Senate Honors Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Victims Thursday, February 14, 2019, marked the one-year anniversary of the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. At 9 a.m., Governor DeSantis held a moment of silence in the Capitol Courtyard in Tallahassee and ordered that all State Flags be flown at half-staff. At 10:17 a.m., the Florida Senate paused to observe a moment of silence in memory of the 17 innocent lives that were lost. Education Safety Bill Passes First Committee Last session, in response to the tragic shooting in Parkland, Florida, the Senate introduced and passed the "Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act" (SB 7026). SB 7026 introduced several measures that strengthened security and safety in Florida schools. This week, the Senate Committee on Education chaired by Senator Manny Diaz, Jr. passed Senate Bill (SB) 7030, School Safety and Security. The legislation builds on the work we did last session and implements recommendations from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (MSDHS) Public Safety Commission. Some of the measures that SB 7030 includes are:
Senate Committee Hearing on Biomedical Research The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services heard updates on biomedical research in Florida. The topics discussed included Alzheimer's Disease research, cancer research and life science workforce issues. Some key takeaways from the presentation include:
First Responder Dogs and Horses Get New Protections SB 96, Police, Fire, and Search and Rescue Dogs and Police Horses, introduced by Senator Aaron Bean passed its first committee stop this week. Last year, Fang, a Jacksonville Sheriff's office canine was killed while pursuing a suspect. This bill seeks to prevent that from happening again by increasing the penalty for intentionally or knowingly harming or killing a first-responder canine or horse from a third-degree felony to a second-degree felony. Senator Bean was joined in his presentation by Ace, a Gainesville Police Department canine. Farmers Affected by Hurricane Michael Hurricane Michael's impact on agriculture was a topic of the Senate Agriculture Committee this week. Its high speed winds and rain damaged billions of dollars in crops, and North Florida farmers will also face additional expenses to replace damaged barns, irrigations systems and livestock. The panel discussed the possibility of low-interest bridge loans to help farmers recover. The Senate continues to examine how Florida can serve those affected by Hurricane Michael. Research on Citrus Greening Continues Mike Sparks of Florida Citrus Mutual, Rick Dantzler of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation and Shannon Shepp of the Florida Department of Citrus briefed the Senate Appropriations Committee this week on the investments and progress their organizations have made in the fight against citrus greening. The experts emphasized the need to continue research and marketing efforts for one of Florida’s most iconic industries. Southwest Florida Days in the Capitol I had the pleasure of speaking to an outstanding group of constituents from several chambers of commerce across Southwest Florida. It was great to hear about priorities from engaged business leaders and constituents, and I look forward to representing them this session. As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office any time that I can be of assistance. Kathleen C. Passidomo Senate Majority Leader Naples Office: 3299 East Tamiami Trail LaBelle Office: 25 East Hickpochee Avenue Tallahassee Office: 330 Senate Office Building Not paid for at taxpayer expense. |