Florida Archives

Firearm instructor Clark Aposhian holds a handgun up as he teaches a concealed-weapons training class to 200 Utah teachers in December of 2012. After the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, 14 state legislatures introduced bills calling to arm school staffs.

Education

Should Teachers Carry Guns? In Many Rural School Districts, They Already Are.

While a national debate about whether or not to arm teachers rages on, hundreds of school districts across the country have been allowing staff to carry weapons on school property for years.

Kate Wheeling

Lance Wissinger (left) and Neil Volz shake hands after turning in their voter registration forms at the Lee County Supervisor of Elections office on January 8th, 2019, in Fort Myers, Florida. Wissinger and Volz, both with felony records, became able to vote for the first time after a new constitutional amendment took effect.

1.4 Million Florida Felons Regain the Right to Vote

On a big day for Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis assumed his new position on Tuesday and, despite his efforts to delay it, Amendment 4 took effect.

Kelley Czajka

Viewfinder: Supporters of Immigrants Hold a Toy Drive Outside an ICE Facility

Envy Silva, whose family is originally from Guatemala, holds a holiday toy she received from immigration activists across the street from the Miramar Immigration and Customs Enforcement Facility in South Florida.

Pacific Standard Staff

A U.S. Citizen Who Was Detained and Nearly Deported Files a Lawsuit in Florida

Peter Brown remained locked in a county jail for weeks, as county officials waited for immigration authorities to deport him to Jamaica—a country he had never lived in.

Jack Herrera

Viewfinder: Counting Ballots a Week After the Election

Attorneys oversee the ballot process at the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Warehouse on November 15th, 2018, in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Pacific Standard Staff

A voter heads to a polling station in Athens, Georgia, on November 8th, 2016. In the past decade, the number of registered voters removed from the rolls across the South due to a conviction has nearly doubled.

Florida Passed Amendment 4. That Could Be Good News for Democrats.

Now that felons can vote in Florida, Democrats might see a boost in future elections.

Max Ufberg

Voters fill out their ballots as they cast their vote at a polling station setup in Legion Park for the mid-term election on November 6th, 2018 in Miami, Florida.

Over a Million Felons Could Regain the Right to Vote in Florida

In one of the most consequential mid-term measures nationwide, Florida's Amendment 4 would automatically restore voting rights to most felons who complete their sentences.

Emma Sarappo

Three women who said they were employees of a rehabilitation center where six patients were found dead after Hurricane Irma leave the center on September 13th, 2017, in Hollywood, Florida.

News in Brief

Are Nursing Homes Prepared for Hurricane Michael?

A quick look at Florida state data suggests 5 percent of nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the areas under threat from Hurricane Michael haven't submitted plans to the state for keeping their residents cool and safe.

Francie Diep