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Archbishop Bernardito Auza of the Holy See Opens Sessions with Prayer
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Archbishop Auza delivers the opening prayer in the Florida Senate.
At the invitation of Senate President Bill Galvano and Speaker of the House Jose Oliva, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, offered the prayer to open both the Senate and House sessions on Wednesday, April 3. Archbishop Auza serves as the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations as well as the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the Organization of American States.
Archbishop Auza asked the Lord to bless the lawmakers as they come together to deliberate. He prayed, "God of wisdom, inspire them to be public servants with a lofty sense of their duties, attentive listeners to the concerns and needs of the citizens of this state, uplifting examples in preserving the credibility of their office, passionate caretakers of this bountiful and beautiful land of Florida, compassionate protectors of those left behind in society."
Archbishop Auza's full prayer can be read in the Senate and House Journals. A video of his prayer in the Senate is available on the FCCB's Facebook page. |
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Parental Consent Prior to a Minor's Abortion Advances in House; Scheduled to be Heard by Senate Committee
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Ingrid Delgado, FCCB associate for social concerns/respect life
HB 1335 (Grall) and SB 1774 (Stargel) would require that a parent or legal guardian provide consent before a minor can undergo an abortion. The bills contain a provision that would allow the minor to petition the court for a waiver in certain circumstances.
HB 1335 was passed by its second committee of reference, Judiciary (10-6). During the committee hearing, Ingrid Delgado, FCCB associate for social concerns/respect life, testified in support of the bill. "When the Conference comes before you in support of juvenile justice reforms, we call your attention to the fact that the adolescent brain is underdeveloped," said Delgado. "The pre-frontal cortex, which helps us consider long-term consequences of our actions and controls impulse, is not fully developed until our early to mid twenties. It's important that we take that into consideration here as well."
SB 1774 is scheduled to be heard by its first committee of reference, Health Policy, on Monday, April 8 at 12:30 p.m.
We thank the Florida Catholic Advocacy Network (FLCAN) subscribers who took action and urged their legislators to support these good bills that seek to ensure parental involvement in their child's permanent, life-altering decision. |
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Dual Enrollment Equity for Private School Students Advances in Both House and Senate
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HB 189 (Zika) and SB 1342 (Stargel) would make college more affordable for Florida families by restoring access to dual enrollment courses at state colleges and universities for high school students. Certain courses would be made available without requiring payment by the family or the student's school. FCCB supports these bills that ensure equity for students at private schools and their families. Public and home-school students currently do not have to pay for dual enrollment courses at nearby colleges.
This week, HB 189 was found favorable by the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee (10-0) and has one more committee of reference. SB 1342 was passed by its first committee of reference, Education (8-0), and has two remaining committee stops. |
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House and Senate Pass Proposed Budgets for Next Fiscal Year
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The Florida Senate and House approved their proposed budgets for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2019. The Senate's spending plan totals $90.3 billion and is about $400 million larger than the House's $89.9 billion proposal.
The House and Senate will now begin the process of resolving differences between the two chambers' proposed budgets before the end of the legislative session. Notable differences in the Senate and House budget plans include amounts allocated for school funding, mental health, health care, affordable housing and addressing environmental needs. Also of concern is funding for Hurricane Michael recovery and the federal government's failure to provide anticipated relief. |
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Education Commission Meets to Discuss Federal Issues
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Betsy DeVos, U.S. secretary of education (center); James Herzog, FCCB associate director for education (far right)
James Herzog, FCCB associate director for education, attended a meeting of the Federal Assistance Advisory Commission (FAAC) of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, DC. The Commission meets twice per year to discuss federal educational programs as well as parental empowerment in education. FAAC members met with U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos on the importance of restoring Title II, Part A funds to meet the professional development needs of public and nonpublic school teachers, among other key issues. Meetings were also held with various members of Congress to discuss support for the "Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act" along with Title II-A services. |
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April 5, 2019
Follow Us On
2019 FLORIDA LEGISLATIVE SESSION
E-Update: Week 5
The 2019 Regular Session of the Florida Legislature began March 5 and is schedule to conclude May 3.
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 FCCB priority bills, see our legislative bill report.
E-Update: Week 1
E-Update: Week 2
E-Update: Week 3
E-Update: Week 4
* * *
Text FLCAN to 50457
to receive network notifications via text message. |
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