Rep. Michele Rayner talks intellectual honesty, and Marlowe Jones gives update on lawsuit against New Port Richey

Share
A Florida state rep talking inside a radio studio
Rep. Michele Rayner-Goolsby inside the WMNF studio in Tampa, Florida on July 21, 2023. / Photo by Ben Montgomery

Florida Rep. Michele Rayner Goolsby is a nerd. She would’ve much rather spent the last legislative session talking about radioactive roads or even actually working on the insurance crisis that is ruining the pocket books of her constituents right now.

Instead, she’s been caught up in the culture wars and finding time in between debates to actually engage with some of her colleagues across the aisle; she even worked with a Republican colleague to send HB 591 Social Media Protection for Minors to the Senate (where the bill died).

“Republicans need to do their job,” Rayner told WMNF public affairs program “The Skinny.” “We need to come back to the table with real solutions that give people immediate relief.”

Listen to the July 21 episode of The Skinny via wmnf.org, and please donate to the show’s tip jar to keep it on the air. 

She’s also willing to work with anyone who actually wants to put in a good faith effort.

“I get along with people who are respectful. I get along with people who don’t lean into this woke Ron DeSantis thing,” Rayner added, admitting there are lawmakers she does not speak to. “I can’t handle intellectual dishonesty. If you’re intellectually honest, if you are respectful, we can have a debate. If you actually are trying to come to a common ground, we can get along.”

And while Rayner’s been open about how hard it is to operate in Tallahassee these days, she reiterated that she’s not going anywhere.

The sentiment of fighting for your hometown is alive and well in New Port Richey, too, where Black Lives Matter organizer Marlowe Jones is suing the City of New Port Richey after a jury acquitted him of felony battery on a law enforcement officer

Jones joined the program to give an update on his lawsuit, which is moving forward after a judge denied the City of New Port Richey’s motion to dismiss.

Leave a Reply

  • (will not be published)

XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

You may also like

Genetics and Your Health

MidPoint explored genetics testing and the challenges of receiving a...

The Scoop: Thurs. Nov. 21st, 2024, Tampa Bay and Florida headlines by WMNF

Stay updated on the St. Petersburg city leaders' vote on...

City of Zephyrhills and FEMA will hold a hurricane assistance meeting Friday

There will be a town hall-style meeting in Zephyrhills regarding...

Florida Capitol
Here are the 2025-26 Florida Senate committee leaders

Senate President, Republican Ben Albritton, named lawmakers who will lead...

Ways to listen

WMNF is listener-supported. That means we don't advertise like a commercial station, and we're not part of a university.

Ways to support

WMNF volunteers have fun providing a variety of needed services to keep your community radio station alive and kickin'.

Follow us on Instagram

Maybe Partying Will Help
Player position: