Lawmakers Convene for Opening Day of the 2022 Regular Session

On Tuesday, January 11, Florida lawmakers convened for the 124th Legislative Session since Florida’s statehood.  Following recognition of his family, dignitaries and special guests, Senate President Wilton Simpson delivered opening remarks in the Senate Chamber.

“Now more than ever, we understand that leadership matters, and under the leadership of this Legislature and this Governor, Florida continues to be a refuge for freedom, a destination for millions, and a slice of paradise for those who want to work, raise their families, and succeed without the heavy hand of government telling them how to live,” said President Simpson during his Opening Day remarks.

The Senate, House of Representatives and Cabinet joined together to hear the State of the State Address by Governor Ron DeSantis.

Senate Committees Consider the Governor’s Budget Recommendations

This week, the Senate Committee on Appropriations, chaired by Senator Kelli Stargel, received an overview of the Governor’s proposed Freedom First Budget.

Some of Governor DeSantis’s recommendations include:

• Tax relief for Florida families;
• Pay increases for our law enforcement and correctional officers, firefighters and state employees;
• Historic investments in protecting and restoring Florida’s natural resources;
• Continued efforts to increase minimum salaries for teachers and record per-student funding; and
• Significant funding to support children in out-of-home care, mental health and substance abuse services, and increased funding for cancer research.

Senate Appropriations Subcommittees also heard recommendations related to their specific policy area and discussed the recommendations with agency and department heads or appropriate budget staff.

Senate Committees Send Legislative and Congressional Map Plans to Senate Floor

This week, the Senate Committee on Reapportionment, chaired by Senator Ray Rodrigues, reviewed recommendations from the Select Subcommittees on Congressional and Legislative Reapportionment, and voted to advance Congressional and State Senate map plans to the Senate floor.

On Monday, the Select Subcommittee on Congressional Reapportionment, chaired by Senator Jennifer Bradley, and the Senate Subcommittee on Legislative Reapportionment, chaired by Senator Danny Burgess, publically workshopped draft maps before finalizing their recommendations to the full Reapportionment Committee.

On Thursday, the Reapportionment Committee publically considered SJR 100, Joint Resolution of Apportionment, and SB 102, Establishing the Congressional Districts of the State, and adopted amendments to incorporate the recommendations of the select subcommittees. During the committee meeting, in accordance with Supreme Court precedent, Senate districts were randomly renumbered in order to maintain staggered election terms in an incumbent-neutral manner.  SJR 100 and SB 102 passed out of committee and are heading to the Senate floor.

The plans are published and available at www.FloridaRedistricting.gov, where they may be viewed interactively or downloaded from the Submitted Plans page for independent analysis.

Committee Unanimously Supports Legislation to Enhance Academic Growth

The Florida Senate recognizes that education is not one-size-fits-all, and the Senate remains committed to supporting the individual needs of Florida students.  This week, Senate Bill 1048, Student Assessments, by Senator Manny Diaz, Jr., received unanimous support in the Committee on Education.

The legislation aims to replace the Florida Standards Assessments (FSA) with computer-based progress monitoring, which will allow teachers to more frequently receive actionable feedback.  This timely feedback to teachers and parents will enable instruction, support and programs to be tailored to advance the academic goals of each student, while maintaining accountability in Florida’s world-class education system.  The legislative proposal provides a one-year transition period to the new statewide assessments, which will hold students and schools harmless during the transition.

Legislation Helps Veterans Become Teachers

Florida remains one of the most military-and veteran-friendly states in the nation, with more than 1.5 million veterans and their families calling the Sunshine State home.

This week, the Senate Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security unanimously passed Senate Bill 896, Educator Certification Pathways for Veterans, by Senator Burgess.  The legislation creates an additional pathway for educator certification after veterans have been honorably or medically discharged from the U.S. Armed forces.

To be eligible to seek certification, veterans must have completed at least 48 months of active duty service and meet specific education requirements.  Educator certificates earned by eligible veterans will be valid for up to five years.

“We have both the short- and long-term workforce needs within the classroom, and I think this can be one way that we can recognize the great service and experience of our veterans and translate that into the classroom, instill those values, and match that with the need for more teachers,” explained Senator Burgess.

Supporting Florida’s Hometown Heroes

The dedicated Floridians who spend each day protecting, educating and caring for our communities deserve all the support we can provide.  This week, Senate Bill 788, Florida Hometown Hero Housing Program, by Senator Hooper, garnered unanimous support in the Senate Committee on Community Affairs.  The bill aims to help Florida’s hometown heroes purchase homes in the communities they serve.

SB 788 creates the Florida Hometown Hero Housing Program, a new down payment assistance program for law enforcement and correctional officers, 911 public safety telecommunicators, firefighters, educators, paramedics and EMTs, health care practitioners, physician and medical assistants, and home health aides.  The program gives eligible homebuyers access to loans that reduce down payments and closing costs.

Legislation on Sexual Battery Upon A Mentally Incapacitated Person, Unanimously Passes State Judiciary Committee

On Thursday, Senate Bill 868, sponsored by Senator Linda Stewart (D-Orlando), passed this week, favorably by unanimous vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee.  The bill moves to its next committee of reference, Criminal Justice, and will receive a hearing the third week of session.

The bill clarifies and creates consistency in statutes on what constitutes sexual battery upon a person impaired by drugs or alcohol.  By this legislation, an offender commits the aggravated crime if the offender knows, or has reason to believe, the victim is mentally incapacitated due to the ingestion of drugs and or alcohol.

“Whether it be self-induced or not, we need full accountability for individuals who take advantage of another’s mental incapacitation,” said Stewart.

Governor Ron DeSantis Announces Nearly $17 Million for Stormwater Infrastructure Improvements in Bonita Springs

On January 12, Governor Ron DeSantis awarded nearly $17 million to the City of Bonita Springs in Lee County through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity’s (DEO) Rebuild Florida Mitigation General Infrastructure Program.

Funding will be used to make critical improvements to 2.5 miles of stormwater infrastructure and will repair damage caused by Hurricane Irma along East Terry Street, from Old 41 Road East to Bonita Grande Drive.

“Today we are excited to be able to make an impact in Bonita Springs,” said Governor Ron DeSantis.  “This award will help the city make key stormwater system improvements and is one of the many projects we have awarded utilizing long-term recovery funds to make meaningful infrastructure improvements.  We are going to continue to support infrastructure that builds our resiliency.”

Once stormwater projects are complete, Bonita Springs plans to construct a multi-use path for residents.  This pathway will link urban and rural areas to commercial, recreational, and civic destinations.

It is anticipated that this pathway will help to reduce traffic along Terry Street and provide safer access to the schools, churches, and community facilities located in the area. 

Rebuild Florida is administered by DEO and allows local governments to develop large-scale infrastructure projects that aid communities in making them more resilient against future disasters.  For more information, visit RebuildFlorida.gov.