The Florida Senate Regulated Industries Committee on Thursday gave unanimous support to the bill (SB 470)–including the vote of Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine–but lawmakers, lobbyists and substance-abuse prevention advocates were quick to question the packaging of the proposal.
Florida Legislature
Florida’s Legislative Black Caucus To Gov. Rick Scott: Drop Dead
The Florida Legislative Black Caucus on Wednesday abruptly canceled its annual meeting with Gov. Rick Scott, a move the group said was meant to underscore its frustration with the governor.
Extending Spending Spree, Scott Asks for $200 Million Increase For Roads, Bridges and Ports
The $200 million proposed increase for infrastructure follows Friday’s request for $100 million for tourism from Scott, who entered office in 2011 slashing a state budget he said was weighted down with “short-sided, frivolous, wasteful” projects.
Weeks After Bunnell Commissioner’s Residency Is Questioned, Lawmakers Float Tighter Rules
A pair of state lawmakers announced a proposal Thursday that would tighten the definition of residency for elected officials, but the measures don’t specify what the punishment might be or who would be responsible for enforcing the standards.
No Need To Lie Anymore: Proposed Law Would Allow Sale of Fireworks For “Personal” Use
Currently the law limits sales to relatively innocuous devices such as sparklers, while banning sales of such things as bottle rockets. Lawmakers are gathering support for a proposal that would allow the sale of aerial and explosive devices as long as the individuals buying the fireworks sign a waiver asserting that it’s for personal use–not just agricultural use, as is now the case.
CFO Jeff Atwater’s Lunge for FAU Presidency May Trigger Political Scramble for Cabinet Seat
Atwater is expected to easily win reelection to his Cabinet post and is believed to be considering a run for governor in 2018. A CFO vacancy in this year’s elections could unleash a domino effect in the state Legislature and also open up the door for Democrats to recapture a seat on the Cabinet.
14 For ’14: What Will Command
Florida’s Attention This Year
From the governor’s race to the economy to gambling to common core and the continuing battles over health care, here are some of the issues that will dominate the political landscape in the year ahead, some of which focusing the nation’s eyes on Florida yet again.
Florida Hospital Flagler CEO: State Must Extend Medicaid to Working Poor
The Florida Legislature still has the opportunity this year to draw down $51 billion in federal dollars already sent to Washington to help pay the cost of health insurance for those who cannot afford it, argues Floridfa Hospital Flagler CEO Ken Mattison.
Before Florida Made an Ass of Christmas, Philadelphia Gave Us a Founding Nativity Scene
The Rick Scott administration’s illiterate interpretation of the Bible and the first amendment turned the Florida Capitol rotunda into a comedy of absurd Christmas displays and discrimination, all of which could have been avoided with a reason and respect–for the holidays and the Constitution.
Safety Advocates and Sheriff Oppose 75 on Highways And Higher Speeds Elsewhere
Representatives from the National Safety Council and the Consumer Federation of the Southeast, along with the Wakulla County Sheriff say a proposal to raise speed limits will make roads less safe as motorists further surpass speed limits that exceed their ability to safely operate vehicles.
Deemed “Grossly Offensive,” Satanic Display Is Barred from Florida Capitol’s Christmas Gallery
The state Department of Management Services on Wednesday denied an attempt by “Satanists” to put up a display in the Florida Capitol, which currently showcases a Nativity scene, a Festivus pole made of beer cans, posters from atheists, and a crudely-made Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Senate Wants to Make Florida “Scorched Earth” For Violent Sexual Offenders
The proposed bills would “widen the net” to apprehend, punish and monitor sexually violent predators anywhere in Florida. The proposals have bipartisan support and the Senate and House are speeding toward a comprehensive effort in both chambers.
Police and Firefighters’ Unions Troubled by Plan to Give Local Governments Freer Hand in Pensions
A Senate committee pushed forward Wednesday with a bill that would overhaul how local governments fund pensions for police officers and firefighters, hoping that a different political climate in 2014 will allow the legislation to succeed after it died in the House during the spring legislative session.
In a Nod to Less Abrasive Republicans, Florida Senate Names Andy Gardiner Its Next President
Andy Gardiner, The 44-year-old Orlando Republican, was lauded as a compassionate and temperate conservative as he laid out an agenda focused on the economy, water and natural resources and expanding educational and employment opportunities for disabled Floridians.
Employers Would Be Barred From Using Applicants’ Credit Reports or Firing Pregnant Women
The Florida Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee gave support to both proposals on Monday, even though a number of senators expressed concern about limiting an employer’s ability to use a credit history when judging a potential new hire for a non-financial or non-managerial role.
Satanists Now Want to Join Beer Pole and Nativity Scene at Florida Capitol
The state Department of Management Services has received three more applications, including two from atheist groups and one from satanists, to put up displays after approving a banner for the Freedom From Religion Foundation and an aluminum pole — made of empty beer cans– – to mark the parody festival Festivus.
Nativity Scene in Florida Capitol Will Share Space With Beer-Can Pole Celebrating Festivus
A nearly 6-foot-tall pole made from emptied Pabst Blue Ribbon beer cans, marking the Festivus holiday once parodied on Seinfeld, will be put up in the Florida Capitol this week as a not-so-subtle protest to the recent placement of a Christian nativity scene by the Florida Prayer Network.
Extra State Revenue Could Top $1 Billion As Legislature Approaches Spring Session
State economic forecasters added $324.3 million to expected tax revenues during the current budget year, which ends June 30, and the fiscal year that begins the next day. Because lawmakers have already passed a budget covering this year, all of the new money should be available for the spending plan that starts in July.
Florida Lawmakers’ Bugsy Fixation
We have become a nation of people who sue each other and serve each other hamburgers. Are we also to become a nation of croupiers and cocktail waitresses? Sadly, that seems to be the message our politicians are delivering as they bet more of Florida’s future on gambling.
Gambling’s Odds in Florida May Be Left To a Constitutional Amendment in 2014
House Speaker Will Weatherford’s new plan–to let voters decide if they should weigh in on future expansion of gambling–could provide cover for Republican House members reluctant to expand gambling as the Legislature takes up the thorny issue during the upcoming session.
Despite $51 Billion For the Taking, Florida Unlikely to Expand Health Coverage in 2014
Consumer groups, hospitals and insurers are clamoring for Florida to take the $51 billion in federal funds that have been offered to the state over the next decade to provide health coverage to the working poor. But those who are tuned in politically — even those who desperately want it to happen — say it’s very unlikely in 2014.
Warning-Shot Bill Gaining Support In Spite of Police Opposition and Fears of Vigilantism
Rep. Neil Combee’s Warning Shot Bill under a new guise would amend the “stand your ground” self-defense law and permit people to display guns, threaten to use them or fire warning shots if they were being attacked and feared for their lives. It was inspired by the fate of Marissa Alexander, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for firing a warning shot at her abusive husband.
Justices Skeptical of Red-Light Cameras as Supreme Court Hears Case Affecting Palm Coast
With one insistent exception, Florida Supreme Court justices on Thursday strongly questioned the legality of city ordinances that permitted red-light traffic cameras that spread around Florida before 2010, when the state standardized those systems. Cities like Palm Coast may have to refund fines should the court rule against the local ordinances.
Report Blisters DCF Over Abused Children’s Deaths as Florida Lawmakers Vow to Act
Florida’s recent series of child-abuse deaths took center stage at the Capitol on Tuesday, as a report blasted the state child-welfare system and as both chambers of the Legislature signaled they would craft bills to address the system’s shortcomings.
Unearned Audacity: On Economic Development, Flagler Tells Voters to Drop Dead
State law requires Flagler County to ask voters permission in a referendum, every 10 years, to give new companies tax subsidies. The Flagler County Commission wants to trash that law and let a supermajority of four commissioners make the decision for voters instead. It’s the latest example of a commission more enamored of its power than in tune with voters.
Rep. Travis Hutson Will File a Bill on Animal Abuse Reporting Proposed by Flagler Students
Florida Rep. Travis Hutson worked for weeks with FPC and Matanzas High students on a mock legislative process that culminated today in a student vote choosing actual bill Hutson will file at the Legislature in the coming session. The exercise gave students direct insights into the legislative process.
Beyond Rebecca Sedwick’s Suicide: Colleen Conklin Campaigns for More Cyberbullying Awareness
More laws, mandates and prohibitions won’t work, Flagler County School Board member Colleen Conklin says, but more current awareness of the variety of online apps and social sites, where cyberbullying thrives, and more responsibility from both teens and their parents, are more likely to stem a pattern of bullying-induced teen suicides.
Bowing to Hammock, Thrasher and Hutson Will File Bills to Restore Vacation-Rental Regulations
Sen. John Thrasher and Rep. Travis Hutson made their pledge to repeal the vacation-rental law during the annual legislative delegation meeting in Flagler Wednesday, which drew more than a full house because of that controversial issue. But repeal is unlikely as the 2011 law, which makes it easier to operate a house as a mini-hotel, passed the Senate unanimously, and the House overwhelmingly.
Florida GOP Rep. Dennis Baxley Compares Gay Parents to Drunks and Drug Abusers
Florida’s Dennis Baxley, a Republican member of the Florida House representing the Ocala region, made the startling comparison of lesbian moms to abusers and dysfunctional parents during a House subcommittee meeting on middle school reforms this week.
Senate Proposal Would Bar “Aggressors” From Using Stand Your Ground; Approval Unlikely
Prompted by a national outcry over George Zimmerman’s acquittal this summer in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, a Florida Senate committee gave approval to minor changes in the state’s “stand your ground” law. But whether a Legislature dominated by gun-loving lawmakers will ultimately sign off on a bipartisan compromise remains a long shot.
Assisted Living Facilities Beware: State Looking to Shut Down Unlicensed Operations
A Florida Senate panel Tuesday instructed the Agency for Health Care Administration to draft legislation — fast — that would allow the state to shut down unlicensed assisted-living facilities as quickly as possible.
A Tiff, and Broader Implications, In County’s Hope of Eliminating Voter Voice in Economic Development
In a reflection of government-backed economic development’s dim luster, Flagler County want to eliminate voters’ role in giving local governments authority to extend tax breaks to companies. That proposal led to a clash Monday between government critic Dennis McDonald and Commissioner Barbara Revels.
Shutdown Geezers: The Medicare
Generation’s Immoral War on Obamacare
Opponents of Obamacare think that by doubling down on hurting Americans through a shut-down, they might stun them into submission. They must be stupider than they let on. The Affordable Care Act has its issues. Lacking for moral high ground isn’t among them.
FPL Customers in Flagler Will Again Pay Nuke Surcharge for Plants at Least 10 Years Off
A residential customer who uses 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a month will pay about $5.5 extra a year, but the cost is part of a broader controversy over a law that allows utility companies to charge customers for power-plant construction that hasn’t even begun yet, and may never be completed.
State’s Claim of $40 Million “Potential” Fraud in Early Learning Programs Proves Groundless
A December 2011 report by the state Office of the Auditor General projected that parents with children in school-readiness programs could have used as much as $40 million worth of public-assistance benefits for which they weren’t eligible over a three-year period–a claim that proved wildly inaccurate, but needlessly panicked lawmakers.
Texting-While-Driving Ban Goes in Effect as Do Food Stamps Limits and Other New Laws
An attempt to curb motorists from texting while driving goes into effect Tuesday, along with laws that put limits on funeral protests, late-night massages and the use of tax dollars at strip joints and liquor stores.
A Republican Abandons Rick Scott: Paula Dockery and Florida’s Fraying GOP
Democrats now look like a party united compared to the Republicans, Cary McMullen argues, as Paula Docker, one of Florida’s increasingly endangered moderate Republicans, announces her desertion of Gov. Rick Scott’s campaign for re-election.
Legislature Considering Tougher Crackdowns on Sexual Predators in Wake of New Findings
DCF has been recommending fewer and fewer sex offenders for confinement, with the number falling from a high of 228 in 2000 — two years after the law went into effect — to a low of 19 in 2012.
FDLE Lays Down Florida Capitol Garrison Rule to Avoid Repeat of Summer Protests
Under the proposal by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, members of the public would be expected to leave the Capitol building by 5 p.m. each weekday or within 30 minutes of the end of public meetings. Capitol police could arrest for trespassing anyone who didn’t leave when they were told.
Sen. Dorothy Hukill Proposes Cutting Sales Tax on Commercial Rental Property to 5%
Senate Finance and Tax Chairwoman Dorothy Hukill of Port Orange’s proposal could cut $250 million a year from state revenue. Business leaders want the tax, currently at 6%, eliminated altogether as Gov. Rick Scott travels the state on a tax-cutting tour.
Projection Shows $846 Million Surplus Ahead of Florida’s 2014 Budget
The estimated $845.7 million surplus could be used during the 2014-15 fiscal year to increase spending or cut taxes — or it could be rolled into the budget for the following year. The projection comes with all sorts of caveats, as the 2014-15 year will not start until July 1.
Giant Gambling Wish List and Seminole Compact on Florida Lawmakers’ Table
Slot machines, blackjack and roulette are back on the table as lawmakers prepare once again to tackle the high-stakes issue of gambling in a state that everyone agrees is already one of the industry’s biggest cash cows.
GOP Rep. Debbie Mayfield Files Bill to Limit or End Common Core in Florida
Rep. Debbie Mayfield’s measure would require the State Board of Education to meet certain requirements before moving forward with the English and math portions of the standards and specifically bar it from implementing common core in any other subject areas.
Tallahassee For Sale: Six Lobbying Firms Collect More Than $1 Million Each
Bolstered by huge paydays from some clients, at least six lobbying firms, including the Southern Strategy Group, collected $1 million or more in legislative lobbying fees between April 1 and June 30.
After 31 Days, Dream Defenders
End Their Protest at the Florida Capitol
Dream Defender leaders said they’ll carry their campaign against the “stand your ground” self-defense law and what they consider other forms of racial bias to the polls, trying to defeat the elected officials who opposed their demands, including Gov. Rick Scott, who is up for re-election next year.
Not Enough Votes for a Special Session on Stand Your Grounds, But Protest Continues
Republicans have returned enough “no” votes in a poll of legislators to quash the idea of a special session to address the state’s stand your ground law, yet the Dream Defenders, a group of protesters whose around-the-clock sit-in at the Capitol stretched to a 30th day on Wednesday, are not quitting.
Stand Your Ground Special Session: Florida Democrats Invoke Unique Tactic in Hunt for Votes
Vastly outnumbered Democrats have a week to convince enough Republicans lawmakers to support a special session of the Legislature on the Stand Your Ground law. The Secretary of State’s office has to find 96 lawmakers to trigger such a session.
Lawmakers Will have $435 Million More to Work With in 2014 as Recovery Continues
The added revenue swells to $2 billion the net increase from this year’s budget in the general revenue, but lawmakers aren’t scheduled to take up the budget again until next spring’s legislative session, and other revenue forecasts are expected in the interim, meaning it will likely take awhile before the full budget picture is known.
FPL and Duke Energy Customers Still Saddled With Costs of Failed or Future Nuke Plants
The Florida Public Service Commission on Monday approved an agreement with Juno Beach-based FPL that will charge residential customers 48 cents per 1,000 kilowatt hours of power for nuclear construction at least 10 years away. The PSC backed an increase of 89 cents for the same amount of power that will be added to monthly bills of Duke Energy customers starting in January 2014, for nuclear plants that’ll never be built.
Hypertown: Jesse Jackson and His Detractors
But by the time Gov. Scott and his ilk were done demanding that Jesse Jackson apologize to all Floridians over hos comparisons of Scott to George Wallace and the Dream Defenders to the Selma march, lo and behold, we were back talking about the Dream Defenders and Stand Your Ground. That was Jackson’s goal.