Scott Signs Bill Tightening Restrictions On Abortion Clinics
March 26, 2016
Gov. Rick Scott on Friday approved a sweeping measure that will tighten restrictions on Florida abortion clinics to the point that some say they will be forced to close.
Spokeswomen for Planned Parenthood, which will lose funding under the bill (HB 1411), called the measure “dangerous” and “cruel.”
But supporters, including Pam Olsen of the International House of Prayer, hailed the new law.
“It’s good news on Good Friday,” said Olsen, who is frequently involved in issues at the Capitol.
The bill, which passed largely along party lines, restricts state agencies, local governments and Medicaid managed-care plans from contracting with organizations that own, operate or are affiliated with clinics that perform elective abortions.
That restriction, said Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, means low-income Floridians could lose access to the organization’s health-care and family-planning services. Planned Parenthood said it has more than 67,000 patients in Florida annually.
“As a result of this bill, thousands of people across Florida may no longer be able to access essential reproductive health care, such as cancer screenings, birth control, and well-woman exams,” Richards said in a statement. “This cruel bill is designed to rip health care away from those most at risk.”
Senate sponsor Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, said on the Senate floor that the bill would likely close six of Florida’s 65 abortion clinics.
Among its provisions, the measure will require clinics that perform first-trimester abortions to have patient-transfer agreements with nearby hospitals, or for clinic doctors to have admitting privileges nearby. Clinics that perform second-trimester abortions would have to meet both conditions.
Opponents contend those provisions are medically unnecessary, but supporters say they will protect women’s health and safety.
“Abortionists will finally be held to the same standard as all other physicians who perform invasive procedures in a non-hospital setting by the requirement to have admitting privileges or a transfer agreement with a nearby hospital,” Ingrid Delgado of the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a statement. “It is incomprehensible that opponents suggest the bill makes women less safe.”
Additionally, the bill changes the definition of a first trimester to the period from fertilization through the end of the 11th week of pregnancy. That’s a different definition than the state has used in the past, but it’s consistent with an administrative action last year by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, which alleged that five clinics — including three Planned Parenthood facilities — performed second-trimester abortions without the proper licenses. Clinics have filed challenges, contending that the state changed the definition of a first trimester without notice.
Also, the new law will require the state to inspect at least 50 percent of abortion-clinic records each year. It also bans the sale and donation of fetal remains from abortions and increases the penalties for the improper disposal of fetal remains.
Opponents have said the bill was partly aimed at punishing Planned Parenthood, which has been the target of a national controversy since last year, when videos surfaced alleging that the organization was profiting from the sale of fetal tissue. Planned Parenthood strongly denied the allegations, and a Texas grand jury that looked at the issues cleared the organization of wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, in Florida, Planned Parenthood deployed a six-figure ad buy to urge Scott to veto the bill and delivered 12,000 petitions to that effect to the governor’s office — without success.
“I thought all along he would sign it,” Olsen said. “He’s signed every pro-life bill that’s come across his desk.”
Planned Parenthood and its allies are vowing to fight the new law, but were not ready Friday to say whether they will go to court to try to get it struck down on constitutional grounds.
“We’re evaluating all of our options and will do everything in our power to protect access to care,” Laura Goodhue, executive director of the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, wrote in an email.
But House sponsor Colleen Burton, R-Lakeland, has said an amendment approved by the Senate before the final votes was aimed at making sure the measure meets constitutional tests.
Abortion-related laws have repeatedly drawn legal challenges over the years, including a case now pending at the Florida Supreme Court about a 2015 law that requires 24-hour waiting periods before women can have abortions. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court is considering a Texas law that includes a number of provisions that Florida has adopted.
by Margie Menzel, The News Service of Florida
Major Work Begins Monday On I-10, Highway 29 Interchange
March 26, 2016
Construction will begin Monday on a $8.5 million project to improve the I-10 at Highway 29 interchange at Exit 10A and 10B in Escambia County.
The work will include:
* Removing Exit 10A (I-10 westbound exit ramp to U.S. 29 South).
* Constructing a new exit ramp adjacent to the current Exit 10B – New Exit: 10.
* Installing a traffic signal on U.S. 29 for I-10 westbound to U.S. 29 South traffic.
* Widening the bridge on I-10 eastbound to eliminate an immediate left-hand merge from U.S. 29 South.
During the construction drivers will encounter periodic nighttime lane closures on I-10 and Highway 29 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. In addition, there may be temporary ramp closures, lane shifts and traffic pacing operations. The project is slated for completion in spring 2017.
Northview Drops Friday Game 7-0 To South Walton
March 26, 2016
The Northview chiefs lost to South Walton 7-0 Friday in Bratt.
South Walton took a 2-0 lead in the second, added a couple in the third and sealed the shutout with three more runs in the seventh.
Quentin Sampson went 2-3 at the plate for Northview.
Northview’s varsity will travel to Pensacola Christian Academy for a 3:45 p.m. game on Tuesday before hosting Hopkinsville, KY, on Thursday.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Ramona Preston, click to enlarge.
Atmore Officials: Florida Road Design Is Causing Alabama Flooding
March 25, 2016
Alabama officials believe a road in Florida is creating a dam that is causes flooding problems in Atmore.
A National League of Cities representative for the city of Atmore recently lobbied Alabama Senators Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby in Washington for a solution and money for an engineering study into the flooding issues. Atmore officials say the problem lies with Greenland Road about a half of a mile south of the state line in Florida.
The drainage system that becomes Pine Barren Creek begins near the back of Atmore Community Hospital and flows south toward the McRae Apartments, crosses McRae Street east of the Brooks Memorial Baptist Church. flows back southwest past the Briar Lake Subdivision, crosses into Florida behind the Davisville Piggly Wiggly and continues south to Greenland Road.
The design of Greenland Road, according to Atmore officials, creates a dam that backs water up into their city during periods of heavy rain. About 20 years ago, nearly 60 homes in Atmore flooded as a result.
Escambia County (FL) Public Works Director Wes Moreno said the problem lies with the Pine Barren Creek Bridge on Greenland Road, about a third of a mile east of Highway 97. He said the “bridge” is actually a series of large drainage pipes under the road, rather than an “open” bridge. Heavy rain won’t flow through the pipes fast enough, especially if any debris backs up and begins to block a drainage pipe.
The solution, he said, would appear to be replacement of the pipe system with an ordinary bridge.
Moreno said Escambia County will contact the Florida Department of Transportation to see if the Greenland Road bridge problem might be prioritized under the FDOT’s work plan that dictates future bridge replacements. The total length of the bridge, which was constructed in 1955, is 32.2 feet. It is not currently prioritized as being structurally deficient or in need of replacement by FDOT.
Pictured: Water backs up and flows under Greenland Road in Escambia County, FL, on Thursday afternoon following heavy downpours. The bridge, according to Atmore officials, causes water to back up into Alabama where it causes flooding problems. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Happy Ending: Missing Veteran Found Safe
March 25, 2016
Two Santa Rosa County deputies had the opportunity to go above and beyond the call of duty Wednesday night when they located a missing elderly man from Atmore.
George Haley, an 83 year old dementia patient, left his home on Freemanville Drive north of Atmore about 5:00 Wednesday morning in a 2002 pickup truck. An Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Senior Alert was issued when friends and family were unable to find him.
Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Deputy Brian Middleton and Sgt. Todd Reaves conducted a traffic stop on Haley’s pickup near the Pace Assembly of God Church Wednesday night. He had been reported as a possible drunk driver.
“My husband found him and called police actually thinking he was a drunk driver,” Gina Riela posted on the NorthEscambia.com Facebook page.
Once the deputies realized they had located the missing senior, they contacted and waited for his family to arrive from Atmore to pick him up. They began to talk and discovered that Haley is a veteran with plenty of stories to tell.
“We exchanged stories about life,” Middleton said. The deputies bought Haley a burger and fries since he had not eaten all day.
“Mr. Haley, it was a pleasure meeting you sir, thank you for you’re service in the military and God Bless you,” Middleton said.
Haley is safely back home with his family.
Pictured: Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Sgt. Todd Reaves, George Haley of Atmore ,and Deputy Brian Middleton. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
White Files For Florida House Seat
March 25, 2016
Pensacola Republican Frank White has opened a campaign account to run this fall for a House seat held by Rep. Mike Hill, R-Pensacola Beach, according to the state Division of Elections website.
White plans to run in House District 2, which includes parts of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
The filing comes amid speculation that Hill will run for the state Senate this year if Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker, decides to seek a congressional seat.
That congressional seat opened up when U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., announced he would not seek re-election this year. One other candidate, Pensacola Democrat Raymond Guillory, has opened a campaign account in state House District 2.
by The News Service of Florida
Ensley Pharmacy Burglars Caught On Video
March 25, 2016
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is looking for two people caught on video as they burglarized the Ensley Pharmacy earlier this month. The surveillance video shows the two suspects as they take a large quantity of narcotics frm the pharmacy, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Anyone with information on the burglary is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9630 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Tate Aggies Win Ocoee Baseball Invitational
March 25, 2016
The Tate High School Aggies won the 2016 Ocoee Knights Baseball Invitational Thursday as they topped Clearwater 3-1.
Trace Penton pitched the win for the Aggies with four shutout innings.
The game was scoreless until the Aggies went up in the fourth on a run on a groundout by Cole Halfacre. The Aggies scored two more runs in the bottom of the firth, including single from Josh Kea that scored Corey Young.
Branden Fryman was voted the MVP of the Ocoee Knights Baseball Invitational.
Pictured: The Tate High School Aggies won the 2016 Ocoee Knights Baseball Invitational Thursday. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Scott Signs Bills On Body Cameras, Dental Care
March 25, 2016
Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday signed 34 bills into law, including a measure that will require standards for the use of police body cameras and a plan that could lead to revamping dental care in the Medicaid program.
The body-camera bill (HB 93) was a priority of many Democratic lawmakers and came after a series of highly publicized confrontations across the country between police and members of the public.
The bill does not require law-enforcement agencies to use body cameras. But if they do, the agencies would be required to establish policies and procedures addressing the proper use, maintenance and storage of body cameras and recorded data.
One of the sponsors, Rep. Shevrin Jones, D-West Park, issued a news release Thursday that said the procedures could help protect police officers and citizens. He also cited the case of a musician, Corey Jones, who was fatally shot last year by a plainclothes Palm Beach Gardens officer. Questions have swirled around the shooting, but the officer, who was later fired, did not have a body camera.
“This will maintain the transparency we as a community crave and deserve,” Shevrin Jones said in the release. “This bill is one that really hit home for me after the death of Corey Jones, and hopefully now that it has been signed by the governor, we can hear less about lives lost and more about the unity between law enforcement and the community.”
After lawmakers passed the bill this month, Florida Police Benevolent Association President John Rivera praised the measure.
“We have been saying that departments should not implement body cameras without having a policy,” Rivera said in a prepared statement. “There are so many questions pertaining to procedures, proper use, maintenance, data storage and training that need to be addressed before body camera programs are started. There must be guidelines so that everyone knows the rules and to avoid this issue becoming a knee-jerk political issue.”
Scott is in the process this week of taking action on more than 100 bills that lawmakers passed before the legislative session ended March 11. He faced a Thursday deadline on the 34 bills.
Among the measures was a heavily lobbied bill (HB 819) that could ultimately lead to changes in the way the Medicaid program provides dental services.
The issue centers on the state’s Medicaid managed-care system, which requires HMOs to cover dental services. But supporters of the bill have contended that the services could be better provided by separate prepaid dental plans — an idea known as “carving out” the services from the Medicaid managed-care system.
The bill, sponsored by incoming Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, and Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, R-Miami, will lead to the state’s Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability conducting a study of dental services and submitting the report by Dec. 1. If lawmakers don’t take action during the 2017 legislative session to keep dental services in the Medicaid managed-care program, the Agency for Health Care Administration will be directed to move forward with a prepaid dental program.
The bill was supported by the Florida Dental Association but faced heavy opposition from the Florida Association of Health Plans, which represents the managed-care industry. The Florida Association of Health Plans argued, in part, that the bill was tilted toward moving to prepaid dental plans. That is because the change will occur if lawmakers do not take action next year.
Scott issued a letter Thursday that appeared to indicate he shared some of the industry group’s concerns, though he signed the bill.
“While I am giving my approval to this bill today, if the results of the study do not demonstrate better quality dental care at reduced costs than the net benefits provided under statewide Medicaid managed care today, I expect the 2017 Legislature to amend the statute immediately to protect Medicaid recipients and the services they receive through statewide Medicaid managed care,” Scott wrote.
Another bill that drew debate during the session was a measure (HB 1051), sponsored by House State Affairs Chairman Matt Caldwell, R-North Fort Myers, that would prevent boaters from anchoring overnight in some South Florida waterways.
The bill, which Scott signed without comment, would prevent overnight anchoring in part of the Middle River in Broward County, Sunset Lake in Miami-Dade County and three parts of Biscayne Bay in Miami-Dade. Supporters argued during the session that waterfront property owners have problems with people anchoring off their backyards for long periods of time. But opponents pointed, at least in part, to already-limited mooring space in South Florida.
by Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida
County Accepts Tornado Housing Applications; Not Yet For Century
March 24, 2016
Escambia County staffers were in Century Wednesday taking applications for housing assistance. But meanwhile, it’s still wait and see for residents of the Town of Century on any housing funds that might be available.
The Escambia County Neighborhood Enterprise Division took applications for housing rehabilitation programs for citizens in the unincorporated areas, or outside the town limits, affected by the February 15 Century tornado.
The Florida Housing Finance Corporation notified Escambia County of $2,058,028 in State Housing Initiatives Partnership, or SHIP, disaster funds for the two tornadoes that struck Escambia County in February. Funds will be appropriated to assist with owner occupied housing rehabilitation, replacement, and disaster mitigation as outlined in the county’s Local Housing Assistance Plan.
Century won’t be able to to take applicants for housing assistance until April — the funds will first be dispersed to Escambia County and an interlocal agreement between the county and the town must be amended to cover the new funding.
The Century Town Council will sign off at a future meeting on an applications process. The applications, Mayor Freddie McCall said, will likely be accepted on a first come, first served basis.
Once available, funding may only be utilized for households directly impacted by one of the two storms and income restrictions will apply, see chart below. Household members seeking repair assistance will be required to provide proof of homestead exemption, income, assets, mortgage (if present), and insurance (if present) to certify eligibility.
For more information on disaster-related owner occupant housing repair or home replacement assistance:
- Unincorporated areas of Escambia County – County Neighborhood Enterprise Division at (850) 595-0022.
- City of Pensacola – City Housing Office at (850) 858-0350
- Town of Century – SHIP applications are expected to be accepted in April, for more information call (850) 256-3208
Pictured: Housing assistance applications were taken Wendesday at the Century Town Hall. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.