Rays stadium

The Tampa Bay Rays announced that they are staying in St. Petersburg. Yesterday the team laid out plans for a new stadium at the site of Tropicana Field. However, taxpayers are wondering where funding will come from. St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch promised during a news conference that that money will not come from property taxes, nor will it require new or increased taxes.

Tampa budget

Tampa City Council members unanimously approved the city’s 2024 budget. Earlier this month, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor’s tax increase proposal to generate $45 million was shut down.

Child labor laws

Tampa Republican Representative Linda Chaney filed a bill Monday for the upcoming session that would loosen child labor laws. A person who is 18 years of age or older is under fewer work restrictions than minors who are aged 16 or 17. House Bill 49 would eliminate part of that state law.

Banned books

The Pinellas County school district has banned five books and restricted another eleven as available for high school juniors and seniors only. Without having received any formal complaints about the titles, the five banned books drew concern over content that was deemed inappropriate for minors.

Neo-Nazi demonstrations

A second arrest of a neo-Nazi was made in relation to a June demonstration in Orlando. Members of several far-right hate groups hung anti-Semitic banners over I-4 while other neo-Nazis demonstrated in front of Walt Disney World.

Information from the Florida Public Media, News Service of Florida, and Associated Press was used in this report.

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