FSBA #FridayFive – Week of Feb. 15, 2016

Friday Five, In the News

1.    Google defends use of student data:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2016/02/16/google-says-it-tracks-personal-student-data-but-not-for-advertising/ 2.    Should Computer Education Cover More Than Coding: http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/02/15/465467155/should-computer-education-cover-more-than-just-coding 3.    Math Abilities on the Rise:  http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/03/the-math-revolution/426855/ 4.    High Tech training in central Florida schools:  http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/technology/os-advanced-manufacturing-orlando-presence-20160215-story.html 5.    Two new poems by J.R.R. Tolkien discovered: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-35585467

FSBA Daily Updates: Legislative Session 02-18-2016

2016 Daily Updates, In the News

TODAY’S HAPPENINGS In the House Economic Affairs Committee: HB 1361 – Growth Management by La Rosa – AMENDED; PASSED WITH A COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE (CS) Revises provisions regarding developments of regional impact; revises certain provisions regarding recommended orders & final orders. [NOTE:  Today’s amendments authorize the governing body of a county to employ tax increment financing and provide…

Pension reform ready for House vote

Funding, In the News, Personnel, Retirement

Florida House Republicans again have set their sights on pension reform for government employees. A proposal automatically enrolling new hires in a defined-contribution plan Tuesday cleared its final House committee on a mostly party-line vote. The proposal by Rep. Matt Caldwell, R-Lehigh Acres, would create survivor benefits for first responders enrolled in the so-called investment/defined…

Two senate bills addressing public corruption are moving closer to floor votes. The House has already acted.

Ethics, Governance, In the News

Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, is nearing the final push in a two-year effort to crack down on public corruption. Gaetz’s Florida Anti-Corruption Act of 2016 Tuesday cleared the Senate Community Affairs Committee with a unanimous vote and is one stop away from a Senate floor vote. Among other things, SB 686 prohibits legislators from accepting…

FSBA Daily Updates: Legislative Session 02-16-2016

2016 Daily Updates, In the News

TODAY’S HAPPENINGS In the Senate Criminal Justice Committee: SB 408 – Juvenile Civil Citations by Altman – AMENDED; PASSED WITH A COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE (CS) Requiring the establishment of civil citation or  similar diversion programs for juveniles; providing definitions; specifying program eligibility, participation, and implementation requirements; providing exceptions; providing applicability; etc. [NOTE:  The bill was amended with a…

FSBA Daily Updates: Legislative Session 02-15-2016

2016 Daily Updates, In the News

TODAY’S HAPPENINGS In recognition of Presidents’ Day, there were no legislative committee meetings of interest today. COMING UP TOMORROW [NOTE: Nearly all meetings may be viewed via live webcast or archived videos on the Florida Channel athttp://thefloridachannel.org/.] The Senate Criminal Justice Committee will meet (10:00 am – 12:00 pm) to consider the following item and others: SB 408 – Juvenile…

Recess bill won’t get Senate hearing, Education Committee chairman says

Curriculum, Florida Schools, Governance, In the News, Legislators

Sorry, recess moms. The push to mandate 20 minutes of daily recess in Florida’s elementary schools, which passed three House committees without opposition, won’t be heard by the Senate Education Committee this session. “I am not going to put it on the agenda,” committee chairman Sen. John Legg told the Gradebook. “It doesn’t merit a Tallahassee solution.”…