Panther pride
A tribute from Florida Politics’ Jesse Scheckner, Miami Palmetto Senior High Class of 1999.
By the time I crossed the stage for my diploma from Miami Palmetto Senior High, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was 11 years gone. She graduated in 1988, the year she captured a national debate title, a precursor of things to come.
She was quoted in the school yearbook, the Palm Echo as saying, “I want to go into law and eventually have a judicial appointment.”
Mission accomplished. And then some.
In 1996, three years before I graduated, she’d gotten her juris doctor from Harvard Law School, an institution to which her high school guidance counselor recommended she not apply.
Justice Jackson, the first Black woman in history to be appointed to the highest court in the land, is hardly the first famous person to have come from Palmetto, a locally well-regarded public school in an upper-middle-class suburban area of Miami-Dade County now incorporated as the Village of Pinecrest.
Among its alums: Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, astronaut Dominic Glorie, mixed martial artist Kimbo Slice, Olympians Matt Gribble and Jennifer Rodriguez, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Emmy Award-winning wildlife expert Ron Magill, pop star Camila Cabello, NBA player Tim Hardaway Jr. and Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, Florida’s only statewide elected Democrat.
That’s not to mention a slew of media members, including TV producer Bill Herbstman, former Miami Herald Managing Editor Rick Hirsch, CNN managing producer Noah Gray, writer Ben Greenman, Washington Post reporter Meryl Kornfield, WSVN reporter Danny Rivero, Herald reporter Linda Robertson and, of course, yours truly.
When word of Jackson’s nomination came out in February, it was a moment for me and my fellow Panthers to rejoice, each of us adding to a list of alumni on Twitter. As a teenager crossing that stage, I had little appreciation for school spirit. As a man in my 40s with a firmer grasp on the value of legacy, it’s clear Jackson’s ascent to the highest echelon of her chosen profession is a milestone for us all.
___
Coming up, the usual assortment of news, intel, and observations from the week that was in Florida’s capital city by Peter Schorsch, Drew Wilson, Renzo Downey, Jason Delgado, Christine Jordan Sexton, Tristan Wood and the staff of Florida Politics.
Take 5
The “Takeaway 5” — the Top 5 stories from the week that was:
DeSantis signs visitation rights bill – Hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and intermediate care facilities for people with developmental disabilities have less than 30 days to establish visitation policies under a bill Gov. Ron DeSantis signed on Wednesday. The “No Patient Left Alone Act” (SB 988) requires health care providers to guarantee a minimum level of visitation rights. Once finalized, facilities will have 24 hours to make them easily accessible on the homepage of their websites. During the first wave of the pandemic Florida shut down access to many health care facilities, especially nursing homes, a move DeSantis regrets that cut off elderly residents from their family members.
Citizen initiatives bill signed – DeSantis also signed Republicans’ second attempt to limit spending in the ballot initiative process after last year’s proposal met legal hurdles. The proposal (HB 921) limits non-Floridians from donating more than $3,000, and out-of-state political committees from receiving donations worth more than $3,000, when it comes to ballot initiatives in the petition-gathering process. But like last year’s version, which capped all donations during petition gathering to $3,000, critics say the bill still runs afoul of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision protecting political contributions as free speech.
DeSantis sidesteps Wilton Simpson endorsement – DeSantis sidestepped the chance to endorse Senate President Wilton Simpson for Agriculture Commissioner on Tuesday, but said to look out for more endorsements ahead of the Primary Election season. “We will absolutely be getting involved in some of these races,” DeSantis said. The Governor sparred with the Senate at times during this year’s Legislative Session, and there’s speculation that the Ag Commissioner race’s new entrance, Chuck Nadd, could be wading in at the request of the Governor’s Office. While shying short of an endorsement, DeSantis said Simpson has been a big help in securing wins for Floridians during his less than two years as Senate President.
Alabama, other states follow Florida’s lead on parental rights – In a last-minute move in Montgomery on Thursday, the Alabama Legislature amended and passed a school bathroom bill to also incorporate legislation inspired by Florida’s parental rights in education law banning lessons about sexual orientation and gender identity for young students. The Alabama bill, also passed Thursday, goes further than Florida’s by extending the ban to fifth grade. Republican-led legislatures in Texas and Ohio are also taking a stab at what critics have called Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill. And while there’s a conservative campaign to boycott Disney over the company’s public opposition to the legislation, New York City and Chicago have launched ad campaigns to try to attract businesses from Florida over the law.
Jared Perdue named FDOT Secretary – DeSantis has named Jared Perdue to be Florida’s next Secretary of Transportation. No one’s been at the wheel at FDOT since former Secretary Kevin Thibault left earlier this year to oversee Orlando’s airports as CEO of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. Perdue comes on as a near 18-year veteran of the Department and will be DeSantis’ second Transportation Secretary. “Secretary Perdue brings a wealth of knowledge and understands the unique aspects of Florida’s transportation industry,” DeSantis said in a statement on Thursday. “I am confident in his ability to lead FDOT and to continue to advance our transportation systems.”
Republished with permission [/vc_message]
