Dear Friends & Neighbors,

The second week of Committee meetings took place in Tallahassee last week. Members of the Florida House wasted no time tackling a range of issues facing our state, filing numerous bills and engaging in important debate. 

Last week in committees, there were various agency presentations, overviews of budget requests, and several Member bills received their first hearing.  I believe this was a very productive week, and a lot of good work was done on behalf of our state.

In the weeks ahead, as we move closer to the 2015 Legislative Session, I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to take important steps to improve the great State of Florida. I will continue to keep you up-to-date with periodic newsletters letting you know about important bills under consideration and any new laws that are passed.

The next Committee Week is February 2nd. I look forward to continuing to serve our district in Tallahassee and as always, please feel free to contact me or my office whenever we can be of assistance. 

Kind Regards,

JAKE

Florida Unemployment Rate Drops to 5.6%

The Department of Economic Opportunity released the state's employment numbers for December 2014. The numbers show Florida's unemployment rate is down to 5.6% with 12,700 jobs added in the month of December for a total of 230,600 new jobs added over the last year.

This is great news and the continued improvement in our economy shows that our pro-growth economic policies are working for Florida.

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Legislature Begins Conversation on Water Policy

During the Legislature’s second Committee Week, the House State Affairs Committee, which considers matters related to agriculture and environmental protection, met to discuss one of Florida’s most valuable natural resources—water.

During the meeting, Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture, Adam Putnam, called for a long-term and comprehensive approach to addressing Florida’s water concerns. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) also gave an update to Members on water quality and supply issues in the state.

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Legislators Briefed On Two Economic Incentive Programs

The House Economic Affairs Committee had productive discussions concerning two economic incentive programs—Florida’s Enterprise Zone Program and Urban High-Crime Area Job Tax Credit Program. Both programs were created by the Legislature to provide tax credits to private companies to create jobs in areas with high poverty and crime rates.

During the meeting, the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability gave Members an overview of the programs and provided their non-partisan research on the effectiveness of each program in creating jobs. Members asked questions and received important information on these programs and possible ways they can be improved.

With Florida leading the nation in job growth, I look forward to future discussions on these two programs and how we can continue to make Florida a top destination for job creation.

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Committee Receives Update on Florida’s GI Bill

The House Veteran & Military Affairs Subcommittee received an update on the implementation of the Florida GI Bill. The goal of the Florida GI Bill is to make Florida the “welcome home” state for our veterans. This bill made a number of changes to encourage our veterans and their spouses to continue their education and to help them find a career that provides the best future for themselves and their families.

Since the bill was passed and signed into law, a number of provisions have been put into effect to assist our veterans, and the Committee learned that implementation is going well thus far. For example, the Florida GI bill extended the time frame for veterans to get professional license fee waivers from the Departments of Health (DOH) and Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). Since this change took effect, DOH has waived over $49,000 in fees and DBPR has waived over $39,000 in fees for military veterans and their spouses.

Our state prides itself on supporting our troops. We want our heroes to be able to come home to Florida and adjust to civilian life more easily, and I believe the GI Bill is a great step towards achieving that goal.