Live Breaking News & Updates on Freshman florida state
Stay updated with breaking news from Freshman florida state. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
Okaloosa County state Rep. Patt Maney gained a connection to recently deceased Prince Philip as a participant, and Gold Award recipient, of the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh Award. The husband of Queen Elizabeth II, Philip, who passed away April 9, started the Award Scheme in 1956. Maney who was a boarding school student at Scotch College in Swanbourne, Western Australia, in 1963, said he was among the first group in that part of the world to take on the challenge of the Duke of Edinburgh Award and receive the Bronze Award. After Philip's passing, Maney provided a photo of himself, his father Tom, mother Bewlay and Prince Philip taken on St. Patrick's Day in 1965, the day Maney was awarded his Silver Award at the Drake Hotel in Chicago.
Last year, many victims of domestic violence fell silent as they became isolated from the outside world. All the while, the number of people in dangerous and abusive situations continued to rise. Now, as more victims finally have a "chance to breathe," Shelter House, the state-certified domestic and sexual violence center for Okaloosa and Walton Counties, is seeing a continual increase in the number of people seeking help. The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office saw a nearly 25% increase in domestic violence-related crimes in 2020. Shelter House Executive Director Rosalyn Wik said many more domestic violence situations likely went unreported because of victims being forced to quarantine with their abusers.
TALLAHASSEE — In his first legislative session, state Rep. Patt Maney took on something no other lawmaker has had much luck tackling: a thorough overhaul of statutes governing the Baker and Marchman acts. The Baker Act, passed in 1971, governs involuntary commitments based on mental health. The Marchman Act, passed in 1993, allows similar action to be taken in cases involving alcohol addiction or substance abuse. "These laws have been subject to numerous revisions since their enactments, but their fundamental structure has remained unchanged despite numerous case law and scientific developments," Maney's introduction to House Bill 405 states. "This proposal represents the first comprehensive reform of Florida's civil commitment system to reflect these developments."