Florida’s condo crisis
Gov. Ron DeSantis this week urged state lawmakers to do something about the growing crisis for condo owners.
Safety reforms passed after the collapse of the Champlain Towers in Surfside require condo buildings at least three stories tall and older than 30 years to be inspected and have money for necessary repairs. The deadline for inspection is Dec. 31, 2024.
Guest:
- Rep. Vicki Lopez, member of the Florida House of Representatives (Rep-Miami-Dade).
Electric vehicles and charging
There were about 50,000 electric vehicles (EVs) registered in Florida in 2020. Now, there are more than 202,000. As the number of EV drivers increases in the state, so does the demand for charging stations.
The state has about $200 million in federal funding to install a network of fast charges. But it remains uncertain whether the state will allow businesses, universities and others to apply for the money.
Guest:
- Ashley Miznazi, climate change reporter for the Miami Herald.
Fact-check
We turned to our partner PolitiFact to fact-check some recent claims including a new website from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration about an amendment to expand abortion rights.
Guest:
- Samantha Putterman, Florida government reporter at PolitiFact.
Incarceration deaths
Conditions behind bars in Florida have been a problem for years. Six inmates at the Leon County Detention Facility have died this year from a range of causes.
There are about 3,200 people in the Pinellas County jail on an average day. It has about 2,900-hundred beds and was built to fit 3,000 inmates.
Sheriff Bob Gualtieri says one reason the jail is over capacity is because of a new state law that went into effect in January aimed to make bail procedures consistent across the state. The measure makes it tougher for someone arrested for a misdemeanor to be released if they can’t afford a bond.
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