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Staff ReportsMarch 10, 2017

A change how the state’s nursing homes that accept Medicaid are paid is still being mulled in the Senate. According to POLITICO Florida, Senate President Joe Negron said his chamber is still changing the system from a cost-based system to a prospective payment plan. Negron said the issue is still being discussed by senators, and […]

Michael MolineMarch 9, 2017

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The Senate voted Thursday to require unanimous jury verdicts to sentence someone to death, and to advance a measure that would require prosecutors to prove “stand your ground” immunity shouldn’t apply in criminal cases. The death penalty bill, SB 280, which the Senate passed unanimously, was a response to a Florida Supreme Court ruling requiring […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterMarch 9, 2017

Two Florida lawmakers want to raise the legal age to purchase tobacco in the Sunshine State. Sen. Darrly Rouson and Rep. Lori Berman held a press conference Thursday to tout legislation they filed to raise the age to purchase tobacco to 21. The proposals (SB 1138 and HB 1093), lawmakers said, would help lower the […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterMarch 8, 2017

Call it another small victory for recess. The Senate PreK-12 Education Appropriations Subcommittee unanimously approved a bill (SB 78) requiring school districts to provide at least 100 minutes of supervised, unstructured free play each week — or 20 minutes of free play each week — to students in kindergarten through fifth grade. While the bill received […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterMarch 7, 2017

The Senate Environmental Preservation & Conservation Committee unanimously approved a bill to ban fracking Tuesday, marking a reversal from previous legislative actions on the issue. “Florida has such a unique geological make up and one-of-a-kind environment that we should not be putting it at risk by allowing fracking in the State of Florida,” said Sen. […]

Michael MolineMarch 7, 2017

Sen. Dorthy Hukill wasn’t in Tallahassee for opening day of the 2017 Legislature, but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t on the job. Hukill, chairwoman of the Education Committee, is recovering from surgery for cervical cancer, and her doctors wouldn’t let her travel to the state capital. Nevertheless, the Port Orange Republican has remained active in the […]

Michael MolineMarch 7, 2017

The Florida Senate is in session. Senators convened at 9:30 with a prayer and the traditional singing of the national anthem. “They need wisdom, direction, and understanding,” Pam Olsen, president of the Florida Prayer Network said during the invocation. “Keep their marriages strong” while the members are “here doing the people’s business,” she prayed. “I […]

Scott PowersMarch 6, 2017

State Sen. Victor Torres has introduced a bill to force call center operators to give extended notices if they intend to shut down or move call-center jobs out of state or overseas. The Orlando Democrat filed Senate Bill 1632 to require call centers that reduce their staffs by more than 30 days relocate outside of […]

Les NeuhausMarch 6, 2017

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A bill heard by a Florida Senate committee Monday seeks to streamline the process of setting up a parenting plan for unmarried parents, according to its sponsor. The proposal in the Senate’s Committee on Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee – SB 590 – was introduced by its lead author, Sen. Jeff Brandes, with members […]

Jim RosicaMarch 5, 2017

Get ready for a rumble: Lawmakers will again tackle the sticky issue of alimony in the 2017 Legislative Session. Companion bills filed in the House and Senate aim to overhaul state alimony law to toughen the standards by which alimony is granted and changed. That’s despite unsuccessful tries in the last few years. Neither bill […]

Tag: Florida Senate
Aerial photo courtesy Jesse Biter.

Report: Senate could consider changing way nursing homes are paid

Senate votes to raise bar for death penalty, ‘stand your ground’ prosecutions

Darryl Rouson, Lori Berman urge Florida to become a ‘Tobacco 21’ state

Mandatory recess bill sails through second Senate committee

Senate committee unanimously approves bill to ban fracking

Dorothy Hukill, recovering from cancer, watching from home as Senate convenes

Florida Senate convenes in Tallahassee, adopts compromise budget rules

Victor Torres seeks to save call-center jobs

Parenting plan bill that skip courts, lifts court overload gets unilateral support in Senate committee

2017 Legislative Session preview: Alimony rears its head