Inside this issue
  HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK  
  Lawmakers Start Budget Talks  
  As the only constitutionally required duty of the legislature, every year Florida lawmakers must balance the state budget during the legislative session. Joint Budget Conference Committees began a series of meetings this week to negotiate over differences between House and Senate versions of a roughly $75 billion budget for the 2014-2015 fiscal year starting July 1. Due to a required 72-hour waiting period before a vote on the budget can occur, lawmakers need to conclude negotiations by April 29 if they hope to end the legislative session as scheduled May 2.

Areas of the budget of priority to the FCCB include:
  • Pregnancy Support Services - A $2 million allocation for crisis pregnancy centers is included in both the House and Senate versions of the budget. FCCB has been supportive of this funding which has been in the budget since 2006 and supports crisis pregnancy centers that provide counseling and resources for pregnant women.
  • Affordable Housing - To cover budget gaps, the legislature has swept available trust fund monies to general revenue since 2002. This year the House and Senate have agreed to allocate documentary stamp dollars to affordable housing trusts as intended by the Sadowski Affordable Housing Act. The State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) will receive $100 million and State Apartment Incentive Loan (SAIL) will receive $67.7 million. SAIL is fully funded in the budget this year, and SHIP is 75% funded. FCCB advocates for full funding but this year's plan is a significant improvement from the House's original proposal and the sweeps in the last 12 years.
  • Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) Education Program - Increased funding for this program is still under consideration in the budget conference process. Catholic Days at the Capitol participants and FCCB staff have advocated for an increase of at least $100 per student.
 

Top

  LIFE AND DEATH  
  Legislature Passes Restrictions on Abortion after Viability  
  HB 1047 (Adkins) cleared the Senate on Friday (24-15), giving final legislative approval to this pro-life measure. The House bill was passed in place of SB 918 (Flores), the Senate's identical version.

The legislation advances the protection of the unborn by prohibiting elective abortions when a physician, using his/her medical judgment, determines the child is viable outside the womb. It also removes "psychological conditions" of the mother from the list of medical exceptions for allowing abortions in the third trimester and applies the remaining exceptions (life and irreversible physical impairment of the mother) to abortions performed after viability.

In order for it to become law, the bill will go next to Governor Scott for his signature.

The FCCB has released a statement praising passage of this legislation and thanking Senator Anitere Flores and Representative Janet Adkins, courageous sponsors of SB 918 and HB 1047, and all who supported these pro-life measures.

Picture above L to R: Ingrid Delgado, associate for social concerns/respect life, Senator Anitere Flores, and Michael Sheedy, executive director.
 

Top

  SOCIAL CONCERNS  
  Unborn Victims of Violence Act Achieves Final Passage  
  On Wednesday, the Senate voted 25-14 to pass HB 59 (Ahern), sending the bill next to Governor Scott for his signature. The bill, which was substituted by the Senate for identical measure SB 162 (Stargel), provides that a person who engages in criminal conduct that causes the death of, or injury to, an unborn child commits a criminal offense separate from the offense against the mother.

By recognizing crimes against the unborn at any stage of gestation, the Unborn Victims of Violence Act ensures justice for unborn children who are injured or killed as a result of violence towards them or their mother. It also provides added protections for pregnant women.

Pictured above: Co-Sponsor Rep. Mike Hill, Sponsors Rep. Larry Ahern and Sen. Kelli Stargel, and victim advocates express support for HB 59/SB 162 after final passage by the legislature.
 

Top

  Hope Remains for In-State Tuition for Children of Immigrants  
  SB 1400 (Latvala) seeks to allow all Florida students, including children of undocumented immigrants, who meet certain requirements to qualify for in-state tuition at Florida public colleges and universities. The bill was not placed on the schedule when its final committee of reference, Appropriations, met this week. Efforts by sponsor, Senator Jack Latvala, to amend the provisions of the bill to other measures considered by the committee at its Tuesday meeting were unsuccessful. However, supporters are hopeful that the full Senate will vote on this proposed policy before the session concludes May 2. With the sponsor plus 20 co-sponsors signed-on to the bill, passage of SB 1400 is likely if it is heard on the Senate floor.

Governor Rick Scott and former Governors Jeb Bush and Bob Martinez have weighed in on the issue with a statement of support calling on the Senate to move the bill forward.

The bill also expands tuition waiver benefits for recipients of a Purple Heart or other combat decorations. In addition, the bill restricts automatic increases in tuition and fees for state universities.

A similar bill, HB 851 (Nunez), was passed by the House (81-33) earlier this session.
 

Top

  Bill Addressing Sentences for Juvenile Offenders Passes Senate  
  On Wednesday, the Senate amended and unanimously passed HB 7035 (Criminal Justice Subcommittee). The bill seeks to reconcile two U.S. Supreme Court rulings with Florida juvenile sentencing guidelines. The High Court's decisions in Graham v. Florida and Miller v. Alabama found that sentencing laws should take into account that impulse control and risk evaluation are not fully developed in juveniles.

Based on the severity and nature of the crime, the measure provides for review of sentences for juveniles under the age of eighteen at the time of their offense. Re-offenders who have previously been convicted of violent crimes are excluded from a sentence review. In homicide cases, the bill also requires judges to consider certain factors before determining whether or not a life sentence is appropriate.

The amended bill has returned to the House for final passage.

The FCCB advocates for meaningful and periodic review of sentences for all juvenile offenders.
 

Top

  Harmful Wage Theft Measure on Hold  
  SB 926 (Simpson), which contains provisions burdensome to employees seeking recovery of lost or stolen wages, was temporarily postponed in the Senate this week. The bill would provide insufficient incentive for employers to pay disputed wages in a timely manner, disallow punitive damages, prohibit payment of attorneys' fees to the prevailing side, and require the employee to notify the employer of the intent to bring an action against them.

Michael Sheedy, executive director, participated in a press conference on Tuesday with lawmakers and religious leaders seeking an amendment to the bill. Sheedy stated, "The dignity of the person is diminished when anyone is denied their full wage or just compensation for their hard work. The effects are especially damaging when this happens to poor or middle-class people who live paycheck to paycheck or are otherwise close to the margins."

The house companion, HB 957 (Combee), was passed by its first committee of reference and is now in the Local and Federal Affairs Committee.
 

Top

  HEALTH CARE  
  Homeless Minors Able to Consent to Care  
  SB 260 (Latvala) and HB 203 (Raulerson) allow homeless youth who are at least 16 years old and not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian to make medical decisions for themselves and any children they may have.

The measure reached a positive conclusion this week. SB 260, which passed the Senate earlier this month, was taken up Tuesday and approved unanimously by the House in place of identical bill, HB 203.

The bill travels next to Governor Scott for his signature.
 

Top

  EDUCATION  
  Florida Tax Credit Scholarships Amended to Senate Bill  
  SB 1512 (Stargel), a bill that creates personal learning accounts for some students with disabilities, was amended on Tuesday by the Senate Appropriations Committee to include provisions related to the Florida Tax Credit (FTC) Scholarship Program. During the committee hearing, James Herzog, associate director for education, testified that Florida's Catholic schools serve 9400-plus students receiving FTC scholarships that are very helpful to low-income families. However, the FCCB has some concerns with the amendment filed by Senator Bill Galvano. A letter from James Herzog, associate director for education, to Senator Galvano addresses these concerns.

The amended bill passed the Appropriations Committee (14-3) and has been placed on the Senate calendar for Wednesday, April 30.
 

Top

  JPII High School Principal Delivers Opening Prayer in Senate  
  Sister Maureen Martin, ASCJ, principal, John Paul II Catholic High School in Tallahassee, gave the opening prayer for the Senate session on Friday morning. Sr. Maureen was invited to deliver the prayer by Senate President Don Gaetz.

Read Sr. Maureen's prayer.
 

Top

April 25, 2014

Follow Us On
  
 
Bookmark and Share

     
2014 FLORIDA LEGISLATIVE SESSION

E-Update: Week 8

Each Friday during the 60-day session, the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCCB) provides a summary of activity on priority bills and other items of interest at the Capitol.

For the current status of bills closely monitored by the FCCB, see our legislative bill report, which is updated on a daily basis.

The 2014 Regular Session of the Florida Legislature began Tuesday, March 4 and is scheduled to conclude Friday, May 2.

Weekly
E-Updates:

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
 
You are currently subscribed to a mailing list of Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here.

VoterVoice