Legislative Update - January 20, 2023

The legislature was back in Tallahassee this week for interim committee meetings and will return next week for additional meetings.  State agencies provided presentations to the committee members in an effort to educate legislators about different programs and funding needs.

Congressman Greg Steube of Sarasota was hospitalized Wednesday after falling about 25 feet from his roof to the ground. Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Florida Politics / Associated Press / Politico

It's official: Vice President Kamala Harris is visiting Tallahassee on Sunday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the now overturned Roe v. Wade, the Tallahassee Democrat reports

Governor …

DeSantis Pushes to Permanently Ban COVID Vaccine and Mask Mandates - Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday he wants to permanently ban COVID-19 vaccine requirements and mask mandates, and to protect health care practitioners' rights to disagree with "the preferred narrative of the medical community." In a 2021 special session, lawmakers moved to prohibit vaccine mandates for employees and ban mask requirements in schools. That law, however, is set to expire in June. The proposal issued by the governor's office, besides banning mask and vaccine mandates statewide, would also prohibit "vaccine passports," and provide additional protections to prevent discrimination based on COVID-19 vaccine status. The other part of the governor's proposal would guarantee the right of medical workers to publicly espouse information that most other medical professionals say is false or disputed. Last year, the governor supported legislation (HB 687, SB 1184) that would have prevented state medical boards from sanctioning or reprimanding Florida doctors for publicly-stated opinions, including statements made online, but the bills ultimately failed to pass. The initiative, which the governor said would protect Floridians from the "biomedical security state," hasn't been filed in legislation so far, but was outlined in a statement released by the governor's office. "When the world lost its mind, Florida was a refuge of sanity, serving strongly as freedom's linchpin," the governor said in the statement. "These measures will ensure Florida remains this way and will provide landmark protections for free speech for medical practitioners." Florida Politics / Politico / Orlando Sentinel / Miami Herald / Tallahassee Democrat / Fox News / WFLA / WPTV / DeSantis Press Release / LobbyTools 2023 Planned Legislative Proposals

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced more funding for Hurricane Ian recovery during a press conference in Fort Myers, specifically highlighting the state's own travel trailer program and desire to get more placed in Southwest Florida, the Fort Myers News-Press reports

The DeSantis administration has rejected a new Advanced Placement course on African American studies for high school students, claiming it violates state law and that it “lacks educational value,” the Tampa Bay Times reports

The state's 12 public universities say they plan to spend about $34.5 million on various diversity efforts. The estimate comes in response to a request from the governor's office on how much the schools are spending on such racial inclusion efforts, which the governor generally opposes. Tampa Bay Times

Cabinet …

Governor, Cabinet to Hold First 2023 Meeting - The governor and Cabinet met only twice last year and the Florida Board of Executive Clemency, which consists of the governor and two statewide elected Cabinet members, met only once in 2022. This week, the two panels will meet for the first time in 2023. This will also be the first meeting in four years with no Democrats participating. Former Senate President Wilton Simpson is the new Commissioner of Agriculture, succeeding Nikki Fried who had been the only statewide elected Democrat until she lost her run for governor last year. Three items on this week's agenda deal with changing Florida's investment policies to exclude consideration of environmental, social and governance factors, or ESG, on state investment decisions. Another item does the same thing for investments by the Florida Prepaid college fund. The governor and Cabinet will also consider a long list of land purchases and easements, including thousands of acres that would be conserved rather than developed. The Cabinet is scheduled to meet Tuesday morning and the Clemency Board is slated to meet Wednesday morning. LobbyTools Calendar

Gov and Cabinet Approve ESG Investing Ban for FRS - Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Cabinet on Tuesday gave final approval to a policy that will prohibit the State Board of Administration, which invests state money, including the Florida Retirement System fund, from allowing managers to make investment decisions based on "environmental, social or corporate governance," or ESG, considerations. ESG investing considers environmental and social factors, as well as traditional financial metrics, when considering the risk and growth potential for a particular asset. The governor and Cabinet, which is made up of the attorney general, agriculture commissioner and chief financial officer, make decisions on the retirement fund as the State Board of Administration. The board was meeting for the first time since the November election made it an all-Republican panel. "We need asset managers to be laser focused on returns and nothing more," said Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis. "Florida's not going to subsidize the actions of a bunch of leftist ideologues who hate America; we're not going to let a bunch of rich people in Manhattan or Europe try to circumvent our democracy." Politico / The Hill /  Florida Phoenix / Florida Politics / Law360 

Kerner OK'd to Head Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Agency - The governor and Cabinet unanimously approved Dave Kerner's nomination to serve as the 11th executive director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Kerner was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this month and has been serving as interim executive director, succeeding Terry Rhodes who stepped down in December after nearly eight years on the job. Kerner, a Democratic Palm Beach County Commissioner who endorsed DeSantis in the 2022 election, previously served two terms in the state House and has experience as a police officer and as a special prosecutor in Palm Beach County. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles oversees the Florida Highway Patrol and helps issue driver's licenses while managing motor vehicle transactions. The agency consists of nearly 2,000 sworn State Troopers and about 4,500 employees throughout all 67 Florida counties. Florida Politics / FLHSMV Press Release 

Legislature …

“Universal school choice comes to Florida” via Andrew Atterbury of POLITICO — Republican leaders in the Florida House unveiled a significant school choice proposal that would drastically expand eligibility for the state’s programs offering students vouchers to attend private schools.

The legislation would clear the way for any K-12 student to be eligible for state-funded tuition at a private school of their choice regardless of income. It would also pay parents who home-school. This measure is likely to be one of the banner education bills of the upcoming 2023 Legislative Session as Florida seeks to follow other states like Arizona that have recently passed universal school choice policies.

“Bryan Ávila targets property taxes, nursing shortage, Everglades protection in 2023 Session” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — After eight consecutive years in the House, including as Speaker Pro Tempore, Republican Sen. Ávila of Miami Springs is carrying some momentum into his first term in the Legislature’s upper chamber. He hopes it will lead to the passage of several bills meant to address priority issues for his district and the state at large. Two of those bills target a single area of concern: property taxes. One measure (SB 120) would lower the state’s cap on annual increases to the assessed value of properties receiving homestead exemptions — which can decrease a property’s taxable value by as much as $50,000 — from 3% to 2%. Another (SB 124) would help to protect longtime residents who are 65 and older from potentially losing their homes.

Federal Funds will be Used to Expand EV Charging Infrastructure in Fla - The Senate Transportation Committee met Tuesday and heard an update on the state's electric vehicle charging station infrastructure. Florida Department of Transportation Executive Director of Transportation Technologies Trey Tillander told lawmakers that the state has experienced an 87% increase in EV registrations and by 2040, battery-powered automobiles are expected to make up between 10% and 35% of all vehicles in Florida. The agency, however, is earmarked to get $198 million in federal funds to help expand the state's EV charging framework. Tillander noted that officials are initially focused on reducing major interstate gaps and critical evacuation routes. Although Florida has the second-highest number of registered EVs behind California, Texas provides at least 35 more charging stations than Florida. Florida Politics

House Bill Would Allow Local Property Tax Breaks for Affordable Housing - Legislation (HB 229) filed Tuesday would allow counties and cities to adopt local property tax exemptions for providing affordable housing for low-income and moderate-income residents. Local governments could offer the tax breaks only on multi-family housing with at least 10% of the units set aside to be offered at lower rents. The proposed legislation would prohibit the local government from adding on additional eligibility requirements for the tax break. The measure, filed by St. Petersburg Democrat Rep. Lindsay Michelle Cross, doesn't yet have a Senate companion. 

Legislature to Take on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Programs - Florida lawmakers are set to work with Gov. Ron DeSantis in taking a hard look at diversity, equity and inclusion programs at colleges and universities, with a possible eye at cutting their funding. House leadership last week requested data from 40 university campuses to "assess the cost and benefits" of housing diversity, equity and inclusion offices and programs at state schools. Politico / Renner Press Release

Business Tax Relief Bill Filed - Recently filed legislation (HB 103) by Miami Gardens Democrat Rep. Felicia Simone Robinson would allow small businesses to pay tax debt over time without punishment. The measure, which mirrors a federal program known as the Fresh Start Initiative, would require the Florida Department of Revenue to hold meetings and give small business owners a chance to explain why they have accumulated tax debt and any hardships they have recently experienced. The agency could then work with the business to set up a payment plan. A similar Senate companion (SB 182) was filed late last week by Doral Republican Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez. Robinson Press Release

Business …

Florida Weekly Jobless Claims Decrease - First-time unemployment claims in Florida dipped last week as the labor market remains tight nationally. The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday released a report that estimated 6,790 unemployment claims were filed in Florida during the week that ended Jan. 14, down from a revised count of 7,447 during the week that ended Jan. 7. Nationally, the department estimated a 15,000-claim drop to 190,000 claims last week. The federal agency reported that an estimated 5.7 million people were unemployed across the country in December, while there were 10.5 million job openings posted. The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity will release a December unemployment report for the state on Friday. Florida’s jobless rate in November was 2.6 percent, representing 280,000 Floridians out-of-work from a labor force of 10.756 million. The national unemployment rate in December, released earlier this month, was 3.5 percent.

Fixing Florida property insurance mess is a slow process - After the two bills aimed at fixing the property insurance crisis in Florida, experts are hopeful the new measures are a step in the right direction, but the effects will still take time. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed senate bill 4-A and senate bill 2-A from the special session in December. The first bill provides $750 million for disaster relief to Floridians affected by Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole in the form of tax relief. The second bill is a property insurance reform that is aimed at stabilizing the market by increasing competition and strengthening consumer protections. [Source: Miami Today]

Environmental …

Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson named West Gregory director of the Office of Agriculture Water Policy on Wednesday. West replaces former South Florida Water Management official Christopher Pettit, who was appointed in 2019 by former Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried. "Florida's continued prosperity is dependent on Florida's leaders providing a long-term, comprehensive, and science-based approach to protecting and restoring our water resources, and I'm confident West Gregory can help Florida achieve this vision," said Simpson. West previously served as the deputy general counsel at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. He will oversee agricultural best management practices for water quality and conservation in conjunction with DEP, agricultural producers, water management districts and state universities. Simpson Press Release / Florida Politics

Climate change expected to raise health risks in Florida - Some of the health impacts of climate change are obvious and already apparent in Florida, such as more cases of heat stress and mosquito-borne tropical diseases. But it may be surprising that as climate conditions intensify, health experts say it also will increase the risk of sickness and death for people with diabetes. That’s significant for Florida, where a staggering 1 in 10 residents are part of the nationwide diabetes epidemic. [Source: Miami Herald]

Sunshine State Cities Getting Warmer - Florida cities are warming up by as much as three degrees, according to a new study by the National Weather Service. Multiple areas across the state have seen average temperatures continuously rise over the past century. Last year, Tampa recorded an average temperature of 76.4 degrees, which is 2.5 degrees warmer since records were first kept in 1891. WUSF

Orlando Democrat Rep. Anna Eskamani announced a new coalition in the Legislature focused on combating climate change by promoting clean energy and reducing fossil fuels. Eskamani will serve as chair of the Energy and Climate Caucus. St. Petersburg Democrat Rep. Lindsay Cross was named vice chair and Orlando Democrat Rep. Rita Harris will serve as secretary of the group. Eskamani Press Release

Elections and Politics …

Florida Democrats, Republicans need new leaders but for opposite reasons - Both the Florida Republican and Democratic parties will be choosing new state chairs next month, but the reasons each is seeking new leadership could not be farther apart. GOP chair Joe Gruters is stepping aside after four years to run for a national party position as treasurer, having overseen two successful election cycles that saw former President Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio all winning decisively in Florida. Former Democratic chair Manny Diaz resigned on Jan. 9 after DeSantis’ and Rubio’s double-digit wins in an election that also swept in Republican supermajorities in the Legislature. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Former state Sen. Annette Taddeo has thrown her name into the running to become the Florida Democratic Party’s next chair, following ex-Miami Mayor Manny Diaz’s resignation earlier this month, the Miami Herald reports

Republican state Rep. Randy Fine, first elected in 2016, announced his plans to seek to climb to the next rung of the ladder in Florida politics and run for Florida Senate in 2024, Florida Today reports. 

“Poll: Trump can’t beat Joe Biden, but DeSantis can” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — Trump has made no secret of his unhappiness with DeSantis, and a new poll offers a potential reason. When respondents were asked whether DeSantis or Biden would win a 2024 hypothetical, the Florida Governor narrowly edged the sitting Democratic President, 37% to 36%. The split was more pronounced with registered voters, with DeSantis taking 43% and Biden 37%. The question was separate from another one gauging who people said they would vote for.

“Donald Trump trounces DeSantis in potential GOP Primary matchup, new poll finds” via Jared Gans of The Hill — A Morning Consult poll released Wednesday showed Trump with 48% support among potential Republican Primary voters, followed by DeSantis with 31%. Trump’s front-runner position differs from some polls since the Midterm Elections, which have shown DeSantis closing the gap with Trump or taking a lead in some cases. Former Vice President Mike Pence came in third with 8%, followed by former Rep. Liz Cheney with 3%. Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and Sen. Ted Cruz both received 2%. Trump’s support in Morning Consult polls over the past month has stayed between 45% and 50%, while DeSantis has hovered around 30%.