Florida News – Highlights from around the state – February 7th
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the some of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida.
- A Day after a Florida House Committee vote to strip Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried’s office with oversight of the State’s Energy Department, the Senate was non-committal about moving forward with similar legislation that’d be required for the revocation to take place.
- In a party line vote parental consent for abortions for minors passed the state Senate. It awaits a full vote in the House but is expected to pass. In notable opposition to the bill, Lauren Book said she doesn’t think the state of Florida should be forcing children to have children.
- 8-year term limits for all school board members has now passed all committees in the House, just as it has tracked in the Senate. Full votes, which are expected to pass the state legislature are next. Under the bill the term limits would begin after November of this year grandfathering in existing board members.
- House Speaker Jose Oliva called out the Orlando Sentinel’s investigation into Florida’s Tax Credit Scholarship program as using scare tactics to intimidate companies into abandoning their support of the program. The Sentinel’s investigation cites at least 83 faith-based schools which aren’t LGBTQ friendly in policy. ABC Wines, Cigar City Brewing, Fifth Third Bank, Wells Fargo and Wyndham Destinations have pulled support. The campaign has been pushed by State Democrats Anna Eskamani and Carlos Smith. This week the African American Ministers Alliance for Parental Choice pushed back on the campaign saying that mostly lower income black and brown children are being hurt by the loss of scholarships. Supporting their statements Senator Marco Rubio said the campaign is a publicity stunt aimed at earning wokeness points with the radical left.