On Ash Wednesday, an interfaith group of residents and leaders – including Rep. David Borrero – packed into Tallahassee’s Congregation Shomrei Torah to hear the testimony of Gal Cohen-Solal, a survivor of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, when the tranquility of his Kibbutz Re’im in southern Israel was shattered as the community found itself under siege by Hamas terrorists.

The visit was organized by Faces of October Seventh, whose mission is to combat antisemitism through face-to-face connection, address a systemic lack of media coverage and bring Oct. 7 survivors to communities worldwide to share their personal testimonies.

Cohen-Solal did just that and more.

He shared his account of the 30 harrowing hours he faced with his wife and three children, including the unimaginable challenges as they fought to stay alive amid the chaos. He described the horrifying reality of terrorists storming the kibbutz, targeting civilians and leaving devastation in their wake. He and his family relied on instinct, resilience, and each other to endure the ordeal.

And their ordeal isn’t over.

Even after help arrived nearly seven hours after they had first entered their safe room, they remained in survival mode for more than a day, unsure of what dangers still lurked outside. To this day, his children are left with fears of what might come next. Though his family ultimately emerged from the nightmare alive, the experience left an indelible mark on them, as it did on so many others who lived through that day.

Gal also shared the stories of some of his family members and friends who didn’t survive Oct. 7 or its aftermath.

One of these accounts was of a cousin, Shaul Greenglick, an aspiring singer who served as a captain called up as a reserve in Gaza. Gal highlighted Shaul’s humanity with a photograph of him aiding an elderly Palestinian woman to safety and shared how this very kindness is what led to Shaul’s death.

Given intel of terrorists in a building, Shaul’s unit was concerned about the presence of civilians. Instead of an airstrike, they went in on the ground with the intent of avoiding civilian casualties. But the building was set up as a trap and exploded when they entered.

A young man’s dreams were cut short and their family shattered.

Cohen-Solal’s key message to the audience was clear: the world must remember Oct. 7. He urged each person in the room to take a part of his story and pass it on, ensuring that the truth of what happened is never forgotten. His testimony served as both a personal account of survival and a broader call to action, reminding those in attendance of the ongoing resilience of the Israeli people in the face of terror and adversity.

By the time he finished speaking, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Overcome with emotion, the audience rose to their feet in a standing ovation, a powerful display of both sorrow and solidarity. Cohen-Solal’s story had not only moved them but also left a lasting impact, ensuring his message would be carried forward.

“As I sat in the room with my wife and our 10-month-old baby, listening to Gal Cohen-Solal recount the unimaginable horrors he and his family endured, I was deeply moved – not just as a legislator, but as a father, as a husband and as a person of faith,” said Borrero. “His testimony was a stark reminder that the pain of Oct. 7 is not in the past; it is still very much alive. We must ensure that the world does not look away. This issue transcends politics. It is about humanity, justice and standing against evil. The stories we heard tonight must be shared so that truth prevails and history never forgets.”

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The Florida Chamber of Commerce is backing Republican Nathan Boyles in the Special Election for House District 3.

“While Florida continues its growth and economic momentum, we need strong leadership committed to championing the policies necessary to further Florida’s global competitiveness, job creation, and a vibrant quality of life,” Chamber CEO Mark Wilson said.

“The Florida Chamber has put forth a strategic plan to make Florida a top 10 global economy by 2030, as well as create 1.45 million net new jobs, and we trust Nathan Boyles will help keep us on a pathway to get there as a member of the Florida House.”

Boyles is running to replace former state Rep. Joel Rudman, who left office to run unsuccessfully for Congress.

The HD 3 race is one of two legislative Special Primary Elections scheduled for April 1, with General Elections slated for June 10.

The races are necessitated by a huge political shuffle resulting from President Donald Trump’s appointments of several Florida officials to Cabinet and administration posts. Rudman had sought Florida’s 1st Congressional District, which was vacated by former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz after Trump tapped him for U.S. Attorney General, a post Gaetz ultimately did not seek amid ongoing scandals that were clouding his path toward Senate confirmation.

Boyles has run and won office before. He’s a former Okaloosa County Commissioner, and a small-business owner.

“Throughout the past two decades, my wife and I have built and grown multiple successful small businesses in our Northwest Florida community,” Boyles said. “Having the support of the Florida Chamber of Commerce highlights my career as an entrepreneur and I look forward to partnering with them in Tallahassee to continue to build Florida’s strong workforce and champion economic opportunity.”

The Chamber endorsement comes the same day former Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis also offered his support for Boyles, calling him an “America First fighter.”

Both come three days after Americans for Prosperity Action Florida announced it is backing Boyles in the race.

Boyles is one of eight Republicans competing in a Primary for the party’s nomination in HD 3, which covers all of Santa Rosa County and an inland portion of Okaloosa County.

With more than $22,500 in-pocket as of the latest reporting deadline, he’s raised the most outside dollars in the contest. His closest competitor, Assistant State Attorney Hayden Hudson, has amassed slightly more, but about 40% of his gains are self-loans.

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Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics contributed to this report.

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Wrongly incarcerated Floridians could have an easier time seeking compensation for the time taken from them under proposals that are again advancing in the Legislature.

This week, the Senate Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice voted unanimously for SB 130, which would repeal a unique Florida law that prevents some exonerees from receiving recompense

The bill has one more committee stop before reaching a floor vote. Its House twin (HB 59) has two more stops.

If passed, the legislation would make several notable changes to existing state law, including extending the time an exoneree must file for compensation from 90 days of an order vacating their conviction to two years.

Most notably, it would delete part of Florida Statute 961.04 that denies payment to exonerees with more than one nonviolent felony. Florida is the only state in the nation with that restriction, known commonly as the “clean hands” rule.

Fleming Island Sen. Jennifer Bradley and Tampa Rep. Traci Koster, both Republicans, have been tried repeatedly to nix the rule, to varying degrees of success. In 2023, for instance, Bradley and Koster’s bills cleared every committee in their respective chambers before the legislation died without a vote on the House floor.

Last year, the bills died unheard.

Bradley noted during a brief speech to the Senate panel Wednesday that since Florida lawmakers enacted a statute enabling wrongly incarcerated people to seek compensation in 2018, 18 exonerees have been denied for more than a combined 300 years of lost liberty.

“This bill is not about having strong penalties against criminals who commit bad acts in our state. This bill is (for) people who are exonerated, who have been found factually innocent by the original sentencing court,” she said. “That’s the universe of focus we’re talking about, and this bill rights that wrong and gets them compensation that’s deserved when the state gets it wrong.”

Florida law today provides that wrongly incarcerated individuals are eligible to receive no more than $50,000 for each year they unjustly spent behind bars. That amounted to $1.85 million approved in June 2023 for Robert Earl DuBoise, who served 37 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.

Several advocacy organizations signaled support for the legislation, including the Innocence Project of Florida, Americans for Prosperity, Florida Smart Justice and the Alliance for Safety and Justice.

SB 130 will next go to the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee, after which it would advance to the Senate floor. HB 59 must clear the House Budget and Judiciary committees before a full vote of the chamber.

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