Today, Secretary DeVos released the application for state educational agencies (SEAs) to apply for initial funding under the Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations (Restart) program. The release follows DeVos’ recent announcement of $2.7 billion in federal assistance to help K-12 school districts and schools as well as institutions of higher education in their recovery…
After spending months discussing more than a hundred possible changes to the Florida Constitution, a state commission on Monday will head into its homestretch and begin the task of narrowing the list of proposed amendments to be placed on the November for voters to decide on. The Florida Constitution Revision Commission (CRC), appointed once every…
The 2018 Legislative Session adjourned, sine die, on Sunday evening with the passage of the $88.7 billion state budget, budget implementing bill, and a tax relief bill. On the same day, Governor Scott signed Senate President Joe Negron’s priority legislation relating to post-secondary education ( SB 4) and House Speaker Richard Corcoran’s priority legislation relating to…
Florida lawmakers finished the 2018 legislative session Sunday with the approval of a record $88.7 billion state budget that included $170 million in tax cuts. The spending plan includes $400 million in school security measures and immediately earned an F grade from educators for shortchanging the operations budget for public schools. Read More
The legislature has extended the 2018 Session through Sunday, March 11 in order to allow for the 72-hour cooling off period before a final vote can be taken on the budget. The chambers also agreed that they will consider ONLY the Conference Reports budget bills and a tax relief bill – HB 7087 — after…
After extensive discussions with the families of victims, Gov. Rick Scott signed new gun restrictions Friday in response to last month’s massacre that took 17 lives at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Scott, a Republican who has long enjoyed the political support of the National Rifle Association, approved a three-day waiting period for…
Tallahassee, FL – Watch this edition of the FSBA Legislative Weekly Update to hear details as Florida’s Legislature approaches Sine Die.
Today, legislators settled the final budget issues and published the 2018-2019 General Appropriations Act (Budget) and related bills and information. To allow for the constitutionally required 72-hour “cooling off” period before voting on the budget, legislators will extend the Session through Sunday, March 11. We are in the process of compiling our annual FSBA Legislative…
The Legislature’s new plan to arm school employees as a last line of defense to an active shooter might never get tested in Florida’s biggest school districts. Officials in 10 of the state’s largest systems, which educate nearly 60 percent of all Florida school children, said they have no intention of giving teachers or other…
This afternoon, legislative leaders announced that an agreement has been reached on the $87 billion state budget. Because this is a day later than would be necessary to adjourn on Friday, it is expected that the Session will be extended and the budget will be subject to a final vote on Sunday or Monday. As…