📮Posted: June 19th - 25th

Hi there and welcome to Posted, a weekly news roundup keeping you posted (😉) on our ever-changing city and State.

Below are some new stories you might’ve missed last week:

1. 2 dead after McDonald’s shooting: Two young men lost their lives in the West Pensacola St. McDonald's parking lot on Thursday. According to the Tallahassee Police Department, the victims were originally part of a group arguing on the basketball courts next to the Palmer Munroe Teen Center. When an off duty officer attempted to intervene, some drove to the McDonald's to continue the argument, where a gun was eventually pulled, leaving two young men dead. The Democrat covered the shooting in-depth here.
2. Tallahassee exploring charter review: At the last City Commission meeting, the Commission voted 4-1 to move forward with reviewing the City’s charter, a document that outlines the powers and procedures of Tallahassee’s government. The review would require a Citizen Commission and outside consultant to examine the existing charter and identify opportunities for changes or updates. Any possible revisions would be placed on the ballot for voter consideration and approval. There's speculation that one of the proposals would be an enlarged City Commission, with either at-large or member-specific representation.
3. Florida’s new drag show law blocked: A Florida law targeting drag performances was blocked on Friday by U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell. The law attempted to bar minors from attending drag shows or "adult live performances" but Presnell argued the law likely violated speech protection provided under the First Amendment. Hamburger Mary’s, an Orlando restaurant with live drag entertainment, challenged the law for creating a “chilling effect on free speech.” Under Presnell’s ruling, the Florida Department of Professional and Business Regulation, which has moved to revoke liquor licenses of venues hosting drag shows, cannot enforce the law unless it makes it past a lower trial court. A DeSantis spokesman said the state will appeal the decision.
4. One year since Roe v. Wade was overturned: In 1973, the landmark Roe v. Wade case established a federal constitutional right to abortion. That right was overturned on June 24, 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that abortion was not a protected right under the Constitution and returned the decision regarding abortion regulations back to the states. Since then, Florida has passed both a 15-week and six-week ban on abortions. The 15-week ban is currently being challenged in the Florida Supreme Court and will determine the legality of the six-week ban. Last month, a group was formed to propose a constitutional amendment to protect abortion up to the point of viability.

That’s all we have for now! See you next week! Also, we're still looking for volunteers to help with the Community Calendar & editing posts! If you’d like to contribute, just text us at 850-270-8440.