New Budget, Dozens Of New Laws Take Effect Today In Florida
July 1, 2018
More than 100 bills that Gov. Rick Scott signed into law from the 2018 legislative session will take effect Sunday, including a new state budget that tops $88 billion.
Lawmakers sent 195 bills to Scott from the session that ended in March. The governor vetoed two, while signing the rest.
Of the signed measures, 105 will hit the books Sunday.
Of the remainder, 54 went into effect upon Scott’s signature, with the rest effective in October or in 2019.
Among the measures slated to take effect Sunday:
STATE BUDGET
— HB 5001: Lawmakers passed an $88.7 billion budget for the 2018-2019 fiscal year. The spending plan increases public-school funding by $101.50 per student, though Democrats and many education officials have argued that a far lower amount will be available for basic school expenses.
Among other things, the budget will provide $100.8 million for the Florida Forever land preservation program and offer a $130 million increase in Medicaid funding for nursing homes. Lawmakers also included $3.3 billion in reserves and put money into such issues as Everglades restoration, beach restoration, “pre-eminent” universities and helping universities attract “world class” faculty.
TAX PACKAGE
— HB 7087. A roughly $170 million tax-cut package provides relief for farmers and property owners impacted by Hurricane Irma, provides a sales-tax “holiday” in August for back-to-school shoppers and retroactively covers a disaster-preparedness tax “holiday” in early June that coincided with the start of hurricane season. The package also includes reducing a commercial lease tax from 5.8 percent to 5.7 percent, though that cut will begin Jan. 1.
EDUCATION
— HB 7055: The law expands the use of voucher-like scholarships to send more public-school students to private schools. One program in the bill will let students who face bullying or harassment in public schools transfer to private schools. The so-called “hope scholarships” will be funded by motorists who voluntarily agree to contribute sales taxes they would normally pay on vehicle transactions to fund the scholarships. Among other things, the bill also boosts the Gardiner scholarship program, which pays for services and private-school scholarships for students with disabilities.
CHILD MARRIAGE
— SB 140: The bill will largely block minors from getting married in Florida. In the past, minors ages 16 and 17 have been able to get marriage licenses with parental consent, and judges have had discretion to issue licenses to younger minors if they have children or if pregnancies are involved.
Under the change, marriage will generally be barred for people under age 18, though an exception will be in place for 17-year-olds who have written consent from their parents or guardians. Also, the 17-year-olds will not be able to marry people who are more than two years older than them.
OPIOIDS
— HB 21: With Florida facing an opioid epidemic, the measure is aimed at preventing patients from getting addicted to prescription painkillers and then turning to street drugs such as heroin and fentanyl.
The bill, in part, will place limits on prescriptions that doctors can write for treatment of acute pain. Doctors in many cases would be limited to writing prescriptions for three-day supplies, though they could prescribe up to seven-day supplies of controlled substances if “medically necessary.” Cancer patients, people who are terminally ill, palliative care patients and those who suffer from major trauma would be exempt from the limits. The bill also requires physicians or their staff members to check with a statewide database before prescribing or dispensing controlled substances.
BETHUNE STATUE
— SB 472: Lawmakers approved placing a statue of civil-rights leader and educator Mary McLeod Bethune, the founder of what became Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, in the National Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C.
The statue of Bethune will replace a likeness of Confederate Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith, who has long been one of Florida’s two representatives in the hall at the U.S. Capitol. The state’s other representative is John Gorrie, widely considered the father of air conditioning.
SLAVERY MEMORIAL
— HB 67: The measure will lead to building a memorial on the Capitol grounds to honor the untold number of slaves in Florida history. The bill requires the Department of Management Services to develop a plan and costs for the memorial, with the plan then submitted to the governor and legislative leaders.
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME
— SB 1013: The measure seeks to place Florida on year-round daylight-saving time. The change, promoted as a way to help Florida tourism, still needs congressional approval.
VETERANS
— HB 29: Named the “Don Hahnfeldt Veteran and Military Family Opportunity Act” after a House Republican who died in December, the measure expands a 2014 law by further reducing professional licensing fees and requirements for certain military members, veterans and their spouses. This bill also designates March 25 each year as “Medal of Honor Day.”
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
— HB 545 and HB 359: One measure (HB 545) will prohibit state agencies and local governments from contracting with companies that boycott Israel. The other (HB 359) bars state agencies from investing in companies doing business with the government of Venezuela, a step intended to put pressure on the regime of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Deputy Receives Minor Injuries In Traffic Crash; Other Driver Cited
June 30, 2018
An Escambia County deputy received minor injuries in a traffic crash on Olive Road Saturday morning.
The Florida Highway Patrol said Deputy Bambi Sellars was eastbound on Olive Road at Crystal Wells Place with lights and sirens activated on a marked Escambia County Sheriff’s Office vehicle about 6:20 a.m. Sellars attempted to pass a car driven 28-year old Dorianne Dewitte of Pensacola. Dewitte failed to yield and turned left in front of the deputy, the FHP report stated.
The deputy’s vehicle left the roadway, hitting a utility pole, wood fence and brick pillar.
Sellars was transported by Escambia County EMS to Sacred Heart Hospital with minor injuries. Dewitte was not injured.
Dewitte was cited by the FHP for failing to yield while making a left turn.
Photos by Rachel Jordan for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cause Of Fire At Jay’s Royal Cafe Under Investigation
June 30, 2018
There was only minor damage from a fire at the Royal Cafe on South Alabama Street in Jay Friday night.
Firefighters responded to a call about 9:30 p.m. to find a small fire on the restaurant’s porch, according to Jay Fire Chief Tony Simmons. He said the fire was quickly extinguished and did not cause any damage to the interior of the building.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County EMS Chief Resigns
June 30, 2018
Escambia County EMS Chief Steve White has resigned.
His letter of resignation was submitted on Thursday. An Escambia County spokesperson said Friday that a copy of the letter was not yet available because it was in the possession of a county employee that had the day off.
File photo.
Driver Loses Control, Overturns Onto I-10 Exit Ramp
June 30, 2018
A driver lost control on West Detroit Boulevard and overturned across a ditch, landing upright on the adjacent I-10 westbound exit to Pine Forest Road Friday afternoon. The driver’s injuries were not believed to be serious. The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
10 Arrested In Sheriff’s Office One-Night Prostitution Sting
June 30, 2018
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrested 10 people during a one-night prostitution sting in the Brownsville area .
The ECSO said the sting was due to complaints about increased prostitution in the area. The sheriff’s office said they will conduct a similar operation again in the future.
Nine women were arrested on prostitution charges: Sheila Jean Fifield, 56; Mindy Lynn O’Hara, 38; Ashley Nikole Perniciaro, 27; Abigail Ryan Marchant, 35; Elaine Virginia Miller, 49; Danetta Marie Leonard, 50; Rosalee Katherine Langworthy, 40; Heather Delane White, 44; Marcia Elva Long, 45.
One male was also charged with prostitution: Kardale Devon Archie, 25.
Images: Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
NRA Endorses Bydlak For House Seat
June 30, 2018
The National Rifle Association has endorsed Republican House District 1 candidate Rebecca Bydlak.
Both the NRA Political Victory Fund and the Unified Sportsmen of Florida endorsed Bydlak to succeed term-limited Rep. Clay Ingram, noting her “strong support of the Second Amendment, self-defense, and anti-crime issues.”
“I’m honored to receive the endorsement of the state’s largest and oldest pro-second amendment organization and look forward to tenaciously defending the rights of my fellow gun owners in the Florida legislature,” Bydlak said.
Two Juveniles Arrested In Escambia Murder; Third Suspect On The Run
June 30, 2018
On June 27, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office was called to the 700block of Truman Avenue for a possible gunshot victim. Once on scene, they discovered 18-year old Abel Kane who had been shot multiple times. Kane was pronounced deceased later at a local hospital.
ECSO investigators have arrested 16-year old Vincent Winchester and 17-year old Kelijah Watson for homicide. They are still searching for 18-year old Demetrius Caesar.
Anyone with information should call Gulf Coast Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP or the ECSO at (850) 436-9620.
Man Charged With Assaulting Corrections Officer In Century Prison Parking Lot
June 29, 2018
A Century man has been charged with the assaulting a corrections officer in the parking lot of Century Correctional Institution with a tree branch.
William Edward Macks, 59, is facing one felony count of a aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
According to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, Macks approached the female corrections officer as she arrived at Century CI. She stated that Mack aggressively walked toward her vehicle causing her to stop because she feared she was about to hit him with her vehicle.
Macks then began to swing a large branch towards the corrections officer, causing her to believe that he was going to hit her through her vehicle window, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. After ordering Macks to go away, he walked away to the other side of the street while cursing her.
The incident was witnessed by several other corrections officers, according to the report.
Macks’ listed address is directly across the street from a Century CI facility on Tedder Road.
He remained in the Escambia County Jail Friday morning with bond set at $5,000.
Appeals Court Overturns Century Man’s Indecent Exposure Conviction
June 29, 2018
The First District Court of Appeal has reversed the conviction of a Century man accused of exposing himself in front of local nursing home residents.
The appeals court reversed the conviction of Daryl Lamar Brown because a court-ordered competency evaluation was not completed. A new defense attorney took over Brown’s case before trial, but was unaware of the court order and was under the impression that Brown was competent to stand trial due to two previous evaluations. His interactions with Brown also led him to believe he was competent to stand trial.
Brown filed a post-conviction motion claiming his trial counsel was ineffective, and the trial court denied the motion. But the appeals court found it was in error to deny relief based upon the lawyer’s personal interactions and previous evaluations when a new competency evaluation had been ordered.
Brown was found guilty by an Escambia County jury of two counts of lewd and lascivious exposure in the presence of an elderly or disabled person and two additional misdemeanor counts of indecent exposure. In 2014, he was sentenced to five years in prison by Circuit Court Judge Ross Goodman.
The charges were filed after the defendant was observed by several residents of the Century Care Center committing lewd and indecent acts in the early morning hours outside the center.
The case has remanded to the lower court for further proceedings.