Valerie Crowder
Valerie Crowder is a freelance reporter based in Panama City, Florida. Before moving to Florida, she covered politics and education for Public Radio East in New Bern, North Carolina. While at PRE, she was also a fill-in host during All Things Considered. She got her start in public radio at WAER-FM in Syracuse, New York, where she was a part-time reporter, assistant producer and host. She has a B.A. in newspaper online journalism and political science from Syracuse University. When she’s not reporting the news, she enjoys reading classic fiction and thrillers, hiking with members of the Florida Trail Association and doing yoga.
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Democrats are expected to get a boost in the midterm elections if Roe v. Wade is overturned, but whether it will result in significant gains across Florida remains uncertain.
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Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis' flexed his power this week in Tallahassee as lawmakers okayed the governor's controversial redistricting plan and curbed Disney's special jurisdiction.
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Florida is one of four states that hasn’t yet approved a congressional map — all other states have drawn their new U.S. House districts well ahead of the November 2022 elections. The legislature and the governor remain at odds over keeping an African American opportunity district in North Florida.
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The Florida legislature is sending its congressional plan to Gov. Ron DeSantis for approval after the House and Senate agreed upon a measure that contains a preferred map and a backup.
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Governor Ron DeSantis is pushing to eliminate north Florida’s only U.S. House district where Black voters can elect a candidate of their choice. The legislature, however, is working on a plan that keeps the 5th Congressional District’s current configuration largely intact. If the governor's map were to prevail, it would undo progress toward securing minority voting power in the region.
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Florida lawmakers are again working on policy to make school zones safer for pedestrians. The bipartisan bill would allow cities and counties to put up traffic cameras near schools to reduce speeding.
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Gov. DeSantis is calling on lawmakers to meet early to "strengthen" a statewide ban on vaccination and mask mandates, while Democrats decry the effort as "politically motivated."
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DeSantis wants to act against businesses that issue coronavirus vaccine mandates.
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Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to position himself against the Biden administration on the issue of border security. DeSantis has issued an executive order to curb the arrival of undocumented immigrants to Florida. His administration is also suing over President Biden's policy of allowing migrants to wait in U.S. while their asylum cases are pending.
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Thousands of teaching and school support jobs across Florida were open at the start of August. Local school districts are seeking bus drivers, food service workers, classroom aides and certified instructors.