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LEGISLATION & FLORIDA LAWSTHIS PAGE HAS MOST RECENT AT THE TOP:
SB 278 Traffic Offenses has been assigned it's committee road
map.
The first committee is Regulated Industries (RI)
Chair:
Senator Travis Hutson (R)
Vice Chair: Senator Lauren Book (D)
Senator Ben Albritton (R)
Senator Joe Gruters (R)
Senator Ed Hooper (R)
Senator Kathleen Passidomo (R)
Senator Ray Wesley Rodrigues (R)
Senator Darryl Ervin Rouson (D)
Senator Linda Stewart (D)
The second committee is the Appropriations Subcommittee on
Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development (ATD)
Chair:
Senator George B. Gainer (R)
Vice Chair: Senator Ed Hooper (R)
Senator Loranne Ausley (D)
Senator Jim Boyd (R)
Senator Janet Cruz (D)
Senator Ileana Garcia (R)
Senator Audrey Gibson (D)
Senator Debbie Mayfield (R)
Senator Keith Perry (R)
Senator Annette Taddeo (D)
Senator Tom A. Wright (R)
The Third and last committee is Appropriations (AP)
Chair:
Senator Kelli Stargel (R)
Vice Chair: Senator Aaron Bean (R)
Senator Ben Albritton (R)
Senator Lauren Book (D)
Senator Randolph Bracy (D)
Senator Jeff Brandes (R)
Senator Doug Broxson (R)
Senator Manny Diaz, Jr. (R)
Senator Gary M. Farmer, Jr. (D)
Senator George B. Gainer (R)
Senator Audrey Gibson (D)
Senator Ed Hooper (R)
Senator Travis Hutson (R)
Senator Debbie Mayfield (R)
Senator Kathleen Passidomo (R)
Senator Keith Perry (R)
Senator Jason W. B. Pizzo (D)
Senator Bobby Powell (D)
Senator Darryl Ervin Rouson (D)
Senator Linda Stewart (D)
If any of these Senators is your Senator or if they are in your
Chapter area, please start to contact them now and let them know that
you would like their support of SB 278
FPL OUTLINES
PLAN FOR BASE RATE INCREASES
JUSTICES SAY ‘COLLECTOR’ COVERAGE APPLIES IN MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT December 19, 2019 NSF Staff The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a ruling in a dispute about whether uninsured-motorist insurance coverage should apply in a 2015 fatal motorcycle accident. The Hernando County case stemmed from the death of Michael Lentini while riding his motorcycle. Lentini had purchased a collector-vehicle insurance policy for his 1992 Chevrolet Corvette, which was not involved in the accident, according to court records. The policy included $300,000 in uninsured-motorist coverage. After Lentini’s death, his estate sought to collect the uninsured-motorist benefits and ultimately sued American Southern Home Insurance. A circuit judge ruled in favor of the insurance company, but a panel of the 5th District Court of Appeal overturned that decision last year. The appeals court said uninsured-motorist coverage follows the policyholder and not the insured vehicle, unless an agreement is signed to limit the coverage. American Southern Home Insurance appealed to the Supreme Court. “The issue before this (Supreme) Court is whether an insurer that issues a reduced premium collector vehicle policy may limit uninsured motorist coverage under that specialty policy to accidents involving the occupancy or use of the collector vehicle,” Justice Ricky Polston wrote in Thursday’s main opinion, joined by Chief Justice Charles Canady and Justice Jorge Labarga. Polston concluded that state law does not allow the “limitations placed on uninsured motorist coverage in the collector vehicle policy at issue.” Justice Carlos Muniz wrote a concurring opinion that was joined by Justice Alan Lawson. January 6, 2020 Christine Sexton Jim Saunders Subscribers: This is the first in a series of stories advancing the 2020 legislative session. TALLAHASSEE --- The 2020 legislative session will start Jan. 14 as House and Senate members gather to hear Gov. Ron DeSantis’ State of the State address. Lawmakers will take up a wide range of issues during the 60-day session, along with negotiating a budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. Here are 10 big issues to watch during the session: ABORTION: The Republican-dominated Legislature is considering a controversial proposal that would require parental consent before minors could get abortions. Florida law already requires parents to be notified if their daughters plan to have abortions, but a consent requirement would be more far-reaching. The full House could vote early in the session to approve the proposal, which also is moving forward in Senate committees. BUDGET: DeSantis has proposed a $91.4 billion budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year, touting plans to set minimum teacher salaries at $47,500 a year and to continue addressing environmental issues. DeSantis’ proposal is a starting point for the House and Senate, which will make changes as they negotiate a final version. Lawmakers also will consider potential election-year tax cuts, with DeSantis proposing sales-tax “holidays” for back-to-school shoppers and for hurricane preparations. CRIMINAL JUSTICE: Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Mark Inch has warned that the “status quo is unsustainable” in the state prison system, which faces problems with staffing, health-care costs and crumbling facilities. DeSantis, in part, wants to give pay bumps to many correctional officers to try to help retain them. Lawmakers also are expected during the session to consider a series of proposals that would revamp sentencing laws. EDUCATION: DeSantis has dubbed 2020 the “year of the teacher,” as he pushes a $602 million plan to set minimum teacher salaries at $47,500 and seeks to put in a place a new $300 million bonus program for teachers and principals. But legislative leaders have expressed concerns about the costs of proposals and what Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, has described as “practical” issues. Those issues include the longstanding practice of teacher salaries being set at the local level rather than at the direction of the Legislature. ENVIRONMENT: Since taking office last year, DeSantis has focused on trying to address water-quality issues, including toxic algae booms and red tide in Southeast Florida and Southwest Florida. He wants to continue moving ahead with plans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year on Everglades restoration and other water-related projects. But lawmakers also will face pressure on issues such as climate change and boosting spending on the Florida Forever conservation program. HEALTH CARE: So long as Speaker Jose Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, leads the House, revamping the health-care industry will remain a priority. The House this year will continue pushing to allow advanced practice registered nurses to provide care independently of physicians, though the Senate has opposed such proposals in the past. The chambers are looking at making changes related to pharmacy benefit managers, which serve as a sort of middlemen between drug manufacturers and pharmacies. The pharmacy-benefit manager proposals come as lawmakers seek to curb prescription drug prices. IMMIGRATION: DeSantis has made a priority for this year’s session of requiring businesses to use the federal E-Verify system to prevent undocumented immigrants from getting jobs. Lawmakers during the 2019 session passed another DeSantis priority of banning so-called sanctuary cities. But Galvano has balked at the E-Verify proposal, which also could face major pushback from the state’s agriculture, tourism and construction industries. INSURANCE: With the growing popularity of genetic testing, lawmakers will consider a proposal that would block insurance companies from using genetic information in making decisions on life-insurance and long-term care policies. Supporters of the proposal point to privacy concerns, but insurers fought the issue during the 2019 session. The insurance industry, meanwhile, is lobbying for a proposal that would prevent auto-glass shops from offering incentives for motorists to make windshield-repair claims. PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: The Legislature will closely examine how the state provides Medicaid services to people with developmental and intellectual disabilities and whether an existing program, dubbed the “iBudget,” should be scrapped. The iBudget program is designed, in part, to help people live as independently as possible in their homes or in their communities. But the costs of care annually exceed the amounts of money lawmakers set aside. Also, 21,800 people with disabilities are on a waiting list for services. VISIT FLORIDA: The future of Visit Florida could be determined during the session, as Oliva continues pushing to eliminate the tourism-marketing agency. Oliva argues the state does not need Visit Florida to draw tourists, but DeSantis and the Senate have backed the agency. Lawmakers during the 2019 session cut Visit Florida’s funding from $76 million to $50 million, leading to layoffs. DeSantis has proposed maintaining the agency’s funding at $50 million in 2020-2021.
Darrin "Scribe" Brooks
State Vice President
State Legislative
Trustee,
ABATE of Florida, Inc.
October Legislative Report - Ken Miller, aka "TEDDY BEAR" Throughout history, there have been some very critical issues that have been decided by a single vote. Anyone in Florida, or even across the nation, saw how critical getting out to VOTE can be in the last Presidential election. Members of ABATE know how important voting is as we have been on both the winning and losing side of a single VOTE making the difference about whether a bill passed or failed. Click here to for Legislative Addresses, emails and contact information. It is imperative that motorcyclists in Florida gets out to VOTE to help make sure that any fresh faces who are elected to the Florida legislature already know who we are and what we want before they make it to Tallahassee. This is the easiest time in the world for us to make new friends. These people need votes to get elected. People elected to office will already be a friend if we get involved and help them get elected. ABATE of Florida, Inc. provides an automatic email service that provides info on your elected State and Federal officials. Subscribe here. You can find out everything and more at the Department of State, Division of Elections site. To get involved in motorcycle crash prevention or to find out more about the Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Programs being offered, contact ABATE of Florida, Inc. at P.O. Box 2520, DeLand, Florida, 32721 or visit www.abateflorida.com.
FLORIDA
ABATE ANALYZES ACCIDENT
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