Dennis Baxley: Last News

“When we donate money to different political candidates, we have no idea how they’re going to vote going forward into the future,” said Disney CEO Bob Chapek at a shareholders meeting this past week.

now heads to DeSantis’ desk for his signature into law.Proponents of the bill say the measure — which prohibits classroom discussions or curriculum content related to sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity through third grade — is needed to protect students from learning about complicated and controversial issues before they’re old enough to understand such concepts. The measure allows parents to sue school systems if they are not kept informed of changes affecting their children’s wellbeing or the support services, including counseling, that they receive.But opponents say that the bill’s overly broad reach will punish teachers if LGBTQ-related content is broached in class, even if such issues are raised by students — regardless of the insistence of the bill’s House and Senate sponsors, Rep.

demonstrate outside Disney theme parks in Florida and California urging the company to denounce the proposed bill, which President Joe Biden has slammed as “hateful.” Further exacerbating the public backlash against Disney was an Orlando Sentinel report that Disney, despite casting itself as an LGBTQ-affirming place, gave money to every single sponsor and co-sponsor of the bill, including the bill’s Senate sponsor, Sen. Dennis Baxley (R-Belleview), who has proposed multiple pieces of anti-LGBTQ legislation during his time as a politician in Tallahassee.In response to stories about Disney’s political donations, Abigail Disney, the 62-year-old granddaughter of the company’s co-founder Roy O.

signaled his support for the bill.Under the bill, sponsored by Rep. Joe Harding (R-Williston), teachers would be prohibited from “encouraging discussion” about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels — which in Florida, is defined as preschool through third grade — or broaching the topic “in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.” The bill also allows parents to sue school districts for failing to consult them regarding “critical decisions affecting a student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being.”While supporters largely intend for the bill to discourage teachers from affirming a child’s gender identity or acknowledging sexual orientation without first consulting the parents, during a Senate hearing on a nearly-identical bill proposed by Sen.

nearly identical companion bill has been introduced in the Senate by Sen. Dennis Baxley (R-Belleview), using much of the same language.Some parents praised lawmakers for moving to protect parental rights.