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Florida News That Impacts You – June 23rd, 2021
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the some of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida.
- Among the bills signed into law by Governor DeSantis on Tuesday... HB 5 – Civic Education Curriculum. The new law which takes effect July 1st, mandates the governor’s long stated educational goal of enhanced civics education in Florida’s schools. The Florida Department of Education is tasked with developing a civics curriculum to meet specific criteria – from historical understanding to one’s own civic responsibilities. Civics education will reach all Florida grade school students at age-appropriate levels. Additionally, high school students will take a comprehensive civics literacy exam which can exempt students from a civics assessment exam as part of the reformed college assessments in Florida. Speaking of which...
- DeSantis signed SB 1108 into law. Called “Education”, the new law which also takes effect July 1st, tasks the Florida Department of Education to create a Real-Time Student Assessment Pilot Program which will include a Civics College Assessment test to high-school students in conjunction with typical ACT and SAT testing.
- DeSantis also signed the “Postsecondary Education” bill in law. Also taking effect July 1st, requires the state’s Board of Governors and the Florida Board of Education to create a survey that will be used to determine “intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity”. The annual survey will be provided to students and college administrators with the purpose of illustrating the extent of the diversity of thought and political perspectives on college campuses. The results of the surveys will be made public.
- According to the Orlando Sentinel, Disney has worked with Florida Fish and Wildlife to remove at least 250 alligators from Disney’s Orlando properties since the 2016 death of Lane Thomas Graves at the Grand Floridian. Many of the alligators are euthanized and sold for meat. According to the Sentinel report, trappers have received $30 per alligator caught.