Staff Reports
Sixty Days — A prime-time look at the 2019 Legislative Session:
The Last 24
Notification may no longer be enough. After a robust debate Thursday, the Senate passed by its most controversial bill of the 2020 Session, moving the hot-button social issue of “parental consent” on youth abortions to the House with a party-line vote. The bill has yet to get a floor hearing in the House, despite that being the more conservative chamber. But House Speaker José Oliva said it’s only a matter of time. Here’s your nightly rundown.
Morality clause. A House panel OK’d a measure allowing college athletes to generate revenue from their likeness, but the bill’s sponsor says it could be altered to set sponsorship branding requirements.
Ballot amendments targeted. A bill that would make it more difficult to get proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot cleared its final committee stop in the House.
Elections tech. A House panel passed a bill that would allow elections officials to use imaging and automated tabulating machines during recounts.
Wrongful incarceration. Legislation expanding who may seek compensation for wrongful incarcerations is set for a full vote in the House after sailing through its committees of reference.
GoFundMe. A bill that would provide a gift ban exemption for state workers battling cancer or other major health crises cleared its first House committee, with changes.
No sunshine. The House State Affairs Committee moved forward with a bill creating a public records exemption for top-level college and university job applicants.
Pot proceedings. Health officials asked the Florida Supreme Court to uphold the vertical integration system established when carrying out a 2017 constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana.
E-Verify scheduled. Senate President Bill Galvano said a controversial bill that would require private and public employers to use the E-Verify system will go before its first Senate committee next week.
Quote of the Day
“It concerns me that the bill has made it to this point without anyone saying, ‘You know what, it might be a bad idea to have a Las Vegas casino that actually takes wagers on college basketball games to be able to sponsor a student. That might be a bad idea. Or a cigarette company or an alcohol company or some of the other ones that I’ve listed. I’m shocked that we’re at this point and that issue has not been resolved.” — Rep. Randy Fine, on a “morality clause” being added to the House athlete pay plan.
Your Metz Husband Daughton-sponsored question of the day is: Florida man tattooed what on his face to combat his arachnophobia?
As always, click here to tweet your answer to @MHDFirm. The first person with the correct answer will get a shoutout in Monday’s 60 Days!
Last time, we asked: What movie franchise inspired the themed area in Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios that opened in 2019?
Answer: The Star Wars franchise; Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened in August 2019.
Congrats to Matt Lettelleir (@MLettelleir), who was the first to tweet the correct answer!
Thanks to everyone for participating — remember, the more you play, the better your chances of winning!
Bill Day’s Latest
3 Questions
Legislation making clear parental rights in a number of mental health and treatment situations has advanced in the Legislature. That’s exciting to Sarasota County School Board member Bridget Ziegler, who has worked with lawmakers behind the policy for years now. “This bill reaffirms rights and responsibilities of parents and legal guardians, and the role they play in the upbringing, health and well-being of their minor children,” she said. We spoke to Ziegler about her passion for the issue.
Florida Politics: LGBTQ advocates have questioned if this violates the privacy of youth, or could even out them before they are ready. How do you respond to that concern?
Ziegler: How important is it for parents to be included in those conversations? If you flip the switch, keeping a family out of very important discussion of which you just addressed, I believe, hurts the child’s ability to be successful. Families are truly at the cornerstone of what allows a child to be successful. We do not want government breaching that important role and ultimately put up boundaries where parents are kept in the dark. That would cause far more harm in long-term impacts of these child lives. The danger to go down that road is significant. It speaks volumes this has broad bipartisan support if looking at the House side. That speaks to this bill’s real necessity. It is far more about protecting students’ and families’ ability to guide these decisions and be a part of decisions.
FP: In your role as an elected official for six years, have you seen instances that made you see a particular need for this legislation?
Ziegler: The system (or systems) of bureaucracy in government have continued to become more and more complex, making it increasingly difficult for parents to effectively advocate for, and support, their children. This legislation reaffirms the important role that parents play in their children’s lives. There is tremendous danger in allowing the assumption or default to be “these are bad parents” and/or “the government knows better,” which is a sentiment and practice that continues to occur. This legislation aims to correct that. I see how challenging and frustrating it is for parents to navigate the system. There are countless scenarios in which major decisions are made about a minor child, without their parents’ knowledge and/or consent, leaving many parents feeling helpless as they work to support their child while navigating the bureaucracy to correct the issue (which ranges) which may have negatively impacted their child. And it feels as if the deck is stacked against them. Our hope is to shift that culture and balance it out for the best interest of the children. What you are seeing more is police, mental health treatment, all of this is being housed under the school district. And there are reasons, particularly with security, but it’s important we have checks and balances.
FP: Is there concern this could interfere with some of the professional ethics, particularly with patient privilege?
Ziegler: If you look at the bill and reference existing statute, there are no changes to that. What is in place now is what will continue to exist. But it’s important to know there is a surplus of case law, all the way up to the Supreme Court, that substantiates the primary role of parents. They are in fact responsible for children as minors, aside from some outside scenarios, and they are not only responsible but liable for their children. Families have the most impact on children and their future. And we need to recognize and support that. We are underscoring the significant role families and parents play.
Lobby Up
College sports are big business, and there’s been a push this year to allow student-athletes to reap some of the benefits of playing on the big stage.
The House has put forward a measure (HB 7051) that would allow players to earn money from the use of their name, image or likeness, while maintaining the prohibition on pay for on-field performance. A similar bill in the Senate (SB 646) is on the agenda for the Education Committee for Feb. 10.
There’s a good chance lawmakers will take action on the proposal. If they do, Gov. Ron DeSantis, a former college athlete himself, has indicated he would sign it into law.
The House bill tackles more than compensation, too — it would also require universities to maintain health and disability insurance for players in the event they get injured before going pro.
Those provisions are both on the National College Players Association’s wish list.
The organization, founded by UCLA football players in 2001, has been pushing for the NCAA and universities to adopt a number of changes.
In addition to allowing athletes to earn money and be taken care of if on-field injuries force them out of sports, the association is seeking scholarships that cover all costs as well as health and safety standards that put players first.
To keep athletes’ interests front and center, the National College Players Association has hired the team at Becker & Poliakoff, including Ellyn Bogdanoff and Nicholas Matthews, to lobby on their behalf in the Capitol.
Breakthrough Insights
The Next 24
The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation will review a homeowners’ insurance rate increase proposal from Capitol Preferred Insurance Co. when it meets at 10 a.m. in the Larson Building, 200 East Gaines St., in Tallahassee.
Gov. Ron DeSantis will make a major announcement at Operation New Hope in Jacksonville, 1830 Main Street North, at 10:30 a.m.
Republican HD 72 candidates Donna Barcomb, Fiona McFarland and James Miller will participate in a forum hosted by the Republican Women’s Club of Sarasota. It begins at 11:30 a.m. at Michael’s on East, 1212 South East Ave., in Sarasota.
The Florida Public Service Commission will discuss a proposal to create a new area code in the Tampa Bay area when it meets at noon at the St. Petersburg Main Library, 3745 Ninth Ave. North, in St. Petersburg.
