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State Rep. Daisy Morales Condemns Gov. DeSantis’s Congressional Map, Disney District Dissolution Bill

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State Reps. Travaris McCurdy (D-Orlando), and Angie Nixon (D-Jacksonville) sit on the Florida Seal in protest as debate stops on Senate Bill 2-C: Establishing the Congressional Districts of the State in the House of Representatives Thursday, April 21, 2022 at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. State Rep. Daisy Morales (D-Orlando), joins the protest, holding a sign. The session was halted on the protest. (AP Photo/Phil Sears)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) – State Representative Daisy Morales (D-Orlando) issued a strong statement Thursday after participating in a sit-in on the Florida House floor in protest against Florida governor Ron DeSantis‘s Congressional map and went on to slam his campaign to dissolve Disney’s special districts.

 

State Rep. Morales’s Statement on DeSantis’s Congressional Map

“Our democracy is being attacked. The governor eliminating two Black Congressional seats is a power grab and it’s wrong. Stripping seats from Black representation is the same as saying the Black voice–the Black vote–doesn’t matter. With this map passing, I’m deeply concerned because it means he’ll likely target the one and only Puerto Rican representing Florida in Congress next, Darren Soto, all in the name of catering to his party. We don’t want to disenfranchise the 1.2 million Puerto Ricans in Florida.”

Rep. Morales joined African American State Representatives Yvonne Haynes Hinson (D-Gainesville), Travaris McCurdy (D-Orlando) and Angie Nixon (D-Jacksonville), along with several others, in protest against DeSantis’s map erasing two African American Democratic congressional districts.

Rep. Morales, now the most senior elected Puerto Rican in the Florida House, was the sole Hispanic that protested alongside her African American colleagues on the House floor. She held a sign that had a powerful rebuke: “Legislators: Work for the people, not for the party.”

She went live on Facebook sharing her reaction to the new Congressional map during the sit-in in Spanish and English.

 

Rep. Morales’s Statement on Governor DeSantis’s Bid to Strip Disney

Rep. Morales went on to condemn Governor DeSantis’s current bid to strip Disney of its self-governance status in her official statement.

“I also oppose the decision to strip Disney of its special districts. Disney provides jobs to thousands of people. If it’s successfully stripped, central Florida taxpayers would face a greater cost for fire, water, road improvement, and first responder services to the tune of nearly $1 billion.”

SB 4-C, the controversial bill passed by the legislature on Thursday, would eliminate the Reedy Creek Improvement District, Disney’s special district that functions as its own government, and several other similar districts by June 2023. The bill does, however, allow for the districts to be reestablished in the future. The bill is now on DeSantis’ desk to be signed into law.

Rep. Morales closed out her official statement with a promise.

“I will continue to fight, I will continue to hold the line with my colleagues until we get justice.

“Voting is a right, not a tool to be manipulated. Our sit-in at the Florida Capitol is what democracy looks like: civil disobedience in the name of standing up for what’s right. Democracy never sleeps. The fight isn’t over yet. Governing by revenge is a recipe for chaos.”

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Mellissa Thomas is Editor for Florida National News. | mellissa.thomas@floridanationalnews.com

Golf

Russell Henley Wins Red Cardigan at 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational

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Russell Henley wins the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Russell Henley wins his first red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. This is Henley’s fifth win on the PGA Tour.

Russell Henley is greeted by his family on the 18th green after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

Henley finished at 11 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 70 today. Collin Morikawa finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Scottie Scheffler, finished today at 4 under par, tied for 11th place.

Scottie Scheffler tees off at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo Credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.

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NFL

UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM

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UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM

Former UCF football players Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant have partnered with GMTM to launch their Search for Greatness Combine at UCF on Saturday, November 9th. They’re giving local athletes a chance to showcase their talents and explore new sports opportunities. Griffin will be inducted into the UCF Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 2nd, during halftime of the Arizona vs. UCF football game. He is remembered for his tenacity, setting an NFL Combine record with the fastest 40-yard dash by a linebacker, and playing four seasons in the NFL, overcoming the challenge of only having one hand. He is now training to make the USA Paralympic Track and Field Team and hopes to compete in the 2028 Olympics. Joey Grant, the co-founder and CEO of GMTM, is a former UCF team captain, playing mostly Center for the Knights from 2011-2015.

Participation at the upcoming combine is free and invite-only, targeting athletes over the age of 18. To be considered, athletes must submit a highlight video via GMTM’s platform, showcasing their athleticism. GMTM will evaluate submissions and invite the most promising athletes to participate in the combine. The goal for this year’s event is to get 1,000 athletes to submit videos and be part of the combine process. Athletes chosen will receive personalized invites with further instructions, including event time slots and details. The athletes will be evaluated for their key athletic traits, to identify opportunities for them across multiple Olympic sports or professional sports programs. To learn more, or to apply for the combine, visit: https://gmtm.com/articles/the-search-for-greatness-at-ucf-with-shaquem-griffin-what-you-need-to-know.

Florida National News spoke with Shaquem and Joey about the combine, college football in the era of NIL and the transfer portal, and Griffin’s hall of fame induction. You can watch the full interview here:

Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant interview

Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com and www.FloridaSportsChannel.com for more.

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Florida

Scottie Scheffler Wins Second Red Cardigan at 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational

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Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Scottie Scheffler wins his second red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. Scheffler first won the API in 2022.

Scottie Scheffler wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational. (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

The number one ranked golfer in the world, Scheffler finished at 15 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 66 today. Wyndham Clark finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Kurt Kitayama, did not make the cut, this weekend, finishing 7 over par after the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday.

This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for the 50th anniversary of The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.

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