Erin Clark, Author at Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Erin ClarkApril 18, 2017

With last year’s styrofoam ban upheld by a Miami-Dade judge, the city of Coral Gables, south Florida’s “City Beautiful,” is stepping into the eco-regulation fray with another initiative. This time, to “ban the bag.” At a March 14 meeting, the Coral Gables City Council gave initial approval to an ordinance prohibiting plastic bags being used […]

Erin ClarkApril 17, 2017

For the community-based care providers that perform the lion’s share of child welfare services in Florida, the proposed 2017 budget is a disappointment. A press release that accompanied the Jan. 31 release of Republican Gov. Rick Scott’s “Fighting for Florida’s future” budget proposal touts “a record $632 million to provide core services to children who […]

Erin ClarkMarch 27, 2017

The Florida Senate Education Committee dedicated most of its weekly meeting to tackling issues of assessment bloat running counter to students’ best interests. In the House, the motto has been “fewer, better tests.” Similarly, in the Senate, the bills that have spurred the most comment from committee members are those that address Florida’s testing protocols. At […]

Erin ClarkMarch 17, 2017

A recent report by Florida TaxWatch refutes one of the key arguments made by school choice opponents — namely, that charter and choice schools end up hurting traditional schools by diverting funding. Further, the paper says that voters might be missing a larger part of the picture: how much taxpayer money is actually going to K-12 […]

Erin ClarkMarch 15, 2017

A dispute between South Florida’s NPR-affiliate and the Miami-Dade County Public School Board has raised questions about fiscal mismanagement and the role of the school system in moderating WLRN’s news content. Normally, a school board wouldn’t have any say in what a local news station produces. But in the case of WLRN, the school board […]

Erin ClarkMarch 13, 2017

Some of the largest states in the union are considering legislation that would block insurers and pharmacy benefit managers from dropping covered drugs outside the normal sign-up period. In Florida, HB 95 was introduced by state Rep. Ralph Massullo to prevent a drug being dropped from a formulary, or moved to a higher-priced tier, in the middle of […]

Erin ClarkMarch 3, 2017

As Florida legislators consider ways to get more high-achieving charter schools into the state, school districts have another concern: getting more teachers into the state. The national teacher shortage is hitting Florida hard. Hillsborough County alone could use another 500 teachers. Advocacy group Teachers of Tomorrow identifies Florida as one of the top five states […]

Erin ClarkMarch 1, 2017

If passing one ordinance isn’t enough to curb the sale of puppy mill dogs, try passing two. That’s how they roll in Delray Beach. Several years ago, leaders of Delray Beach got serious about cracking down on the sale of dogs bred in out-of-state puppy mills. In 2016, the City Commission passed an ordinance curtailing the retail sale of dogs and cats. In […]

Erin ClarkFebruary 23, 2017

A day after Florida’s House Education Committee voted to send a memorial to Congress seeking fewer strings tied to federal education funding, a health policy panel made the same request for health care funding. The House Health Innovation Subcommittee on Wednesday approved sending a memorial to Congress asking lawmakers to consider giving Medicaid funding to the states […]

Erin ClarkFebruary 15, 2017

Florida’s new open enrollment policies are still leaving students behind. Florida has one of the most robust school choice programs nationwide, with 45 percent of pre-K-12 students in the state having exercised some type of choice option in the 2015-16 school year. A new law seems poised to amplify that even more. HB 7029, signed […]

Erin Clark

Florida cities closer to banning the bag

Florida child welfare providers do more with less, but how much less?

Senate Education Committee talks testing tweaks

Florida TaxWatch: School choice options a better bargain for state

South Florida NPR station staves off takeover by school board

Florida among several states confronting drug formulary questions

Florida needs teachers, but high schoolers aren’t interested

Delray Beach steps in it with puppy sale regulations

Federalism message echoed by Florida health subcommittee members

Hurdles to school choice remain despite Florida’s open enrollment law