Staff Reports
Sixty Days — A prime-time look at the 2019 Legislative Session:
The Last 24
Senate Budget Chief Rob Bradley said funding the state’s COVID-19 response effort might require trimming the tax cut package. The House plan includes the ever-popular sales tax holidays on back-to-school items and hurricane preparedness, as well as cuts to the commercial rents sales tax and communications services tax. In all, it would reduce state revenues by $128 million in the coming fiscal year and $115 million going forward. Meanwhile, the Legislature on Monday said they were prepared to put at least $200 million toward fighting the new coronavirus, a massive increase from the $10 million to $20 million lawmakers pitched last week. The increased response funding could also take a bite out of teacher pay raises or Florida Forever funding. Here’s your nightly rundown.
Tech overhaul. A bill (HB 1393) that would allow state agencies to share data and better communicate with each other is ready for the Governor’s signature.
DNA protection. The Senate is ready to vote on a measure that would block insurers from using genetic testing information for actuarial decisions. It was amended, however, to allow insurers to consider diagnoses listed in a policyholder’s medical records.
‘Test and treat.’ A Senate bill expanding pharmacist powers received an expansive amendment to bring it closer to companion legislation in the House.
Scope of practice. The Senate is scheduled to take up a House bill that would expand the scope of practice for ARPNs.
Sunscreen bans. The Legislature approved a preemption on local sunscreen bans. The measure now heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Keep VISITing. The House is working on a bill that would extend VISIT FLORIDA’s authorization through 2023. Previously, the House had agreed to a one-year extension.
‘Intellectual diversity.’ A plan to poll university students and faculty on their political leanings was removed from the House higher education package.
Athlete pay. The House bill to allow college athletes to make money off their name or likeness was amended to bring it in line with a similar measure passed by the Senate this week.
Addressing Alzheimer’s. The House passed a bill that would bolster the state’s response to the disease, including creating the position of dementia director within the Florida Department of Elder Affairs.
ALF modernization. A bill (HB 767) that would allow residents of assisted living facilities and memory care units to use certain assistive devices is headed to the Governor.
Exonerating evidence. The House unanimously passed legislation that would give felons greater opportunities to review possibly exonerating or mitigating evidence.
Contraband code. Hemp and vapes will be banned in Florida prisons, after the House passed the Senate version of a bill targeting contraband.
Term limits. The Senate OK’d a bill that would limit the state’s public counsel to three four-year terms. It passed without debate.
Tenants’ rights. A bill that would add protections for tenants living in foreclosed properties was cleared by the Senate and now heads to the Governor.
Quote of the Day
“They’re not going to do an appendectomy.” — Sen. Ben Albritton, defending the ARPNs scope of practice bill.
Your Metz Husband Daughton-sponsored question of the day is: Florida is the only state with two separate rivers that share the same name; what is that name?
As always, click here to tweet your answer to @MHDFirm. The first person with the correct answer will get a shoutout in tomorrow’s 60 Days!
Last time, we asked: This South Florida beach holds the Guinness World Record for the “largest underwater cleanup” with 633 divers picking up trash.
Answer: Deerfield Beach.
Congrats to Jeremy Smith (@bcomingsuperman), who was once again 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
The House and Senate reached an agreement to keep the doors at VISIT FLORIDA open for one more year, with the House approving an amendment on the floor Tuesday making it official. Virginia Haley, VISIT FLORIDA president, said that’s a relief because the organization’s work is as critical as ever.
The Legislature looks poised to approve a $52 million budget. Will that be enough for VISIT FLORIDA in the coming year?
Haley: That’s a budget that we can continue to live with for another year. The VISIT FLORIDA team will make this funding work. I personally believe it would be more effective if there’s more, but we know there’s demands on the state budget. We can show we can do a great job with the funds we are given. The fact that the different areas of the state were able to articulate the different ways VISIT FLORIDA has helped them, and that VISIT FLORIDA itself was able to provide third party documentation on the effectiveness of various campaigns, you saw that reflected with the Speaker’s [José Oliva] kind words Friday acknowledging the effectiveness of the work and the marketing. It shows the Speaker’s ability to look at the facts. He gave our industry a challenge last year. He did not think VISIT FLORIDA was necessary, and he challenged us to show how very necessary it was. The industry took up that challenge.
With coronavirus impacting the travel industry, how important is it to have this state agency operating?
Haley: If you had defunded VISIT FLORIDA or further slashed the funding, it would have had a major impact. The whole state is relying on VISIT FLORIDA to walk us through all this, knowing they are there with at least a year’s secure funding is vitally important. They have shown the ability to be very nimble in these difficult times. In early January, they redirected some of the funding set to go into Chinese markets. It seems as though we are facing challenges of some kind every year, and they have been there by everyone’s side dealing with it.
You mentioned early in the Session how important it was to have long-term funding. Why is that so important for VISIT FLORIDA?
Haley: I’m still holding out hope we still might get three years. It’s stability. This is a fast-moving, changing industry. At some point, you need to be strategic and have the big picture in mind. It’s very hard to be strategic when you are living year to year. You’re not going to make an investment in a market that takes a couple of years to mature if you don’t know if you have got more than a year.
Lobby Up
On Monday, the House passed a bill outlawing the import and export of shark fins in Florida.
Shark finning — the practice of removing the fin and tossing the shark — is already banned in the state, but advocates of the bill say as long as fins can be bought in sold in Florida, the inhumane practice will continue.
Coconut Creek Rep. Kristin Jacobs has led the effort to ban the shark fin trade, and again sponsored the House version of the bill in 2020. For her efforts, lawmakers passed an amendment naming the law “Kristin Jacobs Ocean Conservation Act.”
But Jacobs wasn’t the lone advocate for the cause.
She took to Twitter soon after the bill passed to thank House Speaker José Oliva and Rep. Toby Overdorf for getting it through its last hurdles, and Sen. Travis Hutson for sponsoring the Senate companion.
She also thanked the many lobbyists who helped make the argument in favor of the legislation throughout the committee process.
Getting a shoutout were Nick Iarossi of Capital City Consulting, Lori Killinger of Lewis Longman & Walker and Frank Bernardino of Anfield Consulting.
All three represent Shark Allies, a nonprofit dedicated to the conservation of sharks and rays.
The nonprofit has several lobbyists. In addition to Bernardino, Anfiled’s Albert Balido, Natalie Fausel and Edgar Fernandez are also on board. They also have Jonathan Kilman, Carlos Cruz and Lauren DePriest of Converge Government Affairs of Florida on retainer.
Jacobs also said the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation deserved a share of the victory. The foundation is represented by Will McKinley and Fred Dickinson of PooleMcKinley.
Breakthrough Insights
The Next 24
The Senate will hold a floor session at 10 a.m.
The House will hold a floor session at 10:30 a.m.
Florida Democratic Party executive director Juan Peñalosa will hold a press call to discuss the party’s Voter Protection Program’s work to protect voters’ rights ahead of the March 17 presidential primary. The call begins at 4 p.m.
The Senate Special Order Calendar Group will meet in Room 401 of the Senate Office Building. The meeting begins 15 minutes after the floor session adjourns.
