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Florida Legislature

Another Exhausting But Short-Term Victory For Flagler Government as Vacation-Rental Deregulation Fails Again

March 6, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 10 Comments

Rep. Joseph Abruzzo's accusation that a vacation-rental bill's proper hearing was falling prey to 'political stunts and maneuverings' may have helped lead to the bill's demise this year, as was the case last year at the Florida Legislature. But the bill will return almost certainly next year in one form or another.

Flagler County government had staunchly opposed lawmakers’ attempts to eliminate local regulation of short-term vacation rentals, regulations crafted in 2014 largely at Flagler’s behest.

Senate Passes Safety Plan, Including Armed Teacher Program and $97 Million for More School Cops

March 5, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 12 Comments

A memorial for the victims of the Parkland massacre. (NSF)

Flagler County would be in line for a substantial increase in dollars allocated for school resource deputies, and would have the authority to implement a school marshal program.

For Sheriff and Flagler Schools, Clear Accord: No to Arming Teachers, Yes to More Deputies

March 5, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 32 Comments

school safety flagler

At a joint news conference later this week, Sheriff Rick Staly and Superintendent Jim Tager will outline new security measures and initiatives and a plan for additional school deputies, but no weaponizing of teachers.

First Responders in Florida Aren’t Covered for PTSD. That May Change After Parkland.

March 5, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 13 Comments

Mental health professionals are increasingly calling for more attention to traumatic shocks first-responders are exposed to on the job. (© FlaglerLive)

Like many states, Florida does not provide lost wages to first responders disabled with PTSD. A bill that would change that is now gaining momentum after 17 people were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last month.

Florida Senate Backs Arming Teachers And Rejects Assault Weapons Ban

March 4, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 28 Comments

florida legislature armed teachers

The Senate plan and a similar House proposal would allow school boards to decide whether they want to implement a “marshal” proposal to arm certain teachers.

Gov. Scott Pleads For More Cops In Schools as Safety Plans Provoke Divisions

March 2, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 15 Comments

gov rick scott

Scott’s $500 million package would require, among other things, school boards to assign a law enforcement officer to each school and at least one resource officer for every 1,000 students.

Tougher Texting-While-Driving Law Passes House Overwhelmingly But Stalls In Senate

March 1, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

She just got word that the Florida Senate is not going along. (Jim Sheaffer)

Appropriations Chairman Rob Bradley has indicated the proposal likely won’t appear in the Appropriations Committee before the legislative session ends next week.

Ban on Assault-Type Guns Fails in Raucous Hearing, Training and Arming Teachers Passes

February 27, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 33 Comments

The scene inside the Senate Rules Committee hearing room Monday. (NSF)

The intense debate came during a Senate Rules Committee hearing on a broad package addressing school safety, guns and mental health, in response to this month’s massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland that left 17 people, including 14 students, dead.

Lawmakers Craft Law Allowing Teachers To Carry Guns In Florida Schools

February 23, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 36 Comments

Students voicing their positions on guns in Tallahassee this week. (News Service of Florida)

The controversial measure would allow trained teachers to bring guns to schools, a concept that has divided Republican politicians and faces opposition from Democrats and educators.

School Shooting Survivors Demand Change in Tallahassee, But NRA-Backed Bills Only “Paused”

February 21, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

Students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School faced legislators today, demanding action, but got few assurances. (News Service of Florida)

Students turned into activists as they cried, pleaded and argued with lawmakers Wednesday in the state Capitol, but they made limited gains, if any, with pro-gun bills merely paused.

Teacher Unions Protected But Public Funding of Private School Students Advances

February 20, 2018 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

A rare victory for teacher unions, but another loss for publicly-funded education as the Senate approves paying for private school students' tuition through a controversial 'scholarship' program. (Classroom Camera)

The Florida Senate rejected a House proposal to dissolve teacher unions if membership falls below a certain point, but also approved a version of a school voucher program funding private school students.

Gun Control Could Become a Key Issue in Florida’s Elections

February 19, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

broward school massacre shrine

Major political donors on both sides plan to use support for “common-sense” legislation as a litmus test for candidates during the 2018 midterm elections.

Flagler Sheriff and County Officials Worry That Prison Reforms Could Shift Inmates,
and Costs, to County

February 19, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 11 Comments

Sheriff Rick Staly, right, described the likely financial impact of a shift in inmates from the state back to the counties, during a meeting of the Public Safety Coordinating Council last week. Steve Cole, who oversees the local jail, is to his right, with County Judge Melissa Moore-Stens in the foreground. (© FlaglerLive)

A spate of criminal-justice reform bills in the Florida Senate has Flagler’s sheriff and a county commissioner worried about what that could mean for the local jail population and budgets.

Deal Could End Wrangling Over Trauma Centers Around Florida

February 16, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

Trauma patients airlifted out of Flagler are typically taken to Halifax Hospital's trauma center in Daytona Beach. Florida Hospital Flagler doesn't have a trauma center and has no immediate plans to angle for one, because the local demographics don;t compel it to do so. (© FlaglerLive)

The Legislature has wrangled with whether to continue with current regulations or to allow a more competitive environment that would increase the number of trauma facilities.

Flagler Airport Chief Roy Sieger Calls Fuel Tax Cut Proposed By Renner Committee “Ridiculous,” and Loses

February 15, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 18 Comments

Flagler Executive Airport Roy Sieger in his appearance before Paul Renner's Ways and Means Committee Wednesday in Tallahassee.

Airport Director Sieger spoke before Paul Renner’s Ways and Means Committee, but Renner, the Palm Coast Republican, voted with the committee to approve the tax cut.

Florida Was Eyeing Fast-Tracking Concealed Weapon Licenses Without Background Checks

February 15, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 22 Comments

florida guns

A proposal that would allow some concealed-weapons license applications to be approved when background checks have not been completed was put on hold Thursday because of the deadly high-school shooting in Broward County.

Florida Democrats Speak of Margaret Good’s Victory as a Sign of a Coming “Blue Wave”

February 14, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 8 Comments

Margaret Good's victory on Tuesday represents the 36th time a Republican seat has flipped Democratic since the 2016 election. (NSF)

Margaret Good’s victory on Tuesday, winning a Florida House seat in Sarasota County, represents the 36th time a Republican seat has flipped Democratic since the 2016 election.

Reducing Traffic Fines Part of Renner’s Tax Cut Push, But Local Revenue Would Fall

February 13, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

Paul Renner, the Palm Coast Republican, chairs the House Ways and Means Committee. (News Service of Florida)

Renner, a Palm Coast Republican, chairs the committee introducing a bill that would cut some traffic fines by 18 percent and provide a $332 million tax cut, but local government revenue would fall by $38 million.

Bill To Keep Florida On Year-Round Daylight-Saving Time Advances Easily

February 12, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 12 Comments

Dali persistence of time

A proposal to shift the Panhandle to Florida’s eastern time failed, but that of keeping the state on daylight saving keeps clearing committees with unanimity.

Should Plastic Bags Be Banned? State and Local Officials Have Different Answers

February 11, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 25 Comments

plastic bags bans

Local governments, including Coral Gables in Florida, are banning single-use plastic bags, but state legislators are either questioning or banning the bans.

Campus ‘Free Speech’ Bill Is A Litigation Nightmare in the Making

February 8, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

What would Louis Brandeis say? (Brandeis University)

The inappropriately named “Campus Free Expression Act,” approved Tuesday by a 7-4 vote of the Florida Senate Education Committee, would offer students about as much freedom as a prison yard.

Opponents of Drilling Not Convinced Florida Is Off the Table. Nor Proponents.

February 8, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 10 Comments

oil drilling

Participants in competing press conferences after an open house on off-shore drilling agreed on one thing: the federal government’s claimed stance on a Florida exemption isn’t final.

Flagler Loses Hutson and Lopsided Vote as Vacation Rental Deregulation Advances

February 8, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 28 Comments

Flagler County Commission Chairman Greg Hansen made the county's case before the Senate Regulated Industries Committee this afternoon. It did not work.

Sen. Travis Hutson voted with the 9-1 majority of his Senate committee today to advance a bill that would strip local governments of regulatory authority of vacation-rental homes.

Urging Opposition, Flagler Beach’s Jane Mealy Says Vacation-Rental Proposals Could Change City’s Look

February 7, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 24 Comments

Flagler Beach City Commissioner Jane Mealy currently chairs the commission. (© FlaglerLive)

In an open plea to residents circulated by letter, Flagler Beach Commission Chair Jane Mealy warns of vacation-rental proposals that could change the make-up of the city, eliminating distinctions between residential and commercial zones.

Lawmakers Seek to Ban Campus “Free Speech Zones” and Make Universities Liable

February 6, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

Dennis Baxley, the Ocala Republican sponsoring the controversial bill, claims the visit by white supremacist Richard Spencer to the University of Florida last year has nothing to do with it. Opponents of the bill, including lawmakers at today's committee hearing, ridiculed the claim. (Digital spy)

Florida universities and colleges could be sued for up to $100,000 in damages if students or others “willfully” interfere with campus speakers or protestors.

Lawmakers Level Withering Criticism Against State Agency Responsible For Medical Pot Rules

February 5, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

Sen. Kevin Rader, a Delray Beach Democrat who is a chairman of the committee, did not take kindly to health officials not responding to his committee's letters. (Facebook)

A legislative oversight committee delivered a public shaming to Florida pot czar Christian Bax on Monday, repeatedly chiding him others over poor rules and delays.

Betting On That Super Bowl: States Moving To Legalize Sports Gambling Ahead of Court

February 4, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

sports gambling states

The Supreme Court is expected to rule on a case that may open the way for states to authorize sports betting. Bills have been filed in 20 states in anticipation of the ruling.

Bills Opening Way For Guns in Churches Near Schools Chambered For Floor Votes

February 2, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 12 Comments

The sherine to Thomas a Beckett inside Canterbury Cathedral, where he was assassinated. He was not packing. (chris)

Under current law, people with concealed-weapons licenses can carry guns at churches but not if schools are on the property.

Mary McLeod Bethune’s Statue Halfway To Replacing Confederate Smith at Capitol

January 31, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 8 Comments

Mary McLeod Bethune will be the face of Florida at the U.S. Capitol.

The Florida Senate voted 37-0 on Wednesday to pass a measure (SB 472) to have Bethune’s statue replace Confederate Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith at the National Statuary Hall in Washington.

Bill Targeting Florida “Sanctuary Cities,” An Election-Year Wedge, Stalls In Senate

January 31, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 5 Comments

sanctuary cities

Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, tabled his proposed sanctuary-city ban after facing bipartisan opposition to the measure aimed at requiring local governments to comply with federal immigration laws.

1st Round in New Session’s Vacation Rental Saga Goes Against Flagler Government

January 30, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 17 Comments

A proposal by Sen. David Simmons, a Longwood Republican, was outflanked by Sen. Greg Steube's proposal in a committee vote today. (Florida Channel)

A Senate committee approved a bill that would nearly eliminate local government regulation of vacation rentals and enable a single licensee to have hundreds of rentals across the state.

Judge Lets Smokable Pot Case Go Forward, Rejecting State’s Motion to Dismiss

January 28, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 9 Comments

smokable pot medical marijuana

The suit challenges a state law, passed during a special legislative session last year, that bans medical-pot patients from smoking marijuana.

In the Name of the Father, the Son and Ammunition: Lawmakers Favor Guns in Churches

January 25, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 17 Comments

church and guns florida law

The Florida House and Senate have started moving forward with measures that would allow people with concealed-weapons licenses to carry guns on the grounds of churches and other religious institutions that include schools.

Hazing Death at Florida State Fraternity Prompts “Culture Change”

January 24, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 5 Comments

Florida State President John Thrasher suspended all fraternities and sororities on the FSU campus after the death of a student in November. (© FlaglerLive)

Andrew Coffey, 20, died from alcohol poisoning during an off-campus fraternity initiation on Nov. 3. Fraternity members were arrested.

Measure to Restore Voting Rights to 1.5 Million Florida Felons Goes on November Ballot

January 23, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 16 Comments

voting rights felons

Voting rights of felons who have served their sentences, completed parole or probation and paid restitution would be automatically restored. Murderers and sex offenders would be excluded.

Address Florida’s Deadly Rail Crossings Now, During 2018 Session

January 23, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

There were 105 deaths in six years on more than 350 miles of Florida East Coast Railway tracks, which run through Bunnell, above. (© FlaglerLive)

Between 2011 and 2017, there were a total of 105 deaths on more than 350 miles of Florida East Coast Railway tracks, which also run through Bunnell. A rail safety bill needs legislative support.

Doctors Join Chorus Against Limits on Painkiller Prescriptions, But Lawmakers Push On

January 23, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

prescription pain limits

The proposal to set legal limits on prescribing for pain medication continued moving forward when it was unanimously approved by the House Appropriations Committee.

Ballot Measure Would Give Voters, Not Legislature, Final Say On Gambling’s Legality

January 17, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

gambling constitutional amendment florida

The proposed constitutional amendment pits the state’s gambling industry against anti-gambling advocates in what is expected to be a high-dollar campaign before the fall election.

Florida House Readies to Pass “Sanctuary City” Ban as Election Year Winds Up

January 12, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 25 Comments

Capitol immigrants. (News Service of Florida)

House Speaker Richard Corcoran, who is mulling a run for governor, is pushing the sanctuary-city ban that would impose stiff penalties on local governments that don;t enforce immigration laws.

Limiting Pain Pills Prescriptions To 7 Days? Florida Surgeons Say No.

January 11, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 12 Comments

No refills. (Adam Cohn)

Lawmakers’ proposal would have patients get additional prescriptions for pain medications from their doctors. Phoning-in refills would not work.

Anitere Flores-Oscar Braynon Affair and Other Scandals Cloud Session’s Start

January 10, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 15 Comments

Senate President Pro Tempore Anitere Flores is a Miami Republican. (News Service of Florida)

A sex scandal involving the chamber’s highest-ranking Democrat and a powerful Republican, both married, and sexual harassment allegations that forced an influential Republican senator out overshadowed the session’s opening.

Proposal To Toughen Penalties For Texting While Driving Gains on 1st Day

January 9, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 13 Comments

texting driving primary offense

With support from the House speaker, a proposal to make texting while driving a “primary” offense in Florida received unanimous support Tuesday from a House panel as the 2018 legislative session opened.

Gov. Rick Scott’s State of the State: Full Text

January 9, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

Gov. Rick Scott at a previous State of the State address.

Gov. Rick Scott’s State of the State address, his last, as prepared for delivery today at the Florida Capitol, before a joint session of the House and Senate.

From Opioids to Taxes to Vacation Rentals: 11 Issues To Watch In Legislative Session Starting Tuesday

January 8, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

The Florida Legislature begins its 2018 session Tuesday morning.

The House and Senate will negotiate a state budget and consider hundreds of bills including on health care, taxes, the environment, short-term rentals and hurricanes, among others. Here’s a preview.

Vacation Rentals Would Be Protected Class in Residential Neighborhoods In Bill Flagler Calls “Extreme”

January 4, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 8 Comments

A row of vacation rental homes on Balboa Island, Calif. The vacation-rental industry is making another big push to eliminate local restrictions on vacation-rental properties in Florida. Flagler County government is resisting. (Prayitno)

One proposed bill would eliminate local regulation of vacation rentals and make it difficult for home-owner associations and towns like Flagler Beach to prevent short-term rentals anywhere.

Collateral Damage of Florida’s Opioid Crisis: Children

January 3, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

florida opioid crisis

Contending with tales of children discovered in the backseats of cars with their parents passed out from drug overdoses in the front, or toddlers left alone in fetid apartments for days while drug-addled mothers or fathers scour the streets for a fix.

New Laws Kick In on Prescription Refills, Rideshare Regulations, Child Time-Sharing, Minimum Wage Up to $8.25/hr

January 2, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

florida uber regulations

A half-dozen new laws kick in today, easing regulations over ridesharing systems like Uber and a more consumer-friendly way to enable prescription refills, while Florida’s minimum wage gets its annual inflation adjustment.

Florida’s Year of Turbulence

January 1, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 7 Comments

florida year in review 2017

Scandal, storms and sniping were the hallmarks of 2017 in Florida, where political squalls and natural disasters created havoc in the Capitol and sent tremors through the Sunshine State.

Among Slew of Legislative Rules, A Proposal To Limit Local Authority on Environment

December 28, 2017 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

Babcock Wildlife Refuge. Florida lawmakers will be debating where and how to protect the state's environmental treasures in the coming legislative session. (Diana Robinson)

From fracking to tree-trimming to using close to $900 million from a voter-approved conservation fund, Florida lawmakers are lining up their wishes ahead of the 2018 session.

How to Pay For Hurricane Irma’s Damages: Lawmakers (and Taxpayers) Face Billions in Costs

December 26, 2017 | FlaglerLive | 8 Comments

A Hurricane Irma parking job on U.S. 1 in a Big Pine Key marina. (Dan Chapman, USFWS)

Irma’s tally: Agriculture: $2.5 billion hit on crops and facilities; insurance: $6.55 billion in property damage claims; utilities: $1 billion to cover the costs of getting power restored.

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