| FROM THE USA NEWSPAPER NETWORK – With all the excitement around the historic SpaceX launch and its ultimate cancellation due to bad weather, you might have missed some key things this week. In the ongoing fight to restore voting rights to felons, a federal judge has ruled that Florida can’t stop them from voting because they can’t afford to pay back legal fees and restitution that they owe. U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle called a law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis last year a “pay-to-vote system.” Voting seems to be on everyone’s mind as a recent lawsuit seeks to have voting-by-mail be the default for Florida’s nearly 14 million registered voters. A group of plaintiffs has banded together to try and ensure that the coronavirus doesn’t disrupt this year’s presidential election. They argue that fear of COVID-19 could discourage those in a high-risk group such as the elderly from voting. Additionally, the impact of COVID-19 continues to be far-reaching. And its financial hit is becoming more evident, with a new report showing state tax collections falling almost $900 million short in April. Unfortunately, analysts predict that May isn’t going to any better. Keep reading for the top headlines in Florida politics this week, and remember to tune in to the ️Inside Florida Politics podcast ️ P.S. Want to keep up on Twitter? We have a whole team of reporters tweeting their fingers off for all the IFP fans out there. Follow the team today: Our editors: Antonio Fins @PBPoliticsFins, Cheryl S. Grant, @CherylS_Grant, James Rosica @JimRosicaFL, Victor Hull @VictorHullNews and Zac Anderson @zacjanderson Our reporters: Christine Stapleton @StapletonPBPost, James Call @CallTallahassee, Jeffrey Schweers @jeffschweers and John Kennedy @JKennedyReport |
