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Florida Lawmakers Pass Controversial Education Changes

More sweeping changes are headed toward Florida’s public schools, including the use of sales-tax credits to help students attend private schools.

In a 20-17 vote Monday, the Senate backed a bill (HB 7055) that has been a top priority of House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, and includes dozens of changes for the state’s 67 school districts. Hours later, the House gave final approval in a 74-39 vote, sending the measure to Gov. Rick Scott.

Corcoran came onto the House floor after the final vote, hugging some of his top lieutenants in celebration.

House leaders have pushed the bill to expand school choice, including the promotion of charter schools and the use of publicly funded vouchers to send students to private schools.

The most significant change may be the addition of two new voucher-like programs that would be funded by sales-tax credits. Previously, such programs relied on corporate income-tax credits and general revenue.

One measure would provide “hope scholarships,” which would offer aid for public-school students who are bullied or otherwise face harassment to transfer to private schools. The program could provide up to $40 million in scholarships annually. It would be funded by motorists who designate up to $105 that they would otherwise pay in sales taxes on vehicle purchases.

Another new voucher program would bolster the existing Gardiner scholarships, which provide aid to disabled students, and could be used to expand the longstanding Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program.

The program would be funded by allowing businesses and others who lease commercial property to designate to the scholarship programs the sales taxes paid on the leases. It would be capped at $57.5 million per year.

A third new voucher program would provide reading scholarships, which can be used for private services like tutoring, for struggling readers in the third through fifth grades. It would be funded with $9.7 million in general revenue.

The voucher expansion drew strong opposition from Democrats, with 13 of the 15 Senate Democrats voting against the bill.

“Why are we expanding these vouchers, while we’re starving our public schools? It’s insanity. And it’s patently unfair,” said Sen. Gary Farmer, D-Fort Lauderdale.

Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, a Naples Republican who oversees public school funding in the Senate, rejected the argument that lawmakers were shortchanging the public-system, noting lawmakers are moving toward agreement on a new state budget that would provide $21 billion for the schools.

“That’s a huge amount of dollars. We are not starving the schools. We are doing the best we can for our educational system,” she said.

Passidomo also defended the new hope scholarships, saying the program would help students who are bullied in school.

“Why not let them move? Why not give them a fresh start?” she asked.

Sen. Tom Lee, R-Thonotosassa, renewed his opposition to a provision in the bill that could force teachers’ unions to disband if their membership falls below 50 percent of the employees they represent in the collective-bargaining process.

He said the measure, which is aimed specifically at “instructional personnel,” would “slap the teachers of Florida in the face.”

Lee, a former Senate president, also urged senators to “stand up for the sovereignty” of the Senate and reject the measure.

Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, rejected the notion that the bill was largely the work of House leaders, noting the numerous provisions from the Senate that would provide more educational “flexibility” to students and their families, including the hope scholarships.

“That’s the core of educational choice,” Stargel said. “This is not something that is being forced upon me. I don’t in any way feel bullied by the House.”

In the Senate, four Republicans, Lee, Dana Young of Tampa, Denise Grimsley of Sebring and Dorothy Hukill of Port Orange, joined 13 Democrats in opposing the bill.

Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, joined 19 Republicans in supporting it.

Sen. Daphne Campbell, D-Miami, did not vote.

The bill had to go back to the House for a final vote because of some changes made by the Senate. But the Republican-dominated House approved it after rejecting two Democratic amendments.

Other provisions in the bill include:

— Requiring schools to prominently display the state motto, “In God We Trust.”

— Overhauling rules governing charter schools, including raising evidentiary standards used by school boards in terminating charter contracts.

— Allowing charter schools the same access to surplus property as traditional public schools.

— Providing more flexibility in construction standards for school projects.

— Lifting a requirement that home-school students provide their own instructional material when they participate in “dual enrollment” programs at state colleges or other institutions.

— Exempting students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County from taking statewide assessments this year and retaining the school’s “A” rating. A mass shooting last month at the school killed 17 people.

by Lloyd Dunkelberger, The News Service of Florida

NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Fire Destroys Abandoned Warehouse

Fire destroyed a large abandoned warehouse in Pensacola Monday afternoon, creating a plume of black smoke that could be seen for miles.

There’s no word on the cause of the fire in the 300 block of Hickory Street off Palafox Street. The 24,000 square foot building was fully engulfed in flames were firefigthers arrived.

There were no injuries reported.

The fire is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office.

About a dozen fire units from Escambia Fire Rescue and the Pensacola Fire Department battled the blaze.

For more photos, click here.

NorthEscambia.com reader submitted and Kristi Barbour photos, click to enlarge.

Federal Court Rules For International Paper In 2014 Dam Failure Flooding Lawsuit

A federal court judge ruled last week that International Paper was not negligent in its design, maintenance or continued operation of an abandoned dam near Kingsfield Road and that the company was not responsible for flood damage to scores of homes. The jury took a little more than an hour to return the verdict.

The class action lawsuit with over 300 property owners claimed the flooding of homes in several neighborhoods was caused by failure of the “Kingsfield Road Dam”, located on IP’s mill property in Cantonment.

The suit was filed in federal court in Pensacola in 2014, with class action status granted in September 2017 on behalf of real property owners in the Bristol Park, Bristol Woods, Bristol Creek and Ashbury Hills subdivisions in Cantonment.

The lawsuit claimed that on the night of a record rainfall, a large “swell” or “wave” of water breached and overflowed into Eleven Mile Creek, including the Bristol Park and Ashbury Hills subdivisions, Devine Farms Road and other surrounding areas, as a result of International Paper’s dam or levee.  Both residential  areas are located in “Flood Zone X” on flood insurance maps, meaning they were not in special flood hazard areas and required no mandatory flood insurance.

The paper mill stopped using the dam t0 discharge wastewater in 2012, according to court documents.

The failure, the lawsuit asserted, was the result of IP’s negligence in maintaining the Eleven Mile Creek Dam and levee, failure to counteract continued development, failed to control debris buildup in and around the dam, and of a failure to notify those downstream of the potential or ultimate failure of the levee system.

The plaintiffs were seeking damages for loss and damage to personal and real property, diminished property values, loss of enjoyment, mental anguish, loss of income and additional expenses due to the flooding in the neighborhoods.

In a May 2014 statement, International Paper told NorthEcambia.com:

“On April 29, 2014, the Pensacola Mill experienced the storm/flood event that the rest of the county experienced. There was significant erosion and wash-out of an inactive erosion control structure near Kingsfield Road. The structure was previously used to control erosion at this now abandoned outfall point, but it has been out of service since the mill completed transition to the pipeline in October of 2012.

“Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to all those who have been directly affected by the area floods. Many of our team members were impacted by this event. On April 29, record storm water flows from across the entire 48-square mile watershed of Elevenmile creek [sic] rapidly exceeded the capacity of the creek. During and after the storm, the Pensacola mill continued to discharge to our pipeline, which bypasses the Elevenmile creek [sic] watershed. No part of the mill’s waste treatment facility failed or collapsed during or after the storm event. We have fully communicated with both state and local agencies regarding the impacts of the storm on the Pensacola mill.”

Pictured: Aerial photos provided  to NorthEscambia.com in 2014 by plaintiff attorney J.J Talbott show what he said was the failure a dam and levee owned by International Paper that allowed flood waters to rush down Eleven Mile Creek. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Highway 29, Nine Mile Intersection Closures And Detours All Week

Stage Set For Reaching Deal On Florida Tax Cuts

Florida lawmakers prepared Friday to hammer out a tax-cut plan, with the Senate introducing a $148 million package and the House scrapping a controversial tax-related proposal that local governments argued could prevent them from banning unwanted businesses such as “puppy mills.”

For most Floridians, the highlights of a final package could be sales-tax “holidays” for back-to-school shoppers and hurricane-season preparations, though the details of House and Senate proposals differ and will have to be negotiated.

House and Senate leaders said earlier this week that they expect a final tax-cut package of about $80 million. Both proposals are larger than that benchmark, but legislative leaders have said they will need to scale back tax cuts to help pay for a $400 million school-safety plan after the mass shooting last month at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

House Ways & Means Chairman Paul Renner, a Palm Coast Republican whose committee crafted a nearly $400 tax-cut package, acknowledged Friday that changes will be needed.

“Given the recent events, there will be some changes before we get to the final tax bill,” Renner said.

The House on Friday took up its package (HB 7087) and positioned it for a vote as soon as Monday.

The House package includes a 10-day tax holiday for back-to-school shoppers, which would allow people to avoid paying sales taxes on clothes costing $60 or less and school supplies costing $15 or less and on the first $1,000 of the cost of personal computers and accessories. The House plan also includes three seven-day holidays on the purchases of hurricane supplies.

Also, the House package includes a controversial plan to expand by $154 million a year sales-tax credits that businesses could receive to fund voucher-like scholarships in the Gardiner Scholarship Program and the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program.

The Senate package (SB 620) approved Friday by the Appropriations Committee does not include the tax-credit proposal.

Renner called the school tax credits a “very, very important” part of the House plan. But Renner moved Friday to remove two controversial proposals that had only been in the House package.

The first was language that would have prohibited local governments from banning sales of goods that are subject to sales taxes. Local government officials argued the policy change could have lifted restrictions now in place against “puppy mills” and adult entertainment establishments.

The second issue removed Friday would have further lowered a tax on aviation fuel, a proposal that had been opposed by airport officials across Florida.

Proponents of the aviation fuel tax reduction — the rate is already set to drop from 6.9 cents to 4.27 cents a gallon next year — argued a further decrease would help draw more air traffic. Airport officials countered that the reduction wouldn’t result in more flights to Florida, and their facilities rely on the fuel tax to obtain matching federal dollars to pay for upgrades.

Renner said “our priorities have changed” after the Parkland school shooting and that the move wasn’t tied to a Delta Air Lines decision to drops a discount program for National Rifle Association members — an issue that has drawn heavy attention in Georgia’s legislature.

“This is a first step in looking at how we make additional revenues available,” Renner said of removing the proposed $14.1 million aviation fuel-tax reduction from the bill. “We’re going to spend upwards of $400 million in school hardening, in school security and mental health, and these other areas, and that money has to come from somewhere.”

Senate Finance and Tax Appropriations Chairwoman Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, said the Senate measure, which includes components of other bills, should address the needs of many Floridians, especially “people who suffered from Hurricane Irma.”

The Senate is offering a reduction in a commercial lease tax from 5.8 percent to 5.7 percent.  The House has proposed dropping the tax rate to 5.5 percent starting Jan. 1.

The Senate package includes a seven-day tax holiday on hurricane-preparation items such as batteries, portable self-powered radios and generators.

The Senate’s back-to-school holiday would run three-days in early August. Unlike the House’s 10-day proposal, the Senate would not lift sales taxes on the first $1,000 of the price of a personal laptop computers and accessories.

Both the House and Senate would provide tax breaks on fencing materials purchased for repairs after Hurricane Irma. Also, proposals call for providing tax breaks for citrus packing houses that have had their businesses interrupted by Hurricane Irma or the disease citrus greening and for fuel used to transport agricultural products after the storm.

by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida

Volunteer Sought for Escambia Pensacola Human Relations Commission

The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners is seeking Escambia County residents interested in volunteering to be considered for an appointment to the Escambia-Pensacola Human Relations Commission. The EPHRC was established by an interlocal agreement between the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners and the city of Pensacola in April 1974. The purpose of the commission is to be responsible for the promotion of fair treatment and equal opportunity to all citizens of the local community. Commission members, who are called commissioners, serve a two-year term of office.

Commissioners meet once a month for one hour. The commission meetings are held to discuss the previous month’s day-to-day activities and to ensure that the interlocal agreement between Escambia County, the city of Pensacola and the EPHRC are in compliance. Additional meetings may be held for special discussion, workshops, training sessions or community activities.

Escambia residents interested in serving on the Escambia-Pensacola Human Relations Commission are asked to submit a resume and letter indicating their desire to serve on the commission by the close of business on Friday, March 16. Resumes should be submitted to Judy Witterstaeter, Program Coordinator, Escambia County Board of County Commissioners, P.O. Box 1591, Pensacola, FL 32502, or emailed to jhwitter@myescambia.com.

Firefighters Respond To Smoke Inside Century Residence

Area fire departments responded to smoke inside a residence in Century Sunday morning.

Shortly after arriving in the 7000 block of Jefferson Avenue, firefighters determined the smoke originated with a malfunctioning HVAC system. There was no major damage and no injuries reported.

The Century and McDavid stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, the Jay Fire Department and the Flomaton Fire Department

NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.

Branden Penegar Car Show Set For March 17

The annual Brandon Penegar Memorial Car Show is scheduled for March 17.

Any make, model or year car is welcomed for the show. Car registration will be from 8:00-11:00 a.m. on March 17th. The fee is $15 to only display a car, $25 to enter the car in the show. Spectator admission is free. Click here for a printable flyer (pdf) with more information.

Branden Penegar, known as the “Gentle Giant” was a 2011 graduate of Tate High School, an assistant coach for the freshman Tate Aggies’ football program and varsity tennis team, and a member of the Tate High School Student Hall of Fame. He passed away in March 2013 at the age of 20. Penegar was a active member of the Gonzalez United Methodist Church and youth program.

Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

West Florida Library Top 10 Books Of The Month

Alleged Hit And Run Driver Found Three Miles Away From Crash Scene

Authorities caught up with an alleged hit and run driver with her vehicle’s engine on the ground three miles from an injury crash Saturday in Davisville. The incident landed the driver in jail.

According to witnesses, a driver  was waiting to make a turn from Highway 97 onto Meadows Lane south of the Piggly Wiggly store, when she was rear-ended by a black Kia Soul driven by 53-year old Cheryl Rene Parrish of McDavid about 4:20 p.m. Witnesses further stated that Parrish and the  Kia Soul then struck a Nissan car before running several other drivers off the road and continuing south on Highway 97.

An Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy located the disabled Kia, with Parrish reportedly still behind the wheel, three miles away on Highway 4 just west of Still Road. The force of the collision had broken the motor mounts on the Kia, and the engine was resting on the ground. The front and side curtain air bags in the vehicle had deployed at the time of the crash.

Multiple parts apparently from the Kia were located along the three mile route between the crash site and the final resting place of the Kia.

The driver of the vehicle that was rear-ended refused medical treatment at the scene but later reported going to the hospital. The the driver of the Nissan car was transported by Escambia County EMS to an area hospital.

Parrish was transported by Escambia County EMS to Atmore Community Hospital for evaluation. She was booked into the Escambia County Jail early Sunday morning with one hit and run involving injury charge and two additional counts of misdemeanor hit and run. She was released on a $2,000 bond late Sunday morning from the Escambia County Jail.

Further details on the crash have not yet been released by the Florida Highway Patrol as they continued their investigation.

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