Constitutional Law

Former Republican Hispanic Outreach Chief Blasts GOP "Hate," Registers as Democrat

That GOP need to build bridges to the nation's Hispanic community? The need party elders have talked so much about since Barack Obama was re-elected largely due to Hispanic support? The need that's propelled Florida's own Marco Rubio to preeminence in the early scouting reports on the GOP 2016 presd ... More >>

Obama's Inaugural Speech Mentions Gays, Long Voting Lines

If you found yourself saying, "Hey! He's talking about me!" during Barack Obama's inaugural speech, it's because you either waited in line to vote for many hours or you're gay or both! During the speech for his second inauguration, Obama made references to two items that are of great importance to ... More >>

New Times Broward Palm Beach Sold; Looks a Lot Like the Old New Times Broward Palm Beach

A quarter century ago, my old, good buddy Mike Lacey came to Miami and decided to start a weekly paper. He wanted to move here, but a mugger and a prudent wife convinced him cocaine-fueled Miami wasn't the place to raise a family.Today, Lacey bowed out. Along with his partner -- and another guy I co ... More >>

Prejudice for Dummies: A Translation of South Florida Chick-fil-A Supporters' Claims

A confession: On Wednesday, some New Times folk wanted to eat Chick-fil-A. Music Editor Liz Tracy and video guy Jake Katel stopped by a store in Pembroke Pines and discovered the hullaballoo around "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day," in defense of Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy's statement that America ... More >>

Feds Tell Florida: You Can't Purge Voters -- There Are Laws About That

Gov. Rick Scott's campaign to purge "noncitizens" from the voter rolls less than three months before a primary election violates federal law, according to the Department of Justice.In a letter sent yesterday to Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner, the chief of the DOJ's voting section gave Detzne ... More >>

Allen West Turns Black History Month Into Attack on Democrats

​Last Wednesday, Congressman Allen West took to the House floor to commemorate Black History Month. As the first black congressman from Florida since Reconstruction, he was in a unique position to do so. West had hundreds of years of history he could have talked about, including 51 years of his ow ... More >>

Allen West on Contraception: Mocks Obama's Knowledge of the Constitution, Completely Mangles Constitutional Argument

​Congressman Allen West sent out his weekly newsletter Monday, barraging his constituents with an almost predictable combination of hyperpatriotic mumbo-jumbo and misguided, pseudo-academic posturing about his favorite book in the history of words, the United States Constitution.Once you get past ... More >>

Slavery by Another Name in Florida

​Last year, when Gov. Rick Scott and his cabinet enacted an archaic ban on the voting rights of ex-felons, supporters called the ban colorblind. They said making nonviolent felons wait five years after completing their sentences to apply for the right to vote again had nothing to do with Florida's ... More >>

Rick Scott Pleads Ignorance About Felon Voting Rights

I had no idea this was bad policy!​Here's a fun way to defend a racist restriction on voting rights: First, claim the new rule is colorblind. Then, when black legislators get angry, plead ignorance. Say you had no idea the rule was draconian compared to policies in most of the country.This is Gov. ... More >>

First Amendment Right to Blast Music to Be Considered by Florida Supreme Court

inquisitr.comThe Florida Supreme Court will decide whether this is your First Amendment right.​The issue of whether it's the First Amendment right of Florida drivers to blast obnoxious music from their cars way louder than anyone needs to will be heard before the Florida Supreme Court.The court sc ... More >>

Dear Federal Court: Please Help Florida Suppress the Vote

Racism? Not here.​To: U.S. District Court From: Florida Secretary of State Kurt Browning We're having a small problem with voting down here in Florida. In May, our Legislature passed some brilliant new requirements designed to crack down on unnecessary voters -- specifically, people who are poor, ... More >>

New Voting Laws in Florida and 13 Other States May Affect 5 Million Eligible Voters, Study Says

​New voting laws passed in 14 states -- states that control 171 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win a presidential election -- could make voting "significantly harder" for more than 5 million people who are actually eligible to vote, according to a new study.As many as 1 million of those peop ... More >>

Florida Drivers Have First Amendment Right to Blast Music, Appeals Court Rules

inquisitr.comUnless this system comes with a big bag of coke, this setup is your constitutional right in Florida.​If you're in Florida blasting obnoxious music from your car way louder than you need to, well, that's your First Amendment right, according to a recent appellate court ruling.In Marion ... More >>

Rick Scott and Cabinet's Decision for Ex-Con Voting Hurdles Seems Bogus, Study Implies

prwatch.org​As much as Gov. Rick Scott likes to make the rules, it looks like his Cabinet's idea for making new hurdles for ex-convicts to have their civil rights restored was pulled out of their collective asses, according to implications from a recent study by the Florida Parole Commission.The s ... More >>

Florida Judge Kills Matching Funds; Money is Considered Free Speech in Political Campaigns

illinoisstate.edu​Just days after the U.S. Supreme Court found Arizona's matching-funds campaign law unconstitutional, a Florida federal court judge halted a similar provision in this state.The issue, unsurprisingly, was brought up in a lawsuit by then-candidate Rick Scott, who said his right ... More >>

ACLU To Florida: "Two Lawsuits. Three Days Apart. And It's Only The Beginning."

aclufl.orgACLU of Florida's Howard Simon​The American Civil Liberties Union says Florida is "ground zero" in their fight for civil liberties -- which explains why it filed two lawsuits in three days against Gov. Rick Scott-approved legislation.The ACLU filed two federal lawsuits last week -- o ... More >>

Bill Nelson Warns Rick Scott to Veto Election Bill or Face a Federal Investigation

State lawmakers want to keep people from having sex with animals. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson wants to keep lawmakers from screwing voters.​Although it seems like Gov. Rick Scott will make the bold and progressive move of banning bestiality, he still plans to screw voters. The election overhaul bill, wh ... More >>

Muslim Group "Welcomes Elimination of Osama Bin Laden"

Flickr/ Bird Eye Muslims protesting terrorism after the attacks in Mumbai. ​The Council on American -Islamic Relations is self-described as "America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization." CAIR positions itself as a peaceful organization that denounces terrorism and seeks to b ... More >>

Marco Rubio: Government Officials and Federal Contractors Are Completely Honest

Trust me! I'm with the government!​Marco Rubio usually says what he means. Which is why his fans -- and I count myself among them, even though I disagree with just about every one of his policies -- should be saddened by a small item at the bottom of his latest weekly newsletter, entitled "Marco R ... More >>

Civil Rights Group Says Rick Scott Violated The Voting Rights Act With New Restrictions On Felons

Wave bye bye to your voting rights​A few weeks ago, Rick Scott reintroduced Florida to Jim Crow-style voting laws, which essentially disenfranchise a large percentage of African Americans and just so happen to boost Scott's chances at reelection. The law brought back draconian restrictions on felo ... More >>

Why Felon Voting Rights Matter, by the Numbers (Rick Scott's Worst Nightmare)

Rick Scott was elected by a very small margin -- one that ex-felons could destroy.​We've told you about Rick Scott's new ban on felon voting rights, which returns Florida to a racist era of stamping out African-American votes. Many people have suggested that by prohibiting felons from voting for f ... More >>

Rick Scott Returns Florida to Reconstruction-Era Racist Voting Law

Rick Scott is showing his Confederate roots.​Remember the 2000 election debacle, when Florida became the laughingstock of the nation? It wasn't just punch-card ballots that caused our fair state such embarrassment. It was the wrongful purging of thousands of voters from the rolls because they were ... More >>

The Feds Bury Border Patrol Abuses of Immigrants, But What's Been Unearthed Reveals a Culture of Cruelty

The Feds Bury Border Patrol Abuses of Immigrants, But What's Been Unearthed Reveals a Culture of Cruelty

Not So Rockwellesque

PB Historian Fights to Save Haley Mickens House

Somebody really important slept here​If you happened to be a highly prominent person of color visiting West Palm Beach in the first half of this century, chances are you would have stayed at Haley Mickens's house at 801 4th Street. Mickens and his wife Dr. Alice Frederick Mickens, a well known ci ... More >>

Supreme Court Speaks; Will Gardiner Skate?

So the Florida Supreme Court just accepted the State Attorney's motion to vacate the death penalty conviction of Omar Loureiro. Now we'll have a new murder trial, but there won't be an evidentiary hearing into the allegations against Judge Ana Gardiner. In other words, Gardiner, who broke judi ... More >>

Banana Republic

America downscales

Neshoba

Good Lookin’ Out

Seminole Hold 'Em

It's a Hard Rock life. Flush with American dollars, the tribe either plays by U.S. rules — or risks losing it all

Riviera Beach Revolution

Pulp Person of The Year: John Kent Cooke Jr.

It's Hard To Be A Pimp

Dead in the Water

To Be a Reef

V Day

Suffrage in the city

V Day

Letters August 12-18, 2004

Patriot Acts

Broward's Jennifer Van Bergen joins Michael Moore in bashing Bush

United States of Jesus

The folks who are "reclaiming America for Christ" are pushing an agenda for a Taliban-like state where Scripture is law

The Toughest

An American concert promoter tries to preserve the heritage of a fallen reggae hero

Letters for February 6, 2003

Journalistic Ethics 101

Barred For Life

The process for restoring the civil rights of felons in Florida works perfectly -- if not restoring their rights is the goal

Felon Follies

A problem that marred the 2000 ballot is back

The Hate Man

Lloyd Shank is a poster boy for free speech. The Jews are to blame.

Rights Fight

The FOUNDERS fundraiser

One Man, One Vote

Haitian immigrants like Gerlyn Cadet know in their marrow that a ballot is a precious thing. But this election leaves them feeling robbed.

One Nation, Divisible Under God

For 45 years the Pledge of Allegiance has included a mention of the Almighty. Atheist Michael Newdow is suing for removal.

The Unforgiven

Twenty-seven years ago, teacher Stephen Ryan made a mistake. The School Board of Broward County just fired him for it.

Night & Day

July 2 - 8, 1998