FSBA Session Spotlight — March 27, 2019

Today, the House and Senate Appropriations committees will take up their proposed budgets, implementing bills, and conforming bills and will consider any amendments to them. We have prepared a side-by-side comparison of the education funding portions of the House and Senate appropriations bills as they stand today before consideration by the Appropriations Committee meetings. Please…

FSBA Session Spotlight — March 21, 2019

Today’s schedule appears fairly light, but several bills of interest will be considered, including the House Proposed Committee Bill (PCP) relating to school safety as well as bills relating to anti-Semitism, parental rights, public records, government accountability. and construction, Today’s schedule is posted below and is updated throughout the day with the outcome on these…

FSBA Session Spotlight — March 13, 2019

Today’s schedule appears fairly light, but several bills of interest will be considered, including bills relating to public records, facilities, growth management, and government accountability. In addition, the House will be in Session this afternoon to conduct 2nd Reading on the House and Senate versions of bills that address the medical use of marijuana.  These…

FSBA Session Spotlight — March 6, 2019

The schedule for the 2nd day of the 60-day Legislative Session may appear to be light, but some very significant issues will be under consideration that are likely to produce lively discussion and debate.  Of particular interest, the Senate Education Committee will consider a Proposed Committee Bill (PCB) that addresses expansion of existing scholarship programs,…

FSBA Session Spotlight — March 12, 2018

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…

FSBA Session Spotlight — March 7, 2018

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…

FSBA Session Spotlight — March 5, 2018

As we begin the last scheduled week of the 2018 Session, please take a few minutes to view our Legislative Weekly video featuring Andrea Messina providing a recap of recent legislative events and focusing on the key bills and issues that remain to be resolved.  One of those key bills – HB 7055 — was…

FSBA Session Spotlight — March 4, 2018

Because the Senate held a rare Saturday floor session, this issue of the Session Spotlight provides our report on bills that were considered on both Friday and Saturday. On Friday, both chambers postponed consideration of their respective public safety bills but legislators did consider several other bills of interest, including bills relating to local tax…

Florida Senate advances massive education bill with last-minute changes

The Florida Senate advanced HB 7055 on Friday, but it wasn’t the same education package that had passed through a committee earlier in the week.  A major amendment filed the evening before it went to the floor for a vote was the result of negotiations with House members, said sponsor Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples. Those negotiations…