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When is a 24 to 16 vote not enough to pass a bill?

When it’s a bill adding a new exemption to the public records law.

New exemptions require a two thirds vote.

The legislation in question would have taken voters email addresses and phone numbers out of public view for average citizens, but not for candidates or political parties.

Republican Rob Bradley thought the double standard was going too far.

“Grounded in our public records laws is the idea that if you want to ask for a record and you have the right to have it, you don’t have to sit their and explain to the government official why you need it. I fell like was are going down a road that is dangerous when it comes to public records, so for that reason I am respectfully not going to support this proposal,” said Bradley.

A two thirds margin in the 40 member Senate would have required 27 votes to pass.

The Florida Senate has approved legislation creating a new voucher program for eighteen thousand low income students.

The package also revamps a much criticized bonus program.

Supporters call it historic while opponents say it’s unconstitutional.

Right now there are just over a 100,000 students receiving tax credit scholarships.

It’s money that never comes into the State Treasury, but is paid for by corporations who offset their state tax obligation.

“There is nobody who cares more about my kids than I do,” said Senator Kelli Stargil, sponsor of the Education package.

Now lawmakers are creating what they call Family Empowerment Scholarships.

That would put state money directly into the hands of parents to pay for private school tuition for 18,000 more students.

“It’s almost a deliberate attempt to close our traditional public schools,” said Senate Minority leader Audrey Gibson.

State Senator Gary Farmer says it resembles the state’s very first voucher program.

“Our Supreme Court ruled that those vouchers, those scholarships, we’re unconstitutional,” said Farmer.

But Senator Dennis Baxley says the vouchers are about one thing.

“This bill is about freedom. Its about personalization,” said Baxley.

The legislation also changes the Best and Brightest program that awards bonuses based on how teachers scored on their college entrance exam.

Instead $300 million will go to attract, reward, and retain teachers based their effectiveness and on a schools performance.

“This bill addresses the teacher shortage,” said Stargil.

The twenty 23-17 vote in favor of the bill was strictly along party lines.

“I would say this could end up being historic legislation,” said Senator Manny Diaz.

However, it also will likely be challenged in court.

Voucher supporters argue that recipients actually cost the state less than students attending public school.

Most recipients receive just under $7,000 dollars a year, but the state spends about $10,000 a year on public school students.

Amending the constitution may get harder for citizens if legislation passed by the Florida House Thursday morning becomes law.

It would require citizens’ initiatives to provide more financial information and backers to submit petitions within ten days of being signed.

A group of demonstrators gathered outside the House chamber, demanding lawmakers to vote no on the bill as lawmakers entered.

“Passing this bill means that the Legislature does not respect the will of the voters and the people,” said Vanessa Keverenge with Organize Florida.

The bill requires citizens’ initiatives include on ballot summaries possible economic impacts of the proposal, the percentage of contributions coming from in-state donors and whether out of state petition gatherers were used to meet the required 766,200 signatures.

Republicans say it will limit the influence of out of state state groups.

“If I’m going to sign a petition I would want to know where it’s coming from,” said Rep. Ralph Massullo. “Where’s the research behind it, who’s financing it?”

Jonathan Webber with the Florida Conservation Voters calls it a double standard.

“They’re not imposing the same restrictions on themselves for their own campaigns,” said Webber. “Which for all we know is getting money from, I mean, we don’t even know where anymore because of citizens united.”

The bill also makes it a first degree misdemeanor to compensate petition gatherers based on how many signatures they collect and requires backers to submit petitions to the state within ten days of them being signed.

Bill sponsor Rep. James Grant says the goal is to reduce fraud.

“The third largest state in this country’s charter document is wide open for abuse with no protections,” said Grant.

But Democrats like Rep. Wengay Newton argue it’s just a way to prevent voters from side stepping the legislature.

“The citizens’ initiative is the only way the citizens can have action with inaction of the Legislature,” said Newton.

With the bill clearing the House all eyes now turn to the Senate, where the legislation is currently held up in its final committee stop.

If the bill becomes law the changes would apply to initiatives for the 2020 ballot.

However, signatures already gathered would not be subject to the new requirements.

The Governor and First Lady greeted state employees and their children for the 2019 Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day at the Capitol Thursday morning.

The day is an opportunity for kids got a glimpse onto what their parents do for work.

Florida’s First Lady Casey DeSantis, with her own son Mason in hand, encouraged the kids to work hard and keep their minds open.

“When you work hard, you take school seriously, you listen to your teachers, you take the opportunity to learn, a lot of doors open for you in this wonderful country that we live in and this great state,” said DeSantis.

Throughout the day the children got to explore booths set up by state agencies to learn what opportunities working for the state can provide.

The Florida House has approved a bill that would require Florida schools teach kids about human trafficking as part of health courses.

Florida has the third highest number of reported cases of human trafficking in the nation.

Sponsor Rep. Patricia Williams says teaching students what human trafficking is and how to identify the signs of human trafficking will better equip them to avoid falling victim themselves.

“If we can get this information in our school systems, to inform the students of the monsters that are out there, it is our duty to do so,” said Williams.

The legislation still has to pass one more committee in the Senate before it heads to the floor.

Protesters greeted state Senators outside the entrances to their chamber Thursday.

They’re unhappy about legislation prohibiting Sanctuary cities.

The Senate spent some time debating it throughout the afternoon, but postponed a vote.

The House version calls for fines for officials who don’t cooperate with immigration officials, but the Senate sponsor wants to give more power to the Governor.

“In my amendment which I filed yesterday to give the Governor some authority over this process to make sure he continues to do his job as Governor and remove elected officials who aren’t doing their job. And I think it’s common sense and worthwhile. And I think it will bring us closer to where we need to be to make sure we get the House to pass it,” said Senator Joe Gruters.

An estimated 800,000 undocumented immigrants are believed to be in the state.

The legislation could impact about 4,600 who are being held in jails or state prisons.

It’s been just over six months since since Hurricane Michael hit the Florida panhandle, and state leaders say many are still living in tents.

Florida’s Cabinet members sent letters to congressional leaders calling the delay in Federal Disaster assistance Thursday.

In the letters they ask why the Florida Panhandle has been forgotten.

“It’s been 200 days since landfall and we have seen no action on behalf of Washington,” said Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis. “Relief packages for Hurricanes Andrew, Katrina and Sandy took a fraction of the time from what we are seeing here. Funding must be immediately passed and sent immediately. This is why we sent the letters we sent today.”

The letters also encourage Congressional leaders to visit the panhandle, saying they will see people who are strong and resilient, but who are fed up with being stuck in the middle of a partisan fight.

Former Democratic Gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum has settled with the state Ethics Commission. He faced five counts of accepting gifts, but he will agree to just one count of taking a free boat ride in New York City and pay a five thousand dollar fine.

The Former Tallahassee Mayor and Gubernatorial nominee was upbeat when he arrived for the hearing telling reporters “I believe that if this is a process that will be determined on fact, I feel very, very confident we will prevail on this.”

The hearing was delayed at least three times as settlement talks took place. Two and a half hours later it was over.

Elizabeth Miller of the Florida Commission on Ethics announced “The parties have entered into an amicable settle agreement.”

Gillum had already taken responsibility publicly for accepting a free boat ride in New York Harbor. 

Afterwards Gillum told reporters the Ethics Commission approached him to discuss a settlement. 

“When you learn more information, you have to step up and you take responsibility for what it is you come to know. This happening in the context of a statewide election didn’t make it any easier.”

Attorney Barry Richard says Gillum agreed to pay a five thousand dollar fine for accepting the boat ride.

“You know,” says Richard, “It’s not clear, but this is kind of a technicality, but to Mayor Gillum didn’t make any difference. He said I shouldn’t have done it.”

Many here in the Capitol believe Gillum would be Governor today but for all of the allegations.

During the campaign for Governor, Gillum was hammered in one TV spot after another. We asked advisor Kevin Cate ”Did this cost him the Governor’s race?”

His response: “What today was about was complete vindication from what the Mayor had said all along, which is he never knowingly did anything to violate any ethics laws.”

The agreement is subject to approval from the Full Ethics Commission.

The Full Ethics Commission will take up the settlement in its June Seventh meeting. History suggest it will be accepted.

The Florida House today approved legislation requiring local governments to cooperate with federal officials when this issue a detainer for an immigrant her illegally. The legislation requires law enforcement and corrections officials to hold someone with a detainer for up to 48 hours so they can be picked by by immigration officials. Democrat Susan Valdez worries it will split families.

“What I fear with this bill is that Florida will he turning into a place where families are ripped apart because someone’s father got caught jaywalking. I worry about the parents being separated from their children, and sent halfway across the world because they had the audacity to report a criminal in their neighborhood” says Valdez.

Currently, 34 of Florida’s 67 counties are already cooperating with Federal officials. Those that don’t face loss of state funding.0

The Senate will take up the legislation Thursday on Second reading.

The Flordia Senate today postponed a scheduled vote on texting while driving. The Senate version of the bill requires hands free for all cell phone use. A House bill approved Tuesday doesn’t have the hands free provision. After losing a daughter in a crash, Former State Representative Irv Slosberg was responsible for making seatbelt use mandatory, and he has been the main supporter of anti texting laws.

“In 2009, the legislature passed the Dori Slosberg, Katie Marquette seat belt  law” says Slosberg. “And what happened is we saved five hundred lives a year., and compliance for seatbelts went from 72 percent to up to 90 or 91 percent. And wow, did it make a difference, and it’s going to be the same thin with distracted driving.”

House sponsors don’t believe the full House will accept hands free driving. Advocates worry the disagreement between the two chambers could result in nothing happening again this year. 

The Florida Senate has approved an expansion to the school safety package originally passed following the Parkland Shooting.

The a provision that would allow for teachers to be armed was kept in, to the disapproval of teachers unions and gun control advocates.

Following the Parkland shooting, lawmakers considered including classroom teachers as part of its guardian program, but left them out.

Now many have had a change of heart.
“I wish we had a law enforcement officer on every floor of every school. We do not and we cannot,” said Senator Ed Hooper.

ESE teacher Lissa O’rourke from St. Johns County worries about unintended consequences.

“ESE students sometimes have a hard time self regulating and that could become a dangerous situation if there was some kind of gun in the classroom,” said O’rourke.

Debate on the Senate floor echoed those concerns.

“Teachers accidentally discharging a weapon, a lost or dropped gun,” said Senator Gary Farmer.

Sponsor Senator Manny Diaz says it gives districts an option.

“The most contentious part of this bill in this chamber is completely optional,” said Diaz.

Ultimately the legislation was approved along party lines in a 22-17 vote, with only one Republican voting no.

$57 million in unspent funds for the guardian program from last year will be carried over in this year’s budget, but if it’s not used to arm teachers or staff, it can’t be spent on anything else.

So far 25 counties have established a guardian program.

14 more have expressed an interest.

However, in districts that have chosen not to participate, coming up with money to hire enough traditional school resource officers has been a challenge.

Michelle Dillon, President of the St. Johns Education Association says her county had to ask the local city commission to make up the difference.

“It shouldn’t be done in this half baked manor where you’re offering teachers to be armed,” said Dillon. “It should be fully trained law enforcement officials.”

The bill still needs to pass the House.

Less than two weeks remain for the chamber to act.

Under the bill, teachers who volunteer to carry a gun would have to undergo a psychological evaluation and 132 hours of training.

A Pharmaceutical industry funded group is spending tens of thousands of dollars on an ad targeting lawmakers who want to lower prescription drug prices, but the Governor and lawmakers say the effort to lower drug prices is hitting raw nerve.

An ad that has been blanketing TV’s in the Capitol City for two weeks states, “Too many have already died from counterfeit drugs.”

Based on what the industry is spending in Tallahassee, it is likely a million dollar a week plus statewide buy.

Governor Ron Desantis is pushing the plan for cheaper Canadian drugs.

Now he’s pushing back against the ad.
“You know, I was told initially that it’s not going to make a difference. If it’s not going to make a difference, why would you want to spend all that much money, so, that tells me that it is a consequential attempt at reform,” said DeSantis.

DeSantis also poked at the ad in an appearance before the AARP.

“Do you think I’m just going to bring in a bunch of drugs from Pakistan off the street and just thrown them on you? Come on,” said DeSantis.

Bill Sponsor Aaron Bean believes his bill has hit a raw nerve.

“We have discovered something that they don’t want anybody else to know or make any changes. Because we are paying the highest prices on the planet for prescription drugs,” said Bean.

Phillip Combs is taking a new cholesterol drug.

His copay is $400 a month, a fourth of his monthly budget.

“I personally don’t have the resources to pay for an expensive drug like that,” said Combs. “I need it.”

Even if the bill gets out of the Senate and is signed by the Governor, the Federal Government will still have to approve the importation.

The Governor tells us getting Federal approval is a 50/50 proposition.

DeSantis also says savings on Canadian drugs can range up to 70% percent, adding he has the Presidents’s backing for the legislation.

Governor Ron DeSantis acknowledged Tuesday that he has seen an outline of a new gambling pact between the Seminole Tribe and the State.

It was negotiated by state Senate leaders and contains new games for the Seminoles, but the Governor says there are more questions than answers.

Like whether the recently approved amendment giving all gambling expansion to votes applies to the tribe.
“There’s a lot of legalities that are involved in this,” said DeSantis. “There was just an amendment that passed. You know, the question, does it apply to the tribe? Does it apply to this or that. There’s a whole host of things that need to be vetted through, but prior to yesterday, I had not seen the outline. We have seen it now and are going through it.”

The deal was estimated to be worth at least $350 million to the state each year.

So far, that money has not been included in the version of the budget now being negotiated.

The Florida Senate approved a bill that would expand hazing laws in the state Tuesday morning.

The change would allow persons who solicit another to commit a hazing crime to also face prosecution, not just those who directly carry out the offense.

It also includes immunity protections for those who report hazing.

The legislation comes in response to the death of FSU fraternity pledge Andrew Coffee in 2017.

“Andrew was a hard worker, a loyal friend. He was in the ROTC and he was the captain of his swim team. Andrew’s death was preventable,” said Book.

The bill must now be given final approval by the Florida House, before it’s sent to the Governor’s desk.

A hundred or so people, many mothers of vaccine impacted children spent the day at the State Capitol.

They are fighting legislation that has already cleared the House that requires doctors to automatically list with the state, which children have been vaccinated.

House Bill 213 eliminates a provision that allows parents to opt out of the database.

Tampa mother Erin Olszewski is a founder and President of the Florida Freedom Alliance.

“My son was vaccine injured. So at twelve months he received the MMR vaccine,” said Olszewski. “He was walking talking, bubbly laughing, you know before that shot. After that shot, he immediately regressed into infant. He didn’t talk, he didn’t walk. We spent thousands of dollars on a speech therapist, everything. Finally, now he’s six and just started talking.”

The Senate is still considering legislation that continues the opt out for parents, who like Erin Olszewski, believe the legislation is an infringement of their constitutional rights as parents.