Rep. Lori Berman said Wednesday that about 40 percent of gun sales are at gun shows or done on the Internet, allowing the buyer to complete the purchase without going through any background screening as would be required at a storefront gun dealership.
Florida Legislature
Lawmakers Want to Speed Up Executions of Florida’s 404 Death Row Inmates
The proposed constitutional amendment would shift power from the courts system to lawmakers to set rules about what are known as “post-conviction” appeals in death-penalty cases.
Still Unpopular as Election Approaches, Scott Slouches Left in 3rd State of the State
As Gov. Rick Scott stepped to the podium Tuesday morning for his third State of the State address — a sort of unofficial midpoint in his term — he embarked on a very different path than the ultraconservative businessman who spent his first two years trying to shake up Tallahassee.
Bill Would Require Warrant for Now-Routine Cell Phone Searches and Electronic Tracking
Currently, police can search the possessions – including the contents of a personal electronic device – of someone who is arrested. The bill would require a warrant except under certain circumstances, including scenarios related to national security and missing children.
Snubbing Scott and Billions in Federal Aid, Florida House GOP Reject Medicaid Expansion
Only a few hours after Florida’s chief economist said the state can’t afford to leave billions of federal dollars sitting on the table, the House committee on the Affordable Care Act voted to do exactly that.
Lawmakers Considering Arming Teachers and Adding Warning Shots to Stand Your Ground
Florida’s self defense law would say people can fire warning shots to fend off attackers without fear of prosecution and teachers would be able to pack heat on campus under bills now before legislators.
Repeat Folly: Florida Prepares to Boom Again By Busting Local Environmental Authority
Bills in the Florida Legislature would take away Flagler’s and other counties’ authority to ensure that development doesn’t sprawl without required infrastructure, and would virtually demolish environmental land acquisition programs. Milissa Holland argues that such bills make a mockery of local control.
Picking on Poorer Parents, Florida Targets Early-Learning “Fraud” That Doesn’t Exist
Allegations of “potential” fraud in Florida’s early learning programs have served as the basis for repeated attempts at a legislative cure – including this year – but are melting away under scrutiny by investigators.
Task Force Stands Its Ground Against Changing Florida’s Castle Doctrine Law
The panel charged by Gov. Rick Scott with reviewing the state’s ‘stand your ground’ self-defense law did not recommend any major changes to the statute, although it did make suggestions for tweaks by the Legislature in the upcoming session.
In a Blow to Workers and Home Rule, Florida Moves to Forbid Living-Wage Ordinances
The proposal would expand on legislation passed a decade ago to prevent cities from enacting their own minimum wage levels for private employers doing business within their jurisdictions. The proposal would also extend the ban to other employee benefits such as paid sick leave.
Radiation Sickness: Florida Republicans Tiring of Up-Front Utility Rates for Nukes
Four Republican senators said Thursday they will try to revamp a controversial 2006 law that has led to utility customers paying hundreds of millions of dollars for nuclear-power projects — but stopped short of calling for a total repeal.
In Major Shift, Scott Endorses Obamacare’s Medicaid Expansion, But Legislature Balks
The announcement was a dramatic move for the Republican governor, who launched his political career as an outspoken critic of President Obama’s efforts to overhaul the health-care system. The announcement also shifts the focus of the contentious Medicaid debate squarely to the Legislature, which would have to approve any expansion.
Online Booking Companies’ Tax Evasion Fleeces Flagler Tourism and Florida Dues
Online booking companies like Expedia and Hotels.com are short-changing Flagler and Florida of millions of dollars in sales and bed taxes, and unfairly competing with local hotels, argues Milissa Holland, yet the Legislature is looking to give those companies more tax breaks. It’s not the way to go.
Not in Florida: Civil Union Bill Falters Ahead of a Vote That Would Have Killed It
A measure that would allow for civil unions, granting legal relationship rights to people who aren’t married, stalled Tuesday in a Senate committee in the face of a likely defeat if it had gone to a vote.
Answering Palm Coast, Thrasher Will Pitch Internet Cafe Bill, But Reach May Be Limited
Palm Coast officials want state lawmakers to either ban or more strictly regulate and possibly tax gambling parlor-like internet cafes. Sen. John Thrasher is proposing a moratorium on the parlors, which may not match local demands, as a moratorium was already executed in Palm Coast.
Pork’s Other End: Lobbying of Florida Legislature Tops $120 Million in 2012
Lobbyists collected at least $120 million to represent businesses and other clients before the Florida Legislature in 2012, with companies such as AT&T and the gambling industry spending heavily
Bipartisan Bill to Repeal Red-Light Cameras Advances in Florida Legislature
A bi-partisan proposal would repeal the three-year-old Florida law allowing cities to install spy-and-snap cameras. The repeal, if enacted, would again crimp the revenue of local governments such as Palm Coast, which use the cameras’ ticker revenue to supplement their general fund.
Florida Rediscovers Voting Rights as Bi-Partisan Reform Bill Advances Easily
A proposal designed to expand early voting days and limit the length of ballots unanimously passed a House subcommittee Wednesday, but Democrats warned the measure would need to change to continue to attract bipartisan support.
Gov. Scott Facing Mounting Questions From His Own Party Over Jobs Agenda, and Expenses
Gov. Rick Scott’s aggressive economic development effort is getting more legislative pushback as budget committees in both chambers questioned the direction, expense and oversight of the governor’s “jobs, jobs, jobs” agenda.
Despite Setbacks, Florida Tea Party Activists Aren’t Ready to Hear Their Eulogies Yet
In light of November 2012’s electoral setbacks, some are ready to write off the “tea party” as a movement whose time has come and gone, but don’t tell that to Florida’s grassroots activists.
Florida’s Ex-GOP Chairman Jim Greer Pleads Guilty to Theft and Money Laundering, Ending Circus
The guilty plea set off a round of political finger-pointing in Tallahassee, with Republicans laying the blame for the debacle on Crist, a newly-minted Democrat who could challenge current GOP Gov. Rick Scott in 2014. Democrats, meanwhile, tried to tag the RPOF with Greer’s ethical baggage.
Partisan Vote Approves 401k Plan for State Workers’ Retirement as Showdown Looms
The measure passed the House Government Operations Subcommittee after a contentious and at times emotional three-and-a-half-hour meeting. The bill would require all employees who begin working for the state on or after Jan. 1 to join a “defined contribution” plan.
Three-Year Effort to Abolish Death Penalty in Florida Fails in 9-4 Justice Committee Vote
The rare vote to kill a bill in committee, rather than just bottling it up never to be heard, gave death penalty opponents their first chance to extensively argue for a repeal, following several years in which the measure’s sponsor, Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, has been unable to persuade Republican leaders to put the bill before a committee.
Drones Among Us: Florida Police Want Video Surveillance Power Over Big Sports Events
Bill sponsor Sen. Joe Negron and police couldn’t agree on the use of drones as extra eyes in the sky at large-crowd events, such as a football game, with Negron saying monitoring crowds goes too far – and that he’d vote against his own bill (SB 92) if it were changed to allow that.
Week In Review: The Return of Candidate Rick Scott and Other Surprises
Rick Scott, the little-known, populist, former tea party politician emerged this week as a sweet-talking alternative to the Rick Scott who got elected in 2010 promising to be stingy and mean, to “Get to Work” at slashing the size of government.
Florida Taxpayers Asked to Subsidize Pro Soccer on Top of NFL, NBA and Other Sports
Up to two Major League Soccer franchises would be eligible for subsidies given to other pro sports teams in Florida under a bill filed in the Legislature, a nod to Orlando’s bid to bring an MLS team to the area.
Eyeing Re-Election, Scott Ends Austerity: $4 Billion Extra Spending in $74.2 Billion Budget
Gov. Rick Scott’s $74.2 billion budget proposal unveiled Thursday is the largest in the state’s history and includes a $4 billion spending increase that targets constituencies Scott hopes to win back as he seeks re-election in 2014, among them teachers, environmentalists and what state workers will remain on the payroll.
Gov. Scott Floats $1.2 Billion Boost to Education, Including $480 Million for Teachers
Scott’s $2,500-a-year raise for Florida teachers, costing $480 million, would be included in the $1.2 billion increase for K-12 education, which would add to last year’s $1 billion increase, yet the total, if approved, would still be off the all-time high for per-student education funding.
“Don’t Miss the Signs”: In Florida, Campaign and Means to Report Child Abuse Broaden
Last year, the Florida Legislature passed the nation’s most protective child abuse reporting law. The state’s abuse hotline will accept reports of abuse committed by people other than parents and primary caregivers, such as a coach, teacher or neighbor.
Union-Busting’s Tasteless Florida Flavors
Labor union membership has been in precipitous decline since 1980, along with with a decline in job security, workers’ wages and benefits, and Americans’ standard of living. It’s not a coincidence, though the vilification of labor unions continues.
Transparency 101: Rick Scott’s Pay Raise Ploy
Florida’s “education” governor wants to give teachers a $2,500 across-the-board raise. Translation: He wants to get re-elected in 2014. He’s not popular. So he’s trying to win votes by any means necessary, argues Rhonda Swan.
FRS RIP: Public Employees Hired After 2013 Would Be Shifted to 401(k)-Like Plan
A Florida House committee unveiled a proposal Thursday that would shift all future state employees to a defined contribution, 401(k)-style retirement plan that would gradually spell the end of the Florida Retirement System.
As Gov. Scott Calls for $2,500 Teacher Raise, Reactions Are More Skeptical Than Jubilant
Even in Flagler County, teachers and the school board chairman reacted to Gov. Rick Scott’s proposal with a mixture of skepticism and guarded optimism, as questions about math, political motives and local control abound.
Tax on Guns and Ammo Would Pay for Florida’s “Safe Schools Trust Fund”
Tax collected on the sale of ammunition and guns would go into a “Safe Schools Trust Fund,” to pay for additional guidance services and school safety measures under legislation filed in the House.
In a Calculated Shift, Gov. Scott Wants Early Voting Days Decided by Local Supervisors
Gov. Rick Scott two years ago signed a law restricting early voting days to eight. His shift back to allow up to 14 days would give local supervisors more choice, but could also be an unfunded mandate: if supervisors don’t have the money to expand voting days, they’ll take the political blame for not doing so.
Public Employees Lose as Florida Supreme Court Upholds 3% Pension Dip
Last Updated: 12:55 p.m. The Florida Supreme Court, in a much-anticipated but very divided 4-3 ruling, today sided with the Legislature, and against public employees, by upholding a 2011 law that requires all public employees to contribute 3 percent of their pay to the Florida Retirement System, a pension fund. In a majority opinion by […]
Trayvon Martin’s Mother Calls for Repeal Of Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law
Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, said the Stand Your Ground law protected her son’s killer, George Zimmerman, who pursued Martin before a violent confrontation when Zimmerman shot the 17-year-old boy.
Senate Committee Approves Drone Ban in Florida Skies, With Some Police Exceptions
The ban on unmanned drones used by police in Florida would include exceptions for use with a search warrant or in certain cases, as when a child in danger. The measure (SB 92) was approved unanimously Tuesday by the Senate Criminal Justice Committee.
State Health Agency Corrects Inflated Costs of Obamacare Scott Had Used to Oppose Reform
Florida’s costs could be as low as $3 billion over 10 years — a huge drop from the nearly $26 billion figure that AHCA produced in a report last month. Even with the changes, it appears that the Scott administration believes that the state’s final tab over 10 years would be higher.
Proposing a Constitutional Amendment To Limit Proposed Constitutional Amendments
In the wake of an election in which voters had to wade through 11 constitutional amendment proposals put forth by legislators and complained of long voting lines, a Democratic state senator wants to limit how many ballot questions lawmakers can pose to three.
John Thrasher, Travis Hutson, Plus One: Airing Out Flagler’s Legislative Delegation
The inaugural guests on Milissa Holland Live Friday on WNZF will be Holland’s ex-opponent Rep. Travis Hutson, and Sen. John Thrasher, as Holland hosts an informall follow-up to December’s at-times contentious legislative delegation meeting on short-term rentals and other issues of local concern.
Bill to Repeal “Stand Your Ground” Is Filed In Florida, But May Be Dead on Arrival
Rep. Alan Williams, D-Tallahassee, filed the measure on Wednesday, but it would have to get past Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, who co-sponsored the self-defense law in 2005, though Baxley has often said that the law was never intended to protect those who pursue their victims.
Quality Concerns as Florida Medicaid Moves Millions of Poor and Elderly to Managed Care
Senior said much of the state’s negotiations with federal officials have focused on safeguards to make sure that Medicaid’s new Florida version would be based on providing services in people’s homes and communities and would not be a “nursing home light” system..
Losing “Protection”
In Florida’s Environmental Agency
Some of the state’s strongest protectors of our natural resources were recently expelled from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Fifty-eight of the most knowledgeable and long-serving employees were let go in order to fulfill the governor’s promise/threat of less regulation.
Florida’s Year in Review: New Districts, New Voting Problems, Renewed Economic Hope
The biggest stories of 2012 ended up being an election and redistricting. A third ongoing story also pervaded the year’s news: The economy continued its long, slow rise from the ashes of the recession, and by year’s end the rebound – while facing the possible stomach-punch of a fiscal cliff setback – appeared to be solid.
Time to Get Serious About
Mental Health in Florida
Florida ranks near dead last nationally in the level of expenditures for front-end community-based mental health services. Let’s not be penny wise and pound foolish when so many precious lives are at risk, argues Paula Dockery.
Polls: Scott Tanks, Gay Marriage Gains, Pot Wilts, Alternate College Costs Rejected
Even a majority of Republicans want an alternative to Rick Scott in 2014. Overwhelming majorities reject charging lower college tuition for science majors, and gay marriage makes a 10-point gain in latest Quinnipiac polls.
In Florida, an NRA-Dominated Legislature Steers Clear Of Gun-Control Conversation
The tragic mass killing at a Connecticut school last week has produced a stream of ideas on gun control and school safety at the national level — but reaction in Florida has been muted, at least in the form of concrete legislation.
Video: From Trayvon Martin to Crist Re-Rising, Florida’s Top 10 Stories of 2012
The News Service of Florida’s David Royse speaks with Florida Cable Television’s Steve Wilkerson about the state’s biggest stories of the year–from election flubs to the Trayvon Martin shooting to Hispanic voter registration to the return of Charlie Crist.
Florida’s New Gay Lawmakers: Pride For LGBT Community, Perspective in Tallahassee
With the election of Resp. Joel Saunders of Orlando and David Richardson of Miami, Florida was one of seven states to break the straight barrier in legislatures. Nationwide, lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender candidates were elected to the U.S. Senate and House, and dozens to state legislatures.