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Michael MolineApril 13, 2017

The Senate’s workers’ compensation bill moved out of the Appropriations Committee Thursday after picking up an amendment declaring two forms of cancer occupational hazards for Florida’s 40,000 firefighters. The amendment — sponsored by Appropriations Chairman Jack Latvala and vice chairwoman Anitere Flores, and not by bill sponsor Rob Bradley — names multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin’s […]

Michael MolineApril 12, 2017

The Trump administration’s pledge of $1.5 million to pay hospitals for charity care came as the Senate — which was counting on the money — debated its budget plan for 2017-18. Appropriations Chairman Jack Latvala announced the development Wednesday on the Senate floor, saying Gov. Rick Scott had delivered the news during a telephone call. “Thank […]

Staff ReportsApril 10, 2017

Trial attorneys issued a denunciation Monday of the workers’ compensation reform package now headed for a House floor vote. HB 7085 is “a handout to the insurance industry and its big-business allies – one that does little to benefit injured workers or most employers,” the Florida Justice Association said in a written statement. “The plan wipes […]

Michael MolineApril 10, 2017

The workers’ compensation fix that emerged from the House Commerce Committee last week was the product of hours — and hours — of testimony, debate, and negotiations. The Insurance and Banking Subcommittee staged marathon hearings in which all the stakeholders — insurers, employers, attorneys, unions, and more — hashed out their differences. Then the Commerce […]

Michael MolineApril 7, 2017

Florida-Approves-5-Nurseries-To-Grow-Medical-Marijuana-1024x1024.jpg

No need to worry about the hit to general revenues from the Senate’s medical marijuana sales tax exemption. The state’s Revenue Estimating Conference estimated Friday that the bill might reduce tax receipts, but not enough to notice — even when accounting for the non-state residents who would qualify for cannabis cards if the bill becomes […]

Michael MolineApril 6, 2017

Advocates of assignment of benefits reform delivered 1,500 petition signatures to House Speaker Richard Corcoran’s office Thursday, renewing their campaign against what they consider dodgy lawsuits by unscrupulous contractors and attorneys. And no — they didn’t mean to imply anything untoward about the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. The advocates, operating under the Florida […]

Michael MolineApril 6, 2017

The House workers’ compensation package survived hearings before the Commerce Committee Thursday, including business-friendly amendments that would leave injured workers paying their own attorney fees if they pursue meritless claims. One by one, the panel gave voice approval to three amendments offered by House Insurance & Banking chairman Danny Burgess, who has managed the underlying […]

Jim RosicaApril 6, 2017

At halftime in this year’s Legislative Session, House Speaker Richard Corcoran sounds like he’s getting a bit fatigued with questions about “transparency.” At a media availability on Thursday, the Land O’ Lakes Republican pushed back against a reporter’s question about special interests who draft bills, and whether leadership pressures committee chairs to hear those bills. “All I […]

Michael MolineApril 6, 2017

Associated Industries of Florida chief Tom Feeney had praise Thursday for amendments that would bring the House workers’ compensation reform bill closer to business interests’ ideal. “AIF today calls on members of the Florida House Commerce Committee to adopt the amendments to HB 7085 that will go a long way in rectifying our state’s wounded […]

Michael MolineApril 6, 2017

The Senate Appropriations Committee wastes little time or comment approving a proposal to make sure the public is notified within 48 hours of a toxic spill. The panel took bare minutes to vote the bill out unanimously. It was the final committee stop on the way to the Senate floor. CS/SB 532, the Public Notice […]

Tag: 2017 Legislative Session
Crowds gather to see Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. (Gabrielle Russon)

Senate workers’ compensation bill acquires firefighter cancer amendment

Trump administration comes to the rescue as Senate approves its budget

Florida Justice Association denounces House workers’ comp package

Danny Burgess: ‘Absolutely, the injured worker is a big concern here’

Cost of tax exemption for medical marijuana would be minimal

AOB reformers, bearing petitions, insist no offense intended against House chair

House worker’s compensation package emerges from Commerce Committee

House Speaker Richard Corcoran: The press corps’ enabler

AIF lauds proposed revisions to House’s workers’ compensation reform

Pollution-spill notice bill races to approval by Senate Appropriations Committee