Florida legislators just returned to work Tuesday, yet are already sparking outrage over several new bills that would impact voters, college funding and incomes.
One bill proposed by a Florida Republican intends to restrict state financial aid funding for students pursuing a degree that does not ensure employment after graduation. Students enlisted in an ineligible program would receive Bright Futures aid for 60 credit hours rather than 120.
Legislators are also considering excluding certain workers from securing a significant wage increase to $15, despite voters approving the increase in November.
Those who would be affected fall under the category lawmakers refer to as hard to hire: including ex-felons and young adults under 21 years old.
Another bill would make it more difficult to participate by mail in upcoming elections, requiring voters to reapply in 2022 and request absentee ballots each cycle.
Tampa Theatre ready to reopen with new upgrades, safety standards
After a year long’s closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tampa Theatre is finally set to reopen.
“Reopening a theater after a pandemic is kind of interesting because our building is designed to welcome crowds of people,” says Jill Witecki, director of marketing. “And right now, crowds of people is about the last thing that anybody wants to be doing.”
In order to maintain safety standards, all moviegoers will be required to undergo a temperature check upon entering to ensure they don’t have a fever, a common symptom of COVID-19. The theater is limiting its capacity to 200 people out of its 1,200-seat auditorium, and masks are required at all times except when seated and eating or drinking. In an effort to cut back on concession lines, they have an app attendees can download and order food in advance.
The biggest improvement to the nearly a hundred year old theater, however, is the new ventilation systems.
“The air in this building is literally cleaner and fresher than it’s been since we opened in 1926,” said Witecki.
Along with upgrading the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, they’ve also installed a bipolar ionization system that cleans the air of any harmful particles.
“If they help us in cooperation of following those rules, we really do think that we’re going to be able to reopen safety,” Witecki adds.
The Tampa Theatre is set to reopen March 11 with a screening of The Father, a Golden Globe-nominated drama.
National reading event celebrated amidst significant decrease in children’s literacy rates
Tuesday is National Read Across America Day, an event that aims to encourage children to read more.
Though launched in 1998, the event is especially important to recognize this year as children’s literacy rates have been severely impacted since the pandemic.
Communities of color have been hit particularly hard, with students being possibly six to 12 months behind on academic material in comparison with their white classmates, who are four to eight months behind, according to McKinsey and Company.
To celebrate the event, Pasco County librarians are hosting a virtual event Wednesday from 10 am to noon over Zoom. Children can request their favorite books for librarians to read over the video call.
Click here to sign up.
Credits
Anchor: Demi Asensio
Reporters: Ta’Bria Snowden, Hannah Halili
Co-Producers: Gabriel Castro, Carla Ibanez
Writer: James Birmingham, Emmanuel Maduneme
Graphics editor: Chloe Benjamin, Sean Stover
Video Editors: James Birmingham, Chloe Benjamin
Show Editor: David Rose
Web Editor: Gabriella Martin
Executive Producer: Brad Haft
Graduate Assistant: Emmanuel Maduneme
Faculty Adviser: Jeanette Abrahamsen, Wayne Garcia
