Florida’s 3 Most Impactful New Laws - Top 3 Takeaways – July 1st, 2023
- Universal School Choice. As we’re set to ride into an extended Independence Day weekend for many, we’ll kick it off with over 200 new laws tomorrow. Of course, not all laws are created equally, and this year’s state legislative session included the passage of some of the most transformative laws in Florida’s history. For today’s Top 3 Takeaways I’m highlighting the top three of those new laws, starting with the most transformative of all, Florida’s new Universal School Choice law. The move towards universal school choice has been an agenda item I’ve fought for over the course of my entire 25-year career. And that’s because there’s no greater indication of how one’s life will generally go than how one performs in K-12 education. For far too long those most commonly on the lower end of the socioeconomic scale have been disproportionately disadvantaged by living in underperforming school districts due to artificial lines drawn on maps. While Florida already had a leading school choice program in place, only approximately 3% of Florida’s K-12 students had access to it. Tomorrow, Florida’s “Education” bill, or Universal School Choice program will be law. The new law provides approximately $8,000 in vouchers to parents of students in K-12 education who’d like access to a school of their choice. The priority will be given to families of the lowest economic means. Given that demand is likely to be high at certain preferred schools, time is of the essence. Families interested in school choice should inform themselves and prepare to engage in the program which will be administrated through the state’s Family Empowerment Scholarship Program. Since Florida’s school Choice program began in 2005, 70% of the participants have been minorities and 82% of the students who’ve taken advantage of the opportunity for choice have educationally outperformed their peers who’d lacked it. Now all Floridians will have access to school choice, and with history as a guide, generations of children stand to benefit from it.
- Permitless Carry. Effective tomorrow permitless carrying of firearms will be a lawful thing in Florida. And while Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw is quick to point out that the new law isn’t open carry, which is both true and important to know, the new law is the perhaps the most immediately impactful new law that that most will never see. The new Public Safety law, that was the name of the legislation, allows all lawful gun owners in Florida conceal carry without needing a permit to do so. Florida already had the largest number of concealed carry permitted holders in the country. One might imagine that with permitless carrying of firearms becoming legal in Florida, we’ll have the second highest number (behind Texas) of people carrying firearms on a regular basis. And what that will probably lead to is less crime. As I citied during the debate over this legislation in the session, the net effect of all studies is a reduction in violent crime with permitless carry laws in place. It’s also consistent with record gun ownership rates, as currently measured by CCW active permits in Florida, corresponding directly with a 50-year low in crime. Figures, that are especially compelling considering there’s been a surge in crime at the same time in much of the country. The fact remains that criminals, not guns, commit crimes. Thus, more people with guns doesn’t equal more crime. As a matter of fact, it’s just the opposite.
- Immigration & E-Verify. It was especially challenging to pick only a third potentially most impactful law from the bunch, but this is the one. And it’s the third most impactful I choose for two reasons. For what will and for what won’t happen because of this new law. Throughout the course of the legislative session, and as recently as last week, I’ve covered the truth regarding the impact of Florida’s new immigration law which includes mandatory E-Verify use for employers with 25 or more employees and a law which makes it illegal to knowingly transport illegal immigrants. Now unless you run a business with 25 or more employees and make a point of hiring illegal immigrants, or unless you have a habit of knowingly transporting illegal immigrants around, or unless you’re an illegal immigrant working for an employer with 25 or more employees this really doesn’t mean anything to you. Which is my first point. Tomorrow you’ll still be able to patronize your favorite businesses. They’ll still be open – despite the claims of the “Latino Protest” protestors in which many said many Florida businesses would have to close July 1st if this new law were allowed to take effect. You’ll still be able to go to the grocery store and pick up as many “Fresh from Florida”, items as your cart will hold and that makes your heart content. But as I’ve illustrated... The number of illegal immigrants that are impacted isn’t anywhere near the total number of them working for one very specific reason. The employer threshold. The dirty little secret about why the new E-Verify law kicks in at 25 employees is because most Florida farmers and most Florida contractors have fewer than 25 employees. The fact of the matter is that very few of even the existing illegal immigrants working in Florida will be impacted by this law based on the size of the businesses they’re working for. And the odds are that in the case of some that are, instead of relocating outside of Florida they’re liable to go to work for smaller businesses within Florida. I could envision certain businesses which are knowingly hiring illegal immigrants opting to remain under 25 employees for this reason. That’s a likely effect of this legislation. But as for the rest of it, the law is real. The law has teeth. It will have an impact on the margins, but there’s also no indication that you’re going to see the impact of it at all tomorrow.