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The Senate Pandemic Committee was updated by the Agency for Health Care Administration and the Florida Health Care Association on the situation at long term care facilities Thursday.

Lawmakers were told 97 percent of nursing home residents and 98 percent of staff are currently COVID-free and that nearly all facilities have either received or are scheduled to receive their first dose of vaccine.

Between 70 and 80 percent of residents are taking the vaccine, while just 40 percent of staff have been willing to accept it.

Emmett Reed, Executive Director of the Florida Health Care Association said a critical issue facing facilities are increased costs from the pandemic compounded with a 15 percent decline in residents.

“If we don’t start to see occupancy increase over the next six or seven months, maybe even less, you’re going to start seeing nursing homes in a very dire situation financially. It’s just, the margins are razor thin,” said Reed.

Reed also praised the decisions made by the Governor early on in the pandemic like locking down long term care facilities and requiring a negative test for residents to be returned to nursing homes, saying the actions saved thousands of lives.

Lawmakers are looking to consolidate and streamline its five private school voucher programs into two, hoping to make it easier for parents to opt in.

The 158-page bill also makes changes to how the scholarships are funded, which has Democrats concerned.

It’s become an annual affair at the State Capitol.

Lawmakers heard from students and parents who have benefited from the state’s private school scholarship programs Wednesday, as they considered this year’s school choice bill.

“At West Park Prep, I don’t have to fight anymore,” said Hallandale Beach student Marquavious Wilson.

They also heard testimony from those who oppose the vouchers.

“Vouchers operate in the dark without public accountability,” said Reverend Dr. Russell Meyer with the Florida Council of Churches.

This year’s legislation aims to streamline the state’s five voucher programs into two.

“The real story behind this bill is the consolidation, the streamlining, and to make it easier for the parents to access the program,” said Senate sponsor Manny Diaz.

What gives Democrats pause, is that both private school scholarships would now be funded through the main pot of money for public schools.

Senator Diaz said the various corporate and opt-in tax revenue sources for the scholarships will continue to cover cost.

“The most important thing is we’re funding students and we’re funding them where they’re being served. We’re funding students, not schools,” said Diaz.

But Senator Perry Thurston is worried if those revenues fail to keep up with the growing pool of scholarship recipients, the new funding structure would make it easier to divert dollars meant for public schools to private schools.

“Do you really think that this Legislature, who’ve increased vouchers every opportunity they have, is not gonna fund those vouchers? They’re going to fund it. That’s when you see the decline in public education,” said Thurston.

Between the five existing scholarships, nearly 185,000 students received school choice vouchers last year, costing taxpayers well over a billion dollars.

The bill also raises the amount of money students receiving scholarships would receive, from 95 to 97.5 percent of what the state spends on the average public school student.

Until the Legislature sets per-student funding for this upcoming year, it’s not clear how much overall spending on private school vouchers will rise.

A statewide organization of Black pastors has identified dozens of Black churches to become what they are calling “trusted venues” for African Americans reluctant to get vaccinated.

The pastors hope to boost the number of people of color getting the vaccine.

As of Tuesday, more than 1.3 million Floridians had received their first dose of a vaccine.

The report also shows that only 66,000, or just under five percent are Black.

“Those numbers are dismal, disturbing, and depressing,” said Reverend Dr. RB Holmes.

A task force of Black pastors has identified 86 sites, mostly Black churches, spread over six regions in the state that they say would be trusted venues with trusted pastors.

“To say it’s alright. Matter of fact, its alright to take the vaccine. You ought to take them. We believe in science, we believe our doctors,” said Holmes.

The data shows that about a quarter million Floridians, 18 percent of all those that have gotten a shot, did not disclose their ethnic information.

Florida’s point-man on vaccines said hesitancy is a problem for African Americans.

“Just because I put a site in an African American community, it doesn’t guarantee access. The only way to guarantee access is to make sure that I am closing that pod,” said Director of the Division of Emergency Management Jared Moskowitz.

State Senator Audrey Gibson isn’t so sure.

“It’s not hard to look up data on demographics and target certain communities. We do that in political races all the time. So, there’s no reason for that not to have happened the way it should have,” said Gibson.

The pastors also argue that Publix stores one of the main distribution points, are out of reach for many poor Floridians.

Floridians will soon start seeing a public service campaign, funded with $1.6 million in federal money, to encourage people to be vaccinated.

Floridians may have another minimum wage amendment to vote on in 2022 if a new proposal in the State Capitol is approved.

The proposed amendment would allow the Legislature to set a training wage below the minimum wage.

The ink is barely dry on the $15 minimum wage amendment voters overwhelmingly approved in November.

Under the minimum wage amendment passed last year, the state’s minimum wage will rise to $10 an hour this September and by an additional dollar each year until reaching $15 in 2026.

Now lawmakers are already looking to walk it back.

“The rising minimum wage is going to have an impact on teen workers. It’s going to have an impact on those with low skills,” said State Senator Jeff Brandes.

Brandes is sponsoring the new wage amendment.

It would allow the Legislature to set a lower training wage, for what he describes as hard to hire employees.

“And we’re trying to make sure that the employers aren’t putting those on the bottom of the pile, but are strongly considering those,” said Brandes.

It would apply to prisoners, people with felony convictions and Floridians aged 21 and younger.

“Those populations generally have an unemployment rate of around 25 to 30 percent, which is five or six times the state average unemployment rate,” said Brandes.

It immediately got pushback from Attorney John Morgan, who pushed the $15 minimum wage amendment.

In a tweet he suggested it would disproportionately affect people of color and promote child labor abuse.

“This is exactly what the Republicans were gonna try to do,” said Agriculture Nikki Fried, the state’s top-elected Democrat.

Fried condemned the effort.

“Senator Brandes’ proposal is not what’s in the best interest for the citizens of our state considering we just passed this amendment,” said Fried.

There is no house sponsor for the training wage amendment, which makes its future uncertain.

Even if the training wage amendment passes through the legislature with the required 3/5’s vote, it would still need at least 60 percent voter approval to become part of state constitution.

Governor Ron DeSantis and legislative leaders are going to war with big tech social media companies who they say have played fast and loose with the public square.

Companies who don’t treat everyone the same could face big fines.

In his 2018 race for Agriculture Commissioner, Republican Matt Caldwell paid Facebook to run a campaign ad showing his support of the 2nd Amendment.
Instead, it was blocked for a day.

“We were being prevented from talking about a fairly straight forward American value,” said Caldwell in a 2018 interview.

Now, pointing to the most recent election, the Governor and legislative leaders want to hold the five tech giants accountable for their decisions.

“We’re looking at protecting privacy. We’re looking at protecting people from being censored and deplatformed. And we are looking at protecting people from election interference,” said Governor Ron DeSantis.

As proposed, the legislation would allow individual consumers and the Attorney General to file lawsuits against big tech companies for blocking users or failing to follow their own terms of service.

It would also fine big tech $100,000 a day for de-platforming political candidates.

“When it comes to elections in Florida, big tech should stay out of it,” said DeSantis.

Senate President Wilton Simpson called the censorship one-sided.

“Lets be clear. They are targeting conservatives,” said Simpson.

Florida currently holds about $8 billion in big tech stocks, but calls to divest those stocks appear to be going nowhere.

“And they have market caps that this would be a drop in the bucket,” said DeSantis.

Agriculture Commissioner and Top-elected state Democrat Nikki Fried believes big tech has become a monopoly.

“Big tech has gotten too big,” said Fried.

But she said the GOP’s motivation is misguided.

“This is politics,” said Fried.

House Speaker Chris Sprowls believes Florida’s legislation can make a difference.

“They don’t have to tell people what they are doing or why they are doing it. Under our bill, they have to,” said Sprowls.

Even the Governor acknowledged Florida is just one state, but he said he hoped other states would be emboldened.

Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried is hoping to work with the new Biden Administration on a wide array of progressive issues.

In a 30-page plan announced Tuesday, the Commissioner outlined steps she hopes the new President will take to better help Florida’s environment, access to democracy, Florida farmers and rural communities.

Among the top priorities are increased access to broadband in rural areas, automatic voter registration, grants for reducing carbon emissions in agriculture and the legalization of recreational marijuana.

“Many of these ideas are ambitious, but if there was ever a time that required bold action, this is it. Because as the President said, this is no time to just build back to the ways things were before. We have to build America and Florida back better,” said Fried.

Fried is also asking for increased crop insurance options for timber farmers and a commitment from the Biden Administration to address foreign trade practices she says put Florida farmers at a disadvantage.

Florida lawmakers are trying to drum up support for liability protections for healthcare workers and long term care facility staff who have been on the frontlines fighting the pandemic.

From PPE shortages, crowded COVID wards and lockdowns at long term care facilities, health care workers on the front lines of the pandemic have faced numerous trials over the past year.

“They ran toward this crisis. They led, they cared for with dedication, with commitment,” said Mary Mayhew, President of the Florida Hospital Association.

And as lawmakers have sought pandemic liability protections for Florida businesses, they’re now hoping to provide similar legal protections for those in the health care industry.

“We should be celebrating our caregivers, not putting them at risk of being sued,” said Kathy Gallin with the Florida Health Care Association.

State Senator Jeff Brandes told us liability protections for health care workers will go further than those proposed for businesses.

“The key is, we have to recognize this is a global pandemic and physicians were given oftentimes conflicting from the CDC and other groups,” said Brandes.

Brandes said the legislation will address COVID-adjacent issues, like delayed elective procedures.

“Physicians had to make some tough calls. There are obviously some things that are included in the health care world that are not in the geral business world that we need to look at. And some of the ramifications, obviously many more of the executive orders related to the health care space than the business space, and so we want to make sure that we’re encompassing many of those conversations,” said Brandes.

The Florida Chamber found protections for healthcare works have broad support.

A new survey showed 78 percent of Floridians approve.

The Florida Chamber’s survey showed bipartisan support for pandemic liability protections for healthcare workers with 71 percent of Democrats, 75 percent of independents and 84 percent of Republicans saying they approve.

The legislation hasn’t been filed yet, but the Senator leading the charge says he expects a bill to drop in the coming days.

One in five renters and one in ten homeowners are believed to be behind on their rent or mortgage payments nationally.

In Florida, more than 47,000 eviction notices have been filed, and a handful of bills filed at the State Capitol seek to keep people in their homes.

Every day in Florida, 180 new eviction notices are being filed.

A total of 47,676 have been filed since the pandemic began according to the state courts administrator.

A legal services documentary put out by Virginia Poverty Law Center highlights the problem.

Most landlords won’t rent to someone who has been evicted.

“We’’ll check the court records and see an eviction and unfortunately, we can’t help you,” said Margaret Eaddy, a woman with a past eviction interviewed in the documentary.

In Florida legislation has been filed to require courts to send tenants and landlords to mediation.

“It’s to help level the playing field. Try to provide more process for tenants,” said House sponsor Fentrice Driskell.

Under the bill, tenants would not have to post all of their back due rent with the court, guaranteeing a hearing on the facts.

Other pending legislation would remove eviction documents from the public record.

“We allow records to be expunged and sealed for criminal offenses. Why not for the unfortunate situation of an eviction?” Said Senate sponsor Darryl Rouson.

Amanda Gill with the Florida Apartment Association worries the legislation will do more harm than good.

“This legislation would ultimately prevent housing providers from working with residents in those incidents where they would otherwise be incentivized to do so,” said Gill.

But legal services attorney Stephanie Johnson said anything to slow evictions will help people.

“To not have those evictions count against them so they can find adequate housing is important,” said Johnson.

The CDC’s national eviction moratorium has been extended through the first of April.

The national moratorium has kept most cases from going to court, but this year’s session begins March 2nd and runs through April 30th, a full month after the national moratorium is set to expire.

Florida launched a statewide website for getting your place in line for a vaccine Friday.

MyVaccine.FL.Gov is the state’s new one stop shop for vaccinations.

It allows Floridians to enter their information and secure a place in line for a vaccine.

“The hunting around and trying to find appointments as they come up doesn’t work,” said Jared Moskowitz, Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

Moskowitz told lawmakers this week counties can pull names from the list and contact residents when appointments become available.

“So instead of people having to go and find appointments every single solitary day as they pop up, they will be in line and we’ll be able to communicate with them,” said Moskowitz.

The site will also help the state give residents a more accurate timeline of when they can expect to get vaccinated.

“Based on the throughput kind of tell them what the timeline is gonna look like. Based on supply, where they sit, what the timeline could look like,” said Moskowitz.

The site does have its limitations.

It can’t schedule appointments for vaccinations at Publix Pharmacies.

“Right now the Publix system and the state system don’t talk, but I’m not saying that eventually can’t happen,” said Moskowitz.

Counties also have to opt in, but Moskowitz says even if they don’t, the system can still be of value.

“We can say, hey county, look you’re not using our system, but there are 100,000 people in your county that signed up. They signed up in this order. Here’s that list. Again, you county, can work off that list if you want to,” said Moskowitz.

For now, only those 65 and older, long term care facility residents and staff, health care workers and those deemed extremely vulnerable to COVID can register.

You can also call to sign up for the list.

Click this link to find the number to call for your county.

It’s Celebrate Literacy Week in Florida and The Speaker of the Florida House has unveiled a new legislative initiative aimed at improving literacy rates among Florida students.

The New Worlds Reading Initiative filed this week would deliver free books to Florida students who have been identified as struggling readers.

It also would require support materials be provided to parents to help them engage with their children’s literacy education.
“We know how hard our educators and our teachers are working every single day throughout the state to get our children to read on grade level, but we need the help of our parents. And in order to help our parents help their children, we need to provide them with programming and resources to help keep the reading going at home, trying to get children reading at least 20 minutes per day. Because all of the data shows that if we can achieve that goal, that those children will in fact be reading on grade level,” said Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls.

School districts that decide to participate in the statewide program would be required to work with local organizations that would help raise awareness and funds for the book distribution.

The state would cover half of the cost.

The Governor is proposing Florida spend $4.4 billion more than it did last year, much of it due to federal funding for Medicaid, but none-the-less, the rosy economic picture comes as a surprise.

‘Florida Leads’ is the theme of this year’s budget proposal.

The Governor said despite a pandemic ravaged economy, Florida is doing better than most states.

“If you are a hair stylist, we protect your right to earn a living,” said Governor Ron DeSantis.

The result has been hundreds of millions in unexpected revenue.

“You go back in April, people were anticipating a massive hold, so we were able to do better,” said DeSantis.

Education funding is up in the Governor’s proposal.

He would increase per pupil spending by $233 a student.

“And that’s $18,019 per pupil,” said DeSantis.

There’s also 550 million new dollars for teacher raises.

“To the goal of getting the average starting salary statewide to $47,500,” said DeSantis.

College and University funding remains flat with no hike in tuition.

“There are not a lot of spending increases throughout the budget that are not pandemic driven,” said DeSantis.

Not all is rosy, there are 169 fewer state jobs in the new proposal and a billion dollars would be cut from existing state budgets.

The Governor also wants to continue funding for the Everglades and water quality at $625 million.

There’s also a billion new dollars over four years to fight climate change.

“And the purpose of this is to tackle the challenges posed by flooding, intensified storm events, sea level rise,” said DeSantis.

And with all the increased spending outlined by the Governor, Florida will start the new budget with $6.6 billion in reserves, the highest in state history.

Florida lawmakers will have the final say in the spending plan when their begin their annual session on March 2nd.

The new spending plan takes effect in July.

Florida’s Director of Emergency Management doubled down on the need for more vaccine doses while speaking with State Senators Thursday.

Director of Emergency Management Jared Moskowitz said if Florida had the supply, it has the capacity to administer as many as 250,000 doses a day.

“We would be done with seniors in three weeks,” said Moskowitz.

Even with an extra 40,000 doses this week, the state is nowhere near the necessary allotment to achieve that goal.

“It’s definitely better, but it’s not enough,” said Moskowitz.

The Director also took shots at comments made by the White House Press Secretary, who said Florida had only used half of its vaccine.

“In that 55 percent, which is what we’re at by the way, I have almost a million second doses that I can’t touch until you hit that schedule,” said Moskowitz.

Supply continues to be the number one issue facing vaccine rollout.

“They know it’s a supply issue. Every state knows it’s a supply issue. You know it’s a supply issue,” said Moskowitz.

The Director acknowledged issues like long lines and canceled appointments in Florida, but a new statewide pre-registration system launching in the coming days seeks to create a smoother process.

That’s welcome news to Senate Pandemic Committee Chair Danny Burgess.

“That system is going to be immensely helpful, but I think he made it very clear that the real issue is supply. That you plan for a certain promise and then if that’s not delivered you have to adjust that plan and you have to be willing to be flexible,” said Senator Burgess.

And still today the state is only getting a six day heads up on weekly vaccine allotment, though the Director said the federal government is hoping to increase that to three weeks.

The Director did highlight that the state achieved its goal of offering vaccinations to all nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

He also noted an issue that has been creeping up, saying high rates of health care workers and long term care facility workers have declined to take the vaccine.

Under legislation passed through its first Senate committee in the State Capitol Wednesday, teachers, police and other public sector union members would have to reaffirm their desire to be in their union.

Sponsors argue the bill makes sure employees have the final say on their money, but unions say it’s an effort to hurt them.

Police, firemen, teachers and even government clerks would have to proactively confirm they want to continue their union membership under legislation moving at the Capitol.

Sponsor Ray Rodrigues wants those union members to know they have alternatives.

“The acknowledgement must include a statement that payment of union dues is voluntary and that the employee may not be discriminated against based upon union membership,” said Senator Rodrigues.

But union sympathizers allege the bill is about much more.

“This bill is just another attempt at union busting,” said State Senator Victor Torres.

The bill would require public sector union members to proactively tell their employer they want to stay in a union at least every three years, or after each new contract.

“We would ask what is the compelling reason to insert the employer between the employee and their union,” said Stephanie Kunkel with the Florida Education Association.

Law enforcement unions in particular are worried that someone will miss the notice to re-up and then not have any benefits if they get hurt.

The legislation cleared its first committee on a four to two vote.

“It encourages that discussion between a member and their union,” said Senator Kelli Stargel.

“I heard from the law enforcement, firefighters, teachers, health care workers and they are asking us not to support this bill,” said Senator Linda Stewart.

Sponsor Rodrigues rejects the union busing characterization.

“We think there should be a signed authorization, signed by the employer, before the employees pay is reduced,” said Rodrigues.

If the bill becomes law, public sector unions would not be allowed to ask anyone why they dropped their membership.

The bill cleared the House last year but was never taken up in the Senate.

Union leaders worry it stands a better chance this year, since it’s getting such an early hearing in the Senate.

Since hemp was approved for hemp cultivation in mid-2019, 729 Florida farmers have been approved to grow the crop.

Despite challenges posed in 2020, the industry is beginning to bloom.

The Department of Agriculture’s Cannabis Director Holly Bell told Senators all but one of Florida’s 67 counties have farmers licensed to grow hemp.

293 acres were planted in 2020.

“We did have 44 acres destroyed,” said Bell. “There were only about two of them because the field went what we call ‘hot’ above the level of 0.3 total THC allowed.”

That’s a success rate of 85 percent.

Most of the unsuccessful crops were the result of inexperienced growers and Florida’s unique climate, but universities like FAMU are actively conducting research to identify strains that grow best in the sunshine state.

Funding for those research programs is slated to expire this September.

Lawmakers like Senate Ag Chair Darryl Rouson believe their continuation is vital.

“We need to do more. Hemp is an important product and an important part of the economy now,” said Senator Rouson.

In its first year, the state’s hemp industry already includes more than 7,000 retailers, 280 manufactures, more than 200 warehouses, 38 distributors and 15 processors.

And with a total of 23,000 acres approved for cultivation statewide, Bell predicts the industry will continue to grow as much as 25 percent each year.

“We’ve had success even during COVID and the industry appears to be growing rapidly,” said Bell.

Initial estimates put 2020 hemp tax revenue in the millions of dollars.

Supporters of Florida hemp like Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried have suggested the industry has potential to eventually become a 20 to $30 billion industry.

A Senate resolution approved by a committee in the State Capitol Wednesday says Florida rejects socialism in all its forms.

The resolution is pushback to the political unrest leading up to and after the election.

Senate sponsor Manny Diaz said its main purpose is to remind people that system we have is still working.

“Its just a message that the system itself works. Capitalism and free markets have pulled more people our of poverty worldwide than any other system. And anywhere that socialism has devolved, it hasn’t worked,” said Diaz.

The resolution, if it clears the full Senate, carries no legal weight and it does not have to be approved by the House or Governor.