Senate Bill 72, House Bill 1 and House Bill 259 have all been passed by the Florida House of Representatives and have caused a great deal of backlash.
SB 72 refers to Civil Liability for Damages Relating to COVID-19 in the state of Florida. The purpose of this bill is to protect businesses from COVID-19 related negligence.
A few Tampa business owners have been fighting with City Council after code enforcement released pictures of unmasked crowds in their businesses.
Local officials put the blame on Gov. Ron DeSantis claiming he is making it hard to keep the public safe. DeSantis has already announced he will be signing the bill into law.
HB 1, Combating Public Disorder, allows law enforcement to be able more easily to arrest protestors when the protest “is a specified violent public disturbance resulting in specified damage or injury.”
Opponents of the bill say it is inherently dangerous for people of color as it makes it harder for them to speak out against injustice. There have already been dozens of Black Lives Matters protestors arrested this summer here in Tampa alone.
Many were upset about the differences between their treatment in comparison with the rioters at the Capitol this January.
In lieu of calls to defund the police, HB 1 would also withhold aid from local governments who have cut their law enforcement budgets.
The bill is on it’s way to the Florida Senate.
HB 259, Safety of Religious Institutions, allows members to bring a concealed weapon or firearm into all property owned by a church, temple, or another religious institution.
Many worry that this bill will give religious school teachers the right to bring guns into their classrooms.
DeSantis expands COVID-19 vaccine requirements to 40 years and older
The qualifications for receiving a COVID-19 vaccine in Florida have expanded Monday to anyone 40 and older.
Despite the number of vaccines being administered rising, the total number of coronavirus cases is rising as well. Spring breakers could possibly be a contributing factor to these numbers.
According to U.S. Transportation Security Administration data, more than a million people have traveled through U.S. airports over the past 17 days.
Spring breakers caught a lot of backlash last year for their negligent partying on Florida’s overcrowded beaches. Data shows now that 15 to 34 year olds are now seeing the highest increase in positive COVID-19 cases.
Gov. Ron DeSantis surprised the state by announcing young people will be able to receive the vaccine sooner than anticipated by many.
“Florida is pleased to announce that all adults in the state age 18 and older will be eligible for the vaccine beginning Monday, April 5th,” said DeSantis.
Florida will also allow 16 and 17 year olds to get only the Pfizer vaccine with parental consent beginning next week.
WWE’s first live event since the beginning of the pandemic will be held at Raymond James Stadium this April
Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium will be hosting WWE’s WrestleMania 37 on April 10 and 11.
It has been over a year since wrestling fans have been able to see their favorites live and in person. This will be the first event that WWE allows fans to attend since the start of the pandemic.
WWE has lost a great deal of profits due to COVID-19. Virus-related restrictions have lost the company about $90 million.
Coronavirus outbreaks have affected WWE’s talent as recent as two weeks ago.
WWE superfan Justin Jones says that its difficult to stay connected to the characters and shows when you can’t see it in person.
“Since we haven’t been able to attend shows for over a year, you know WrestleMania 37, they’re doing two nights, with limited fans, that place is going to go nuts,” Jones said.
The stadium plans to cut its capacity down to about 36 percent or 25,000 fans as well as implementing other safety protocols, such as temperature checks, cashless concessions, health screenings and seating pods are some of the practices being used.
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Anchors: Ta’Bria Snowden, Leo Santos
Reporter: Julio Martinez
Producer: Niamh Larkin
Writer: Emma Oliver
Graphics editor: Zheming Zhang, Trevor Wymer, Zack Brown
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Videographer: Lauren Siegal, David Rose, Yara Zayas, Ginette Troya, Dylan Zuccarello
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