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The legislature this week continued its discussion on guns, but also worked on other topics with the session countdown in full effect. This week, we cover bills ranging from assault weapons to vegetable gardens.   Music At Launch Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This week's episode focuses on the tragedy at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14th, 2018, and its legislative aftermath.   Music At Launch Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

It's the state vs cities in this week's episode of Wonk and Circumstance. Plus, a mention of the special election in FLH-72.   Music At Launch Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This week's episode zeroes in on healthcare and bills that the legislature is looking to pass. Focus is on SB 524, HB 23, and HB 27. An update is given on four bills from past episodes.   Music At Launch Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Guns are such a sensitive issue, we've now covered it in both of our seasons. Today, we discuss some of the gun-related bills that have been proposed for the 2018 session. Plus, an inside look at a lesson we learned this week while building the GovAid database.   Music At Launch Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The 2018 Florida legislative session has begun in earnest! Join us on our second season as we navigate the issues that will be facing the legislature throughout the next couple of months. Plus, a preview of a new tool from your friends at VoterAid!   Music At Launch Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This session was such a roller coaster ride, we've had to break up the review episode into two parts. Part 1 will fill you in on the fate of most of the bills we discussed this season. We can't completely wrap, however, because the state doesn't have a budget yet..... Don't forget to hit subscribe so you get all of our upcoming episodes in your sleep!   Theme Credit At Launch Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Just here to let you know that we need a couple more days to get the session wrap up. Stay tuned and we'll have it up shortly!

Immigration is a story that has been in the news throughout the election of 2016 and well into the administration of President Trump. While the issue has many facets, our focus in this episode is the relationship between local, state, and federal governments when it comes to immigration enforcement. We hear from Mario Ariza and Chris Sanchelima, who offer us differing perspectives on a Florida bill that would bar any city from serving as a "sanctuary city." Don't forget to hit subscribe so you get all of our upcoming episodes in your sleep!   Theme Credit At Launch Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

One of the most controversial issues of this year's legislative session is an agency that isn't a household name - Enterprise Florida. The House and Senate have wildly divergent views on the future of the agency, and its sister organization in Visit Florida. The fight has gotten so extreme that it has placed the budget, the legislature's primary responsibility, in jeopardy of not being completed on time.   Don't forget to hit subscribe so you can get all of our upcoming episodes in your sleep!   Theme credit: At Launch Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

On this week's show, we dip our toe into the waters of education by looking at a surprisingly controversial topic - recess. As the Florida Senate and House of Representatives battle it out to see whether recess should be mandatory, we welcome Rene Medina on to give us a look into the daily lives of students, teachers, and how recess fits into those snapshots. Don't forget to hit subscribe so you get all of our upcoming episodes in your sleep!   Theme Credit At Launch Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

It seems that one of the most popular topics for high school opinion essays is capital punishment, also known as the death penalty. It's an issue that divides opinion across the political spectrum, the country, and the world. Its origins can be traced back to Biblical times, with Hammurabi's Code ("eye for an eye") often being cited when discussing the issue. On today's podcast, we are joined by four esteemed guests to discuss this sensitive topic. Each of the four guests presents a different perspective and has a different preferred outcome for capital punishment. Father Willy Garcia-Tuñon advocates for repealing the death penalty on moral grounds. Francesca Corallo argues that the death penalty should be repealed, though her arguments are practical. Arthur Freyre offers a defense of the status quo - capital punishment used primarily for first-degree murder. Finally, Juan Perez makes the case for a death penalty that is expanded to include crimes other than murder. Don't forget to hit subscribe so you get all of our upcoming episodes in your sleep!   Theme Credit At Launch Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Special episode! Today we are joined by Elaine de Valle, aka "Ladra" of the Political Cortadito, for a sneak peek at Tuesday's Coral Gables election. If you're a Coral Gables resident, or a local politics junkie, this is the episode for you. Remember to go to www.voteraid.co before you head to the polls!   Theme credit: At Launch Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This week, we tackle an issue that Florida's voters passed a constitutional amendment on just last year - marjuana. We touch on the medicinal aspects as well as the recreational side. We also look at how marijuana compares to other drugs, both legal and illegal.   Theme Credit: At Launch Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Also Used: Tongo's cover of Linkin Park's Numb https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcicOBS9mBU

On this week's episode, we invite on four different guests to discuss a popular issue - AirBnb. You'll hear Alan Bradin, Jessica Fernandez, Armando Ibarra, and Nick Jimenez discuss what's going on in Tallahassee, what the differences are between hotels and short-term rental sites, and what the ideal regulatory structure for AirBnB (et al.) should look like. If you like our show, don't forget to subscribe so you can get the next episode automatically!   Theme credit: At Launch Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Ad credit: Open Those Bright Eyes Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Get to know Wayne "Chip" Withers, a candidate for Coral Gables Commission in Group III. Election Day is fast approaching - Coral Gables heads to the polls on April 11th, 2017.   Song credit: Open Those Bright Eyes Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In this week's episode, we talk to Mario Ariza about the solar energy situation in Florida. We cover the gamut from the amendments proposed last year to pie in the sky technology and everything in between. Mario Alejandro Ariza is a Dominican immigrant to the United States who grew up in Santo Domingo and Miami. He is currently a Michener Fellow in poetry at the University of Miami’s Master in Fine Arts program, and he holds a Master’s degree in Hispanic Cultural Studies from Columbia University.  He has held a waiter-ship from the Breadloaf Writer’s conference, is the winner of the 2015 Small Axe magazine poetry contest, and was a 2016 Cantomundo fellow. His poetry can be found in Gulf Coast, The Raleigh Review, The Baffler, Luna Luna, and The Rumpus. You can find his feature journalism in places like The Atlantic and The Miami New Times, and The New Tropic. His essays appear in Cigar Snob Magazine and are forthcoming in The New Inquiry. He is working on a book about one of his greatest obsessions, human-driven climate change, and its effects on South Florida. Theme Credit At Launch Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In this week's episode, Adam Schachner and Nick Jimenez join the podcast to discuss all manner of transportation issues. Throughout the super-sized episode this week, the panelists discuss public transit, self-driving cars, and everything in between. Theme Credit At Launch Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This week's issue is one of the most contentious topics in politics: Guns. Panelists Adam Schachner, Jordan Sanchez, and Nick Jimenez join the podcast to discuss some of the gun legislation that has been proposed during the 2017 Florida legislative session.   Theme credit: At Launch Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Welcome to the very first episode of Wonk and Circumstance, a new podcast presented by VoterAid. In this episode, we bring on legislative staffers in Tallahassee, Nick Alvarez and Nick Recuset, to help us preview the the 2017 Florida Legislative session that beings on 3/7/2017. Theme credit: At Launch Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/