Gov. Ron DeSantis reappointed businessman and Republican donor William Christy onto the University of Central Florida (UCF) Board of Trustees.

“Christy has launched multiple successful startup companies and played a key role in the design and production of several medical devices,” DeSantis said in a press release Monday.

Christy’s reappointment requires confirmation by the Florida Senate.

Since 2021, Christy has donated $45,000 to Republicans, which includes $30,000 to the Empower Parents PAC previously known as the Friends of Ron DeSantis. 

Christy was first appointed to the UCF board in 2021. His previous trustee term expired Jan. 6. 

Christy, who lives in Daytona Beach, received his bachelor’s degree in business from UCF in 1986 and his MBA from Rollins College Crummer School of Business in Winter Park in 1997.

Currently, Christy is the president and CEO of CLASH Endurance, which hosts athletic events. He started the business because he was a big triathlete fan.

Prior to CLASH in 2013, Mr. Christy founded Cognitive Kinetics, Inc., an orthopedic/spine medical device company, and currently presides as executive chairman. He has also been involved with several medical device companies as founder, CEO and executive director” according to his trustee bio on the school’s website. Early in his career, Christy was one of the founders and former director for Ethicon Endo-Surgery, a Johnson & Johnson company, the bio says.

The next UCF trustees meeting is Feb. 26.

As a UCF trustee, Christy will continue to oversee one of the biggest schools in the country. 

The trustees approved last month a one-year contract extension for President Alexander Cartwright. The school is also expanding its football stadium, building a new nurse’s college and is working to continue rising in state and national higher education rankings. U.S. News & World Report recently rated UCF’s online bachelor degree as the ninth best in the entire country.

“UCF continually pushes boundaries to deliver exceptional learning experiences,” Cartwright said in a statement last month.

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Eight months after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a 2018 ban on bump stocks that enable semiautomatic rifles to fire at machine gun-like speeds, Florida should do the same, says state Rep. Toby Overdorf.

Overdorf, a Palm City Republican, has filed legislation (HB 6013) to repeal a ban on the controversial gun accessories, which have been illegal in Florida for nearly seven years.

It’s the first — and, so far only — bill he’s filed for the 2025 Legislative Session.

Overdorf said the measure, which does not yet have a Senate analog, is necessary to align Florida Statutes with federal law. As of now, he said, gun shops in the state risk losing their license if they sell bump stocks, also called bump-fire stocks, despite a national repeal of the ban.

“The state law does not currently comply with federal law,” he told Florida Politics. “I would like for state law to comply with federal law.”

Florida’s ban on bump stocks went into effect March 9, 2018, less than one month after the deadliest school shooting in the state’s history. It was part of a sweeping gun safety package, the “Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act,” the Republican-controlled Legislature approved. The law also added a three-day waiting period for gun purchases and hiked the age limit to buy long rifles to 21.

President Donald Trump’s first administration imposed a national bump stock ban nine months later. The move, while close to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting, was more in response to the October 2017 massacre in Las Vegas, where a shooter used the device. The high school shooter did not.

But on June 14, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Trump’s administration did not follow federal law in effectuating the ban and that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives overstepped its authority.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Marjory Stoneman Douglas alum who advocated passionately for the state’s gun control bill in 2018, said Trump was right to ban bump stocks and that the three conservative Justices he appointed were “dangerously wrong” to repeal it.

The law still on Florida’s books bans the import, sale, transfer, distribution or possession of bump stocks, which is defined as “a conversion kit, a tool, an accessory, or a device used to alter the rate of fire of a firearm to mimic automatic weapon fire or which is used to increase the rate of fire to a faster rate than is possible for a person to fire” without such an attachment.

Violating that restriction, per Florida Statutes, is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison and up to $5,000 in fines.

Overdorf said Florida law should comport with federal law when it comes to bump stocks. It’s something “several different folks who (he works) with across the state that sell a variety of things” have asked him to do.

“I’m a strong supporter of the Second Amendment,” he said. “This is an infringement upon the Second Amendment.”

Asked whether law enforcement has shown support for the bill, Overdorf said he hasn’t spoken with any organization, like the Florida Sheriffs Association, but he expects them to support legislation that follows federal law.

He added that Gov. Ron DeSantis has advocated for reversing the ban, including during his brief run for President.

The measure would become effective upon ratification. Florida is among 15 states today that ban bump stocks, according to World Population Review. The District of Columbia also prohibits them.

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Imagine a world where every child can access an education unique to their aspirations and talents.

Florida’s universal Education Savings Account (ESA) program is turning this vision into reality, empowering families to transform their children’s futures. Education is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor; Florida’s school choice programs have enabled countless families to tailor their children’s education to best meet their particular needs and goals.

Reflecting on last week’s National School Choice Week, it’s a good time to recall that Florida has been a leader in school choice for more than two decades. It was one of the first states to adopt a school choice scholarship program in 2001, offering a limited number of scholarships to low-income families to attend private schools. Over the years, though, our state’s school choice programs have transformed, so now the same kind of quality education is accessible to families from all income levels and is not limited in the number of scholarships given out.

Two years ago, Florida took a monumental step forward when the Legislature passed a landmark measure establishing a universal ESA program. This groundbreaking system gives families the financial resources to choose the best education options for their children. During the current school year, students receive scholarships averaging approximately $8,000 each, empowering families to invest in private schools, tutoring, home-school materials, and other vital educational resources. Today, over 500,000 students are utilizing scholarships in Florida, and over 300,000 benefit from the Florida Empowerment Scholarship.

Florida’s universal ESA program has expanded access to quality education and has become an essential pillar of educational freedom in the state. Keeping this program intact is critical to ensuring that every family, regardless of ZIP code or income, can make the best decisions for their children’s future. Protecting universal ESAs means safeguarding a child’s right to a tailored education, reinforcing Florida’s commitment to innovation, and maintaining its leadership in school choice nationwide.

Beyond academic metrics, school choice embodies the fundamental principle of freedom. By easing the financial constraints that often drive family education decisions, these programs empower parents to choose the schools and resources that align with their values and their children’s needs.

No one knows a child better than their parents; school choice recognizes and respects this fundamental truth. It enables families to make informed decisions that allow their children to thrive.

The success of Florida’s school choice programs would not have been possible without the foresight of legislative leaders and Gov. Ron DeSantis, as well as the leadership of state Education Commissioner Manny Diaz and the dedicated team at the Department of Education, which is implementing them.

Their hard work and commitment have ensured these opportunities reach the families and students who need them most. There is clear momentum on the federal and state levels to prioritize and expand funding for school choice.

Last week’s recognition of National School Choice Week underscored the profound impact these programs have had on hundreds of thousands of students across Florida. The universal ESA program has improved academic outcomes and expanded freedom for families, fostering an education system that prioritizes excellence and individual success. We’re excited to continue sharing its success stories, ensuring that every Florida student can succeed in the educational environment that best suits them.

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Skylar Zander serves as the state director for Americans for Prosperity-Florida.

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