| Good morning.
As Americans continue to await the coming Supreme Court decision on abortion, one less-discussed aspect is access to abortion medication. Nearly half of Florida abortion last year were performed using medication, among the highest rates in the country.
Florida law already bans telehealth abortions, instead requiring pregnant people to visit a doctor before receiving the pills. Could the state further restrict the medication? This story delves into the topic, including how some abortion rights advocates see pharmacies abroad as a way to skirt potential barriers.
— Emily L. Mahoney, emahoney@tampabay.com |
| The Rundown: Last week, I noted how the gut-wrenching school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, brought back many painful memories in Florida of the Parkland school massacre in 2018.
But one of the state's responses to Parkland is now being rolled back.
Lawmakers across the political spectrum agreed after the 2018 tragedy that the state needed to do more to care for students' mental health. One facet of their approach was social-emotional learning, a method for weaving in concepts like empathy and relationship-building into regular lessons. But social-emotional learning has recently come under attack by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Department of Education, which said those types of materials were partially why the state rejected dozens of math textbooks for "indoctrination."
This story by education reporter Jeffrey S. Solochek breaks down what you need to know.
Another school safety update: The state has continued to pass school safety bills since 2018, mostly dealing with required trainings, securing school campuses and making changes to the program allowing staff and teachers to be armed. This year's version of those efforts now sits on DeSantis' desk awaiting his signature. Among other changes, it would require plans for family reunification after schools are evacuated.
Still, a "majority" of school districts in the state are not in complete compliance with the state's school safety requirements, according to the state lawmaker who sponsored this year's bill. That's one issue the state's new education commissioner, Manny Diaz, will have to address. Additionally, next week, the Florida Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in a lawsuit challenging the state's penalties for local governments that try to regulate guns. Cities and counties are prohibited from passing gun regulations stricter than Florida law.
The date for these arguments was set back in March, but they clearly take on more weight now. |
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