Politics

Miami-Dade leaders celebrate Ron Book’s 3 decades shaping Homeless Trust

Published

2 days ago

December 17, 2025

Ron Book was celebrated this week for three decades of leadership at the helm of Miami-Dade’s effort to combat homelessness, a tenure credited with helping turn the county into a national model for coordinated care.

The Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust and Chapman Partnership honored Book for 30 years of involvement in building and sustaining the Trust, including 21 years as its Chair. The recognition highlighted Book’s long-running role in shaping what is now one of the country’s most recognized Continuums of Care.

Book was joined by members of the 1993 Miami-Dade legislative delegation, whose work laid the foundation for the Trust. That delegation passed the 1% food and beverage tax, which created a dedicated funding stream for homelessness services, leading to the establishment of both the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust and the Chapman Partnership.

Attendees included former legislators Mike Abrams, Bruno Barreiro, Elaine Bloom and Art Simon, as well as members and representatives of the Armesto-Garcia and Diaz-Balart families.

Victoria Mallette, Executive Director of the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust, credited Book with sustaining the vision behind that original legislation.

“No one has dedicated more time, passion, and focus to ending homelessness in our community,” Mallette said. “Ron reminds us often that the Homeless Trust did not happen by accident. It was part of a plan that has made Miami-Dade a better place.”

As part of the ceremony, officials unveiled a bronze plaque in the courtyard of the Homeless Assistance Center North on North Miami Avenue. The plaque commemorates Book’s leadership and lists the names of the original members of the legislative delegation whose votes created the Trust. It faces a bronze bust of Alvah H. Chapman Jr., whose leadership in the private sector helped seed the motivations to develop a coordinated effort to tackle homelessness.

The plaque’s inscription honors what it describes as Book’s “bold vision and unwavering courage,” noting the creation of the Trust in 1994 and crediting that moment with giving life to a long-term mission to end homelessness in Miami-Dade County.

“You dared to imagine a future without homelessness,” the plaque reads. “On May 3, 1994, you gave life to that dream through the creation of the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust. Your conviction continues to inspire. Your dream remains our enduring mission.”

Book was involved with the organization even before he became Chair. He previously served as Finance Chair and worked closely with lawmakers to secure passage of the 1% tax, which still underwrites the system today.

Under his leadership, the Trust reports significant progress: Unsheltered homelessness has fallen from more than 8,000 individuals in 1993 to roughly 1,060 today. In 2025 alone, more than 8,000 formerly homeless households were placed into permanent housing, and more than 7,400 people entered emergency or transitional housing. Unsheltered homelessness declined by 17%, and outreach teams logged more than 49,000 street contacts.

Chapman Partnership, the Trust’s private-sector partner, operates Homeless Assistance Centers in downtown Miami and Homestead. The organization coordinates on-site services and partnerships with government agencies and nonprofits to help individuals and families move toward housing stability and self-sufficiency.

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Politics

Jenn Bradley bill would change straw regulations

Published

1 hour ago

December 19, 2025

May Greene

The House version has yet to be filed as of this writing.

Sen. Jenn Bradley is looking for changes to straw laws in 2026.

The Fleming Island Republican has filed new legislation (SB 958) ahead of next year’s Regular Session.

The bill would require local governments with straw regulations to “amend any such rule, regulation, or ordinance in effect as of the effective date of this act which does not permit the sale or use of drinking straws and stirrers that are renewable, home compostable certified, industrial compostable certified, or marine biodegradable to permit the sale or use of renewable, homecompostable certified, industrial compostable certified and marine biodegradable drinking straws and stirrers.”

Marine biodegradable straws would have to be proven to decompose in water within a year.

Renewable straws would have to meet requirements of “USDA BioPreferred Program with biobased content of at least 80 percent; or The TUV Austria OK biobased program with a 4-star rating.”

“The straw bill does not preempt local government straw ordinances. Instead, it requires that those ordinances also include certified compostable and degradable straws,” Bradley said, explaining her bill.

“This updates those ordinances to reflect the newer, and safer straws that are available today — a benefit for the environment and for everyone who is forced to drink out of awful paper straws.”

The bill would “combat the harmful impacts of paper drinking straws and stirrers and provide businesses and residents of this state with better alternatives to single-use plastic straws and stirrers.”

It would also drive “uniformity of drinking straw and stirrer regulations throughout this state, rather than forcing businesses to comply with a patchwork of local regulations.”

No one has filed a companion bill in the House so far. The 2026 Legislative Session begins Jan. 13.

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Politics

Groups call on Ben Albritton to block bill that would lower gun buying age to 18

Published

2 hours ago

December 19, 2025

May Greene

March for Our Lives, the Florida League of Women Voters and several pro-gun control groups are urging Senate President Ben Albritton to shut down a push to lower the minimum age to buy guns from 21 to 18.

The legislation (HB 133) has already passed through two House committees and is ready for the House floor. If it becomes law, the measure would repeal portions of protections the Legislature put in place after the Parkland school shooting.

“President Albritton, we urge you to use your authority as Senate President to prevent HB 133 from becoming law. Remember the promises made after our state’s darkest day. Remember those who buried their loved ones because a teenager could access a gun. Honor the bipartisan commitment lawmakers made in 2018: never again. Refuse to file a companion bill to HB 133, as you have done in previous years,” read the letter that was signed by 12 organizations.

The letter argued the evidence against HB 133 is “overwhelming” since individuals between 18 and 20 years old are more likely to commit suicide or shoot others than are older adults. The message also cited the threat that young people face from school shootings.

The Parkland shooter was 19. A 20-year-old suspect is also accused of shooting and killing two people and injuring others in April at Florida State University.

March for Our Lives Executive Director and Parkland survivor Jackie Corin called rolling back the minimum age a betrayal by lawmakers.

“The gun industry wants younger buyers to boost profits, and some lawmakers are willing to help, even if it costs students’ lives,” Corin said in a statement. “Young people in Florida deserve to grow up without wondering if the teenager next to them can legally buy an assault weapon.”

The full list of groups that signed the letter are: Newtown Action Alliance, Ban Assault Weapons NOW, Brady Florida, Brady Sarasota, Team ENOUGH, Community Safety Collective, Let Life Live Inc, Florida National Organization for Women, The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus and STOP Moms for Liberty.

The House has pushed for years to lower the minimum age back to 18.

“I wasn’t a member of the Legislature when that (Parkland) tragedy occurred. My view is this is the correct public policy to pursue to restore the rights of law-abiding 18-year-olds,” said Rep. Tyler Sirois, a Merritt Island Republican who sponsored the bill during the committee debate earlier this month.

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Politics

NWF Health Network expands Christmas adoptions, bringing the gift of family to 22 Florida kids

Published

2 hours ago

December 19, 2025

May Greene

‘We celebrate families who have opened their hearts to give children the permanency and stability every child deserves.’

NWF Health Network, with various community partners, is expanding its Christmas adoption ceremony program to two new counties, and adding family reunification in Leon County.

Five children will be adopted in Okaloosa County by three families in a ceremony Monday in Fort Walton Beach. Two children will also be officially adopted by their forever parents Monday in Santa Rosa County, in Milton. It’s the first time that Christmastime adoptions are being hosted by NWF Health Network in the two counties.

Additionally, Leon County’s ceremonies, held Friday, will include reunifications where children temporarily removed from a parent or guardian’s care are returned. Nine families will be reunited. Another two families will adopt a total of four children in ceremonies in Tallahassee.

Six children will be adopted on Christmas Eve in Pensacola in Escambia County by three families. Another five kids will be adopted by two families in Panama City in Bay County on Christmas Day.

Over the past eight years, more than 40 children have been adopted in Christmas ceremonies facilitated by NWF Health Foundation, with 22 more being added this year.

“Our annual Christmas adoption ceremony is one of the most meaningful days of the year,” NWF Health Network CEO Mike Watkins said. “Today, we celebrate families who have opened their hearts to give children the permanency and stability every child deserves.”

Each county has a local partner for the events, including Camelot Community Care in Escambia, Leon and Santa Rosa counties; Children’s Home Society in Okaloosa County; Safe Families for Children of North Florida, Tallahassee Memorial Hospital and Florida’s Early Childhood Courts in Leon County; and Twin Oaks Juvenile Development in Bay County.

NWF Health Network is the only organization in the nation to conduct annual Christmas adoptions, ensuring families in its care have an even more special holiday each year. This is the ninth year NWF Health has conducted its annual Christmas adoption ceremonies.

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