FSBA Session Spotlight — February 21, 2018

The main highlight today was a rally of an estimated 5,000 students, teachers, parents, school district personnel, legislators, and other citizens seeking to express their concerns and recommendations for legislative action in the wake of the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last week. Concerns about student safety and school security have also influenced…

Florida House advances a financial literacy course ‘opportunity’ in bill that picks up HB 7055 pieces

A proposal to add a standalone high school financial literacy class to Florida’s course offerings moved through the House Education Committee on Wednesday, falling short of what some members — not to mention some banking lobbyists and the state Senate — were hoping for.   Unlike the Senate, which would make the course a graduation requirement, HB 323 would…

‘Look me in the eyes.’ Douglas High students press Florida politicians for answers.

The students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School got a real-life lesson in the perils of high expectations Wednesday as they met with state legislators to discuss their promise of stricter gun laws and left disappointed that the progress that appeared likely would only be incremental. Read More

FSBA Session Spotlight — February 20, 2018

Today, Governor Scott convened several workshops – an education workshop, a mental health and child welfare workshop, and a law enforcement workshop — that met throughout the day to examine the elements to improve student safety and school security. FSBA was well represented in these discussions by Dr. Terry Nichols, Jackson County School Board Chair,…

Scott holds Parkland shooting meetings; House rejects assault gun ban

A flurry of meetings took place in Florida’s capital on Tuesday in response to last week’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, with dozens of leaders in education, law enforcement, and mental health pouring into the city to participate in a trio of workshops organized by Gov. Rick Scott.  Some of those same…

Budget negotiations between House and Senate aren’t just stalled, they’re not happening

With a little over two weeks left to go in a legislative session, the direction of which has now been overcome by the massacre at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School, budget negotiations between the House and the Senate aren’t just stalled, they’re not happening.  The first indication that the annual back-and-forth between the two chambers…

FSBA Session Spotlight — February 19, 2018

Today, we begin the 7th week of the Legislative Session with only a few more weeks remaining before the scheduled adjournment on March 9.  As we start the week, please be sure to watch our Legislative Weekly video which features FSBA Executive Director Andrea Messina offering heartfelt comments on the horrible tragedy at Marjory Stoneman…

Age limits and waiting periods for assault weapons? Florida legislators are considering it

After visits to Parkland left them horrified at the ease with which a gunman could kill 17 people in six minutes, Florida legislators in both the House and Senate are doing something they have resisted for years: drafting legislation to limit access to semi-automatic rifles.  “We owe it to victims of families on what I…

Florida gets reprieve on ESSA revisions

Florida has received another extension to update its federal education accountability plan.  Commissioner Pam Stewart was to have submitted revisions today, which already was a continuation from the original Jan. 4 deadline. But Stewart contacted the U.S. Department of Education on Thursday to request another, as the state grapples with the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High…