House Bill Update -- Special Session

The following are new bills introduced and still active in the House of Representatives during the current House special session.

HB 15A - Taxation of Cigarettes by Waldman: This one is another attempt to raise the cigarette tax, but I can't see any significant differences from the earlier bill by Zapata. Unless there's something here I'm not seeing, I'd vote yes on this one.

HB 5005A - Education Funding by Flores: I don't like this bill and I would certainly vote against it. First off, it allows local school boards to reduce salaries for all school employees in able to make up for "emergency" financial shortfalls. Seems to me those shortfalls could be avoided if we hadn't instituted several ridiculous property tax cuts in recent years. Maybe repealing them would be the better way to go. Next it would increase the potential size of voluntary prekindergarten classes, another bad idea. We are now attempting to solve the budget problems by placing a greater burden on teachers and the youngest children. They are also cutting the requirements for offering VPK classes. This bill does other things as well, such as delaying the Merit Award Program for a year, but the first few provisions make it bad enough. Definite no vote on my part.

HB 5007A - Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles by Glorioso: This one eliminates the DUI Programs Coordination Trust Fund and redistributes the money to more generalized funds. Additionally, it seems to weaken stipulations on how other money related to DMV programs. I don't know enough about the DUI programs in Florida to come to a complete conclusion on this one, but if we are cutting money from effective programs, that seems like a bad idea to me, particularly since DUIs are so dangerous. At this point, I'd make this one a tentative no.

HB 5105A - Biomedical Research by Zapata: This one cuts funding from two progams that fund biomedical research. This is exactly the kind of short-sighted budgeting that Republicans always do and that got us into the kind of mess we're in now. We can't stop investing in the future -- particularly in the medical field -- just because times are tough now. If we don't invest in the future, times will remain tough. I'd definitely vote no on this one.

HB 5107A - State Judicial System by Adams: This one seems to be kind of a minor bill, as far as I can tell. It increases penalties for some nonfelony traffic violations, increases penalties for speeding more than 15 mph over the speed limit, increases penalties for noncriminal traffic violations, and makes probation in certain cases optional rather than required. As far as I can tell, the fine increases are small and the other penalties don't seem overwhelmingly out of line with the crimes in question. Unless I'm missing something here, I'd probably vote yes on this one.

HB 5109A - My Safe Florida Home Program by Hays: Under the My Safe Florida Program, one option is a no-interest loan to homeowners for home improvements that reduce the property's vulnerability to wind damage. This law would eliminate the requirement that the Department of Financial Services set aside money to pay for the program. Strikes me as a bad idea and seems, once again, that we're trying to save money by refusing to invest in the future. I'd vote no on this one.

HB 5111A - Medicaid by Ambler: This bill would cut the amount of money reimbursed to providers and pharmacies for drugs prescribed under Medicaid. I would have to see an impact statement and find out if there is much in the way of waste and fraud in these programs. I have to withhold judgment on this one and learn more about it.

HB 5113A - Water Management Lands Trust Fund by Poppell: I'm starting to sense a trend here. From what I can tell, this one bans certain types of refunding bonds -- no idea -- and takes money from the Water Management Lands Trust Fund and puts it in the general fund. I'm not as sure about this one as the others, but it strikes me as a bad idea, particularly with the increasing volatility in the water cycle in Florida. I'm inclined to vote no on this one, too.

HB 5115A - Distribution of the Proceeds of the Excise Tax on Documents by Poppell: Another one -- this time taking money from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund and putting it in the general fund. I'd vote no on this one, for sure.

HB 5201A - Economic Development by Murzin: This one would create the Economic Gardening Business and Economic Development to help promote growth in already-existing small businesses in the state. I'd want to see some research on economic gardening projects in other states to see if this is a successful program and whether or not it should be pursued in Florida, but I'd be inclined to vote for it.