Miami-Dade County this week announced a plan to help restore voting rights for ex-felons. Last November, Florida voters approved Amendment Four, a restoration of voting rights to felons. Afterward, the Florida Legislature passed a law requiring all fines and fees related to a crime to be paid off before a felon could have voting rights restored. Many were unhappy, calling the law a roadblock, lawsuits were filed. On Monday, the Miami-Dade State Attorney and Public Defender’s offices announced changes to help felons regain their rights to vote prior to the 2020 elections. WLRN Reporter Danny Rivero has been following the rollout of Amendment 4 and joined Sundial to give an update.
Margate Police recently launched an outreach program called “Project Autism,” which focuses on the police department’s relationship with the autistic community. This is a program that teaches and trains officers on how to interact with people on the autistic spectrum. This comes after the 2016 case involving North Miami Police Officer Jonathan Aledda, who fired three shots at an autistic man holding a silver toy truck. Margate Police Chief Jonathan Shaw joined Sundial to talk about the new program and concerns about its implementation.
The summer-long “Bats, Bees and Butterflies Project” is teaching kids the importance of environmental stewardship. The program located in the Redland is in partnership with the Children’s Trust, National Geographic, GEN2050 and the Peacemaker Family Center. Students learn about Florida's bonneted bats, our butterfly population and even train to become the next generation of beekeepers. Asia Dawson, 14, is a junior beekeeper and Rev. Linda P. Freeman is executive director of the Peacemaker Family Center. They both joined Sundial to talk about managing bee colonies, creating new beehouses and how faith and science can intersect.
The South Florida Symphony, in partnership with the Museum of Discovery and Science, will hold a concert Sunday, Aug. 4, focused on coral reef restoration. Maestra Sebrina María Alfonso is leading the event and has chosen music pieces that speak to the plight of coral reefs and what can be done to rescue them. She joined Sundial to talk about some of the pieces that will be included in the concert.