Staff Reports
The Florida Legislature is sending a message to Congress — set term limits for members.
The House and Senate this week passed resolutions calling for a convention of the states to amend the U.S. Constitution to set term limits for lawmakers.
Philip Blumel, president of U.S. Term Limits, said in a statement:
“Seventy-five percent of Americans support term limits on Congress, including huge majorities of Democrats, Republicans and Independents. This is a rare, truly bipartisan issue with national support. Rep. Larry Metz and State Sen. Aaron Bean have been an integral part of the process in Florida and in making Florida the first state in the nation to call for term limits. There are now 11 states hot on Florida’s heels, and the progress here has laid the groundwork for their success.”
The Senate’s transportation, tourism and economic development committee on Thursday approved a proposals addressing the state’s film incentive program.
Chris Hudson, state director for Americans for Prosperity—Florida, said in a statement:
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result. Using taxpayer dollars to enrich well-connected Hollywood and entertainment industry special interests at the expense of the hardworking families and entrepreneurs of Florida is not right. Its time for politician to stand on principle and for taxpayers. We hope that before session ends, they will stand strong against all corporate welfare handouts.”
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The state House on Thursday passed its $79.9 billion spending plan. In it was language that effectively defunds Planned Parenthood.
Lillian Tamayo, president & CEO of Planned Parenthood of South, East and North Florida, said in a statement:
“By rejecting Minority Leader Mark Pafford’s amendment yesterday, 72 members of the Florida House of Representatives have taken the unprecedented step of using the budget process to defund a specific provider, Planned Parenthood. Not only is this defunding scheme against Medicaid regulations, the rationale for doing so is based on a thoroughly debunked smear campaign.
“In my county of Palm Beach, we have offered Teen Time for more than 20 years. During this time, we have provided free HIV screening, STI testing and medical care to tens of thousands teens. We have also raised private donations to support the preventative care we provide. This is a true example of a public private partnership aimed at reducing sexually transmitted diseases and empowering young people with information and care to make responsible choices.”
Barbara Zdravecky, president & CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida, said in a statement:
“In Collier County, part of our service area, Planned Parenthood partners with the health department to provide low income women and men contraception, HIV screening, STI testing and treatment, cancer screenings and more. Just 20 miles from Naples, in Immokalee Florida, is the largest migrant farmworker community in the state. Since 2014, we have provided care to more than 12,000 local residents in our health centers in Naples and Immokalee, most of whom are uninsured and have nowhere else to turn for reproductive health care services.”
“If these attacks succeed, women and teens across the state will lose access to these critical health care services. Instead of attacking women’s rights and endangering their health, the legislature should focus on improving women’s health. They could start by closing the coverage gap and passing the Healthy Adolescents Act.”
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The state Senate approved its $81 billion budget Thursday. The budget includes money for the state’s free and charitable hospitals.
Nicholas Duran, executive director of Florida’s Association of Free and Charitable Clinics. said in a statement:
“Funding free and charitable clinics is the most direct way lawmakers can immediately help more than three million uninsured Floridians. We are grateful to the Florida Senate for allocating funds and are optimistic that the Florida House will also be supportive.”
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Gov. Rick Scott asked the Army Corps of Engineers to take immediate actions to ease the effects of Lake Okeechobee releases on the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries. The Corps started the releases after the wetter-than-normal January.
David Guest, managing attorney for the Florida office of Earthjustice, said in a statement:
“The problem is that the state continues to allow Big Agriculture, especially Big Sugar, to pump its polluted wastewater into Lake Okeechobee, which is a public water body. We’re not allowed to pump our septic tank waste into our neighbor’s yard, and these corporate agricultural operations shouldn’t be allowed to.
“This debate shouldn’t be about moving the water around. It should be about making agriculture clean the water up. With the recently passed water policy law, the Legislature and the Governor made the rules even more permissive. The law, incredibly, eliminates pollution permits for agricultural operations around Lake Okeechobee. These polluting operations are now on the honor system, which is outrageous.
“The nasty, polluted water that’s now killing fish and other marine life on the Southeast and Southwest coasts is a direct result of the state’s incredibly weak policies. Make no mistake: These policies were carefully crafted by big-bucks agricultural lobbyists and enacted by their friends in power.”
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The state House voted 96-17 to approve a wide-sweeping tax cut proposal. The proposal includes reducing the business rent tax, extending a sales tax exemption on manufacturing equipment and several sales tax holidays.
Randy Miller, president and CEO of the Florida Retail Federation, said in a statement:
“FRF applauds the Florida House for passing a $1 billion tax package which includes a number of tax cuts that will help retailers reinvest back into their company and create new jobs. We want to thank Chairman Matt Gaetz for his leadership and collaboration with our members and the state’s business community in developing a plan that will benefit Florida business owners, families and visitors.”
Charly Norton, executive director of FloridaStrong, said in a statement:
“Today, the House made clear where its priorities lie when it voted for a tax package that is chock-full of tax giveaways for big business. This bill increases corporate tax cuts by nearly one billion dollars, leaving our state’s critical needs unmet. As reported just yesterday, more than 6,000 elderly and disabled Floridians died waiting for state services in 2014-15. And yet, the Florida House insists on wasting taxpayer money on more special interest handouts instead of focusing on legislation that will improve the lives of Florida families. This is simply the latest example of Tallahassee’s blatant disconnect from the reality everyday Floridians face across the state.”
