Ronda R. Storm (born Ronda Rehnell Newcomb on September 5, 1965) is an American politician representing his adoptive state in Florida. Affiliated with Republicans, he represents the 10th District in the Florida Senate from 2006 to 2012. He decides not to run in 2012 for the new 24th District.
The storm had an eight-year tenure at the Hillsborough County Commission (1998-2006) and advanced a number of controversial issues.
Video Ronda Storms
Background and personal life
Ronda Newcomb was born in Des Moines, Iowa, into a military family, and often migrates, growing in Germany, Turkey, and Alabama. Spending many formative years in Turkey, he is accustomed fluently in Turkish, but has "little vocation for the language recently."
The Newcomb family eventually settled in Brandon, Florida when Ronda was 16 years old, and he graduated from Brandon High School in 1983. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English education from the University of South Florida in 1988, as S.C.A.T.T. graduate honors. For a while, he taught English at Bloomingdale College in Valrico, Florida, and then went on to pursue his Doctor Juris at Stetson Law School in Gulfport, receiving his law degree in 1995 Cum Laude.
He married David Storms in December 1986. They had one daughter, Roxanna (born 1999) and one son, Elijah Gideon (born 2008). They currently live in the district of his home in Valrico. Her husband was a deacon at the First Baptist Church of Brandon, where she has been a member for over 25 years.
Maps Ronda Storms
Hillsborough County Commission
In all three elections, Storms runs on a platform of "responsibility", believing the strong moral principles of voters, politicians and other public officials are the key to existing to be a responsible government. In addition to acting only in a "morally responsible" mode, Storms also advocates the law of sunshine, believing that people can only trust government officials when they can see for themselves that they are not corrupt. Other platform storms include robust constituent services and family values, helping to make affordable living expenses for military families, and lower taxes.
Selection and challenger
The storm was first elected to the Hillsborough County Commission in 1998. He was re-elected in 2002 and 2004. His opponent in 2002 was Arlene Waldron, who claimed that Storms' comments had polarized too many constituents. Since both candidates are Republicans, the Hurricane won the election in 2002 at the state base level. His opponent in 2004 was Jean Batronie, who ran as an independent.
Problems
Florida A & amp; M School of Law
In the summer of 2000, alumni from Florida A & amp; M University asks the Commission for a $ 1,000,000 commitment to start Law School in Tampa (main branch of Florida A & amp; M based in Tallahassee). The storm, attending the meeting that night, said, "We can get it through law school, but we can not get them past the Bar." He then claims that he means that creating a historically black legal school will not increase the number of minority lawyers in the state. The comments met with much controversy in the Tampa black community, as well as with Florida A & amp; M who still lives in Florida, because it is felt that Storms made the statement that minority students are not smart enough to get past the State Bar exam.
When asked whether comments about a minority who were able to graduate from the Bar offended him, Mary White Darby, president of the Florida A & amp; M Tampa, replied, "How could he not offend you?" Carolyn Collins, former vice president of the national alumnus association of Florida & amp; M, said, "I do not think (Hurricane) is important enough. All one has to do is look at his track record or watch it on TV and see how he responds He's not stable in some of his comments." After the counterattack, the Storm took a more peaceful tone and publicly apologized, stating that he was not a racist, and personally trying to make amends with Thomas Scott, who at that time was the only black member of the Commission. He said of him, "He wants me to understand that he's not a racist, and that's not my perception, he's a very vocal person, it's just his style."
Despite his comments creating controversy, Storms insists on not allowing Florida A & amp; M to open law school in Tampa. It finally opened in Orlando in 2002.
Children sterilization plan
In 2004 and 2005, the Storm attempted to introduce a law that would approve sterilization for men and women convicted of child abuse at Hillsborough County so that, in his view, child abusers would not be able to continue to produce children who would also tortured. The original movement was approved by all commissioners who were present in February 2005. When the DA, Renà ©  © Lee, made it known to the Storm that only the state legislature could pass such legislation, not the District Commission, made it a top priority lobbying for bills to various legislators. Initially the bill called for sterilization to be voluntary, but between February and April 2005, Hurricanes rewrote the bill, which would make sterilization a mandatory part of the punishment. The Florida legislature rejected the Hurricane Bill in 2005, citing a lack of time to discuss it. The bill also did not appear for discussions in 2006, which meant that the Commission's decision in early 2005 had no legal standing.
End regional funding for Planned Parenthood
In 2005, the Storm called for the abolition of funds for a youth program funded by Planned Parenthood, which teaches adolescents about safe sex, drugs, gangs, and family violence. Refusals for funding are endorsed by the council in a 5-2 vote. In so doing, the Commission decided on any assistance to Planned Parenthood, as it did not fund other Planned Parenthood initiatives.
After Barbara Zdravecky, who oversaw Planned Parenthood for 15 districts throughout central Florida, asked the Storm to reconsider his proposal on July 21, 2005, Hurricane said he told Zdravecky, "I am pro-life and you do not... Nothing you can say or do for me to support you.Thank you very much for your comments. "After the exchange, the Storm recalls smiling at Zdravecky and thanked her again for her request to reconsider. Zdravecky, however, remembers that the Hurricane is much more blunt, saying "I am pro-life, you pro-death" twice. Recalling the event, Zdravecky said, "I must say that I am quite shaken, I am accustomed to taking a blow, but I am shocked by the lack of humanity... I believe anyone who claims to be a supporter of Christianity will treat me with more dignity than the way I was treated. "
Position on gay issues
In June 2005, several library visitors complained about the look of the book at West Gate Regional Library at Country 'n' Country honoring June, the Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. The storm heard about the complaint and decided to vote to ban the display of such books in the local library. However, on June 15, he moved to the Commission to "adopt a policy that the Hillsborough County government would not recognize, promote or participate in gay confessions and gay pride events, a little bit g." As a result, by adding a "little g, little p" footer, the county will abstain from recognizing, promoting or participating in confessions or events for gay pride at all times, not only during "Gay and Lesbian Pride Months," with "large G and P. large "
The vote passed 5-1, with Commissioner Ken Hagan out of the room during the vote, and Kathy Castor disagreed, saying "I think it's inappropriate for the government to promote discrimination." The storm then asked for an addendum placed on the bill, that it can not be revoked without a majority super vote at least 5-2, and a general assembly. This time Hagan joined the vote and the addendum was passed 6-1, with Castor again being the only difference of opinion. At the public hearing section of the meeting, which took place before the meeting, many people spoke out against the abolition of the book fair, not knowing the upcoming vote. The policy was revoked by the Commission on 5 June 2013, with a 7-0 vote. "
Vonn New, director of Florida Equality Florida center, LGBT rights group, said, "I think the Hillsborough County commissioner sent a very clear message that not everyone is welcome here, I think it's embarrassing what the commission has done." Reverend Phyllis Hunt, pastor at the local Metropolitan Community Church, said, "I was astonished, disappointed and surprised that there was no voice conversation." The storm never mentions throwing gay material from the library, which is still included in libraries throughout Hillsborough County.
In October 2005, Kathy Castor proposed a law that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of workplace sexual orientation at Hillsborough County, both in the public and private sectors. The law, which was once law in Tampa, was repealed in 1995 and rejected in 2000. The commissioners, led by the Hurricane, voted 5-2 to reject Castor laws. Castor and Thomas Scott are dissidents. The storm then requested a motion to raise the required number of votes from the commissioner to place the issue on a referendum directly to the regional electorate from four commissioners to five.
In December 2005, Joe Redner, who owns the nationally known strip club Mons Venus, filed a lawsuit against every member of the Commission except Castor, accusing discrimination as a result of a vote of 15 June. At the same time, Redner, whose believers are straight, came out on WFLA-AM morning broadcasts. Redner and Hurricane had fought before, most recently in November 2005 for Redner's donations made for needy children. The storm has been an old enemy of Redner, for he has tried to reduce Redner's business on many occasions, because his work, in the words of Hurricanes, "is a supplier and seller of female flesh."
Florida Senate
Senate race
In April 2006, Storms announced its intention to run for the state Senate seat being vacated by Senate President Tom Lee. From the beginning, his Democratic challengers were Iraq War veterans and Hillsborough Community College staff member Stephen Gorham, a newcomer to politics. Shortly after his announcement to run in the Senate seat, the Storm spoke against the dangerous reaction he received in the gay community. When asked by the host of the Bay News 9 Political Connection whether he supports homosexuals to adopt or adopt parents, Storms replied, "I do not support placing at-risk children in homes that I think are at risk alone." From the response he received from the Tampa gay community, Storms said, "I have experienced all sorts of threats and terrible things that are said and done to me... things done for my church, things done to the house me, and personal threats.. I have never attacked anyone's appearance and actually worked very closely with people who are out of homosexual habits and they will tell you that I have never done anything other than treating them with dignity and respect in my personal working relationship with them. "
During the summer, Shelby McIntyre of Tampa started UNbanned.org , a reference to, among other issues, Jean Batronie banned from appearing on public cable television access to debate, implying that station owners opted for programming only Hurricane air agrees, lest the Storm tries to convince the Commission that public access television does not receive funds by the region. Filmmaker Amy Nestor also made a documentary video, UNbanned , about the gay pride of Ronda Storms.
Despite the campaign against Hurricanes by the gay community of Tampa, and Gorham hit hard with his campaign television commercials and insisted that Hurricanes were "empty clothes that were all stylish and no substance," and that "the thing about Ronda is that he will only look for the benefit of people. people who see and act like him... he pretty much ignores others, "The Storm won the Senate seat in a close match in November 2006.
Issues and controversy
"Polar Tax"
In February 2008, the Storm introduced a bill that was soon recognized as the "Polar Tax" of Florida. The Florida Senate, Bill 1520, will charge taxes on adults, including escorts and strippers, and use the money to fund additional services at the Children and Family Department.
The Academy of Freedom Bill (SB2692)
Storms have an important role in the bill that promotes the teaching of intelligent design in public school classrooms. On February 29, 2008, the Hurricane introduced the Academy of Freedom Bill (SB2692) in the Florida Senate. The bill does not require changes to the current science curriculum and under the law, evolution will still be taught as a legal matter. The bill provides the legal right and protection for teachers to "present scientific information relevant to diverse views of biological and chemical evolution." The bill does not endorse the teaching of creationism or clever design. Under the law, all students still have to study and be tested on all aspects of the Standards of Science, including evolution.
His sponsor at Florida House of Representatives (as HB1483) is Representative Alan Hays, who arranges for a private screening of smart design promotion film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed to Florida legislators who will vote on the bill.
The DPR bill undergoes substantial modification and, as amended, requires a clever design lesson plan "Critical Evolution Analysis" to be taught.
John Stemberger of the Florida Evangelical Family Policy Council, one of the drafters of the law, says that intelligent designs can not be taught, although evolutionary "criticism" can, and teachers must follow the curriculum. Stein says it is the teacher who will decide what "scientific information", and the program officer for the public policy and legal affairs of the Discovery Institute, Casey Luskin, says that intelligent design is "scientific information." The Miami Herald sees this as a recognition that the bill would make it easier to bring up religiously colored designs in public school classrooms. Wesley R. Elsberry considers that this will enable the Discovery Institute to recruit sympathetic teachers to introduce religiously motivated antiferogic arguments, and lawsuits will depend on a person willing to be a plaintiff. John West of the Discovery Institute said that "scientific information" will be determined by the science teachers themselves in consultation with their science curriculum staff and their school board. This will pass Florida education standards identified by domain science experts and education experts.
The American Civil Liberties Union expressed concern that this bill will make it easier to teach smart designs as science in public schools:
The presumption of this bill is that all you have to do to teach something in the science class is to call it science. Simply saying something is science does not make it so and invokes Science of Intelligent Design, not making it science. Intelligent Design relies on the assertion that there is a supernatural creator, which inherently hinders it from being scientific, as the ACLU proved in our landmark case in Dover, PA.
The bill has also been criticized for inconsistencies in protecting only the freedom of teachers to discuss anti-evolutionary arguments, but not other controversies:
If it's okay for science teachers to talk about controversial alternatives to Darwin, it should be okay for health teachers to talk about birth control and abortion.... With this intellectual inconsistency, it is hard to see this effort as anything other than a hand-ham effort to guard the fire of religion vs. evolution in a burning public school.
The storm claimed he was contacted by many teachers who had been disciplined for talking about alternative theories, although critics say retaliation never happened.
Democrats later introduced a proposal for extended protection for sex education, but the Storm voted against it.
A 'Bill Analysis and Fiscal Impact Statement' prepared by the staff of the Senate Pre-K-12 Education Committee stated that:
- "Overall, science standards [have] encouraged teachers and students to discuss scientific evidence relating to all sciences, including evolution."
- "According to the Department of Education, there has never been a case in Florida where a public school teacher or a public school student claimed that they had been discriminated against based on science teaching or a science course."
- The bill creates ambiguity in the absence of a definition of "biological and chemical evolution" and "objective scientific information", because it is silent about how this bill will affect teacher discipline over the science standard and by using the word "maybe" in the context of student evaluation.
References
External links
- Profile in Project Vote Smart
- Follow the Money - Ronda Hurricane
- 2006 campaign contributions
- Ronda Storm for Country House
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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