MIAMI, Florida, April 27 -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida issued the following statement on April 26, 2024: * * * Over the past week, university campuses across the country have held pro-Palestinian demonstrations in protest of the Gaza war. Some of these pro-Palestine student protesters and allies present at the protests have been met with police presence, arrests, and excessive use of force, including professors. In response, public universities in Florida have joined in th  more

MAITLAND, Florida, April 27 -- Funding Florida Legal Aid (formerly the Florida Bar Foundation) issued the following news release: Former Florida Supreme Court Justice Peggy A. Quince has been selected to receive FFLA's 2024 Medal of Honor Award for a Lawyer, and retired college president Lawrence W. Tyree will receive the Medal of Honor Award for a Non-Lawyer. The Medal of Honor is FFLA's highest honor. Roderick N. Petrey, founder of the Florida Justice Institute, will receive the 2024 Jane Eli  more

MADISON, Wisconsin, April 27 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release: When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed HB 931 into law, authorizing school districts to permit "volunteer school chaplains," he openly confirmed that the bill will discriminate against disfavored minority religions. The Freedom From Religion Foundation condemns this harmful new measure and encourages Florida residents to speak out against it. The public school chaplain law differs fr  more

MADISON, Wisconsin, April 27 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release: The Freedom From Religion Foundation has ensured that the Fellowship of Christian Athletes will not be able to organize and run a religious club for students at an elementary school in Hamilton County School District in Florida. FFRF was informed that Hamilton County Elementary School had permitted the North Central Florida Fellowship of Christian Athletes to begin a new club at Hamilton Ele  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, April 25 -- The James Madison Institute issued the following news release: Conflicts over water in the Sunshine State have become more regular, more intense, and more costly in recent years. In a new JMI Backgrounder, "Tapping Water Markets in Florida, "Sal Nuzzo, Executive Director of Consumers Defense and Senior Fellow at The James Madison Institute and Reed Watson, Director of the Hayek Center for the Business of Prosperity and Professor of Practice at Clemson Universi  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, April 27 -- The James Madison Institute issued the following statement on April 26, 2024: * * * Statement from the K. Earl Durden Center for the Advancement of Liberty at The James Madison Institute on President Biden's Changes to Title IX: "The mission of the K. Earl Durden Center for the Advancement of Liberty at The James Madison Institute is to promote the principles of federalism that have made this nation the freest, most prosperous on earth. Currently at stake are  more

OCALA, Florida, April 27 -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals issued the following news release: * * * PETA Seeks Criminal Charges * * * Another horse down. On the heels of the death of Frosten, a colt raced at extreme speeds in a quarter-mile sprint at an Ocala Breeders' Sales Company (OBS) under tack show on April 10, 2024, PETA fired off a formal request to 5th Judicial Circuit State Attorney William Gladson this morning urging him to pursue criminal cruelty-to-animals charges a  more