Gov. Ron DeSantis is defending voter fraud charges brought by his administration this week. He says the charges are misplaced, even by the Republican lawmakers who drafted the bill at the center of the debate.

Several people arrested last week as part of the governor’s crackdown on voter fraud were informed by official government agencies that they were eligible to vote, according to court documents and interviews. In some cases, the arrests were embarrassing because the county had sent them voter registration cards and approved them to vote, according to affidavits.

Voting rights groups, meanwhile, are highly critical of Florida’s new State Election Research Service and Governor Ron DeSantis’ decision to arrest 20 people in a crackdown.

The guests: Matt Dixon, Politico.

parliamentary re-election

Two Congressmen are vying to represent more than 10 North Florida counties in Congress. Tallahassee Democrat Al Lawson and Panama City Republican Neil Dunne were placed in the same district after DeSantis signed a new congressional map that eliminated Lawson’s district, which was the opportunity seat for African Americans.

The guests: Valerie CrowderWFSU.

Charlie Christ leaves the office

This week, Charlie Christ announced he was leaving Congress amid the heated Florida gubernatorial race.

DeSantis faced the same decision to resign from Congress as he did when he was running for governor in 2018. Like Christo, he waited to resign his seat in Congress until he got his party’s nomination for gubernatorial election.

Christo has represented Florida’s 13th Congressional District, St. Petersburg and Clearwater Area since 2016. Christo continued to serve in Congress through the first campaign against Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Freed.

When Christo won that primary, he chose educator Carla Hernandez Matz, the running mate. Carla Hernandez Matz is the president of the Miami-Dade County Teachers Union. DeSantis.

The guests: Andrew SparPresident of the Florida Education Association.

Artemis 1 launch

NASA had to cancel its first attempt to launch a Space Launch System rocket on Monday as part of the Artemis 1 mission to the moon, but it will be canceled tomorrow during a two-hour launch window that begins at 2:17 p.m. I will try again.

Monday’s launch was canceled after a temperature problem developed in one of the booster’s core stage engines while the rocket was being loaded with propellant.

The guests: Brendan ByrneWMFE.

Pinellas County Section 8 Housing

The Pinellas County Department of Housing has reopened the waiting list for Section 8 housing vouchers. These coupons for low-income earners help cover a portion of monthly rent for individuals or families. It is the first time in two years that the agency has accepted a new application.

The guests: McKenna SchulerWMNF.

Attorney General Race

The race for Florida’s attorney general is heating up after the primary election. Democratic candidate Aramis Ayala faces off against Ashley Moody.

The guests: Regan McCarthyWFSU.

Broward County Board of Education Member Expelled

Earlier this week, in Broward County, DeSantis fired four members of the county school board. He cited the findings and recommendations of a statewide grand jury launched after the 2018 Parkland shootings.

The guests: Gerard Albert IIIWLRN.

Torey Alston

The Republican-majority board elected Tory Alston as chairman, but the longtime board member failed to elect Lori Alhadev 5-4. She was elected vice-president. Over the next three months, the party will retain its majority.

Also in Surfside this week, the judge overseeing the Champlain Towers South lawsuit on Monday ruled the law firm representing the victims far less than they asked for. .

The guests: Veronica SaragoviaWLRN.

Leon County Race

The race for the mayor of Tallahassee and three seats on the Leon County Commission is still open after the primary. For candidates who have not run, the question of whether to re-run may become an issue.

The guests: Margie MenzelWFSU.

Copyright 2022 WJCT News 89.9. For more information, see WJCT News 89.9.