Legislative Update - March 10, 2023

 The first week of session was a busy one. Opening day speeches included Governor DeSantis’ closing line … “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet.” Democrats countered Gov. Ron DeSantis' view of the state of the state on Tuesday, arguing that the governor is so focused on culture war issues he's missing real problems, primarily economic ones, affecting large segments of the population who aren't concerned about how woke the state is.

The Senate passed the “Live Local Act,” the attainable housing bill which is a high priority of President Passidomo.  Tort reform legislation as well as changes to concealed weapon permitting are moving quickly through the process. 

Below are some articles about the first week of Session!

Legislature …

Senate Unanimously Passes Passidomo-Pushed Housing Bill - The Senate unanimously agreed Wednesday on a $700 million-plus project to boost affordable housing in the state, starting off the new legislative session with easy bipartisan passage of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo's top priority for the session. The measure (SB 102) passed after lawmakers on both sides of the aisle praised the bill, and also praised the president and the bill's sponsor, freshman Republican Sen. Alexis Calatayud, for how inclusive the effort to craft the plan was in a year in which politics have been so rancorous. The measure now goes to the House. In addition to putting hundreds of millions of dollars directly into the state's affordable housing programs, the measure also sets out new tax breaks for homebuilders intended to spur the creation of new affordable projects. "Housing is not just a shelter, it is a fundamental aspect of our lives and our society," said Sen. Darryl Rouson, a Democrat. The bill, he said, was a "major step that goes a long way toward alleviating the housing shortage that plagues our state." Some critics of the Senate's effort have expressed disappointment that the bill doesn't allow for local governments to put rent control laws in place. Democratic Sen. Jason Pizzo defended that part of the proposal, saying that many landlords are small property owners and capping what they can charge for renting may not allow them to earn enough to cover the cost of the property. The measure puts more than $700 million into the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, which runs the two biggest statewide affordable housing programs, the State Housing Initiatives Program, or SHIP, and the State Apartment Incentive Loan Program, or SAIL. Florida Phoenix / Florida Politics 

Bills to End Concealed Weapons Permit Requirement Ready for Floor Votes - A Senate committee on Thursday approved a bill (SB 150) that would abolish the need for a permit to carry concealed weapons in Florida, sending the proposal to the full Senate for consideration. A House version (HB 543) is awaiting floor action. The Senate Committee on Fiscal Policy on Thursday voted 13-6 along party lines with Republicans in favor of the bill, which is expected to pass both chambers, possibly as early as next week. Gov. Ron DeSantis has said he will sign the measure into law. "I believe, as a law-abiding citizen, that gun is a tool to help protect those things we love and that the answer to criminals with guns is good people, and law-abiding citizens, there to protect our citizens," said the measure's Senate sponsor, Republican Jay Collins. The bills, now in line with each other after minor amendments made Thursday, have drawn opposition from two different sides. Advocates for tighter gun laws have argued against doing away with the permit requirement, while gun rights supporters have complained the bills don't go far enough because they still only allow people to carry concealed weapons, rather than out in the open, something known as open carry. Senate President Kathleen Passidomo has said the Senate won't pass a measure allowing open carry because sheriffs don't support that idea. Tampa Bay Times / USA Today Network / Orlando Sentinel / CBS Miami

Senate Passes Local Ordinance Lawsuit Measure - Businesses in Florida would be able to sue local government to block enforcement of local laws that could hurt their business under Republican-backed legislation passed Wednesday by the Senate (SB 170) that now heads to the House. The bill has been controversial, with critics, including local governments, saying it will keep local community members from being able to regulate commerce without floods of litigation. The bill sponsor, Sen. Jay Trumbull, R-Panama City, said the measure is needed to check rulemaking gone wild. The bill passed 29-11 and heads to the House, where it is also expected to pass. Florida Politics 

Lawsuit Limits Teed Up in House - A House committee Wednesday approved a wide-ranging bill that would help shield businesses and insurance companies from costly lawsuits, positioning the proposal to go to the full House. The House Judiciary Committee voted 16-8 to approve the bill (HB 837), which has fueled heavy lobbying by business groups, the insurance industry and plaintiffs’ attorneys. The committee approved some revisions Wednesday, but key parts of the bill address issues such as attorney fees, medical costs and what is known as “bad faith” by insurers. Supporters contend the bill is needed to curb what co-sponsor Tom Fabricio, R-Miami Lakes, described as “out-of-control litigation” that drives up costs for businesses. “This bill is really about bringing a balance to Florida,” Fabricio said. But opponents, including many people who have suffered injuries, have packed legislative committee meetings and argued the bill would take away legal rights to be compensated. “This bill is too extreme,” Rep. Hillary Cassel, D-Dania Beach, said during a news conference before Wednesday’s meeting. House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, has made a priority of passing the bill.

Natural gas tax exemption bill aims to keep Florida trucking | The Capitolist

https://thecapitolist.com/natural-gas-tax-exemption-bill-aims-to-keep-florida-trucking/

ESG Ban Moving in House - The House Commerce Committee approved the governor’s efforts to crack down on corporate activism on Wednesday. The bill (HB 3), sponsored by Naples Republican Rep. Bob Rommel, would prevent investment decisions based on social, environmental, political or ideological factors when state agencies, local governments and public educational institutions invest public money. Only risk and return on investment could be considered when those investments are made under the bill. It would also prohibit banks from making lending decisions based on political beliefs, religious beliefs or the type of industry seeking capital. Democrats voted against the measure, saying the current free market system works. A similar Senate companion (SB 302), filed by Fort Pierce Republican Sen. Erin Grall, has not yet been considered in committee. Florida Politics

Ingoglia Files Bill to Bolster Immigration Crackdown -Driver's licenses issued by other states to unauthorized immigrants wouldn't be valid in Florida and businesses that hire undocumented migrants could face large fines under legislation filed Tuesday by Sen. Blaise Ingoglia that is backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. SB 1718 would also require hospitals that accept Medicaid patients to ask patients if they're legally in the country, though they wouldn't be required to disclose the answer to the government and hospital forms would have to notify the patient that their response wouldn't affect their care or resort in a report of their immigration status to immigration authorities. The measure would authorize fines of $5,000 for businesses that have undocumented immigrants on their payroll, with higher fines for repeat offenses. The bill also would make it a third degree felony to harbor or to transport some illegal immigrants – those who have not "been inspected by the federal government" – into or within the state.  Florida Politics / Law 360

Senate Unanimously Passes Trail Network Investment - The Senate unanimously passed the first substantive bill (SB 106) it took up during the legislative session, a bill making a major investment in expansion of the Florida Wildlife Corridor, by connecting the corridor to Florida's Greenways and Trails System and the SUN Trail Network and other recreational trails. The proposal would boost from $25 million to $50 million the annual amount allocated to the SUN Trail Network from motor vehicle registration fees and put $200 million in general revenue toward the planning, design, and construction of the SUN Trail Network. "This is going to transform a lot of what we think of when we think of 'Wild Florida,'" said Sen. Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford, the bill's sponsor. The legislation also codifies a state effort to recognize communities along the trails as "Trail Towns." The bill is a priority for Senate President Kathleen Passidomo. The House version of the bill (HB 915) was approved on Wednesday by the House Infrastructure Strategies Committee, and has one more committee stop before the House floor. "We have the chance not only to preserve this natural resource for future generations, but to expand access so more Floridians can walk, run, and bike from trail town to trail town, taking in all our great state has to offer," Passidomo said in a press release. "I envision Florida's Wildlife Corridor as a top destination for recreational tourists from across the country and around the world."  Senate Press Release / WFTV

Lawmakers consider making roads with mini-mountains of a radioactive substance - More people in Florida means more road construction. That’s certainly the case in northeast Florida where the population is booming. Meanwhile, Florida has a lot of something else, and that is a substance called phosphogypsum. It's also known as PG. It’s the byproduct of phosphate mining. When phosphate fertilizer is made, so is PG. PG is stored in stacks that look like mini-mountains in Florida. [Source: First Coast News]

Senate, House Advance Voucher Expansion Measure - House and Senate committees on Wednesday passed different bills that could provide private school vouchers to every student, regardless of income. Both committees were packed with members of the public wishing to speak on the bill, which is a leadership priority this session and has the support of Gov. Ron DeSantis. In the Senate Appropriations Committee on Education, more than 50 members of the public and interest group representatives turned up to speak, and the committee didn't have time to hear from all of them before having to take a vote on the measure. The Senate version of the bill (SB 202) cleared the committee on a party line vote with Republicans in favor, while the House proposal (HB 1) received some support from Democrats in the House Education Quality Subcommittee, its third committee stop. The House committee considered and approved several amendments. Three of those were by Fort Lauderdale Democrat Rep. Patricia Williams, including one that created a tier to prioritize low and middle income students for the taxpayer-funded scholarships based on poverty level. Sebring Republican Rep. Kaylee Tuck is sponsoring the House bill, while Republican Sen. Corey Simon of Tallahassee is sponsoring the bill in the Senate. The measures would make all students eligible for a school voucher worth an average of $8,000, and would also allow funding for homeschooled children. While some in opposition fear the plan will provide benefits to families who don't need them, proponents argue it will provide students stuck in bad schools with an alternative, and improve educational achievement through competition. The cost of the initiative remains a point of contention, with some estimates placing the price tag as high as $4 billion. The proposals are expected to undergo revisions before they head to their respective chamber floors. The House bill is scheduled to be considered Thursday by the House Education Quality Subcommittee, which is its fourth and final committee of reference. Florida Politics / USA Today Network / News4Jax

Governor …

DeSantis Opens Session He's Expected to Dominate: 'You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet' - Gov. Ron DeSantis gave supporters and skeptics a long list of ways in which Florida can be considered to be doing better than other states, from the number of people moving to the state to the number of cruise ship tourists sailing out of its ports as justification for his aggressive, staunchly conservative agenda in his State of the State address on Tuesday and promised more to come as the Legislature kicked off its annual two-month lawmaking session. "I can promise you this: You ain't seen nothing yet," he said. With Republican supermajorities in both chambers, the GOP governor, and likely presidential candidate, promised Florida will continue to push the state to be a bulwark against liberal efforts to push the culture to the left, and hit several major culture war themes GOP lawmakers will take up at his behest, from continuing an effort to end diversity and inclusion programs in schools and universities to assurances that the state would stand up to the medical establishment. "We defied the experts, we bucked the elites, we ignored the chatter," said DeSantis. "We did it our way, and the result is Florida is the No. 1 destination for Americans looking for a better way of life." Associated Press / Herald-Times / Orlando Sentinel / USA Today Network / The Hill / Politico / Fox News / CNN / CNBC / C-Span Video of Speech / Gov. DeSantis State of the State  

Democrats countered Gov. Ron DeSantis' view of the state of the state on Tuesday, arguing that the governor is so focused on culture war issues he's missing real problems, primarily economic ones, affecting large segments of the population who aren't concerned about how woke the state is. House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell said DeSantis is "so obsessed with woke that he is asleep at the wheel." The Senate's Democratic leader, Sen. Lauren Book, acknowledged the governor's point that the overall economy is doing well, but said not everyone has benefitted from the rising tide. "Florida's economy is booming … but from the southernmost point to the Gulf shores, working people continue to struggle,” Book said. “When Floridians can’t earn a living wage to create their own version of the American Dream, it's time to ask, why?" Driskell Response / Book Response / USA Today Network

Gov. Ron DeSantis cautioned Tuesday there are exceptions to the narrative that it's totally his agenda pushing the Legislature this year. And he pointed in particular to one controversial bill that's drawn heavy scrutiny, a measure (SB 1316) that would require certain bloggers who want to cover the Legislature and governor, and denied any connection to the proposal. "I see these people filing bills and there are these articles with my face on the article saying that bloggers are going to have to register with the state and they're attributing it to me," DeSantis said during a Q&A with reporters after his State of the State address. "That's not anything I've ever supported."  New York Post / Salon

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday emphasized that the state isn't getting rid of children's books in school libraries, but instead eliminating explicit content not suitable for children. "Exposing the 'book ban' hoax is important because it reveals that some are attempting to use our schools for indoctrination," said the governor. He showed a video of books he said were found in Florida schools, saying the books contained pornographic images. According to the Department of Education, 175 books have been reviewed and removed by Florida school districts pursuant to a new law passed last year. WFLA / WJXT / Fox News / WPLG / DeSantis Press Release

State …

Tax Collections Beat Forecast in January - Recovery efforts from Hurricane Ian helped Florida tax collections as 2023 got underway. But state economists continue to express concerns about inflation and Floridians people spending personal savings. The Legislature’s Office of Economic & Demographic Research issued a report Wednesday that said general-revenue collections in January were 21.8 percent above a forecast for the month. The report said collections totaled $4.178 billion in January, about $748.4 million over a projection issued in August. Sales taxes, driven in part by higher prices, were credited for 89 percent of the gain. But a cautionary sign in the report was a decline in documentary-stamp taxes, which are collected on real-estate transactions. Those taxes were off 11 percent amid “higher than expected mortgage rates and weaker than expected housing market prices.” Meanwhile, the report said 54.6 percent of the overage for the month reflects “the continued reliance on savings to support personal consumption and first-round inflationary effects.” The personal-saving rate was 4.7 percent in January, an improvement from 4.5 percent in December. The rate is below the 7.9 percent rate during the 2018-2019 fiscal year, the last full year before the COVID-19 pandemic caused economic upheaval. The saving rate jumped to 33.7 percent in April 2020, as people cut back on spending during the early months of the pandemic and started receiving federal stimulus checks. General revenue is closely watched, as it plays a key role in funding schools, health programs and prisons.

Business …

Florida electric bills going up in April - State regulators Tuesday signed off on plans that will lead to millions of utility customers seeing increased electric bills in April because of hurricane costs and higher-than-expected natural gas prices last year. The Florida Public Service Commission approved a series of proposals that will increase the amounts of money that Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy Florida and Tampa Electric Co. will collect from consumers. Utilities are generally allowed to recover costs related to hurricane preparation and recovery and power-plant fuel. [Source: News Service of Florida]

The population in the urban areas of Orlando and Jacksonville saw some of the highest growth between 2010 and 2020 as the percentage of people who live in "urban areas" according to the Census Bureau boomed. Pew Stateline

Elections …

Chamberlin Wins Republican Primary in HD 24 Special Election - Former congressional candidate and GOP author Ryan Chamberlin emerged victorious in a primary race for the Republican nomination to represent House District 24, defeating four other candidates. The seat had been left vacant by former Rep. Joe Harding, who resigned after being indicted on wire fraud and other charges. While the GOP nominee will progress to a May 16 Special Election, no Democrats have qualified for the seat. Chamberlin, who won with nearly 36% of the vote, must still technically defeat write-in candidate Robert "Foxy" Fox, though Fox's name won't be on the ballot. The primary election took place on the opening day of the 2023 regular legislative session, meaning the winner will have a limited ability to file bills and carry out other duties during the session. House District 24 covers Marion County, including Ocala. Florida Politics / LobbyTools Special Election for HD 24 / Florida Division of Elections