In the 2023 legislative session, Florida’s elected leaders took serious steps to curb the crisis in Florida we had come to know as lawsuit abuse.   It reached a crisis level and even had Florida listed on the annual “Judicial Hellholes” report produced by the American Tort Reform Association.  But in 2023, under the leadership of Gov. DeSantis and the legislature, Florida passed new laws that restored sanity to the legal process and stopped some of the frivolous games that came to be associated with “get-rich-quick-schemes” via lawsuit.

Due to one-way attorney fees, litigation was the all-time heavyweight factor in driving up the cost of Florida’s auto and homeowners insurance.  While the number of frivolous lawsuits to consumers and subsequent financial impact have been largely reduced as a result of 2023’s legislative action, there is still much more to do, and as we begin the 2026 hurricane season, legislators missed a great opportunity as to take steps to further reduce the cost of insurance.

One of the main things that could have been done is to bring some reasonable regulation to the financing of lawsuits by third parties.  Third party financing can sound like a good idea because it gives some people who may not have the ability to pay for their own expenses during a lawsuit recovery period an opportunity to receive an unsecured loan to keep the lawsuit going. 

This one benefit comes at a high cost however.  Third party financiers have engaged in playing the odds by keeping lawsuits going even after a sound decision for the plaintiff would have been to take an offered settlement.  Financiers can and have taken over other decisions on the direction of the case, ignoring any considerations for the plaintiff.  Financiers can and have charged exorbitant interest rates to the point that the plaintiff receives little to nothing from a final settlement or award. 

Moreover, financial third-party funds can and have been set up to even receive funding from international investors, including foreign governments.  The sole idea that international profiteers could be using our courts system to attack our small businessmen and women in Florida should be enough to question this system.  Proposed legislation should require certain public disclosures about the nature of the financing to the court, limitations on the amount of control a financier can have over a lawsuit, and limitations on the amount of interest a financier can charge a plaintiff.  These are all reasonable reforms that should protect plaintiffs and bring transparency to a process that is being abused.

Moving forward with more accountability for third-party lawsuit financing will restore fairness to our courts and eliminate a couple of the remaining cracks in the foundation of Florida’s economy.  Long-standing prosperity will result.

The item will come before the Board on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.

Originally, school board members talked about how the property tax revenue would be used just for teacher salaries. However, now that has changed and the language that will go before the voters in November will allow the new property tax revenue to be used for all school staff pay, not just teachers.

The property tax proposal – not to be confused with the half-penny sales tax – would raise approximately $24 million annually from Leon County property owners. That is a significant burden at a time when residents are already dealing with rising insurance costs, inflation, and higher property taxes driven by increasing home values. Before asking citizens for more money, the school board must demonstrate that it is managing current resources responsibly.

One of the biggest unanswered questions involves declining enrollment. Student population in Leon County Schools has been falling for at least the last five years. In most organizations, shrinking demand leads to restructuring and cost reductions. And while some cuts have been adopted for this year, new tax revenue could make it easier for officials to delay difficult but necessary decisions.

Also, while enrollment declined, the school board hired more administrators. Some have repeatedly asked why additional administrative positions are necessary when fewer students are attending district schools. To date, the district has failed to provide a convincing explanation.

Equally concerning is the lack of long-term planning. School districts across Florida facing enrollment declines have begun difficult but necessary conversations about consolidating campuses, closing underused schools, and streamlining operations. Leon County Schools has offered no comparable plan despite clear demographic trends.

Avoiding these discussions does not make the financial realities disappear. Maintaining underutilized facilities while expanding administrative overhead is not a sustainable strategy, particularly when district leaders are simultaneously asking homeowners for another $24 million each year.

Before any property tax increase moves forward, the school board should invite respected community leaders, business executives, financial professionals, and parents to conduct an independent review of the district budget. A collaborative process could identify efficiencies, reduce waste, and build public trust. Taxpayers deserve to know that every reasonable reform has been considered before they are asked to pay more.

Public education is vital to Leon County’s future, but accountability matters too. Voting against this proposed tax increase would be a vote for transparency, responsible planning, and fiscal discipline.

Recent TR Related School Board Reports

Fewer Students, Higher Taxes

LCS Leads State in Assistant Principal Positions

Double Digit Enrollment Drops Hit Five Florida School Districts

LCS Seeks Renewal of Half-Penny Sales Tax, $500M in Revenue

Leon County School Board Wrangle Over Budget Cuts

LCS Board Rejects Citizen Review in 3-2 Vote

LCS Adds 47 Administrators as Student Enrollment Declines

On Wednesday, the Tallahassee City Commission voted to approve the transfer of Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare’s assets to Florida State University to advance the creation of an integrated academic health ecosystem.

This decision marks an important milestone, but it is only the beginning. The real work starts now. While the vote represents a major step forward, there are still legal, regulatory, and transactional matters that must be completed to finalize the agreement. A tremendous amount of work by many leaders across our community has already gone into reaching this moment, and important work remains ahead to ensure the transition is completed thoughtfully and successfully.

Healthcare is one of the most important sectors in our regional economy and across the nation. Nationally, healthcare represents roughly 18% of the U.S. economy and employs tens of millions of Americans. Communities across the country are increasingly aligning hospitals with research universities to create integrated academic health systems that attract physicians, scientists, residents, students, and private investment. These ecosystems expand specialty care, accelerate research and commercialization, and generate high-wage jobs that strengthen regional economies.

Tallahassee now has the opportunity to build our own version of that model.

By aligning the clinical strength of Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare with the research, academic, and innovation capabilities of Florida State University, our region can position itself to compete nationally in areas such as medical research, healthcare technology, workforce development, and advanced clinical services.

The timing could not be more significant.

We are entering a period where artificial intelligence, data science, biotechnology, and advanced medical research are rapidly transforming healthcare. At the same time, major initiatives such as the Rural Health Transformation Program are creating new opportunities to modernize healthcare delivery across Florida and strengthen access to care in underserved communities.

If we approach this moment strategically, Tallahassee can become a place where clinical care, academic research, health technology, and innovation come together to create new solutions for patients while generating economic opportunity for our region.

But achieving that vision will require more than a transaction.

It will require strong leadership, collaboration, and a shared commitment to move forward together.

The discussions leading up to this vote have at times been passionate and difficult. Major decisions that shape the future of a community often are. This issue has at times divided our community, and it is important to acknowledge that openly. Many people care deeply about Tallahassee and about the future of healthcare here, even when they see the path forward differently.

My hope is that this moment becomes an opportunity for our community to come back together. If we focus on the long-term future of our region and the health and prosperity of the people who live here, this initiative has the potential to unify us around building something truly special.

This moment calls for leaders across healthcare, academia, business, and government to work in alignment. It calls for a unifying vision that ensures this new partnership strengthens healthcare access, advances research and innovation, grows high-wage careers, and positions our region for long-term competitiveness.

As someone who lives here, works in healthcare technology, and cares deeply about the future of this community, and as a husband and father raising a family in Tallahassee, I am optimistic about what we can build together. I look forward to doing my part and working alongside many others across our community to help ensure this moment leads to something truly transformative for Tallahassee.

Eddie Gonzalez Loumiet is the current Chair of the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce. With more than 20 years managing multi-million-dollar enterprise technology projects, Eddie is an award-winning information technology expert, mentor, recognized speaker, and CEO at Ruvos (formerly named Uber Operations), a leading data, security, and cloud computing company. Eddie played a critical role in the development of the company’s strategic growth from 5 individuals to over 45. 

But something truly significant happened a few years ago, when Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law landmark legislation to update our legal system, reforming contingency fees, standards of bad faith, premises liability, and a host of other related issues. The end result is a state with a fairer judicial system that rewards those with actual damages instead of cultivating an environment where filing lawsuits is an industry to itself.

Unfortunately, those who liked the old system are now trying to turn back the clock and push us back to being a judicial hellhole. They would overturn the 2023 reforms and are actively opposing other good measures.

For instance, they are fighting a new common sense bill that would require plaintiffs to disclose if their lawsuit is being financed by a third party. This unseemly practice is popping up all over the country, where investors are looking at lawsuits as a new way to make money and providing the equivalent of venture capital. Other states are passing laws to address this issue, and it’s one of the remaining areas where Florida remains vulnerable to lawsuit abuse.

And there’s more at stake than simple fairness. Some of the major third party investors are foreign, with a lot of activity from China in American lawsuits. These investors often have the power to make decisions about the case, rendering the actual plaintiff as just a puppet in the pursuit of big judgments against American companies. The proposed Florida law would make this sort of activity illegal.

Now is the time to double down on our commitment to a fair and free Florida. No rollbacks to effective lawsuit reforms! And let’s pursue these other new measures, like reforming third party financing, that will create more opportunity and prosperity for all Florida residents.

John C. Kramner, Tallahassee, FL

Ever since the Covid crisis, Florida has been emerging as one of the economic leaders of the country.  Traditionally only thought of as a destination for tourists and retirees, Florida has benefitted from the relocations of some of the nation’s wealthiest billionaires and corporate leaders, attracted not just to our climate but also to our state’s favorable tax and regulatory policies.

There’s only one issue that has been a sticking point for everyone from working families to the most corporate elite: high insurance prices.  But on that issue, Florida now appears to be back in the national leadership position, with auto insurance and home insurance rates declining statewide for the first time in decades.  We are one of the few states where this is happening.  Why?

The Florida Chamber of Commerce and many business leaders I know point to the lawsuit reforms of 2023.  Governor Ron DeSantis, former Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, and former Speaker of the House Paul Renner agreed that for too long, the billboard attorneys had been using statutory loopholes to make money from even the most frivolous lawsuits. 

It was relatively easy to do because insurers were being made to pay for the legal fees of those suing them.  Thus, the legal fees were gigantic every time even when settlements were comparatively small, and fairness was not a part of the system.  Florida had even landed on the Judicial Hellholes list, and every insurance customer in the state was paying higher premiums to account for the costs associated with a ballooning number of lawsuits and the legal fees accompanying them.

After the legal reforms of 2023, insurance rates did not go down immediately, but here on the cusp of entering the new year, they are dropping significantly, and all reports suggest that lower rates will continue to be a part of Florida’s economic narrative for the next several years.

There are still some things we can do to strengthen Florida’s insurance market.  First, we absolutely should not permit the reforms of 2023 to be repealed.  Second, we should look at some additional lawsuit reforms including reforming third party financing of lawsuits and doing something to limit nuclear verdicts.  We must also increase penalties for filing fraudulent claims.  Southeast Florida and Miami specifically have long been the nation’s capital for insurance fraud.  That impacts the entire market especially for those of us here on the west coast.

Let’s wish our legislative leaders well in the upcoming legislative session and urge them to maintain the reforms that are reducing insurance costs and making Florida more affordable.

Jim Kallinger is a former Florida State Rep and Chairman of the Small Business and Consumers Alliance.

Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare (TMH), as a not-for-profit, is required to file each year Form 990 with the IRS. The last one was filed in August 2025. The public has access to this form to evaluate the finances, programs and mission of TMH. For example, TMH runs a 772 bed hospital. TMH itself listed 25 names of their “Key Employees and Officers.”

Media advisers to TMH have worked against a FSU medical partnership because they argued “local control” is better than “state control.” Let’s examine the demographical, political, and geographical backgrounds of the 25 Key Employees and Officers to determine if they truly reflect the voters and residents of Leon County.

Before starting, be aware that the American Hospital Association representing not-for-profit hospitals believes that a community’s characteristics should be reflected among the key employees and hospital boards.

Among the 25 “Key Employees and Officers” listed on the 990 Form, 72% are male and 28% are female. Compare this to the Leon County voter registration rolls where 42% are male and 55% are female. Here there is a disparity.

Among the 23 key personnel that government records provide demographic information, 78% are white, 13% are black and 9% are Hispanic or other. Among registered voters 61% are white, 27% are black, and 12% are Hispanic or other. While the numbers are slightly better than the male-female numbers above, there is another disparity.

On the political front, likely the least important when compared to demographical and geographical characteristics, among the 17 that voter records are available 47% are No Party Affiliated, 35% are Republicans, and 18% are Democratic. Among registered voters 20% are NPAs, 30% are Republican, and 48% are Democratic. The Republican match is close but the Democratic and NPA registrants are not representative.

In the geographical area, the homes of 19 were identified. Of these, 90% were in three zip codes located in northeast Leon County: namely in zip codes 32308, 32309, and 32312. These three zip codes contain 36% of Leon County’s voters. The remaining zip codes, with 64% of the population, have two of the 19. There are five zip codes each with more than 6,500 voters in them that are totally unrepresented: 32304, 32305, 32310, 32311, and 32317.

While northeast zip codes have one key person per 2,500 voters, other zip codes either have ten times the number of voters per key person or they do not even have one.

After reviewing the demographical, political and geographical characteristics of the “Key Employees and Officers,” I have to conclude that collectively most of the current persons fulfilling those positions are not representative of our community’s overall characteristics.

If we are going to take the phrase “local control” seriously, then it should be structured in a way that actually reflects our community. One straightforward option would be for the City Commission to appoint a portion of the TMH board – five members with one appointed by each commissioner and the mayor. That model likely would contribute to the “local control” argument and ensure that every corner of the city has a voice. Under the current arrangement, however, representative “local control” is little more than a slogan.

The issue of “local control” is intended to distract us from the question of whether FSU’s involvement improves the quality of medical services or does not improve it. The squabble over the “board of directors” and who gets how many seats to preserve control misleads us from the question of improving the quality of medical services.

Now to clear the air, my wife and I go to HCA Florida Capital Hospital when we need to go to hospital. They met our needs with professionalism. My daughter gave birth to her second son at TMH. The quality of care and service for my daughter at TMH was exceptionally good.

On November 3, 2026, Florida voters may make a transformative decision about the future of property taxes.  It’s too early to know the precise nature of the expected change but, so far, the proposals target non-school taxes, meaning that, at a minimum, property tax abolition for school-related taxation is not in the cards. However, even abolishing non-school property taxes may be a little further than the legislature is prepared to go.

Currently, there is no consensus as to how to proceed.  So far, there are eight  proposals running the gamut of possibilities from the governor’s desire to abolish property taxes to the legislature’s initial proposals to do something less than totally abolish the tax. The current proposals include exempting some taxpayers, such as homesteaded property or those 65 or older.  Others range from increasing the homestead exemption to phasing out property taxes over the next decade. Still others affect such issues as portability and future increases in taxable values. 

And when all is said and done, the proposed constitutional amendment could end up dealing with some combination of those alternatives, or multiple amendments for voters to consider.

Most of us would prefer to pay less in property tax, but it may not be as simple as that nor always prudent. According to the Florida Department of Revenue,in 2025, statewide, nearly $3.5 trillion in taxable property value generated over $100 billion, in part, to finance government goods and services in over 400 municipalities, 67 counties and school districts,  over 600 dependent special districts, and almost 1,500 independent special districts.  Property taxes financed education, law enforcement, fire safety, emergency services, constitutional officers, infrastructure, and debt service, to name a few. 

In Leon County, $27.5 billion dollars of taxable value, financed just over $296 in goods and services by the two principal users of non-school property tax: Tallahassee and Leon County.  Locally, property tax is allocated to the county’s general fund, fine and forfeiture fund (county sheriff), county emergency medical services, law enforcement (city). 

Needless to say, with so much at stake, the issue will produce a conundrum for us all, including:

What goods and services are we prepared to do without?
What, if anything, will we use to replace lost property tax revenue? 
What combination of the two is necessary for local government to meet fiscal constraints? 

Citing a study by the James Madison Institution, Mitch Perry, writing for the Florida Phoenix (September 29, 2025), reports that about 65% of voters intend to enact some form of property tax changes.  Until the legislature completes its public hearings, bill analyses, legislative debate, and court review, we will not know ultimately what is at stake.

 If you want to be heard on the matter, now is the time to contact your representative, senator, and local officials. You may write, telephone, or meet with them, or make arrangements to attend any public hearings that may be scheduled.  And whether you participate or not, be prepared in the event any constitutional amendment passes.

“I Didn’t Like Kids”. Just one clue someone might not be fit for public education and children’s social work.

I am of the opinion Charlie Kirk was not assassinated so much because he was a Christian-conservative. Charlie was murdered because millions of young people listened to him.

In the days, now weeks, since his death I have often asked guests on my radio show the following question, “What’s was worse – the killing of Charlie Kirk or the celebration of it by so many?”

Each person answered my question with the latter. It is much more troubling so many rejoiced in Charlie Kirk’s death.

It’s troubling because those people truly did not, do not, have a clue as to who or what Charlie was all about. The sorry celebrants never, ever took the time to actually listen to an entire event Charlie hosted or spoke at, never engaged in any civil discourse with him.  

Charlie’s visits to campuses nationwide are all over YouTube. There are no excuses to not know better.

The effort to demean, slander, and libel Charlie Kirk has not subsided and it leads me to Leon County School Board member Darryl Jones.

Florida’s Education Commissioner Anastosios Kamoutsas posted on social media: “Teachers are held to a higher standard as public servants and must ensure their conduct does not undermine the trust of the students and families they serve. We will hold teachers who choose to make disgusting comments about the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk accountable.”

In response, Jones made clear his feelings and wrote (in a now deleted post) that Kirk was a, “racist, misogynist, homophobic Klansman.”

Normally, this type of thing would be followed with a statement of regret, expressing sadness over the senseless killing of someone for just engaging in civil debate. I mean a decent person would state something of the kind.

Not Darryl Jones. Instead, he simply took the post down and never apologized. I am told Turning Point USA is considering legal action against Jones.

Clearly, he believes what he wrote, he just did not have the courage to leave it posted.

What he wrote is contemptible and demonstrably false. It is almost equally contemptible that his colleagues on the Leon County School Board have sat silent, as has Superintendent Rocky Hanna. Only current Chair Laurie Cox mustered some disdain offering a mild lecture on the matter without singling out Jones.

Which leads me to Jone’s place, not only as a Leon County School Board member, but as its appointed representative on the Children’s Services Council.

His views on Charlie Kirk reveal someone not best suited to serve in either of those roles. Voters will hopefully settle the former (though I am not holding my breath), while the School Board should remedy the latter – now.

Oh, and then there’s this … In an interview published on YouTube, “Conversations with Nicole” March 9, 2016, Darryl Jones, when asked by Nicole Everett about his decision to not become an educator stated that as a student teacher, he learned teaching was not for him because, “I didn’t like kids.”

Quite a statement for a guy who decided to run for, and now sits on, the Leon County Schools Board and serves on the Children’s Services Council.

I wonder what Jones has to say to all of the students in our public schools who looked at Charlie Kirk as a big brother, as a mentor, as someone they admired.

I actually don’t have to guess because Jones, in his silence, by not issuing an apology, has spoken to students and parents alike.

A growing yet largely overlooked threat is quietly taking root in America’s healthcare system: the widespread use of Chinese-manufactured medical devices. This threat comes from the very technology that patients trust to keep them alive. While the issue lacks the urgency of a breaking news crisis, it poses serious long-term risks to patient privacy, healthcare security, and U.S. economic independence.

Many of these devices — such as internet-connected monitors, pumps, and diagnostic tools — are now embedded in hospitals and clinics across the country, including in Florida. That integration has come with an invisible cost: dependence on companies that operate under the authority of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which can compel access to data or cooperation with espionage efforts at any time.

This is not speculation. Both the FDA and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have warned that many of these devices are vulnerable to cyberattacks. In the wrong hands, even a basic hospital monitor could serve as a backdoor into critical care systems — exposing sensitive patient data or disrupting services during emergencies.

It’s a wake-up call for state policymakers: securing our healthcare system must include securing the supply chains behind it. And Florida is uniquely positioned to lead that effort.

Governor DeSantis has already taken bold action to push back against CCP influence—blocking land purchases near military bases, scrutinizing university partnerships, and strengthening consumer protections. Attorney General James Uthmeier has helped uncover foreign threats to our digital infrastructure. The next frontier must be protecting the integrity of Florida’s healthcare system.

The federal government has begun addressing supply chain risks, but progress is slow. States don’t have to wait. Florida should act now to ensure its healthcare dollars don’t underwrite foreign control.

State leaders can and should take the lead on solutions rooted in free-market principles and national security. Florida’s health agencies and procurement boards should only purchase medical devices that meet rigorous cybersecurity and supply chain transparency standards. Devices tied to companies influenced by the CCP should not be eligible for taxpayer-funded contracts. The Florida Legislature can condition Medicaid reimbursements and other healthcare funding on providers using secure, CCP-free medical equipment. Hospitals and clinics receiving public dollars must be accountable for the origin and integrity of the technology they rely on.

Rather than regulate from the top down, Florida should empower innovation. Strategic tax credits, targeted grants, and preference in state contracts can help build a stronger domestic manufacturing base. Supporting American-made medical devices strengthens both healthcare and economic resilience. President Trump’s call to revive American manufacturing aligns directly with this effort.

Additionally, Florida can set the standard for national reform by creating a voluntary certification system that identifies vendors meeting high cybersecurity and transparency benchmarks. Providers would remain free to choose, but the state can reward compliance with procurement advantages and incentives.

This is not about economic isolationism; it’s about defending fair competition and security. Chinese medical device makers often benefit from state subsidies, forced technology transfer, and a lack of transparency. U.S. firms can compete, and win, on quality, innovation, and trust if the rules are enforced fairly.

But Florida doesn’t need to wait for Washington. With smart, market-aligned policies, our state can lead the way in securing healthcare from foreign dependence. Every Floridian deserves confidence that the technology keeping them alive is safe, secure, and under American control. Let’s not hand a strategic advantage to a foreign adversary inside our own hospitals.

Doug Wheeler is the director of the George Gibbs Center for Economic Prosperity at The James Madison Institute.

Our ability to pay teachers a higher wage is handcuffed by the operation of too many under capacity schools caused by popularity of School Choice vouchers and scholarships, well-performing Charter Schools and shifting population demographics.  Leon County Schools current enrollment is just under 32,000 and we are operating 51 school sites.  Compare this to our neighboring county Okaloosa Schools (an A district) which is similar in size, serving just over 32,000 students at only 44 school sites. By operating efficiently, Okaloosa Schools teacher salaries are paid an average of $6,000 more than their counterparts in Leon.

Our enrollment declines didn’t happen overnight but have been a slow steady decline over the past 15 years.  FLDOE Average Daily Attendance reports show ALL but seven of our traditional public schools have experienced between 2%-35% declines in enrollment from 2010 to 2025. Years of declines have led to seven of our traditional public schools currently operating between 70%-75% of student capacity, and another five operating between 60%-69%.  So where did the students go? 

Two factors have contributed to this loss here in Leon County. While several charter schools have come and gone, two successful models have attracted students.  Tallahassee School of Math & Science, and School of Arts & Sciences (both locations) have both flourished with academic success and are boasting a combined total enrollment of over 1500 students and counting.

Additionally, Family Empowerment Scholarships (FES), which assists families choosing private school, has expanded significantly.  As a direct result of school choice scholarships, Leon County Schools revenue was reduced by $3.5 million in 2021.  That amount has increased exponentially to a reduction of $28.2 million.  Yet, we continue to operate school sites that were needed prior to School Choice. 

Around the state, this is impacting other districts to an even greater extent.  Many of those districts have reacted by closing schools and consolidation of schools onto one campus.  Enrollment loss has prompted Broward County to consider closing 34 schools, and both Orange and Hillsborough counties are reporting losses of 7,000 students each. Recently, Duval county’s decision to close five schools and relocate those students to other nearby campuses will allow the district to save an average of $1 million per school closure.

Parents are letting us know they want choice and it’s time for Leon County Schools to adapt. Zip code can no longer dictate the school our children attend. Enough of the finger pointing and blaming, each side boasting that their model is best for our students.  I am a member of the Leon County School Board and it’s time we quit warning that tough times are coming, and actually take action to ensure that we are operating efficiently with our resources, taking into account varying enrollment trends throughout our community. Strong leadership around the state has led to consolidation of under-capacity schools, opening the doors of empty classrooms to locally successful private Pre-K programs, and conversion of empty facilities for workforce housing or youth training programs. It is time to reimagine Leon County Schools, do what’s best for our students and teachers, and stop trying to operate the same number of facilities on a decreasing level of students and revenue.

Serious investors understand the power of compounding. I often illustrate it with a parable: take a sheet of paper and fold it in half. Then fold it again, and again. “How tall,” I ask, “will it be after 51 folds?” People guess six inches, maybe a foot; the more ambitious, the ceiling. Then comes the reveal: “by fold 51 the paper reaches the moon; by 52, it returns to Earth.” The listener is stunned. Human beings simply aren’t wired to process the power of compounding.

I felt that same way a few days ago. At first, I was shocked that anyone would take Charlie’s life. That shock deepened into grief. But as I began to see the vast arc of his reach — the crowds, the vigils, the silence of stadiums — grief gave way to awe. And finally, to hope.

Charlie began as an oddity — a teenager with earnest convictions, speaking before small, hostile crowds where jeers, thrown objects, and chants of “bigot” and worse tried to drown him out. Over time the oddity became a novelty, and soon after, a target. He was spat on, derided, shouted down.

Looking back, those were his early folds. Small, painful, barely visible. Each scornful dismissal was another layer on a stack no one else could see, perhaps not even Charlie himself. Yet he persisted. Fold after fold, courage upon courage.

Eventually the tower emerged. Ideas once ridiculed were now embraced by crowds of thousands. His organization’s chapters stretched across the country. The paper stack was no longer flat; it was rising.

And then came the shot in Utah. It was meant to end him — and with him, his ideas. Instead, it revealed just how high his courage had already carried.

Vigils flared from London to Phoenix. Professors and staff who mocked his death were exposed; institutions scrambled to respond. Moments of silence fell across stadiums. And then Erika’s voice cut through the grief: “The evildoers responsible have no idea what they have done.” She was right. The latest fold had reached the moon. The next would bring it back — and from there, the stack will only climb higher.

Because courage compounds beyond a single life. It roots itself in every heart willing to be inspired. It sparks in every student, every parent, every citizen who realizes that standing alone is not madness, but the first fold of something larger.

I am convinced that if God had offered Charlie the choice — more years with his beloved Erika, his daughter and son, or a shorter life that would propel his message further than he could ever imagine — he would have chosen this. He loved his family dearly but sacrifice for something greater was consistent with the courage he lived every day. And I am in awe of that kind of courage.

This is not an eulogy. It is a reckoning. Charlie’s answer to “why do you do this?” was always the same: “Because when we stop talking, bad things happen.” He knew the difference between keyboard skirmishes and true communication. That’s why he showed up in person, on stages, face to face. Connecting. Explaining. Talking.

As a boy, my mother gave me a Reader’s Digest quote: “Why explain? Your friends don’t need it, and your enemies won’t believe it anyway.” For years I thought it brilliant. But life taught me otherwise. Sometimes you must explain. Sometimes misunderstanding demands you keep talking. Twenty-nine years of marriage has shown me that silence may feel easier in the moment, but words — honest, face-to-face — are the only way to heal.

Charlie knew that instinctively. He preached by talking, explaining, relating. That was his courage. That was why his folds compounded.

Now the question is whether we will continue them. His movement can grow, his influence multiply, if we carry the work forward.

We stand at the threshold of something capable of reaching the moon — and back, many times over.

David L. Verlander is a Managing Partner at DLV Capital, bringing expertise in investment management and strategic leadership.

With its heavy-handed government price-setting policies, the IRA’s “pill penalty” poses a threat to patients who take prescription drugs regularly. This penalty essentially penalizes drug companies for developing medications that come in pill or tablet form as opposed to ones that come in the form of IVs, infusions, or injectables.

Less investment in developing pill-form medications could likely translate to higher costs for patients. That’s because the pill penalty also decreases the likelihood of new generic forms of medication making their way to the market. In doing so, the pill penalty could increase out-of-pocket costs for patients and their families.

At a time when Americans are struggling with high inflation and a rising cost of living, the last thing policymakers should be doing is threatening to take away the cost savings that generic medications provide patients. That’s why lawmakers should come together—Republican and Democrat alike—to pass the EPIC Act and repeal the pill penalty before it can cause
real harm.

Rep. Dunn deserves a lot of credit for helping fix this problem. He should keep pushing his colleagues to support and pass the EPIC Act ASAP.

Christi Griner
Chairman, Liberty for Florida