National Fraternal Order of Police

Jacksonville firefighters and police are campaigning against Florida's Amendment 3, warning the property tax measure could gut funding for emergency services. The Jacksonville Fire Fighters Association and the Jacksonville Fraternal Order of Police have placed opposition signage near Interstate 10 and Interstate 95 ahead of early voting, which begins Oct. 20 in Duval County before the Nov. 3 election.

The amendment would raise Florida's homestead exemption for non-school property taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, with future inflation adjustments. Gov. Ron DeSantis has backed the change as tax relief for homeowners, but local officials, including sheriffs and fire union leaders, argue it lacks a replacement revenue source. JFFA President Kelly Dobson estimated Jacksonville could lose $200 million in city funding the first year and $300 million the next, threatening staffing and fire station construction. Union leaders say they support tax relief in principle but want a statewide study and phased approach. Constitutional amendments in Florida require 60% voter approval to pass.

Arizona's attorney general race is heating up as Democratic incumbent Kris Mayes and Republican challenger Warren Petersen, the state Senate president, faced off in their first televised debate. Mayes, who narrowly defeated Abe Hamadeh by 280 votes in 2022 in a recount-triggering finish, is seeking a second term against Petersen, who won the GOP nomination in July over Rodney Glassman.

The debate turned combative over law enforcement, with Petersen citing Mayes' past comments about masked immigration agents, which drew criticism from police groups and Gov. Katie Hobbs, while Mayes countered by pointing to Petersen's legislative voting record on police-related bills. The candidates also clashed over immigration detention facilities, including a $1.2 billion federally funded expansion in Florence, ICE's role in Arizona, and how to handle young migrants brought to the country as children. They split over data centers, with Petersen favoring expansion under local control and Mayes urging caution. Their sharpest divide remains relations with Washington: Mayes has filed more than 50 lawsuits against the Trump administration over mail-in ballot restrictions, tariffs, and vaccine rules, while Petersen, a strong Trump supporter, has pledged to drop those challenges if elected. Polling from AARP and Noble Predictive Insights shows Mayes with a modest lead, with about one in five voters still undecided.

State Rep. David Morales, 27, a democratic socialist endorsed by Bernie Sanders and Ro Khanna, defeated incumbent Mayor Brett Smiley, 47, in Providence's Democratic primary by a 53%-48% margin, marking the first time a sitting Providence mayor has lost a primary. Morales is heavily favored over Republican Dave Talan in November and would become the city's youngest-ever mayor if elected. Smiley had touted falling crime and the city's regained control over its schools, while Morales built his campaign around affordable housing, rent stabilization, and other progressive policies like social housing and housing cooperatives.

The race became entangled with Israel-related politics: Smiley, who converted to Judaism in 2024, drew criticism from Morales over his role in a pro-Israel advocacy summit, while Smiley opposed a binding November ballot measure — which Providence voters will decide as the largest U.S. city to do so — that could restrict city investment in companies linked to Israel. Smiley also faced backlash over vetoing a rent-control ordinance Morales supported. Providence's police union has voiced unease about Morales, citing his past calls to defund police and warning of possible officer departures, though Morales says he wants to work with law enforcement. Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee also lost his primary the same night.

Massachusetts' Supreme Judicial Court has upheld a lower court ruling blocking the city of Quincy from installing two 10-foot statues of St. Michael and St. Florian, the patron saints of police officers and firefighters, outside its new public safety headquarters. The court found the monuments could improperly signal government support for religion, affirming an October 2025 preliminary injunction.

The lawsuit, filed in Norfolk Superior Court by taxpayers and faith groups represented by the ACLU of Massachusetts, the national ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation, argued the statues violate the Massachusetts Constitution's religious neutrality protections. Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch says the statues honor first responders' bravery rather than promote religion, and the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, representing the city, called the ruling preliminary rather than final. The case now returns to Superior Court to be litigated on the merits, with both sides vowing to continue the fight.