FSBA Session Spotlight — February 22, 2019

This was the last round of Legislative Interim Committee Meetings prior to the start of the 2019 Legislative Session. The schedule of committee/subcommittee meetings was relatively light this week, with bills and presentations addressing a wide variety of topics including, among others, school board member term limits, school choice, and impact fees. In related news,…

Senate Education Leaders Announce 2019 Priorities

Senator Manny Diaz, Jr. (R-Hialeah Gardens), Chair of the Senate Committee on Education, Senator Kelli Stargel (R-Lakeland), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, and Senate President Pro Tempore David Simmons (R-Altamonte Springs) today announced key components of legislation the Senate will consider during the 2019 Legislative Session. Read More

FSBA Session Spotlight — February 15, 2019

In sad remembrance of the tragic school shooting on February 14, 2018, it seemed fitting that, one year later, the focus of attention during Legislative Interim Committee Meeting Week #5 was school safety.  Committees/subcommittees in both the House and Senate received reports and considered legislation designed to improve and refine school safety policies an procedures and Governor DeSantis issued…

Governor Ron DeSantis Calls for Statewide Grand Jury on School Safety

Today, Governor Ron DeSantis filed a petition with the Florida Supreme Court to impanel a statewide grand jury to examine and review school safety measures throughout the state, as well as the responses of public entities to laws designed to protect schools such as the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act. Read More

Bill to arm Florida teachers passes first committee along party lines

A bill that would allow Florida’s teachers to carry guns in schools passed its first committee along party lines Tuesday, setting up what could be one of the most heated debates of the 2019 legislative session.  Senate Bill 7030 expands the “Guardian” program created by last year’s post-Parkland bill, by which school staff can volunteer…

FSBA Session Spotlight – February 8, 2019

Governor DeSantis released his 2019-2020 state budget recommendations on Friday, February 1.  As a result, most of this week’s Legislative Interim Committee Meetings provided presentations on funding and policies outlined in in governor’s budget.  In addition to presentations and discussion of budget issues, legislative committees/subcommittees considered several bills of interest including, among others, bills relating to…

DeSantis weighs in on school safety, supports letting trained school employees carry guns

With a state commission saying classroom teachers should be allowed to be armed “guardians,” Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday backed the possibility of more school employees being able to carry guns — while also calling for other steps to avoid mass shootings.  DeSantis told reporters that his upcoming budget proposal will include money for school security…

FSBA Session Spotlight — January 25, 2019

Most of the 3rd week of Legislative Interim Committee Meetings provided presentations on the implementation of legislation that passed during the 2018 Legislative Session.  Of particular interest were presentations to both the House and Senate Committees on the implementation of SB 7026 – last year’s school safety bill.  Please click on the files below for a summary of…

Senator “disturbed” by claims of Pinellas County Sheriff in regard to school safety law

The chairman of the state’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission is making some claims about local school districts that one state senator calls “disturbing” if they are true.  Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, who chairs the commission, testified before the Senate and House Education committees on Tuesday and accused school districts of…

Gualtieri to lawmakers: schools need more armed staff, punish districts that move too slow

When Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri stood up to give his presentation to the House Education committee on Tuesday, he had harsh words for school districts whom he said are “not moving fast enough” and are “playing games” with SB 7026, the law passed last year in response to the Parkland shooting that mandated sweeping…