This week, the Florida Senate celebrated Florida Wildlife Corridor Day.  The Florida Wildlife Corridor is a statewide network of nearly 18 million acres of connected lands and waters supporting wildlife and people. 

In 2021, the Florida Legislature passed the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act with unanimous bipartisan support.  The legislation formally recognized the geography of the corridor and demonstrated that conservation is a priority of our state. 

Since then, we have invested nearly $2 billion to protect land in the Florida Wildlife Corridor through the Florida Forever program and the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program (RFLPP).  Through these conservation efforts, we are preserving our state's precious landscape, which is critical to our state's water supply and provides habitat for endangered wildlife. 

Last year, we passed legislation that would expand public access to the corridor, enabling Floridians to walk, run and bike through the corridor. This allows our residents and visitors to experience and appreciate the natural beauty of the Sunshine State. 

This session, we are continuing to invest in conservation and the expansion of the Florida Wildlife Corridor.  I believe the Florida Wildlife Corridor will be Florida's Central Park.  It will be a legacy we can be proud to leave for future generations to enjoy.

The Florida Senate Moves to Hold Criminals Accountable 

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice passed on Tuesday Senate Bill 1222, sponsored by Senator Jay Trumbull (R-Panama City), with bipartisan support.  This legislation protects the inherent property rights of Florida’s families and businesses while holding criminals accountable. 

SB 1222 cracks down on retail theft and porch pirating through enhanced penalties for the criminals that have unleashed lawlessness on communities across the country.  This legislation specifically targets criminals who participate in “smash-and-grab” robberies, where a large group of criminals overtake a small business and steal thousands of dollars worth of merchandise and “porch pirating”, where criminals steal packages from the doorsteps of Floridians. 

This legislation enhances penalties for retail theft and “smash-and-grab” robberies, ensuring that criminals who utilize social media to coordinate robberies, possess a firearm throughout the process of the crime or are repeat offenders are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.

During these “smash-and-grab” robberies, offenders will often physically overpower employees and cause significant damage to the property, leading to increased liability and costs placed on the business owner.

SB 1222 seeks to address these issues by requiring criminals to pay restitution for both stolen property and the cost of repairing the damage that occurred during the robbery. 

The bill makes it a second-degree felony if a “porch pirate” steals from over 20 dwellings or steals property valued at over $100 and a third-degree felony if an individual steals property valued between $40 and $100. 

Florida is known across the country as the law and order state.  While New York, California, and Chicago have essentially legalized retail theft and abandoned their citizens, the Florida Senate is committed to protecting small businesses and families across the state.  We will never allow the lawlessness that has infected liberal cities to run rampant on our streets.

This legislation sends a clear message that in Florida – We will uphold the rule of law and hold criminals accountable for violating the rights of Floridians. 

Measure Expanding Behavioral Health Education Moves to Final Committee Stop

On Tuesday, the Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services passed Senate Bill 330, sponsored by Senator Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton), with unanimous support.  This legislation establishes behavioral health teaching hospitals across the State of Florida. 

A critical component of the Florida Senate’s Live Healthy Legislative Agenda, SB 330 provides a targeted approach to address workforce shortages in mental health care.  This legislation supports a coordinated system of care to offer specific treatment and services, develops integrated workforce development programs and promotes strategic partnerships between educational institutions and behavioral health clinics. 

Behavioral health teaching hospitals will help Florida to recruit, grow and retain the next generation of professionals in innovative and integrated care for those with behavioral health needs.  This legislation enhances our behavioral health workforce and helps build toward the Florida Senate’s goal of making Florida’s system of care the very best in the nation. 

SB 330 also establishes the Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce, which will examine issues of workforce supply and demand to ensure that Florida is exercising the best practices in recruitment, retention and other workforce needs. 

The Live Healthy Agenda is a comprehensive legislative package that combines strategic policy enhancements and critical funding initiatives to address Florida’s most pressing issues in health care access and workforce shortages. 

Legislation Holding Sexual Predators Accountable Moves to Senate Floor  

The Senate Committee on Rules passed on Wednesday Senate Bill 1618, sponsored by Senator Jonathan Martin (R-Fort Myers), with unanimous support. This legislation empowers law enforcement officers, victims and their families to ensure sexual predators are punished for their deplorable crimes. 

SB 1618 allows for the parent or legal guardian of a child to intercept and record a phone conversation between their child and a suspected sexual predator. 

Currently, any recorded cell phone conversations, by anyone other than the victim of these types of offenses, are not admissible as evidence in a criminal proceeding, allowing sexual predators to walk free even if there is clear proof that they have committed or intend to commit heinous acts of violence against an innocent child. 

This legislation empowers parents and guardians to report these captured oral communications to law enforcement agencies and allows for these communications to be admissible as evidence in the court of law – eliminating a loophole that has allowed criminals to escape the consequences of their disgusting acts. 

Florida will always stand with parents and work to protect our most vulnerable. Consistent with the Florida Senate’s priority to ensure the safety and innocence of our children, this legislation provides parents and law enforcement officers with a clear avenue to hold accountable those who take advantage of our children and prey on their innocence. 

The Florida Senate Votes to Secure America’s Southern Border

On Wednesday, the Florida Senate passed Senate Memorial 598, sponsored by Senator Blaise Ingoglia (R-Spring Hill), with bipartisan support. This memorial urges the federal government to enforce current immigration laws and secure our southern border. 

Not only has the Biden administration been an abject failure in enforcing existing border security measures, but Joe Biden has exacerbated the problem by suspending construction of a border wall, increasing the number of illegal immigrants released onto the streets of our country, limiting the authority of our border patrol agents, and utilizing our unique court process to block states from addressing this historical humanitarian crisis.

These intentional and disastrous policy decisions have led to a surge in violent crime, gang activity, human trafficking, an ever increasing threat of terrorism and massive drain on taxpayer dollars and resources.  It is well beyond time for the federal government to act and stop the invasion at our southern border. 

Legislation Enhancing Security for Jewish Day Schools Moves to Final Committee

On Tuesday, the Senate Appropriations Committee on Education passed Senate Bill 1396, sponsored by Senator Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota), with unanimous support. SB 1396 establishes a program to provide security funding for Jewish Day Schools. 

This legislation builds upon House Bill 7C, passed during the 2023C Special Legislative Session, to enhance security measures at Jewish Day Schools and send a clear message that Florida stands with our Jewish neighbors. House Bill 7C provided $25 million in funding for Jewish Day Schools to enhance hardening and nonhardending security measures. 

SB 1396 empowers the Florida Department of Education and Jewish Day Schools across the State of Florida through recurring funding that can be used for security cameras, shatter-resistant glass, fencing, security personnel and other hardening or nonhardening security measures. 

Since the barbaric attacks on Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023, America has seen an exponential increase in vile acts of antisemitism across the country, especially in education.  Being a student is a time of growth, learning and a fuel for passions and interests and no student should feel unsafe when they enter the classroom, and the Florida Senate is absolutely dedicated to keeping all students safe. 

As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office any time that I can be of assistance.

Respectfully,

Kathleen C. Passidomo

Senate President
State Senator, District 28

Not paid for at taxpayer expense.

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