This week, in one of my last stories here at The Florida Independent, I wrote about Gov. Rick Scott’s decision to veto $1.5 million from the state’s $70 billion budget during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The money would have gone to rape crisis centers around the state.
The dismantling of the Department of Community Affairs by Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature has put more power into the hands of local governments — a good thing, argues the governor, for development and growth. But just how much growth is too much?
Last month, the Northeast Florida Teen Pregnancy Task Force released a report outlining recommendations for dealing with the region’s persistent teen pregnancy problem.
Last year, Manatee County addressed a significant rise in teen pregnancy in the county by opening up its sex education policy to include a curriculum that moved beyond “abstinence-only” information. County officials blamed the limited curriculum, among other factors, for the county’s sharp rise in teen pregnancy rates. However, even though the sex education programs in the county have opened up to more comprehensive information, the program is still not completely open. Planned Parenthood is still not invited to speak to students, even though changes have allowed for information that Planned Parenthood specializes in teaching. However, Care Net, a Christian non-profit organization, remains a part of the new program.
Last week, Flagler County school board officials held a forum to discuss the possibility of moving away from an “abstinence-only” sex education curriculum to a curriculum that would include information about human sexuality, contraception and pregnancy. After a heated debate, no decisions were made. However, the effectiveness of Florida’s statewide sex education policy was brought into question during the discussion.
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