Sen. Travis Hutson had supported the 2014 law enabling Flagler County to regulate vacation rentals. His amendment, which he calls a “compromise,” would scale that back even though he sees no problems with local regulations or short-term rentals.
Florida
Senate Approves Stand Your Ground Change To Make It Easier For Shooters To Use Defense
The bill would shift the burden from defendants to prosecutors in the pre-trial hearings, vastly strengthening defendants’ ability to use the defense, but at significant cost to prosecutors.
Setback For Flagler as Bill Scrapping Vacation-Rental Regulations Advances on 9-6 Vote
A divided House Agriculture and Property Rights Subcommittee was not swayed by a presentation from Flagler County Attorney Al Hadeed as it voted to scrap county authority to regulate short-term, vacation rentals. The bill has several additional hurdles to clear.
Prohibition on Liquor In Grocery Stores Approaching Repeal as Bill Advances
The contentious bill, sought by Wal-Mart and Target and opposed by Publix and ABC, needs to make it through one more committee in the House and awaits a floor vote in the Senate.
Florida’s Lethal Injections Ready to Stab Again As Gov. Scott Signs Death Penalty Bill
Florida is again poised to begin executions and prosecute death penalty cases after Gov. Rick Scott signed a law Monday aimed at fixing flaws in the state’s capital sentencing procedure.
Flagler May Lose Vacation Rental Regulations Just 2 Years After Regaining Authority
After a three-year battle, Flagler County government regained the right to regulate short-term rentals in the Hammock, which had become disruptive to local residents. Now the state is poised to take that authority away–again.
Lopsided House Votes To Abolish Enterprise Florida and Economic Development Limbs
The House also voted 80-35 to approve a separate measure (HB 9) that would overhaul the structure and contract-reporting requirements of Visit Florida.
Florida Senate Backs Unanimous Juries in Death Sentences
Thursday’s Senate vote — on the third day of the 2017 legislative session — would ostensibly fix the weaknesses identified by the majority of the Florida Supreme Court with the current law.
Lawmakers Back Secrecy for Murder Witnesses
Witnesses’ identifying information would remain secret for two years after the date of the incidents, except to prosecutors and police.
In State of the State, Gov. Scott Takes Fight for Economic Incentives to House Speaker
The speech to open the 2017 legislative session came just two days before the House is expected to take up legislation that would abolish the economic-development agency Enterprise Florida and restrict tourism-marketer Visit Florida.
Felons Seeking to Regain Right To Vote Look to Constitutional Amendment
The constitutional change, if approved, could open up voting rights for more than 700,000 Floridians, although fewer than 300,000 could be expected to apply, at least initially.
Remembering John Hankinson Jr., Towering Force in Environmental Protection in Flagler and Elsewhere
John Hankinson Jr., a long-time resident of Summer Haven just north of Marineland, had been an EPA Regional administrator and had headed a post-Deepwater Horizon spill task force. He was a frequent performer in the local musical scene as Johnny Matanzas.
Rideshare South: Why Way Fewer Teens Are Bothering With a Driver’s License
The drop has been sharpest in the South, where the share of high school seniors with a driver’s license fell from 88.6 percent in 1996 to 71.2 percent in 2015.
Gov. Scott Names Political Loyalists To Constitutional Revision Commission
Scott’s selections included a number of Republican political allies, including influential insurance lobbyist Fred Karlinsky, a major Scott political fundraiser, and Brecht Heuchan, a key player with the governor’s “Let’s Get to Work” political committee.
Florida Supreme Court Upholds Ban On Openly Carrying Guns in 4-2 Ruling
Justices, in a 4-2 ruling, said the state law “regulates only one manner of bearing arms and does not impair the exercise of the fundamental right to bear arms.”
Florida’s Fractured Republican Leaders Heading Into Contentious Legislative Session
A philosophical schism is plaguing a fractured Republican Party leading up to what insiders characterize as potentially one of the most contentious legislative sessions in modern history.
Guns at Florida Airports, Colleges, Government Buildings: House Speaker Says “Let’s Try It”
Some 39 bills, resolutions and resolution-like memorials have been filed in the Legislature so far that include language that would make gun possession and carrying more permissive in Florida.
From Pot to Guns to Health Care, 10 Big Issues to Watch During 2017 Legislative Session
Florida lawmakers are poised to return to Tallahassee for the March 7 start of the 2017 legislative session, with a series of bills that have divided House and Senate, or the governor and the Legislature.
Legislating Free Speech on Florida’s College Campuses? Not So Fast.
A Legislative committee pondered on proposed legislation called the Campus Free Speech Act. Stanley Kurtz, a conservative academic, told lawmakers the measure would defend the right for people to speak their minds at the state’s universities.
In Victory for Local Governments, FPL Loses Appeal Over Having to Bury Power Lines
The state Supreme Court on Friday turned down an appeal by Florida Power & Light in a case about whether the utility could be required to install underground transmission lines.
Should The Poor Be Barred From Buying Junk Food With Food Stamps?
Lawmakers in at least five states, including Florida, introduced bills this year to ask the USDA for permission to ban the purchase of certain kinds of food or drinks, such as candy and soda, with food stamps.
Proposal to Kill Economic Agency and Trim Visit Florida Budget Clears House Committees
Palm Coast’s Rep. Paul Renner continued to defend the proposals, which would cut Visit Florida’s budget to $25 million, as the House bill heads for a floor vote in march, but still without viable Senate support.
Rep. Renner Takes Another Beating, This Time From Palm Coast Council Over Slew of Bills
The Palm Coast City Council excoriated Rep. Paul Renner over several bills he’s introduced, saying the proposals would hurt Florida Hospital Flagler and end the city’s ability to regulate local business, among others.
In Brief: Senators Back Tax Exemption for Diapers
Initial estimates point to a reduction of General Revenue receipts of $21.7 million in 2017-18, with a $52.1 million recurring impact, and a reduction of local government revenue by $5.6 million in 2017-18.
On the Sad Prospect of CFO Jeff Atwater, Rare Government Royalty, Leaving Tallahassee
It’s going to feel strange without Jeff Atwater’s steady hand and keen mind in the Florida Capitol, writes Nancy Smith of a the state’s Chief Financial Officer, who is resigning to take a post at Florida Atlantic University.
As Gov. Scott Touts Latest Increase in Tourists, Visit Florida Critics Still Pounce on Spending
Visit Florida received $78 million from lawmakers for the current fiscal year that ends June 30. The Sunshine State attracted 112.8 million tourists in 2016. He credited the 5.86 percent increase from the prior year.
1st Amendment Trumps 2nd: Court Says Doctors Have Right To Ask About Guns at Home
Major portions of a controversial Florida law restricting physicians and other health-care providers from asking patients about guns is unconstitutional, a federal appeals court ruled.
Florida House Moves to End Participation In Federal Refugee Resettlement Program
The bill sponsor acknowledged there is no evidence terrorists have used the refugee program to enter Florida and that the withdrawal wouldn’t halt the federal government from locating refugees in the state.
Lawmakers File Bill to Limits Testing Time in Schools and Speed Up Turnaround on Scores
The proposal would require the state’s language arts and math tests to be administered in the last three weeks of a school year, with the exception of the 3rd-grade reading exam.
Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and Bunnell Officials May Face Stronger Financial Disclosure Requirements
Financial disclosure forms filed by elected city officials are cursory compared to the detailed forms filed by county and other officials. That may soon change as the Legislature considers extending the stricter requirements.
Spate of Bills Would Allow Floridians to Carry Guns at Colleges, Airports, Bars, Courthouses, Stadiums
One of the proposals would decriminalize the penalty for people who briefly display a firearm in public, others would allow concealed carry permit holders to carry guns in courthouses, jails and government meetings, among other places.
In Flagler Beach, Scott Attacks Renner Over Tourism and Economic Development Programs
Gov. Rick Scott was in campaign mode in a visit to Flagler Beach Monday as he criticized Flagler’s Rep. Paul Renner, a fellow-Republican, for introducing a bill that would eliminate Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida.
Renner Is Right: Kill Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida, Twin Kleptos of Public Troth
Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida are two tax-supported state agencies that act more like slush funds, wasting money behind secretive veils and returns on investment that have never lived up to the promise.
Judge Rules No Discrimination In Bakers’ Refusal to Call Gays “Abomination” on a Cake
A customer had accused an Orlando bakery of religious discrimination when the owners refused to make a cake with the words “Homosexuality is an abomination unto the Lord.”
Three Ways Forward on Enacting Florida Voters’ Medical Marijuana Mandate
Former Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre, just back from a state conference on medical marijuana, argues how and why to move ahead with consumer- and patient-centered regulation.
Against Counsel: House Panel Backs Term Limits for Supreme Court and Appeals Judges
The proposal would revamp a decades-old system in which Supreme Court justices and appeals-court judges do not face term limits — though they are required to go before voters every six years for merit-retention.
Local Governments Nursing Headaches Over Legalized Pot as Health Department Holds Hearing Across Florida
Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Bunnell and County government joined two dozen counties and four dozen cities in enacting moratoriums temporarily banning medical marijuana dispensaries.
FPL Will Bill You an Extra $40 This Year For Restoring Power During Hurricane Matthew
The state Public Service Commission approved a $318.5 million request by FPL to cover the costs of restoring power after the storm pummeled Flagler and other Florida counties.
Proposal to Require Unanimity from Florida Juries in Death Penalty Cases Advances
But efforts to broaden the legislation to address other issues involved in a series of court rulings that prompted this year’s measure appear, at least for now, to be doomed.
Florida Senate Moves to Replace Tuition Billing By Credit Hour With Controversial Flat-Fee Plan
The dilemma: how to move to a block-tuition system without financially penalizing students while at the same time providing incentives for them to take enough courses per semester to graduate in four years.
Cops’ Dash-Cam Video Evidence Gets Big Boost in 5-2 Ruling By Florida Supreme Court
“We cannot expect officers to retain information as if he or she were a computer,” the court ruled, granting power to judges to review video evidence when available.
Scott’s $83.5 Billion Budget Seeks 3% Boost in Per-Student Funding and $618 Million in Tax Cuts
House Speaker Richard Corcoran has been a harsh critic of the governor’s plan to spend $85 million for business incentives and another $76 million to market the state’s tourism industry.
As Gov. Scott Announces His Budget, His Math Doesn’t Match Lawmakers’
Scott’s $2.8 billion surplus estimate makes some unlikely assumptions about how lawmakers will act when they return to the Capitol for the legislative session that begins March 7.
Federal Judge Dubious of Florida Law Requiring Abortion Counselors To Register
U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle repeatedly challenged an attorney fpor Attorney general Pam Bondi over the seemingly prosecutorial intent of the law, which penalizes those who don’t register.
In Flagler Again, Gov. Scott Issues $15.8 Million For Beach Fix in 4 Counties, $5.4M for Flagler
The $15.8 million is not necessarily new money but includes at least $5.3 million Flagler County has been lobbying for to rebuild dunes. Gov. Scott made the announcement at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park’s beach.
Florida House Democrats Walk Out on Immigration Leader Who Associates With White Nationalists
Krikorian’s Center for Immigration Studies has been linked to the white nationalist movement and has been the target of criticism from the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization that monitors hate groups.
Oil and Gas Lobby Fumes as Lawmakers Push for Total Fracking Ban in Florida
The proposal to ban fracking follows a heavy debate during the 2016 session about a measure that would have created a regulatory framework for fracking in the state. Flagler County passed a resolution asking for a ban.
Proposal to Shift “Stand Your Ground” Burden of Proof to Prosecutors Advances
The measure would shift the burden of proof from defendants to prosecutors during pre-trial evidentiary hearings in “stand your ground” cases.
Senate Bill Proposes Less Restrictive Approach to Florida’s Medical Marijuana Regulations
Under Sen. Rob Bradley’s bill, the state would add 20 marijuana operators, eliminate the minimum 90-day treatment before doctors can prescribe marijuana, and extend allowances to 90-day supplies for patients.
Public Schools Dealt Blows in Pair of Court Decisions Favoring Vouchers and Charters
One court decision upholds corporate tax vouchers for private schools, another diminishes the role of local school boards in deciding what charter schools may operate.