>>This week on NewsNight, Pulse survivors react to the shooting at an LGBTQ club in Colorado Springs.

What happens now to plans for a rail corridor with Brightline and Sun Rail after voters reject a sales tax for transportation projects?

And a federal judge blocks Florida's so-called “Stop Woke ” act on State College campuses.

What comes next for one of Governor DeSantis's signature pieces of legislation?

NewsNight starts now.

[MUSIC] Hello, I'm Steve Mort, and welcome to NewsNight, where we take a closer look at the big stories impacting central Florida and how they affect all of us.

Joining us this week in the studio, Greg Angel, Spectrum News 13.

Thanks for coming in, Greg.

Alexa Lorenzo, WFTV, Channel 9.

Thank you, Alexa.

And for the first time, Joe Mario Pederson from 90.7 WMFE News.

Thank you for coming in.

Really appreciate it.

All right.

First tonight, the tragedy in Colorado Springs.

Pulse survivors say they've been reaching out to the LGBTQ community there following the recent shooting at Club Q that left five people dead.

I sat down this week with survivor Brandon Wolf, who's been in close contact with community leaders in Colorado and plans to travel there soon.

>>You know, it's interesting about shootings and gun violence in general is that you never really know how it's going to impact you.

Sometimes I can turn on the TV and like the rest of the country, I can grieve and I can mourn, but I can process and I can move forward.

And then other times it hits you like a ton of bricks and you're immediately transported back.

And and this one was one of those, I think, you know, because the target was so directly LGBTQ people, because the safe space was so similar to ours, because I found out, I think, in the way that so many found out about our tragedy through panicked phone calls and frantic text messages.

I think all of that made it feel really real.

Again, I felt like I was transported back to June 12th of of 2016.

>>Presumably, members of the LGBTQ community in central Florida had been talking to folks in Colorado Springs.

What can people there expect and how can they expect their community to change as they as they move on?

Did Orlando significantly change in its attitudes after Pulse?

Could that also change there in that Colorado community as well?

>>Yeah, the Colorado Springs community is in for a lot and I've been very honored to be connected with folks on the ground, including the owners of the club and others who are in touch with survivors.

The first thing they can expect is what they're experiencing now, which is the international firestorm.

Media knocking on people's doors and following people around to their cars.

They can expect their stories to be front and center, and it can be overwhelming.

The next thing they can expect to feel is a sense of abandonment.

When the cameras turn off, people go back about their daily lives.

It can feel really lonely.

In those moments, I'm encouraging people there to lean on your community, lean on one another, and lean on us.

People who've been there before.

We're not going anywhere.

You can expect us to be there as long as you need us for days, months, years to come.

And then the question about the community and what does the community become in the wake is a good one.

There's an inflection point here for that community about who they want to be tomorrow, who they want to be for LGBTQ people moving forward.

It's the same one, as you mentioned, that that Orlando faced after Pulse.

We made a decision after Pulse that we would be more inclusive, we would be more outwardly pro LGBTQ pro-equality.

There were not rainbows sidewalks and amphitheaters back then on June 11th of 2016, those were conscious decisions.

And I think Colorado Springs is going to be put in a position to make similar choices about who they want to be, how wide they want their arms to be open.

And I have to believe that because so many people in this country really do believe that equality is the way forward, that we're going to see that community choose the same path of love, inclusion and acceptance that we did.

>>Brandon Wolf, there.

Well Spectrum News 13 has also been talking to survivors.

Greg, what of your colleagues been hearing?

>>I think Brandon there really illustrates the overall sentiment that a lot of people have.

First of all, this tragedy, it is deeply personal and it is well connected.

And it brings back all of those emotions and the grief and the anger and all those emotions are also compounded by the fact that this feels directly and personally targeted.

And so even though Colorado Springs is states away, it makes other LGBTQ communities around the country feel targeted.

Keep in mind, just this week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security put out a warning saying the LGBTQ community across the country, immigration communities and Jewish communities, they are all in store to be targeted for domestic violence attacks and things like that.

And so I think in Colorado Springs, it echoes many of the emotions here in Orlando.

>>I mean, Alexa, you know, Brandon Wolf talked about an inflection point in Colorado Springs, similar to the one that we saw in Orlando in 2016.

But they're very different communities, right.

>>To paint the picture of where Colorado Springs is right now, it's a booming city.

It's on track to surpass the population of Denver come 2050.

So more people are moving there.

More people are diving into what that area has to offer.

But a lot of people are saying it's an area that they, in their words, is still stuck in its old ways.

Decades ago, there was an influx of evangelical groups that took home in Colorado Springs.

So a lot of people still see that intense religion infused in their day to day lives.

And it's still in some areas very, very conservative driven.

So there is change.

There is some sort of diversity starting to build in that area.

But so many people are still uncomfortable with seeing the police officers make sure they're using the right pronouns.

So many people still talked about how rare it was to see the rainbow colors, to see the flag on city hall.

There's a lot of people that just aren't there yet.

>>And Focus on the Family being one of the most famous organizations to be based there.

Joe Mario I mean, there's been a dramatic rise in crimes targeting the LGBT community in recent years, particularly trans people.

What more do we know about those numbers?

>>Yeah, no, that's certainly correct, Stephen.

As far as those violent attack goes, we've seen them in black communities, LBGTQ communities.

We've seen them especially towards trans black women.

Last year was actually the deadliest year against LGBTQ communities.

I think there were 57 deaths reported of either shootings or killed by other means.

This year so far we've seen 11 shootings or killed by other means as well.

And I know we're going to get into this, but leaders within the LGBTQ community are pointing toward the fact that we're probably going to see these numbers continue to rise unless we see political leaders start taking some accountability and start seeking some harder justice.

>>Yeah, that's interesting.

I mean, Greg, to what Joe Mario was mentioning, that some activists do blame this anti LGBTQ rhetoric and policies for a rise in these hate hate cases is that a fair connection to make?

>>Well, the argument being made is you have these high profile online personalities.

You have these politicians in leadership positions, and they are allowing comments and actions to go unchecked.

Forgetting the argument is that words matter and words can lead to action.

If you look in Florida, for example, during the legislative session, there were a number of bills in which the LGBTQ community felt targeted the parental rights in education, which critics called don't say gay.

And in the course of that, those who fought back against that legislation, they were called names by the governor's own staff, pedophiles, groomers and things like that.

So there is very much that sentiment from this community that the door has been opened and many of these political leaders are holding the doors open for the hate to kind of walk in and carry out these acts.

>>I mean Alexa, Greg referred to some of that legislation there.

Can we expect to see more on the docket this year in the legislature next year in the legislative session?

>>Yeah.

Months ago, we saw Randy Fine put out a statement that he plans to shepherd in legislation in 2023 that would punish doctors and medical staff that provide or prescribe drugs that would change somebody's gender, gender assignment, gender reaffirming.

He wants those medical providers to lose their license.

He wants it to be a felony child abuse charge.

And and Democrats in Florida are speaking against this proposal, saying it's dangerous, to your point, for these groups.

So that announcement was made months ago.

And here we are in December, inching closer to that legislative session.

So at this point, it's just a wait and see because people have said this is coming.

>>And what's also interesting with that, keep in mind, Republicans have controlled the Florida legislature for many, many years and now after this last election, essentially have a super majority.

So Democrats even have less momentum or ability to slow this.

>>And we've already seen the Florida Board of Medicine take action on the issue that you were talking about, Alexa.

We'll discuss more about what the governor and Republicans might take on with their new super majority in Tallahassee that Greg mentioned on the program next week.

So tell us what you would like legislators to do.

Join the conversation on social media or at WUCF TV on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

All right.

Another of the governor's signature pieces of legislation this year was the so called Stop Woke Act.

But recently, a federal judge blocked the law from being enforced in public higher education institutions.

The state of Florida is expected to appeal.

The Stop Work Act restricts how schools colleges and businesses can teach issues around race.

The governor says it's part of an effort to fight back against woke indoctrination, including critical race theory.

But opponents charge it's akin to whitewashing history.

Here's NewsNights Krystel Knowles.

>>The preliminary injunction by U.S. District Judge Mark Walker applies to state colleges and universities.

In his ruling, Walker describes the stop the wrongs to our kids and Employees act as positively dystopian.

ACLU attorney Leah Watson says the Stop Work Act is too vague and squashes free speech.

Violating two amendments to the Constitution.

>>It limits professors to one perspective, only one viewpoint that the legislator and the legislature approves.

That is a violation of professors, First Amendment rights, and it's also a violation of students First Amendment rights to receive information just as just as professors have a First Amendment right to teach information.

Students have a First Amendment right to receive the information that professors will teach.

Under the 14th Amendment.

There is a vagueness claim because the vagueness is just a simple matter of fairness and due process, that you should not be punished for something if you don't know where that line is, between what's prohibited and what's permitted.

And so under the Stop Woke Act, the concepts are worded in very vague and opaque ways.

It's not clear to educators what they can or cannot teach.

>>I think that the people who are going to vote for this today can vote yes with clean and clear.

But Brevard County State Representative Randy Fine says not so fast.

He says the act does not stop the teaching of history and instead aims to prevent instruction that puts blame and guilt on the individuals based on their race, color, nationality or descendents historical past.

Fine says it also takes aim at instruction on privilege and oppression.

>>They cannot tell students how they should feel about it.

They cannot tell students that it is their fault.

People say, Well, you can't teach things that make people feel uncomfortable.

That's not what the bill says.

A lot of history should make people feel uncomfortable.

People should feel uncomfortable that in the greatest governing document in the history of the world, the United States Constitution, the original version said Black people only counts 3/5 of a person.

People people find that out.

They're going to feel uncomfortable.

They don't need to be told by a teacher.

What what we have said in the bill is a teacher cannot say, hey, guess what?

The Constitution said black people on the count of 3/5 of a person.

And you should feel bad about that.

To tell people how they should feel.

And if you're white, it's your fault.

Randy Fine there from Brevard County.

Greg, let me start with you on this one.

I mean, this is likely to go to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, which has previously sided with the DeSantis administration in cases before.

Is there any reason to expect that will happen again?

>>I think it's still a wait and see.

I mean, look, Judge Walker had 139 page ruling.

So it shows some of the complexity.

I think it's also worth pointing out.

You know, again, people talk about critical race theory.

You ask a majority of people, they don't have a clue what it actually is.

They can't define it.

It is a high level law school theory that's not even really commonly taught.

I think more attention is really going to be on a different court, the court of public opinion.

That is where a lot of these politicians and lawmakers are really trying to make their cases no matter what the outcome of any, you know, judiciary actually says in the end.

>>Yeah, I mean, Alexa, the higher education institutions have already been implementing stop woke I mean, what are the immediate implications of this injunction?

>>So this has been heralded as a major win for those free speech groups who immediately push back.

But universities right now have to say, we know we told you to follow this a few months ago, but let's pause on that for a second while this all works itself out.

But tenured professors are also seeing this as a win because there was an immediate reaction from some of those tenured professors, because this law allows the board of governors to create a review for all those tenured professors every five years and say, hey, if you're not following this law, we're going to look into it and you can get canned.

And a lot of these professors have said public discussion within class, challenging opinions, different beliefs is what creates such a vibrant educational system that allows people to learn more than just what is macroeconomics per say.

So a lot of universities and professors have been fighting back, saying that review lacks due process.

How are you going to measure the indoctrination and bias in some of these lectures?

So with this on pause right now, it gives them a time to figure out that review process.

If this does move forward with that appeal.

>>I mean, it's right.

You know, there's a lot of real world implications to a lot of these policies.

I mean, on issues around higher education.

Remind us about the kinds of things that have been taking place over the last year.

>>Governor and his colleagues have made greater efforts to reshape higher education.

Other analysts would push that a bit further and say perhaps control higher education.

Senator Ben Sasse from Nebraska recently became the president over at the University of Florida.

And the process by which he took that seat many people had issue with because of a law that was pushed into power that really made that selection process very secretive.

Many students and faculty members had huge issues with this.

Resented it, in fact, because of stances that the senator had on same sex marriage or diversity.

So, yeah, the governor has really made some big claims or put some big stakes, rather, in higher education.

>>I mean, Alexa has Ben Sasse, former Nebraska Republican, addressed that academic freedom issue?

>>His resume is his resume.

Right.

So everyone knows about the political career, but a lot of people don't know.

He was a history teacher.

He was in the classroom.

He had these vibrant discussions potentially with his students.

So in October, when he addressed students and staff members, other faculty at a forum, he discussed some of that academic freedom, saying in part that these differing points of opinion is what provides a robust academic system, saying that people who are opposed to indoctrination shouldn't be afraid of the fact that we want to have these vigorous debates and discussions within the walls of a classroom.

But that was October.

The injunction was issued in November.

And since then, we haven't heard.

>>But also, I mean, you brought up the point, too.

And when there was all that pushback, protests inside at the meeting were basically said and the university quickly said, okay, we're going to start enforcing this old written protest prohibition that we have on the books.

So, you know, as you kind of talk about the challenges and the control, if you will, it's interesting to point that out as well.

>>Things certainly got pretty heated.

I mean, we often talk about those that are opposed to what the governor is doing in higher education.

But on the right, it's a pretty popular theme.

He's got a lot of supporters, right, Greg?

>>Oh, absolutely.

And we see it, too.

Look at the turnout at school board meetings and look in Brevard County, you had several governors supported candidates who won their races, new members of the Brevard County School Board.

They are already taking action, shoving the tenured superintendent out the door.

They are making changes.

You've got parents involved in these processes that give them unilateral decision to ban books in school libraries.

And so for a lot of these parents who have felt frustrated with the public education system, they feel like they now actually have a role and some kind of power to step up to their kids school and say, this is how I want things done and they've got some authority to do so.

>>You said governor supported candidates.

That's something we typically see a governor in.

>>In school boards >>So this is this is all new.

>>Official endorsements and everything.

>>And we're seeing that play out now in potential changes in discipline policies that we saw talked about this week.

And Joe Mario, finally on this one.

I mean, we're seeing the governor's influence also playing out, broadly speaking, in K through 12 as Greg mentioned.

>>He's really thrown his or he threw his weight ahead of the midterms behind those candidates.

Right.

And that was so interesting because those are positions that typically are nonpartisan in positions.

Right.

And we've already seen the ramifications of those endorsements who did take those positions.

We've already seen those ramifications start to play out against superintendents who were either enforcing COVID 19 mandates.

I think it is the Sarasota superintendent who was ousted after just a couple of years.

It was a 4 to 1 vote.

But yeah, we are seeing those ramifications play out in Sarasota, Brevard, Lee, Broward all over the place.

>>Many people would say that school boards are becoming progressively more political over the years.

>>But also important to they have the power to impact your property taxes and things like that.

And a lot of times town council races, city council races, school board are often overlooked.

But that's where arguably a lot of the real political power sits is at the local level.

>>A lot of implications beyond people that just have kids in schools where you can find more of both.

The interviews you saw in Krystel's piece on our website, WUCF.org.newsnight.

Well, it's holiday season, and that means a lot of travel into and around Florida.

But visitors will not be getting to Orlando via Brightline just yet.

The extension from Palm Beach into central Florida is set to open sometime next year.

Before we talk about Brightline and the latest on our region's rail future, let's watch a piece that Alexa put together for Channel 9 recently.

She traveled on the existing South Florida portion of the Brightline route and asked the president of the company when the service to Orlando is going to start exactly.

>>Our journey started in West Palm Beach.

The station is outfitted with guest services and self-service counters.

Before you make your way to security.

And it's all done in a matter of seconds.

Shoes on, phone and pocket.

No problem.

Then it's train time.

It's spacious, clean, featuring high speed internet outlets.

All of it.

And we had a VIP seat.

>>My name is Patrick Goddard.

I'm the president of Bright Line.

>>In a one on one conversation we covered at all.

>>Safety, ridership, hospitality.

>>But first, where are we in the progress of construction to Orlando?

>>Were 85% complete.

>>There was hope construction would be wrapped up by the end of this year, but it's now set to be finished by early 2023.

>>Going to Orlando is a game changer because I think that there's a much, much bigger market for that.

The longer distance.

>>Brightline is now adding in line stations in Boca Raton and Aventura.

Could we see something like that along the way in Brevard County?

>>I think it's conceivable.

I think it makes a lot of sense to look at, you know, another stop or two between Palm Beach and Orlando.

It's definitely starting to look like more of a destination.

>>We talked the entire trip and by that time made it to Miami.

>>So this is one of the largest transit areas of the world.

>>The Miami Central Station connects with commuter rail, which is the hope with Sun Rail in Orlando.

Brightline's Miami station is big and beautiful, but believe it or not, Orlando's is going to be even bigger.

Featuring their signature Mary Mary Bar, the autonomous market and the premium lounge.

And outside the stations, you'll find Teslas and shuttles.

>>We're going to get you out to those final destinations.

>>That's Brightline Plus, which will also be featured in Orlando with shuttles, vans, limos to popular areas across central Florida.

And people can't wait.

Oh, fantastic.

So when exactly?

In 2023?

>>As soon as we possibly can.

Date TBD.

More to come in the spring.

>>Alexa Lorenzo reporting that.

All right, Alexa, bright lines promising this kind of like luxury type service to Orlando.

In terms of timeframe is what we heard that the closest we know to to to when this is going to start.

>>Steve I tried so hard to get it out of them.

Like, listen, my wedding's in Miami in April.

My friend will be able to take the bright line.

They're like, By then, we should have a better idea of when we'll be able to open it.

So all they're saying right now is 2023.

They're waiting for construction, but this kind of service is the first of its kind.

There's so much permitting from the state level to the federal level, they have to do this testing high speed testing is is a heavy, heavy lift.

>>Because there are safety issues that you've got to address.

>>Right.

So construction can be done.

But then it's the testing, it's the routes, it's getting, the trains on time and on track.

So at this point, all they would say is 2023, if I would have to guess, I'm thinking it's more so late summer or fall.

>>To the back end.

How much a ticket is going to be?

>>80 to 100 one-way.

Again, this is a luxury service.

They're saying it's where transportation meets hospitality.

So this isn't going to be your Amtrak situation.

>>Or public transit.

>>Exactly.

>>Although keep in mind the price point too, you compare that to Spirit, Delta, American, whatever, that's got some of the flights from here.

It's about on par with that.

And you do have security.

You go through as well through the stations.

>>And there will be passes for people who travel down often you'll be able to bundle it.

They're working on it.

>>Like a season ticket.

Joe Mario I mean, after that stretch opens, then you've got this issue of the sunshine corridor.

So the next stage, which will travel through the central Florida area, that the federal government is going to shoulder a large portion of that cost.

What have we heard from the Biden administration?

I think the transportation secretary was here recently.

>>Yes.

Yes.

Pete Buttigieg.

Yeah, he was here back in October, I believe.

And he had some optimistic words as far as what kind of financial burden the federal government will actually take.

You know, he pointed out to the fact that the federal government recognizes that tourism in Florida is less of a luxury and more of an economic lifeline.

So they do recognize that and they've committed themselves before to expansion projects in infrastructure over $2 billion, $50 million to the construction of Terminal C over at the Orlando airport.

Of course, one key factor, though, to really pay attention to is Buttigieg has pointed to the fact that the federal government would be paying attention to the penny sales tax and how that would do in the election.

Of course, that was rejected by voters in November.

So it's unclear how much money the federal government is willing to put forth after that passes or after that didnt pass.

Excuse me, mostly because he explained that they wanted to see how invested the community was in investing in itself.

>>Well, and to that point, so I spoke one on one with Secretary Buttigieg when he was in town a couple of weeks ago and asked him about this before the election if it were to fail.

And we want to see skin in the game, is what he said.

But what's fascinating is his argument is, you know, there's a potential for the federal government to really pick up most of the tab, these matching grants, things like that.

But but to your point with the secretary.

>>Is this going to throw a wrench in the works?

>>So, you know, here's the thing.

At the end of the day, if you want the pretty new toy and you want it really bad, you've got to find a way to pay for it.

So I think the argument that's been out there, we look at the economy and I think it was a tough sell at the election point.

I always say people vote in the moment.

How do they feel safety wise, financially, price, economy, things like that.

People weren't fully sold on.

Yeah, let me hand over another penny because pennies add up.

But I think if Orange County and Central Florida leaders really want some of these initiatives, they'll find the money for it.

>>And Alexa, just finally, the other issue is Disney.

Of course, we know there will not be a Disney Springs station, as you and I have talked about on this show before.

But will there still be an option for people to get to the Disney World property via Brightline or Sunrail?

>>Yeah, the idea was to put a station at Disney Springs.

That's a no go.

So Bright Line is planning to put one near that original planned station at Disney Springs.

The president says albeit it's not on Disney property, but it's going to be pretty close.

>>So hopefully people will be able to get from South Florida all the way on.

>>And you saw on Brightline Plus they're going to figure out a way to get.

>>And it's going to be bus services, Mears, things like that.

They'll find ways.

>>That that sort of last mile transit option.

Well, that is all the time we have for this week.

Busy show.

My thanks to Greg Angel Spectrum News 13, Alexa Lorenzo, WFTV, Channel 9 and Joe Mario Pederson from 90.7 WMFE News.

Thank you all for coming in.

We'll see you next Friday night at 8:30 here on WUCF.

From all of us here at NewsNight, take care and have a great week.

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