Rick Outzen: (we don’t) color on the dog

Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons joins host Rick Outzen to discuss the legal complexities following Florida’s appellate court decision lifting the open carry ban. With conflicting interpretations across the state about where firearms can now be carried openly, Sheriff Simmons explains his constitutional approach to the issue, the confusion surrounding concealed carry exemptions, and why he’s l...

Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons breaks down the recent appellate court decision that struck down Florida’s open carry prohibition, explaining where you can and cannot carry firearms, safety considerations, and what this means for law enforcement.

Florida Education Association President Andrew Spar joins host Rick Outzen to discuss the alarming state of public education in Florida. From missing students in the voucher system to teachers losing jobs over using preferred names, Spar reveals how political attacks and inadequate funding are driving educators away while enriching private companies. Learn why Florida ranks 43rd in school funding...

Stanley Victor McDaniels was convicted under Florida's open carry ban after openly carrying a holstered handgun while holding a Constitution at a Pensacola intersection on July 4, 2022. On Sept. 10, 2025, the First District Court of Appeal unanimously reversed his conviction, declaring Florida Statute 790.053 unconstitutional under the Second Amendment. I recorded this interview with McDaniels...

In this episode of "We Don't Color On the Dog," host Rick Outzen sits down with University of West Florida Provost Dr. Jaromy Kuhl to discuss UWF's game-changing $32 million grant from Triumph Gulf Coast. Dr. Kuhl reveals how this transformative funding will establish a new Center for Computational Intelligence, encompassing robotics, AI, machine learning, and data science under...

Host Rick Outzen sits down with Celeste Brown, Veo's policy and partnerships manager, to discuss the company's efforts to extend their scooter contract in Pensacola beyond the November 1st deadline.  After Mayor DC Reeves announced the contract wouldn't be renewed, Veo launched a grassroots campaign that generated responses from over 750 riders in just 24 hours. Brown shares Veo's...

Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves joins host Rick Outzen for an end-of-summer update on the city's major development projects. The conversation covers the upcoming South Palafox Street reimagining project set to go to bid in September, exciting developments at the port including the American Magic headquarters nearing completion, and the latest on America's Cup negotiations. Mayor Reeves also di...

Pensacola City Administrator Tim Kinsella joins host Rick Outzen to discuss his surprising decision to leave city government for a position at Navy Federal Credit Union. In this candid conversation, Kinsella reflects on his time working with Mayor Reeves, the challenges of implementing visionary leadership in municipal government, and the cultural changes needed to make city operations more agile...

Host Rick Outzen pays tribute to the late Reverend HK Matthews, a towering figure in Florida's civil rights movement who recently passed away. Joined by Dr. Michael Butler, author of two books about Matthews including "Beyond Integration" and "Victory after the Fall," this episode explores the profound legacy of a man who refused to stay quiet in the face of injustice. Dr....

Host Rick Outzen sits down with Levin Papantonio attorney Rachel Gilmer to discuss a deeply troubling sexual assault case at Gulf Breeze High School that highlights critical failures in student safety and supervision. In March 2024, a 15-year-old varsity basketball player was sexually assaulted by a fellow student athlete in what Gilmer describes as "a recipe for disaster" created by inadequate su...

An April 2022 interview with Pensacola’s Civil Rights Icon—Rev. H.K. Matthews.

Join host Rick Outzen in this literary edition of “(We Don’t) Color On the Dog” as he sits down with David Earle, Dean of Arts and Social Sciences and Humanities at UWF, for a fascinating deep dive into the world of pulp magazines. Discover how these cheap, disposable working-class publications from the 1890s-1950s became the unlikely birthplace of modern American genres—from hard-boiled detective...

Host Rick Outzen sits down with Florida State Rep. Alex Andrade to unpack a major political scandal that reaches the highest levels of state government. Through newly obtained public records, they reveal how $10 million from a Medicaid settlement with Centene Corporation was diverted at the last minute to the Hope Florida Foundation—money that ultimately flowed to political PACs opposing ballot am...

Join Rick Outzen as he sits down with Juanita Scott to explore the intricacies of political campaigning. From the adrenaline rush of election day to the legacy of community impact, Juanita shares her journey and insights into what makes a campaign truly successful. Discover the art and science behind mobilizing a community and the passion that drives change.

State Rep. Alex Andrade joins Rick Outzen to expose a shocking allegation: Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier’s office allegedly gave a Politico reporter exclusive access to 600 pages of public records while denying the same documents to Andrade, a House committee chair who had officially requested them.  In this explosive interview, Andrade details how the AG’s Communications Director Jeremy...

Host Rick Outzen and guest Jeff DeWeese discuss the recent decision to place two local establishments off-limits to Navy personnel, exploring the history of Pensacola's Underage Drinking Task Force and the collaborative efforts between NAS Pensacola, local businesses, and law enforcement to support young military students while maintaining community standards.

Fifteen months after Judge William Stone ruled that Escambia County Commissioners cannot legally participate in the County’s Local 401a Retirement Plan instead of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), County Clerk Pam Childers has not paid all the FRS invoices. Supervisor of Elections Robert Bender hopes to get approval for them to be paid at the BCC meeting on August 7.

Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons joins host Rick Outzen to discuss ICE's controversial recruitment of local deputies with $50,000 bonuses after agencies help train them through the 287(g) program. Sheriff Simmons calls the practice "poor form" and explains how federal agents are using agency email addresses obtained during training to directly recruit officers. The conversation a...

In this candid conversation, Escambia County School Superintendent Keith Leonard joins host Rick Outzen to discuss the district’s challenging budget situation and the difficult decision to propose a significant tax increase. With enrollment down 4,200 students over five years, largely due to school vouchers, the district faces a funding crisis that threatens essential services. Leonard explains wh...

Retired attorney and presidential scholar Alan Manning joins host Rick Outzen to discuss his return to teaching American history at Pensacola Catholic High School after a successful legal career. Manning shares his unique journey from practicing law for 40 years to discovering his passion for education, and explains why he’s choosing the classroom over full retirement. In this engaging conversatio...

What would make a successful attorney with 25 years of experience walk away from a thriving real estate law practice? In this fascinating conversation from August 2016, host Rick Outzen sat down with Alan Manning, a former Clark Partington attorney who made the bold decision to leave his legal career behind to pursue his lifelong passion for presidential history and teaching. Manning shares the st...

In this special Communications 101 edition of "We Don't Color On the Dog," host Rick Outzen sits down with political strategist and crisis communications expert Ryan Wiggins to dissect a challenging few weeks for Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves.  From a botched recycling program rollout to the controversial resignation of the city's police chief, Wiggins breaks down what went wrong and offers practica...

Republican strategist and communications expert Ryan Wiggins joins Rick Outzen on "We Don't Color On the Dog" to analyze Mayor D.C. Reeves' handling of recent controversies. From the curbside recycling debacle to a police chief's sudden departure, from heated town halls to parking enforcement uproar—Pensacola has faced a perfect storm of local government challenges in recent weeks.

Host Rick Outzen sits down with Quint Studer to discuss the unlikely origins of Pensacola's Community Maritime Park, as detailed in Rick's book "Right Idea, Right Time." In this first episode of the series, Quint shares the fascinating story of how he and Rishy accidentally became owners of the struggling Pensacola Pelicans independent baseball team, taking over $80,000 in debt j...

From February 27, 2024: Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves discusses increasing the availability of affordable housing.