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Legislation seeking to increase transparency in big-tech and to fight back against social media censorship is moving quickly through the Florida House after it cleared its second committee stop Monday.

Florida Republicans believe conservatives are being targeted by big-tech censorship, but Democrats argue the GOP-sponsored legislation is a response to former-President Donald Trump’s deplatforming from Twitter and Facebook.

“I think that everybody should, at least if we’re being intellectually honest, be able to agree that yeah, there is a double standard here,” said State Senator Danny Burgess.

Burgess is sponsoring legislation that would require social media companies to inform users why their accounts were blocked or disabled within 30 days.

“The notice is provided to the user no matter who they are or what they do and you know, just to let them know why,” said Burgess.

A similar bill in the House goes much further, requiring social media companies to publish standards for censoring users on their sites and apply them in a consistent manner.

It would also create a cause of action, allowing Floridians to sue if they feel they were wrongly banned and it imposes fines on companies that censor political candidates.

“This is a distraction bill,” said Representative Evan Jenne.

Jenne, a Democrat, believes the bill is a direct rebuttal to former President Donald Trump’s de-platforming.

“You know, ‘we are owning the libs’. If that’s your main policy thrust, the state’s in really bad shape moving forward,” said Jenne.

Theoretically, the legislation could apply to the former President, who is a Florida resident, but the Governor shied away from the possibility when we asked if he’d spoken with Trump about using the legislation to get back on social media.

“No I haven’t,” said Governor Ron DeSantis.

The bill would impose a $100,000 a day fine on social media platforms for deplatforming statewide candidates and a $10,000 a day fine for all other Florida candidates.

The bill has one more committee stop left in the House before a floor vote.

The Senate version of the bill has not yet been scheduled for a hearing.

Florida’s economy is showing some improvement.

The unemployment rate for January was revised downward by a full percentage point Monday.

Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is now 4.8 percent in January 2021, which is up just one and a half percent from a year ago.

The U.S. unemployment rate was 6.3 percent in January.

DEO Chief Economist Adrienne Johnston said the one point drop in the revised rate is the biggest revision in more than a year.

“Jobs are continuing to be added back into our economy. And people are going back into work, so we are seeing people going back into employment status. We’re actually seeing a reduction in the unemployed, so job growth is connecting people back into the labor market, and people are getting jobs,” said Johnston.

There were 482,000 jobless Floridians in January out of a labor force of 10,069,000.

February’s unemployment numbers will be released later this month.

Once President Biden puts pen to paper on the American Rescue Plan, Florida will receive billions of dollars in federal COVID-relief funds.

The burden falls on Florida lawmakers to the decide how to spend that money.

Lawmakers began this legislative session facing a $2.1 billion budget shortfall caused by the pandemic, but the state is about to receive $10.2 billion from the federal government, which at least in theory, will make balancing the budget easier.

“A lot of our ongoing budget challenges are non-recurring,” said Senate Budget Chair Kelli Stargel.

Stargel is mindful of the fact the federal dollars are a one-time payment.

“We’ve got a future minimum wage implementation. We Medicaid that’s going to be expanding. These are recurring expenses and that influx of money is non-recurring funds. So we’re trying to balance that out in the most appropriate way and how we can kind of pay for non-recurring things with non-recurring dollars,” said Stargel.

Florida Democrats hope the money will be used to back their $100 million plan to provide direct utility relief for Floridians.

“Roughly a million Floridians have been unable to pay their utility bills during COVID,” said Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith.

While lawmakers and the Governor appear eager to utilize the federal cash injection, a former Governor turned US Senator is urging the state to reject it.

In a letter sent to all 50 state governors, Senator Rick Scott called the $1.9 trillion relief package ‘wasteful’ and urged them return excess funds.

Stargel isn’t buying the idea.

“You return the funds, it just gets redistributed to New York or California or to other states,” said Stargel.

The Governor has suggested lawmakers set the state budget at $96.6 billion, more than $4 billion higher than the current budget.

Even with the new federal funds lawmakers have remained skeptical of such a large increase.

In total, the American Rescue Plan will bring $17 billion to Florida.

In addition to the money going to the state, cities will receive $1.4 billion, counties $4.3 billion and another $1.3 billion for other local governments.

Florida is just one of two states that does not require out of state retailers to collect the sales tax on items sent to the state, but a compromise will end the isolation.

The measure is expected to bring in as much as $1.3 billion in its first year and the new cash will be used to offset higher unemployment taxes on businesses.

Florida’s unemployment trust fund was a healthy $4 billion at the beginning of last year.

Last week it sat at $652 million.

“Florida businesses are facing an extremely large automatic increase in unemployment taxes,” said Rep. Chuck Clemons.

Because of the drop, businesses are being hit with a $713 million tax hike, but an early session compromise has lawmakers moving to stop the increase by collecting the tax already owed, but seldom voluntarily paid, on internet purchases.

“Thus relieving the buyer of that personal responsibility. Thus eliminating the risk of penalties and interest for those who fail to remit the tax,” said Clemons, who is sponsoring the House bill.

An attempt to also raise unemployment benefits by a hundred dollars a week failed in the bill’s first committee stop Thursday.

Democrats also unsuccessfully sought to direct some of the new cash to the state’s affordable housing trust fund to help people hit hard by the pandemic.

Florida’s constitution requires a 2/3 vote by the Legislature for new taxes, but this tax is already on the books.

“This is a change in the process of collection,” said Grace Lovett with the Florida Retail Federation.

But workers advocates argue working people who shop online won’t see it that way.

“The diapers that she’s buying on Amazon, that are going to cost more. It’s very difficult to look them in the face and say its not a tax increase,” said Dr. Rich Templin with the Florida AFL-CIO.

Just two of the 18 members voted no.

One democrat, the other a Republican.

“It was a bi-partisan effort to level this playing field that has been un-level for many many years,” said Clemons.

Under the bill, the money will continue going into the unemployment trust fund until it reaches the four billion mark.

If a new or existing professional sports team wants to build a new stadium in Florida, a state program that has already rebated $370 million since 1994 for stadium construction or expansion would no longer be available under legislation approved by a House committee Thursday.

The Sports Development Program was re-tooled in 2014 and hasn’t given any money for a new stadium since, because of legislative opposition.

Sponsor Mike Beltran said professional sports teams no longer need a state subsidy to compete.

“We have the best weather, the best athletes as some of the members have said, we have 22 million people who are fairly prosperous and spending money on sports and other things. Sports teams are going to play here whether we subsidize them or not,” said Beltran.

“They make tons of money. These teams can afford any type of expansion they want and we’re still paying for it, and we’ll be paying for it for many years to come,” said Representative Dianne Hart.

The program was originally created to lure Major League baseball to St. Petersburg.

Eight teams, including the Marlins and Rays continue to receive payments.

Most stopped this decade, but the Orlando Magic, the newest team, will receive up to $2 million a year until 2038.

The Combating Public Disorder Act, known as HB 1 because it is a top priority of legislative leaders, cleared its final committee Wednesday afternoon.

The move will clear the way for a vote by the full House, but the legislation continues to spur controversy.

Before the final meeting, State Rep. Fentrice Driskell spoke at a small rally against the bill outside the Capitol.

“We don’t need this bill that will have a chilling effect on protestors. We don’t need this bill that will trample on our first amendment rights. We don’t need this overreach by our state government that tries to tell our cities what they can and can’t do with the tax dollars that the residents of those cities elected them to be a steward over. We don’t need this bill that will divide us, and it does nothing to make us safer,” said Driskell.

The legislation is facing a headwind in the state Senate, where it is yet to be scheduled for its first of three committee meetings.

One of those Committees is chaired by a Democrat.

There were sweeping changes to the states clemency process approved Wednesday.

Floridians with past felony convictions will now have an easier time getting their rights back.

It reverses a decade long policy of delay.

New clemency rules create an automatic pathway to restore felons right to serve on a jury and hold public office, as long as they qualify for voting rights restoration under Amendment 4.

“It makes sense to also restore the other civil rights,” said Governor Ron DeSantis.

As with automatic restoration of voting rights, felons would still need to complete all terms of their sentence, including payment of fines, fees and restitution to qualify for automatic restoration of the right to serve on a jury and hold public office.

They would also still need to go before the clemency board to have the right to own a firearm restored.

The change is expected to help clear a backlog of more than 24,000 seeking clemency, and is being cheered by felons rights advocacy groups.

“When people with felony convictions have their civil rights restored they’re three times less likely to reoffend and we think that that’s not only good for returning citizens. We know that that’s good for the entire state,” said Deputy Director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition Neil Volz.

The rule changes expand the spirit of the 2018 felon voting rights restoration constitutional amendment, but it was a day of mixed emotions for Desmond Meade, the man who spearheaded that effort.

The Governor declined to issue a full pardon for Meade, who serves as the Executive Director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition.

The Governor took issue with a dishonorable military discharge in Meade’s past.

But after the meeting, it was a celebratory affair for members of FRRC nonetheless.

Meade said the progress made is what matters most.

“Even though I might have a personal disappointment, this thing is bigger than Desmond. Right? This is way bigger than Desmond. It’s about expanding democracy, expanding access to so many people that deserve it,” said Meade.

The Governor did suggest Meade would likely qualify for automatic rights restoration under the new rules, but it would still fall short of the clean slate he seeks.

By all accounts, Florida ran one of the most successful elections in 2020, but now state lawmakers plan to move ahead with changes to prevent future problems.

Florida’s 67 Elections Supervisors are unanimous in their opposition.

Last election, 1.5 million mail ballots were dropped off in person at drop boxes, but so-called reform legislation eliminates them.

“Many of these boxes were actually in places where no one was providing security over them or observing what was going on there,” said Senate sponsor Dennis Baxley.

Supervisors called the drop boxes the Gold Standard and told lawmakers none were unmonitored.

Other opponents believe the legislation will make it harder to vote.

“Less people voting, and that is unacceptable,” said Jonathan Webber.

Under the legislation, only a designated family member will be able to drop off a completed mail ballot at a supervisor of elections office.

The legislation would also require more than four million voters who have pending mail ballot requests to ask again.

“You get a total choice each year to pick how you want to vote this year,” said Baxley.

But supervisors of elections, all 67 of them, are opposed to the $16 million dollar change.

“Nothing in this bill is on our list of suggestions,” said Alan Hayes, Lake County Supervisor of Elections.

They argue it will set the state back.

“All these requests on file, right now, are at the request of voters,” said Mark Earley, Vice President of the association representing Florida’s election supervisors.

The League of Women Voters suggested lawmakers’ intent behind the bill is even more nefarious.

“Taking away safe and secure drop boxes makes absolutely no sense, unless you’re looking for ways to suppress the vote,” said Neely.

Afterwards, the sponsor pushed back on supervisors.

“Thank you for being willing to give us input, but we are the policy makers and they are the implementers,” said Baxley.

Lawmakers told us the legislation is generating significant email from constituents.

It has one more committee stop before a vote by the full Senate.

The clemency board voted to forgive all outstanding COVID-related fines imposed on businesses and Floridians throughout the pandemic Wednesday morning.

Little description of the scope of the move was offered, but the Governor did explain why he felt the hard handed penalties for violating government-mandated public health measures should be revoked.

“Many of these restrictions I think have shown to be ineffective and I think they’ve unfairly penalized people,” said Governor Ron DeSantis.

Only one member of the clemency board, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried voted no.

She is the lone statewide elected Democrat.

Electric vehicles are expected to make up a quarter of the new vehicles sold by 2030.

Under a bill approved by a Senate committee Wednesday, the owners of electric vehicles will be paying more for the registrations starting in July.

Fully electric vehicles will see their annual fee go up by $125.

Trucks over 10,000 pounds will see the fee go up by $235 and the owners of plug-in hybrid vehicles will pay $35 more.

Senate Sponsor Jeff Brandes said the money will all be used to provide more charging infrastructure on Florida

“Electric vehicles currently don’t pay the gas tax, so we have to look to a more elegant solution to bring in revenue from this vehicles that use our roads just like internal combustion engines uses the roads. Many States have looked at this question and have decided that the most efficient way in the short term to address this issue is by imposing an additional fee on registration,” said Brandes.

The fees go up slightly in 2025 and expire in 2030.

Limits on the amount of THC in medical marijuana would be imposed under a bill approved by its first House committee Tuesday morning.

The bill aims to prevent medical marijuana from being treated as a recreational drug, but opponents argue there’s no justification for the measure.

Representative Spencer Roach likens what he’s seeing now in the state’s medical marijuana industry, to the practices that preceded the opioid crisis.

“You know, 15 years ago when we look at the opioid crisis this is what we were seeing. This kind of doctor shopping, drug seeking behavior,” said Roach.

He’s sponsoring a bill that would restrict the THC levels in medical marijuana products to 10 percent for whole flower and 60 percent for other products.

It also limits patients to 15,000 milligrams of THC every 35 days.

“We have not only a responsibility to act now, but an opportunity to act before it’s too late,” said Roach.

Some states like New Jersey have set THC prescription limits lower than the one being proposed in Florida, while other states like Hawaii have limits three times as high.

Marijuana activists question the need for the the restrictions.

“No one has ever died from cannabis. This is a safe, effective medicine and when it is used under the medical marijuana program we’re making sure that the doses are pure and precise,” said Jodi James with the Florida Cannabis Action Network.

But Roach said state data shows some doctors have been, in his opinion, far too liberal with their prescriptions.

“I mean we’re talking about 10 million milligrams over a 70-day period. That’s about 780 bottles of 24-count Aspirin,” said Roach.

The bill was passed through its first committee with a party-line vote, but at least two Republicans expressed serious concerns with the THC caps, saying it sounded too close to lawmakers playing doctor.

Cannabis researcher Dr. Sasha Noe agrees.

She argues the dosing decisions should be left to medical professionals.

“The physicians are using the best science we have and our clinical knowledge for patients to be able to help them,” said Dr. Noe.

But Roach said he’s yet to see any research confirming medical benefits of high THC marijuana.

“And if someone watching or listening has such a study, I’m happy to review that,” said Roach.

Last year, similar legislation failed to gain traction in the Senate.

While it has been filed there this session, it’s yet to be slated for a hearing.

Florida lawmakers hate being told what to do, so they are back with their annual effort to make it harder for citizens to amend their constitution.

The good news is that voters have the final say.

Currently, six in ten voters must approve a constitutional amendment.

Now lawmakers in control want to raise the threshold to 66 and 2/3 percent.

“This bill makes sure that a broader group of our citizens must approve changes that are near permanent,” said Senate sponsor Anna Maria Rodriguez.

It didn’t sit well with Democrats on the committee.

“This a such a spit in the face to every member of the voting electorate,” said Senator Randolph Bracy.

Trish Neely with the League of Women Voters said the reason behind the change is obvious.

“Water and land legacy would have failed. 2018, restoration of civil rights would have failed. 2020, the minimum wage increase would have failed,” said Neely.

Governor Jeb Bush was the first to push for higher passage rates.

That was after the class size amendment was approved in 2002.

Since then Republicans have raised the number of signatures for judicial review, cut the life span of petitions in half, restricted signature gatherers and raised the cost of verifying petitions ten fold.

“Frankly, whoever raises the most money gets the vote,” said Senator Doug Broxson.

So dismayed, Senator Bracy left the room for the vote.

“I didn’t even think it was worth my presence,” said Bracy.

The bill passed along party lines.

We asked the sponsor if her motivation was tied to the passage of the of the $15 minimum wage.

“No. This bill was not prompted by any previous bill that passed,” said Rodriguez.

And if the measure reaches voters, it will only take 60 percent of the voters to raise the threshold to 66 and 2/3 percent.

The measure would also make it easier to repeal previously adopted amendments by requiring the removal by the same percentage that was required to approve something at the time.

In the case of the class size amendment, that would be just 50 percent.

Three Miami lawmakers want schools to install speed cameras in school zones.

Similar to red light cameras, the systems would capture your speed and tag number, then mail you a notice of violation which you can contest or pay.

House sponsor Nick Duran said no fines will be issued until at least 30 days after the systems go operational.

“The goal is not to issue tickets or collect fines, but to protect our kids. Counties and cities with these safety systems would have to educate their communities about these systems and issue warnings before any citations are issued. This is only the worst speeders. People going at least ten miles an hour over the limit would be cited. A few miles an hour can make a big difference,” said Rep. Duran.

The current fine for speeding ten to fourteen miles over the limit in a school zone is $200.

Districts would be able to keep 49 percent of the fine, with the majority going to pay for the cameras.