Weekly Legislative Update - March 8, 2021

The Legislature begins the 2021 session on Tuesday amid a pandemic that will play a large role on lawmakers' agenda during the two-month lawmaking period. Associated Press / Tampa Bay Times-Miami Herald / Orlando Sentinel / Sarasota Herald-Tribune

People with Underlying Health Conditions Can Get COVID Vaccines Under New Order

People under age 65 with underlying conditions that put them at risk for the coronavirus could soon receive vaccines outside hospitals after a quiet executive order issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis late Friday. The order says physicians, advanced practice registered nurses and pharmacists can vaccinate a person deemed extremely vulnerable by a doctor. Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, said he confirmed with emergency management director Jared Moskowitz that the new order means people under age 65, with certain medical conditions, can get vaccines at pharmacies. Tampa Bay Times / Sun Sentinel / View All Governor's Activity

• The head of the CDC has signed off on distribution of the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which will begin being distributed this week, giving Americans a third vaccine in the fight against COVID . CNBC

COVID Liability Measure Clears House Panel

A measure (SB 74) to provide liability protection to health care providers was approved by the Senate Health Policy Committee on Wednesday. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Jeff Brandes and would protect nursing homes and frontline health care workers from lawsuits related to the coronavirus. The proposal is backed by Republican leaders and is expected to be fast-tracked this session. Democratic members have filed multiple amendments to the measure in committee, but none was adopted. The bill has one more committee to clear before it is ready for the floor. SB 74

Bean Quarantine Forces Slowdown for his Bills

Senate President pro tempore Aaron Bean is currently quarantining with his wife after receiving a positive COVID-19 diagnosis earlier this week. Bean is in a leadership position sponsoring multiple pieces of legislation that are of high priority this session for Senate President Wilton Simpson, such as a large agency package bill (SB 92) aimed at revamping various provisions within the Department of Children and Families, and entities under contract with DCF. Some of his bills were expected to receive a hearing this week but due to the Senator being excused, some had to be temporarily postponed and will most likely be taken up in the coming weeks when their respective committees are scheduled to meet again. 

“House gives initial approval to bill targeting pandemic scams” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — The House gave its initial signoff Thursday to its first bill for the 2021 Session, legislation creating penalties for scams related to vaccines and personal protective equipment. Sprowls has made addressing problems stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic a legislative priority. The scammer crackdown bill, carried by Land O’ Lakes Republican Rep. Zika, is the first bill the full House considered in the nascent Session. Zika’s proposal establishes criminal penalties and authorizes civil remedies from fraud as consumers seek vaccines or send personal protective equipment during a pandemic. Officials at all government levels have been warning people about scams promising vaccines or PPE in exchange for money, Zika said.

“House Democrats offer alternative COVID-19 response legislation” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — House Democrats offered their own COVID-19 relief package, which includes streamlining business assistance and expanding vaccine access. House Democratic Leader Evan Jenne, a Hollywood Democrat, said the bill should not be seen as partisan. Rather, the comprehensive legislation can be a resource for lawmakers to respond to an unprecedented challenge for the state. “I’m under no illusion this bill will be fast-tracked to the floor this Session,” he said. “But I would encourage my friends to steal as much as possible and put it in some committee bill if necessary.”

“Chris Sprowls sets precedent of tight leash during first contentious debate” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — Sprowls has now finished Day 3 of his first Legislative Session as House Speaker. The Speaker made it clear he wanted the chamber to follow the rules for debate to a T during its first extensive floor session. During the question phase over Republicans’ COVID-19 liability bill, he ran a tight ship. It took Sprowls less than one minute into the first question of the afternoon to interrupt a line from Rep. Joe Geller he said, “sounds like debate.” Enforcement from the dais isn’t uncommon during floor sessions, especially on contentious topics. “But I do think he’s probably riding it a little bit harder than most Speakers in the past, but we’ll see how it goes,” House Democratic Co-Leader Jenne said.

“Democrats ask FBI for investigation into vaccine distribution; Ron DeSantis pushes back” via Mary Ellen Klas and David Goodhue of the Miami Herald — Florida’s two top Democratic officials on Thursday called on the U.S. Justice Department to launch an investigation into Gov. DeSantis for what they say appears to be a “pay to play” scheme in which the Governor directed vaccine doses to communities in the state’s wealthiest ZIP codes in exchange for campaign contributions. Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and Senate Democratic Leader Gary Farmer issued separate statements urging the U.S. Attorney and the FBI to look into whether the $3.9 million in contributions made to the Governor’s political committee since December alone were connected to favorable treatment for vaccine distribution.

“The United States is now averaging 2 million vaccine doses administered per day.” via Ruth Graham of The New York Times — The average number of vaccine doses being administered across the United States per day topped two million for the first time on Wednesday, according to data from the CDC. A month ago, the average was about 1.3 million. Biden set a goal for the country shortly after taking office to administer more than 1.5 million doses a day, which the nation has now comfortably exceeded. The milestone was yet another sign of momentum in the nation’s effort to vaccinate every willing adult, even as state and city governments face several challenges, from current supply to logistics to hesitancy, of getting all of those doses into people’s arms.

“The next wave of vaccine eligibility criteria is a smudgy mess” via Molly Roberts of The Washington Post — “If you smoke or have previously smoked at least 100 cigarettes,” announced a Charlotte television reporter, “you will qualify for a coronavirus vaccine in North Carolina starting on March 24.” One hundred cigarettes? For a jab? That’s nothing to the committed smoker. Nor is it too late to start now: You have three weeks to reach 100. The smoking exemption is a reminder that the next wave of coronavirus vaccine eligibility criteria has taken the bright lines of age requirements and replaced them with a smudgy mess. The various medical and professional categories rolled out across the country to guarantee an orderly mass immunization have so many loopholes they seem to collapse into themselves.

“Where is the CDC’s guidance to vaccinated Americans?” via Leana S. Wen of The Washington Post — First, the CDC guidance on what fully vaccinated people can safely do was expected on Thursday. Then the release got pushed back. On Friday, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said it would not happen that day, either, but that guidance would come “soon.” These unacceptable delays illustrate a larger communication problem about the coronavirus vaccines: Public health officials have chosen caution over celebration. If this doesn’t change, Americans could be dissuaded from being vaccinated, and our country might never achieve the goal of herd immunity.

“US could reach herd immunity by summer through vaccinations alone, CNN analysis finds” via Deidre McPhillips of CNN — Bad actors at home and abroad sow mistrust in our system, and they are succeeding. These threats are not just to public perception; in very close elections, it is crucial that each vote be counted fairly, equally, and without dilution by fraud. To that end, Republicans should aim to shore up faith in the system and seek reasonable Democrats to join them. Not so long ago, even after the 2000 recount, bipartisan common ground was possible. Those days are gone. To stoke the fears of their voting base, today’s Democrats persistently cast advocacy of accurate voter lists and identification as racist voter suppression.