Holly Bullard
@hollybullardfl.bsky.social
currently @floridapolicy . @AmeriCorpsVISTA @emoryuniversity & @mccourtschool alum, proud daughter of retired Florida public teachers. ENTP
Reposted by Holly Bullard
Florida’s Social Studies standards are getting another update next month.
No, those terrible African American History standards will stay, but there’s a huge update to our Anti-Communism education.
This is just one page.
No, those terrible African American History standards will stay, but there’s a huge update to our Anti-Communism education.
This is just one page.
October 22, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Florida’s Social Studies standards are getting another update next month.
No, those terrible African American History standards will stay, but there’s a huge update to our Anti-Communism education.
This is just one page.
No, those terrible African American History standards will stay, but there’s a huge update to our Anti-Communism education.
This is just one page.
Reposted by Holly Bullard
NEW—US Department of Education sent out standard Out of Office language to employees on Wednesday in light of shutdown. Later yesterday, workers tell me they found someone had updated their auto-responses without consent to a new one blaming Democrats.
Version of original on left, updated on right:
Version of original on left, updated on right:
October 2, 2025 at 1:46 PM
NEW—US Department of Education sent out standard Out of Office language to employees on Wednesday in light of shutdown. Later yesterday, workers tell me they found someone had updated their auto-responses without consent to a new one blaming Democrats.
Version of original on left, updated on right:
Version of original on left, updated on right:
Reposted by Holly Bullard
I’m biracial (US dad, Ethiopian mom US born) and moved to Kenya at 4, had lots of Kenyan Indian friends, families there generations. When I moved to the states I didn’t know I was Black or have any idea of the American binary concept of race until someone called me the n word.
July 4, 2025 at 5:54 AM
I’m biracial (US dad, Ethiopian mom US born) and moved to Kenya at 4, had lots of Kenyan Indian friends, families there generations. When I moved to the states I didn’t know I was Black or have any idea of the American binary concept of race until someone called me the n word.
Reposted by Holly Bullard
Can confirm this email is authentic — and about nothing in it is true.
Social Security income is still taxed. This bill does nothing to change that.
It’s willful disinformation on the part of SSA. It’s a lie.
Social Security income is still taxed. This bill does nothing to change that.
It’s willful disinformation on the part of SSA. It’s a lie.
Hi, I think a lot of us received e-mails from SSA saying that social security will no longer be taxed - and that somehow there is "enhanced deductions" (how much enhancement can you make to 0?) for those over 65. What part, if any, of this is true? Thank you!
July 4, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Can confirm this email is authentic — and about nothing in it is true.
Social Security income is still taxed. This bill does nothing to change that.
It’s willful disinformation on the part of SSA. It’s a lie.
Social Security income is still taxed. This bill does nothing to change that.
It’s willful disinformation on the part of SSA. It’s a lie.
Reposted by Holly Bullard
From the transcript of Wednesday’s hearing on HB 1069 case, the state argues that it doesn’t matter if it is local librarians, principals, or the state making decisions about your school library books.
It’s all speech belonging to the government (which excuses the state overreach in Hillsborough).
It’s all speech belonging to the government (which excuses the state overreach in Hillsborough).
May 24, 2025 at 1:21 PM
From the transcript of Wednesday’s hearing on HB 1069 case, the state argues that it doesn’t matter if it is local librarians, principals, or the state making decisions about your school library books.
It’s all speech belonging to the government (which excuses the state overreach in Hillsborough).
It’s all speech belonging to the government (which excuses the state overreach in Hillsborough).
Reposted by Holly Bullard
It’s important to note that in an unsuccessful Motion to Dismiss filed last November on behalf of the Florida State Board of Education, the state basically argued that it was up to the districts to determine the outcome of their objections, not the state.
www.courtlistener.com/docket/69110...
www.courtlistener.com/docket/69110...
![1. Plaintiffs contend they have standing to sue the State Defendants because
the "State Defendants have mandated that school libraries not contain books with
'pornographic' content," DE1 11 91, 212, or content that describes sexual con-duct," DE1 I 180. But Plaintiffs "must show a causal connection between [their] injuries] and the challenged action of the defendant[s] . as opposed to the action of all... third party." City of S. Miami v. Governor, 65 F.4th 631, 640 (u1th Cir.2023) (citations omitted). Here, the statute imposes obligations on the school districts directly, apart from the State Board of Education, such that any injury to Plaintiffs "stems from [the school district's] enforcement," not the State Board's.
Id. at 641.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:saluomt4fgyr3rfznfqhtclg/bafkreicxcvtgcxxq7uxvgrrjybrnumqpd5oen5o7jeq3fdmry7cb2ffcpu@jpeg)
May 10, 2025 at 12:25 AM
It’s important to note that in an unsuccessful Motion to Dismiss filed last November on behalf of the Florida State Board of Education, the state basically argued that it was up to the districts to determine the outcome of their objections, not the state.
www.courtlistener.com/docket/69110...
www.courtlistener.com/docket/69110...
Reposted by Holly Bullard
Sadaf Knight and the incredible team at @floridapolicy.bsky.social work every day for policies that promote economic mobility and improve well-being for all Floridians. Interested in Florida fiscal policy and how to build a state that works for everyone? Check out: www.floridapolicy.org/
FPI Home
Thoughtful, Objective Analysis to Inform the Florida Policy Debate.
www.floridapolicy.org
April 17, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Sadaf Knight and the incredible team at @floridapolicy.bsky.social work every day for policies that promote economic mobility and improve well-being for all Floridians. Interested in Florida fiscal policy and how to build a state that works for everyone? Check out: www.floridapolicy.org/
In Gene Sharp’s seminal 1973 “The Politics of Nonviolent Action,” he outlines reasons why subjects under tyranny choose to obey leaders, even when it’s very harmful for themselves. #2 looked familiar:
March 30, 2025 at 11:27 PM
In Gene Sharp’s seminal 1973 “The Politics of Nonviolent Action,” he outlines reasons why subjects under tyranny choose to obey leaders, even when it’s very harmful for themselves. #2 looked familiar:
Reposted by Holly Bullard
UPDATE: Trump just signed an executive order calling for the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education. This will harm our most vulnerable students and exacerbate existing disparities in educational outcomes.
www.nbcnews.com/politics/whi...
www.nbcnews.com/politics/whi...
March 20, 2025 at 9:15 PM
UPDATE: Trump just signed an executive order calling for the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education. This will harm our most vulnerable students and exacerbate existing disparities in educational outcomes.
www.nbcnews.com/politics/whi...
www.nbcnews.com/politics/whi...
Reposted by Holly Bullard
So now Elon Musk is defending Adolf Hitler
Absolving him for the Holocaust
In a post which concomitantly smears government workers
Meanwhile he wonders why Tesla sales are plummeting
And why people refer to his vehicles as "swasticars"
Absolving him for the Holocaust
In a post which concomitantly smears government workers
Meanwhile he wonders why Tesla sales are plummeting
And why people refer to his vehicles as "swasticars"
March 14, 2025 at 11:40 AM
So now Elon Musk is defending Adolf Hitler
Absolving him for the Holocaust
In a post which concomitantly smears government workers
Meanwhile he wonders why Tesla sales are plummeting
And why people refer to his vehicles as "swasticars"
Absolving him for the Holocaust
In a post which concomitantly smears government workers
Meanwhile he wonders why Tesla sales are plummeting
And why people refer to his vehicles as "swasticars"
Reposted by Holly Bullard
UPDATE: “Several members of DOGE arrived at USIP unannounced & accompanied by 2 FBI agents. They were met at the door by outside counsel who informed them of USIP’s private & independent status as a non-executive branch agency. Following that discussion, DOGE departed.” www.usip.org/press/2025/0...
BREAKING—The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) office was just on lockdown for close to an hour while members of the DOGE team tried to enter the building, multiple people have told me. Security has now escorted out remaining staffers who’ve been told to telework until further notice.
March 15, 2025 at 4:19 PM
UPDATE: “Several members of DOGE arrived at USIP unannounced & accompanied by 2 FBI agents. They were met at the door by outside counsel who informed them of USIP’s private & independent status as a non-executive branch agency. Following that discussion, DOGE departed.” www.usip.org/press/2025/0...
Reposted by Holly Bullard
🗣Join us for a community town hall on how proposed federal cuts to Medicaid and SNAP could impact Floridians
📅 Wed., March 19
⏰ 5:30 - 6:45 PM
📍Community of Faith United Methodist Church, Davenport, FL
🔗 Registration required - reserve your seat now! bit.ly/Medicaid-SNA...
📅 Wed., March 19
⏰ 5:30 - 6:45 PM
📍Community of Faith United Methodist Church, Davenport, FL
🔗 Registration required - reserve your seat now! bit.ly/Medicaid-SNA...
March 14, 2025 at 4:40 PM
🗣Join us for a community town hall on how proposed federal cuts to Medicaid and SNAP could impact Floridians
📅 Wed., March 19
⏰ 5:30 - 6:45 PM
📍Community of Faith United Methodist Church, Davenport, FL
🔗 Registration required - reserve your seat now! bit.ly/Medicaid-SNA...
📅 Wed., March 19
⏰ 5:30 - 6:45 PM
📍Community of Faith United Methodist Church, Davenport, FL
🔗 Registration required - reserve your seat now! bit.ly/Medicaid-SNA...
I’ll be there! Come join this important conversation!
Join me for a Town Hall Event!
📅 TUESDAY, MARCH 18TH
⌚️5:30-6:30pm
✅ RSVP REQUIRED: forms.gle/QmvtTqYDpG2z...
📅 TUESDAY, MARCH 18TH
⌚️5:30-6:30pm
✅ RSVP REQUIRED: forms.gle/QmvtTqYDpG2z...
March 13, 2025 at 12:34 PM
I’ll be there! Come join this important conversation!
Reposted by Holly Bullard
“History permits us to be responsible: not for everything, but for something.
The Polish poet Czestaw Milosz thought that such a notion of responsibility worked against loneliness and indifference. History gives us the company of those who have done and suffered more than we have.”
-Timothy Snyder
The Polish poet Czestaw Milosz thought that such a notion of responsibility worked against loneliness and indifference. History gives us the company of those who have done and suffered more than we have.”
-Timothy Snyder
March 8, 2025 at 12:43 PM
“History permits us to be responsible: not for everything, but for something.
The Polish poet Czestaw Milosz thought that such a notion of responsibility worked against loneliness and indifference. History gives us the company of those who have done and suffered more than we have.”
-Timothy Snyder
The Polish poet Czestaw Milosz thought that such a notion of responsibility worked against loneliness and indifference. History gives us the company of those who have done and suffered more than we have.”
-Timothy Snyder
Reposted by Holly Bullard
Now Jackson, a married homeowner, is unexpectedly worried about his finances and wondering why his work history...has been suddenly devalued.
“This is a slap on the face when I’ve spent my life serving in government or working for the public interest,” he said.
shorturl.at/1Zwnu
“This is a slap on the face when I’ve spent my life serving in government or working for the public interest,” he said.
shorturl.at/1Zwnu
‘A slap on the face’: Orlando Marine vet among thousands to lose jobs in federal employee purge
Doug Jackson liked working for the federal government. A U.S. Marine veteran who served in the Iraq War, he worked for a stretch at NASA and then in January took a job in the Internal Revenue Service’...
www.yahoo.com
March 3, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Now Jackson, a married homeowner, is unexpectedly worried about his finances and wondering why his work history...has been suddenly devalued.
“This is a slap on the face when I’ve spent my life serving in government or working for the public interest,” he said.
shorturl.at/1Zwnu
“This is a slap on the face when I’ve spent my life serving in government or working for the public interest,” he said.
shorturl.at/1Zwnu
Reposted by Holly Bullard
While FPI does not support any rollback of long-held child labor protections, the Legislature seeks to chip away at the protections put in place for working teens last legislative session. SB 918/HB 1225 (2025) go beyond what HB 49 originally proposed.
March 4, 2025 at 7:44 PM
While FPI does not support any rollback of long-held child labor protections, the Legislature seeks to chip away at the protections put in place for working teens last legislative session. SB 918/HB 1225 (2025) go beyond what HB 49 originally proposed.
Reposted by Holly Bullard
SCOOP: Now that Linda McMahon is confirmed/sworn in as secretary, Trump will be imminently issuing an executive order eliminating the Department of Education.
I’ve obtained a draft of an email that McMahon will be sending to staff re: the EO and the department’s “final mission”.
Here is a portion:
I’ve obtained a draft of an email that McMahon will be sending to staff re: the EO and the department’s “final mission”.
Here is a portion:
![After President Trump's inauguration last month, he has steadily signed a slate of executive orders to keep these education promises: combatting critical race theory, DEl, gender ideology extremism, and discrimination in admissions. President Trump has also been focused on eliminating wasteful bureaucracy and harmful programs in the federal government. To that end, today he signed [Executive Order XYZ, entitled "Eliminating the Department of Education,] which has given us a clear and final mission.
We are to identify which of the Department's functions, programs, and offices are not mandated by statute, and eliminate them. This reorganization will impact staff, budgets, reporting, and more —and in coming months, we will determine how it can be accomplished with minimal delay and disruption. The President further tasked us with creating a plan to reallocate and reassign functions of the Department of Education that would be more effectively managed by other agencies. This plan will offer Congress a road map toward fulfilling the expectations of the President and the American people.
The new vision—which I hope each of you will embrace going forward—can be expressed as four main convictions:
Parents are the primary decision makers in their children's education.
Students deserve to be protected from physical violence, racial discrimination, medical tyranny, and gender extremism ideology on campus.
Postsecondary education should be a path to a well-paying career aligned with workforce needs.
Taxpayer-funded education should refocus on meaningful learning: proficiency in math, reading, and core subjects, and patriotism in American history and civics.
As we move to reduce the Department's middleman role in education, these four convictions must guide us toward conscientious and pragmatic action. The elimination of bureaucracy should free us, not limit us, in our pursuit of these goals
Removing red tape and bureaucratic barriers will empower parents to make th](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ejihld4sywvvqwe67cdkn4jq/bafkreictcxubqhd7foyjwbms62bj3cxmfyepqk2ms3l6ctabsa6fvpm5ju@jpeg)
March 4, 2025 at 12:04 AM
SCOOP: Now that Linda McMahon is confirmed/sworn in as secretary, Trump will be imminently issuing an executive order eliminating the Department of Education.
I’ve obtained a draft of an email that McMahon will be sending to staff re: the EO and the department’s “final mission”.
Here is a portion:
I’ve obtained a draft of an email that McMahon will be sending to staff re: the EO and the department’s “final mission”.
Here is a portion:
Reposted by Holly Bullard
Generations of American patriots, from our revolution onward, have fought for the principles Zelenskyy is risking his life to defend. But today, Donald Trump and JD Vance attacked Zelenskyy and pressured him to surrender the freedom of his people to the KGB war criminal who invaded Ukraine.
ZELENSKYY: Putin broke the ceasefire. What kind of diplomacy, JD, are you speaking about?
VANCE: I think it's disrespectful to come into the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media
VANCE: I think it's disrespectful to come into the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media
February 28, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Generations of American patriots, from our revolution onward, have fought for the principles Zelenskyy is risking his life to defend. But today, Donald Trump and JD Vance attacked Zelenskyy and pressured him to surrender the freedom of his people to the KGB war criminal who invaded Ukraine.
Reposted by Holly Bullard
“State Defendants fail to grapple with the fact that discretion is what this statute (1006.28) removes.
What the Court is faced with today is a regime built around not a librarian’s sound judgment but rather any parent’s objection, however capricious.”
(Though it’s any CITIZEN’s objection)
What the Court is faced with today is a regime built around not a librarian’s sound judgment but rather any parent’s objection, however capricious.”
(Though it’s any CITIZEN’s objection)
February 28, 2025 at 8:38 PM
“State Defendants fail to grapple with the fact that discretion is what this statute (1006.28) removes.
What the Court is faced with today is a regime built around not a librarian’s sound judgment but rather any parent’s objection, however capricious.”
(Though it’s any CITIZEN’s objection)
What the Court is faced with today is a regime built around not a librarian’s sound judgment but rather any parent’s objection, however capricious.”
(Though it’s any CITIZEN’s objection)
“This latest proposal — to drop property taxes and replace that revenue with additional sales tax, a move that could double the sales-tax levy to 12% — might be his biggest boondoggle yet.”
www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/02/27/e...
www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/02/27/e...
Editorial: DeSantis’ tax-swap plan could create a giant mess, boosting costs for all Floridians
It’s time, fellow Floridians, to worry once again about what Gov. Ron DeSantis might be up to. And this time, there’s a lot to worry about. DeSantis has lately been musing about the idea of killing…
www.orlandosentinel.com
February 28, 2025 at 2:00 AM
“This latest proposal — to drop property taxes and replace that revenue with additional sales tax, a move that could double the sales-tax levy to 12% — might be his biggest boondoggle yet.”
www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/02/27/e...
www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/02/27/e...
Reposted by Holly Bullard
Florida would have to increase the state’s general sales tax rate to 12% if property taxes — which account for roughly $43 billion in revenue — were eliminated and replaced with higher consumption taxes.
Read more:
www.floridapolicy.org/posts/a-risk...
Read more:
www.floridapolicy.org/posts/a-risk...
February 27, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Florida would have to increase the state’s general sales tax rate to 12% if property taxes — which account for roughly $43 billion in revenue — were eliminated and replaced with higher consumption taxes.
Read more:
www.floridapolicy.org/posts/a-risk...
Read more:
www.floridapolicy.org/posts/a-risk...
Reposted by Holly Bullard
One pernicious step after another, Bezos encroached on the Post editorial policy. Today he seized it fully. The old Washington Post is gone. I'll never write for it again as long as he's the owner.
February 26, 2025 at 3:13 PM
One pernicious step after another, Bezos encroached on the Post editorial policy. Today he seized it fully. The old Washington Post is gone. I'll never write for it again as long as he's the owner.
“DeSantis was reacting to a report by the Florida Policy Institute (FPI) that suggested the Sunshine State would have to double sales taxes to at least 12% to make up the loss of $43 billion in revenue.”
www.wftv.com/news/local/d...
www.wftv.com/news/local/d...
DeSantis against doubling sales tax, leaving government funding question open
DeSantis previously backed the elimination of property taxes to bring homeowners struggling under inflation and higher insurance costs some relief.
www.wftv.com
February 26, 2025 at 10:52 PM
“DeSantis was reacting to a report by the Florida Policy Institute (FPI) that suggested the Sunshine State would have to double sales taxes to at least 12% to make up the loss of $43 billion in revenue.”
www.wftv.com/news/local/d...
www.wftv.com/news/local/d...