Featured image for “OPINION | DeSantis’ vetoes gut Legislature’s priorities”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during the American Legislative Exchange Council Wednesday, July 28, 2021, in Salt Lake City. | AP
June 8, 2022

OPINION | DeSantis’ vetoes gut Legislature’s priorities

Two months ago in this column, I predicted that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ veto list for this year’s state budget would…

Featured image for “OPINION | Have Democrats already lost the governor’s race?”
Charlie Crist announced his candidacy for governor on May 4, 2021. | AP
June 5, 2022

OPINION | Have Democrats already lost the governor’s race?

Democrats are in a bad position vis-a-vis Ron DeSantis, and it seems to have them hamstrung as time starts to…

Featured image for “OPINION | Corrine Brown’s pyrrhic victory”
May 22, 2022

OPINION | Corrine Brown’s pyrrhic victory

Months back, I pleaded to the federal government in this column space to stop prosecuting Corrine Brown. Last week, they…

Featured image for “OPINION | Byrd’s the word”
Cord Byrd has served three terms in the Florida House | News Service of Florida
May 15, 2022

OPINION | Byrd’s the word

The great unanswered question of the 2022 election cycle for Northeast Florida Republicans was what Cord Byrd would end up…

Featured image for “EXPLORE: How much did rent go up in your neighborhood?”
Rent in the 32210 ZIP code, where this Fishweir Creek studio rental is, has increased 32% since the start of the pandemic.
May 12, 2022

EXPLORE: How much did rent go up in your neighborhood?

Rent prices  in the Jacksonville metro area have increased by more than 30% since the start of the pandemic —…

Featured image for “OPINION | The miseducation of Florida’s future”
A screen shot from the Florida Department of Education shows a math book that was banned from Florida classrooms.
May 2, 2022

OPINION | The miseducation of Florida’s future

The summer after my freshman year at Florida State University, I worked as an intern at Pearson. As in the…

Featured image for “OPINION | Can DeSantis overplay his hand?”
Gov. Ron DeSantis | AP
April 24, 2022

OPINION | Can DeSantis overplay his hand?

In the week since my column last ran in Jacksonville Today, Gov. Ron DeSantis got everything he wanted from the…

Featured image for “OPINION | DeSantis Republicans run the show”
AP Photo/John Raoux
April 20, 2022

OPINION | DeSantis Republicans run the show

It’s pretty clear that much of the Tallahassee Establishment – the TE – still doesn’t get it. This detachment from…

Featured image for “OPINION | I’m at a loss over racism”
The late Justice Joseph Hatchette was the first Black Florida Supreme Court justice. | Florida Supreme Court
April 18, 2022

OPINION | I’m at a loss over racism

I am trying to understand racism. I know what it is. I know why it exists. I know the history…

Featured image for “OPINION | Who wants to be a congressman?”
Mayor Lenny Curry and Gov. Ron DeSantis in Jacksonville
April 17, 2022

OPINION | Who wants to be a congressman?

There was no surprise, none at all, for readers of this column regarding what the Florida Legislature would do with…

Featured image for “OPINION | Will Ron DeSantis pick a Jacksonville senator?”
State Sen. Clay Yarborough.
March 27, 2022

OPINION | Will Ron DeSantis pick a Jacksonville senator?

Imagine you’re Clay Yarborough, a current state representative who thought the next campaign was all set. A few months back,…

Featured image for “OPINION | 6 takeaways from the 2022 legislative session”
You can start to see the influence of incoming Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, on budget items important to this region, Bradley says. | Florida House
March 23, 2022

OPINION | 6 takeaways from the 2022 legislative session

The 2022 Florida regular legislative session is in the books. The Legislature had four constitutionally mandated duties this year: pass…

Featured image for “OPINION | Controversial Ed Board pick shows what DeSantis thinks of Duval County”
Esther Byrd | Facebook
March 13, 2022

OPINION | Controversial Ed Board pick shows what DeSantis thinks of Duval County

As the Legislature wrapped up its business Friday, the last bit of work before passing the budget Monday, Gov. Ron…

Featured image for “OPINION | House redistricting map creates Jax-only CD5…lands with a thud”
The proposed Congressional District 5 would be entirely within Duval County | House of Representatives
February 27, 2022

OPINION | House redistricting map creates Jax-only CD5…lands with a thud

The intramural pissing match between Republicans in Tallahassee continues, and no clear resolution is at hand as they try to…

Featured image for “OPINION | Florida’s surgeon general fight is a preview of 2024”
Florida Surgeon Gen. Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo, left, speaks at a news conference with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, right, Monday, Jan. 3, 2022, at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
February 9, 2022

OPINION | Florida’s surgeon general fight is a preview of 2024

Before the 2000 Bush/Gore election, Tim Russert, the late Meet the Press host, was asked what he would be watching…

Featured image for “OPINION | Lawson for Lt. Gov?”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., left, poses during a ceremonial swearing-in with Rep. Al Lawson, D-Fla., right, on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019 in Washington, during the opening session of the 116th Congress. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
February 6, 2022

OPINION | Lawson for Lt. Gov?

Will Florida’s 5th Congressional District, which connects Jacksonville’s Urban Core to Gadsden County while hugging the Georgia border, become a…

Featured image for “OPINION | Corrine’s revenge? Ron DeSantis goes after Al Lawson”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, left, poses during a ceremonial swearing-in with Rep. Al Lawson, D-Fla., right, on Capitol Hill in 2019. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
January 23, 2022

OPINION | Corrine’s revenge? Ron DeSantis goes after Al Lawson

Is Gov. DeSantis trying to do what Jacksonville Democrats could not, in removing Al Lawson from Congress? That is one…

Featured image for “OPINION | Rebirth of a nation, state”
Raymon Troncoso, WJCT News | The Florida Channel livestream
January 10, 2022

OPINION | Rebirth of a nation, state

Today marks the first day of the Florida legislative session. A session where our elected legislators will tackle a myriad…

Featured image for “OPINION | Ben Frazier makes his point”
A sheriff's deputy handcuffs Ben Frazier January 4, 2022. | Claire Heddles, WJCT News
January 9, 2022

OPINION | Ben Frazier makes his point

A week ago, the world hadn’t heard of Ben Frazier. The president of the Northside Coalition was known locally, but…

Featured image for “OPINION | Ron DeSantis doesn’t owe you an explanation”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis fist bumps with legislators Tuesday, March 2, 2021, as he enters the House of Representatives prior to his State of the State address at the Capitol in Tallahassee. | Phil Sears, Associated Press
January 2, 2022

OPINION | Ron DeSantis doesn’t owe you an explanation

Where was the governor at the end of 2021? Ron DeSantis stopped doing press events for the most part.  His…

Featured image for “OPINION | Ron DeSantis doesn’t get Duval. Does he care?”
November 21, 2021

OPINION | Ron DeSantis doesn’t get Duval. Does he care?

In 2018, Gov. Ron DeSantis didn’t win Duval County in the general election race against Andrew Gillum. It was a…

Featured image for “OPINION | Floridians want control of their life back”
Gov. Ron DeSantis | AP
November 17, 2021

OPINION | Floridians want control of their life back

For over a year now, our lives have been completely upended, and it all seems terribly unfair. Family and friends…