When the Florida Supreme Court on Monday ruled that an abortion rights measure and a referendum on recreational marijuana use could legally be placed on the November ballot, it wasn’t just a defeat for Attorney General Ashley Moody, who fought both measures and tried to keep them off the ballot on behalf of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Because both questions are expected to ignite Democrat voters and turn them out more, the ruling could also be a blow to Sen. Rick Scott, whose challenge from former Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell has suddenly become much more dangerous. And it’s a slap on the wrist for Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar, whose once paltry challenge from former Key Biscayne Mayor Mike Davey just got some juice.

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The Miami-Dade Commission will consider spending more than $245 million to build the South Dade Transit Operations Center to improve efficiency for bus routes serving the southern part of the county, particularly the new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) busway under construction along U.S. 1. The county has already identified a 20-acre site at Southwest 27th Avenue and Biscayne Drive in Homestead.

According to the county website, the new, 219,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art, one-of-a-kind bus depot will serve as a home base to maintain, energize and operate a new fleet of 100 “articulated 60-foot battery-electric buses,” which are those long, accordion type guaguas. The closest maintenance facility on Coral Way was about 30 miles from the busway and, besides not having the capacity or infrastructure to house, power or maintain the new fleet, would cause for a long turnaround trip. The new facility will reportedly have all the necessary equipment on site — as well as office space for more than 100 county employees from the transit and public works department.

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Some Miami-Dade voters got a text message poll over the weekend, gauging support for many of the big candidates on the ballot this year and also for the $2.5 billion bond referendum promoted by Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and dropped on us during her State of the County address in January.

And, for the first time, the bond referendum was tentatively tied to a new proposal to expand MetroRail.

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In yet another effort to thwart a recall effort he likes to belittle, Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago has funded a phone bank to call voters and tell them not to sign the petition.

One of those calls went to Commissioner Melissa Castro over the weekend. She was out of town, on an impromptu vacation with her son, but saw the call came from a 786 number and answered it, thinking it was something important from back home.

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This sticker on the window could save lives

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Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago may say he’s not worried about the recall effort mounted against him. He may say it’s just gadfly Maria Cruz and activist attorney David Winker with a grudge against him.

But don’t believe him. He is sweating it.

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