimmer finally got to represent Team U.S.A this year at the Paralympics and found a chance to use her voice.

Capital Report: December 20, 2024 Dec 20, 2024

On tonight's program: A Florida state senator seems to have a leg up on the race to fill a vacated congressional seat. And although he has the nod from the incoming president, this individual insists he’ll have enough time in the state legislature to get his priorities into law; Right before the holidays, Governor DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet approve the acquisition of more land to go under Florida Forever protections; The incoming Trump administration and its threat of mass deportations of many immigrants has lots of people anxious. Although an expert in immigration law notes the issue has often changed over the years in response to who’s in the White House; The holiday season is already stressful enough. But add the extra anxiety often caused by too much social media interaction and you’ve got a mental health catastrophe in the making; But we’ also have some four-legged therapists on duty who can lift the spirits of those suffering from the trauma of the season; Forget the argument about whether or not America is a “Christian” nation. Is the country even a “religious” nation anymore? We’ll check out some new data that shows there are few atheists in foxholes OR jail cells; And we’ll discover that one of this year’s monster film hits could have the unexpected bonus of getting more students involved in musical theatre programs.

Capital Report: December 13, 2024 Dec 13, 2024

On tonight’s program: The recriminations continue. Why did Florida Democrats do so badly in the last election?; Could Florida re-instate a controversial wild bear hunt? Advocates believe there’s little other choice; A record number of Florida travelers will be driving and flying over the upcoming year-end holidays; With the year-end holidays looming, Florida lawmakers made a quick trip to Tallahassee this week. One big agenda item, the complex – and often convoluted – behavioral expectations for lawmakers; A judge considers a request to allow exploratory fossil fuel drilling in an environmentally sensitive North Florida river basin. Opponents fear what a “yes” decision might mean; An award-winning documentary on the destruction of Apalachicola’s famous oyster beds will soon have a much wider audience; Some endangered wildlife species are seeing new challenges to their well being in Florida; And it seems, despite all the medical advancements, HIV and AIDs remains a widespread public health issue.

Capital Report: December 6, 2024 Dec 06, 2024

On tonight’s program: As of this moment, Governor DeSantis isn’t OFFICIALLY in contention for Department of Defense secretary. But it sounds like that could change in a heartbeat; A once venerated organization that fights domestic violence is struggling to recover from its former boss’s misdeeds; One of the state’s most respected FORMER Republicans shares his thoughts on the recent election; Florida still has a lot of condos in a state of crisis. But it doesn’t appear state lawmakers will be making a special trip to Tallahassee to solve the problem; A father who lost a son to a distracted driver is determined to see Florida pass tougher laws against cell phone use by motorists; And it seems the water isn’t rising only in the oceans. The water that’s beneath our feet is on the rise as well.

Capital Report: November 29, 2024 Nov 29, 2024

On tonight’s program: Blame and recrimination continue in the wake of the Democratic defeat in Florida; Everyone agrees that Florida is now a red state. And one possible reason is that the Democratic Party has pretty much written the state off; Law officers say a troubled teen in North Florida needed help from the state’s child welfare agency. Help that didn’t come; The battle over whether or not to add fluoride to public water supplies didn’t end in the 1960s. The dispute is back again in Florida; A rift between the owners and the Pinellas County delegation could mean the end of the line for the Tampa Bay Rays; And as this year’s active Atlantic Hurricane Season draws to a close, we talk with a storm expert who sees the potential for even worse hurricanes in the future.

Capital Report: November 22, 2024 Nov 22, 2024

On tonight's program: Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi may soon be able to put the initials “U.S.” in front of that attorney general title. And that’s getting some serious home state applause; With former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz out of the running for U.S. Attorney General, what lies ahead for him and the seat he just vacated? Capital Reporter Margie Menzel will have the words of some possible candidates; Post election, Florida’s six-week abortion ban remains in effect. Lawmakers met this week and that was a big part of the meeting agenda; Another question in advance of the 2025 Florida lawmaking session is whether those who support open carry will have better luck than they’ve had in the past. But thisweek, the incoming Senate President essentially shot it down again; A native of Haiti who now lives in Florida worries his adopted home is beginning to take on some of the more unpleasant trappings of his homeland; And we chat with one of Florida’s most acclaimed chefs on the secret sauce involved in preparing the perfect Thanksgiving turkey.

Capital Report: November 15, 2024 Nov 15, 2024

On tonight's program: Although many folks from all over the political spectrum are a bit gobsmacked by a number of Donald Trump appointees, there are some who are saying, “What’s the big deal?”; Fear is growing among many immigrant communities, even those with legal status, in response to Donald Trump’s deportation promises; The conventional wisdom among lots of Democrats was that Hispanic voters would flee from the Republicans this electoral cycle. Boy, were they wrong; An expert on consumer law thinks protecting seniors from scams might be one of those issues that everyone, regardless of politics, may be able to get behind; Even though the words “climate change” may not have official recognition in Florida, the research consensus remains that manmade impacts are still driving weather patterns into ever more dangerous territories; And a bunch of Florida counties have adopted something called “Children’s Services Councils” to provide more services for kids. We’ll find out how that’s going.

Capital Report: November 8, 2024 Nov 08, 2024

On tonight’s program: Florida voters reject the constitutional amendment that would have legalized recreational marijuana use by adults. Many law enforcement officials are happy, but there are some who are not; Why does Florida have a 60 percent threshold anyway? That’s a question on many minds after most Florida voters cast ballots in favor of an amendment to protect abortion rights, but the proposal still failed; The old saying is, it takes two to tangle. But there are those political analysts suggesting that only one national political party fought in Florida in advance of this week’s election; A powerful Florida Republican shares his take on the election and how he saw it all coming; Few people expected this week’s election to be any kind of a Democratic blow-out. But even fewer anticipated a Democratic blow-UP; And after all the election stress, perhaps seeking out spiritual sanctuary may help

Capital Report: November 1, 2024 Nov 01, 2024

On tonight’s program: Florida school board races are not partisan affairs today. But they used to be. And they could be partisan again if voters agree; Even some who think the right to hunt and fish should be in the Florida Constitution are having some reservations; Recreational marijuana use by adults in Florida remains a hot button topic just days before the election; Florida’s proposed constitutional guarantee to abortion access continues to be an emotionally wrenching matter for many; Amendment 5 seems a big hit with folks on limited incomes; And Florida voters will even get to decide whether or not public funds should still be used to help fund political campaigns.

Capital Report: October 25, 2024 Oct 25, 2024

On tonight's program: Florida’s Amendment Four sparks a furious media battle between supporter and opponents; Governor DeSantis and the state’s First Lady turn their attention from Amendment Four to Amendment Three; Are there possible conflicts between medical and recreational marijuana in Florida? There are some who say there are; Florida’s status as a red state keeps growing. But at least one Democratic operative is predicting voter pushback will come, someday; Much has been said about how the issues facing young people are different from oldervoters. But some new reporting suggests there are more similarities than differences; and Florida’s attorney general says it’s time state authorities got involved in the case involving a gunman discovered lurking near Donald Trump’s Mar A Lago golf course.

Capital Report: October 18, 2024 Oct 18, 2024

On tonight’s program: As mail in ballots return to elections offices, data shows more Democrats have voted so far than Republicans, but experts don’t expect that lead to last; The race for a North Florida state Senate seat is heating up; And we’ll hear about how to fight disinformation and misinformation during disasters and their recovery; As Floridians recover from three different hurricanes, questions about insurance are growing; One line worker shares what keeps her going as she works to get the lights back on in her community; And a group of seniors gathers to reflect on their experiences following the recent hurricanes.

Capital Report: October 11, 2024 Oct 11, 2024

On tonight’s program: This year’s hurricane season has taken a toll on Floridians. With back-to-back storms some are struggling to recover; As conspiracy theories and misinformation about the recent hurricanes and the recovery process spread, officials worry about the consequences; A battle is brewing to extend the voter registration deadline after concerns that Hurricanes Milton and Helene could disenfranchise voters; After a storm, one of the primary concerns is often how quickly the electricity will be restored. That answer starts with the transmission lines; As severe weather becomes more common in the state and across the country, Floridians may soon receive more guidance about to expect, and how to prepare, for the future; And after years of planning, one community is working to remove what’s often a major barrier to getting mental healthcare, by providing housing for those in treatment.

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