As we enter what is scheduled to be the last week of the 2019 Legislative Session, new procedural rules will kick in that will make the schedule both hectic and unpredictable. During this week in floor sessions, both chambers will focus on bills on 2nd and/or 3rd Reading, on bills passed back and forth in…
The Florida House passed a bill Thursday night that would require school districts and charter schools to share revenues raised by future tax measures approved by voters. Under House Bill 7123, sponsored by Rep. Bryan Avila, R-Hialeah, funds collected through a tax referendum will be distributed to public schools and charter schools on a per-student ratio.…
It is likely that Budget Conference Committees will meet today to continue their efforts to work out differences between the House and Senate budgets. Meanwhile, both chambers will hold floor sessions to consider several bills of interest including bills relating to mental health, personnel, workforce education, and elections. Today’s schedule is posted below and will…
The Florida Senate passed a massive education bill Thursday that would create a new private school voucher that is funded out the state’s per-student funding traditionally reserved almost solely for districts. Its passage marks yet another victory for those wanting to expand different schooling options funded by the state, but likely sets a course for…
The Senate is offering a less-ambitious increase to per-pupil funding, moving more toward the House’s position on money for Florida schools. Members from both chambers met for the first time Wednesday to work out funding differences for the PreK-12 education system. Among other revisions, the Senate offered to lessen its per-pupil spending increase from $350 to…
As reported in Tuesday’s Session Spotlight, the Budget Conference Committees have been assembled and begun work on resolving differences between the House and Senate budgets. Last night, the Higher Education Budget Conference Committee met and the House has made an initial offer on a variety of issues, including Workforce Education. The PreK-12 Conference Committee is…
Leadership in the House and Senate seem to think they’ll wrap the annual 60-day lawmaking process in a timely manner this year as budget conferences were set to begin Tuesday evening. Budget chiefs Sen. Rob Bradley and Rep. Travis Cummings delivered optimistic remarks while standing side-by-side after the first joint appropriations meeting Tuesday afternoon. Read More
More than a year after last year’s Valentine’s Day shooting in Parkland that shocked the state and blurred party lines in the state Capitol, the Florida Senate passed a follow-up bill that has become increasingly partisan because of its expansion of a program that would allow classroom teachers to be armed. It succeeded on a…
With less than two weeks remaining in this Legislative Session, the tempo of business is likely to increase and meeting schedules will become more unpredictable. After today, committees will meet only if called for a specific reason and both chambers will devote most of their time to floor sessions and conference committee work. In addition,…
Today’s agenda includes just two committee meetings. Of particular interest, the Senate Appropriations Committee will consider its version of an omnibus education bill — SB 7070 — that expands public and private school choice programs and addresses a variety of other issues. An 85-page strike-all amendment has been filed to this controversial bill, so a…