LOCAL NEWS

Gabbard voted against the measure.

The vote came after Republican representatives Berny Jacques of Seminole and Mike Beltran of Manatee wrote a letter to Mayor Ken Welch and HERS Committee Chair Driscoll. Beltran and Jacques, neither of whom represent St. Petersburg, threatened to defund the city. Driscoll, who had previously greenlit the proposal, said today that she no longer thinks the risk is worth it.

responsibilities to our great community, including our duty to review and debate all issues of importance to our City without regard to threats and attempts to intimidate.”

“This allocation has the potential to create many more problems than it will solve,” Driscoll said before voting against the proposal she advocated for less than six weeks ago.

Florida’s six-week abortion ban has language that is seemingly aimed at the exact kind of funding proposed by St. Pete. The legislation already passed in the senate, and awaits approval in the GOP-led house still before it heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The law would also ban state dollars via city governments used to assist those seeking out-of-state abortions.

“This was all anyone wanted to talk about and representatives from both parties were

Welch pushed back on Twitter, writing, “I, as Mayor, the St. Petersburg City Council, and the St. Pete residents we serve, embrace our

“I will not compromise my values because of threats,” Floyd said. “I will not be blackmailed into not doing what I think is right. I will not cede an inch of ground to authoritarians seeking to silence dissent and erode our rights.”