157 New Laws Take Effect In Florida
July 1, 2014
On Tuesday, the state’s record-setting, $77 billion election-year budget went effect, along with 157 other bills approved by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Rick Scott.
The laws range from the “Florida GI Bill” which is intended to make Florida the most military-friendly state in the nation, to lowering college costs and banning the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors.
Also, starting July 1, private information of people involved with animal research at public research facilities will no longer be public, insurance companies will be prohibited from denying coverage or increasing rates based on a customer’s gun ownership, and the state’s unpaid poet laureate position will no longer be a lifetime appointment.
A measure (SB 156) to reduce the cost of motor vehicle registration fees goes into effect Sept. 1, while another 34 bills — including one (HB 59) that creates new penalties for those who harm an unborn child at any stage of development — become law on October 1.
For the year, lawmakers sent 255 bills to Scott, with just one getting vetoed: SB 392, which would have allowed the Florida Department of Transportation to raise the speed on some highways by 5 mph.
Here are highlights of the laws taking effect July 1:
Budget
— HB 5001, the spending plan, the largest in state history, spreads around a hefty surplus, adding new money to public schools, state colleges and universities, environmental projects and child welfare while leaving room for about $500 million in tax and fee cuts that are already being used as a centerpiece for Scott’s re-election campaign.
Military
— HB 7015, called the “Florida GI Bill,” provides university tuition waivers for veterans, pays for military and guard base improvements, is expected to help increase employment opportunities for veterans and allocates $1 million a year to sell the state to veterans. The more than $30 million package requires Visit Florida to spend $1 million a year on marketing aimed at veterans and allocate another $300,000 to a new nonprofit corporation, Florida Is For Veterans, Inc. that would be used to encourage veterans to move to Florida and promote the hiring of veterans.
— HB 559 redesigns 11 military-related specialty license plates and adds a new special use plate — the Combat Medical Badge plate — to the inventory. The law also changes all references of the Korean Conflict to the Korean War and the Vietnam Era to the Vietnam War.
Education
–SB 864, requires school districts to set up a process through which parents can contest the selection of certain textbooks and classroom materials.
— SB 1642, related to the new tests from American Institutes for Research, being instituted in the 2014-15 school year. That plan, modeled on a blueprint developed by Education Commissioner Pam Stewart, would simplify the formula for grading schools. It would also do away with the penalties schools could currently receive for the grades assigned in the 2014-15 school year — a plan meant to provide a transition year as schools adjust to the new standards and tests.
— HB 732 aims to reduce the cost of college by revamping the formula that determines how much families pay for the Florida Prepaid College Program.
— HB 851 allows students who attend secondary school in Florida for at least three years prior to graduation to qualify for in-state tuition, regardless of their immigration status. The law also rolls back the ability of state universities to increase tuition without the approval of the Legislature.
— HB 313 establishes a pilot program that would lead to some public elementary-school students being separated into boys-only and girls-only classes.
Health Care
— SB 224 bans the sales of electronic cigarettes to minors, similar to bans on sales of cigarettes and other tobacco products.
— HB 5203 creates the Florida Consortium of National Cancer Institute Centers Program at the Department of Health to distribute about $60 million a year to cancer centers.
— HB 709 requires the Division of Emergency Management to develop a shelter program for people with Alzheimer’s and other memory-related diseases.
— HB 1131 expands the availability of emergency allergy treatment — epinephrine auto-injectors, emergency medication — to more public place, such as restaurants, sports arenas, theme parks, youth sports leagues and camps.
— HB 1047 defines viability as the stage of development when the life of a fetus is sustainable outside the womb via standard medical measures. It would require physicians to conduct exams before performing abortions to determine if fetuses are viable, and if so, abortions generally wouldn’t be allowed.
Guns
— SB 424 prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage or increase rates based on customers owning guns or ammunition.
— HB 523 allows tax collectors’ offices to handle concealed-weapon license applications.
— HB 525 expands a public-records exemption that shields the identities of people who apply for and receive concealed-carry licenses from the state.
Charities and Marketing
— HB 629 gives consumers more information about what charities are doing with their contributions — especially those that raise large amounts of money. The law bars groups that broke laws in other states from soliciting money in Florida, bans felons from raising money for charity, increases reporting requirements for larger charities and requires information from companies that solicit donations for charities by phone.
— SB 450 adds unsolicited text messages to the “Do Not Call” program designed to prevent Floridians from receiving unwanted calls from salespeople.
On the Road
— HB 7175, a wide ranging transportation measure, includes a one year ban on local governments installing new parking meters and time-limit devices along the right-of-way of state roads. The law also authorizes a study to determine if the state can get revenue from such devices installed along state roads.
— HB 7005 adds sanitation vehicles and utility service vehicles to the requirements of the Move-Over Act; requires non-school buses to use “reasonable means” to not impede or block traffic when picking up or dropping off passengers; requires the words “Sexual Predator” be marked on the front driver licenses and identification cards of people designated as a sexual predator; and allows judges to order twice-daily breath tests instead of ignition interlock devices for repeat DUI offenders.
Food Safety
— HB 7091, a wide-ranging measure that further outlines the duties of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, specifies that food permits are not transferable to a different location or owner and authorizes the state agency to close a food facility if the department finds it poses an immediate danger or threat to public health.
Constitutional Conventions
— HB 609 sets a framework for how Florida would select delegates to an Article V Constitutional Convention.
Law Enforcement
— SB 522 and SB 524 require notification of the county sheriff when a sexual offender is released from the Civil Commitment Center; and require colleges and universities to notify students when a sexual predator is on campus. Two related bills — SB 526 and SB 528 — go into effect Oct. 1. Those bills increase sentences for adult-on-minor sex offenses and registration requirements for sex offenders.
— SB 102, the Aaron Cohen Act, increases penalties for drivers who leave the scenes of serious accidents. Cohen, a 36-year-old bicyclist, was killed in a 2012 hit-and-run accident on the Rickenbacker Causeway in Miami-Dade County.
— HB 227 allows James Joseph Richardson, 78, to finally receive a $1.2 million payment for the 21 years he wrongly served in prison after his seven children died of poisoning.
— HB 955 allows a person required to take a safety course due to a boating violation to do so online, and specifies that those who must take the course because they were convicted of operating a vessel after consuming alcohol under the age of 21 must take the course at their own expense.
Juvenile Justice
— HB 977 is intended to help foster children get driver’s licenses and auto insurance by requiring the Department of Children and Families to contract with a non-profit organization that will set up a three-year statewide pilot program to help children in the foster-care system take driver’s education courses and get licenses and insurance.
— HB 7055 creates criminal penalties for abusing or neglecting teens of all ages in the Department of Juvenile Justice’s custody and requires DJJ to provide the Legislature with annual reports on the outcomes for all its programs.
Human Trafficking
— HB 7141 directs the Department of Children and Families to inspect and certify “safe houses,” where victims can find shelter and services, and establishes services in parts of the state where none exist. Another measure (HB 989) that increases criminal penalties when children are victims of trafficking takes effect Oct. 1.
— HB 1065 establishes guidelines for suspending licenses or denying applications and sets up background screening for people involved with massage establishments.
Ethics
— SB 846 requires lobbyists at Florida’s five water management districts to register and disclose their clients and elected municipal officials to take annual ethics training courses. It also allows the state ethics commission to open an investigation when an official fail to file financial disclosure reports.
Sports
— HB 231 expands to Major League Soccer all-star games an admissions-tax exemption that already applies to events such as all-star games hosted by Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League and the National Football League.
— HB 773 is a wide-ranging measure that amends regulations regarding boxing, kickboxing and mixed-martial arts. For example, a participant would have their license immediately suspended for failing a urine test or failing to provide a sample.
Public Record Exemptions
Lawmakers provided shade over a number of areas. Among the items removed from public access: personal information of people involved in animal research (HB 993); information relating to security breaches when commercial entities provide notice to the Department of Legal Affairs (SB 1526); certain personal contact information contained in motor vehicle crash reports (HB 865); business information from promoters regarding post-match reports to the Florida State Boxing Commission (HB 775); and forensic behavioral health evaluations filed with the court confidentially (SB 256).
Celebrate Freedom 5K, One Mile Fun Run Planned For July 4 In Jay
July 1, 2014
The 15th Annual Celebrate Freedom 5K will be held Friday, July 4 in Jay.
The race starts and finishes at the Jay City Park. It is a scenic course through the neighboring countryside and looping around the Jay Elementary and Jay High school campuses. The last half of the course is run on a paved road that splits cotton and peanut fields on both sides. The course is basically flat and makes for fast times.
Trophies will be awarded to the top three finishers in each of 32 age groups. Overall awards will be given to the top male/female open runners, master runners, grand master runners, and senior grand master runners. There will be awards for the top three male/female walkers and wheelchair participants in the 5K and mile runs. T-shirts are guaranteed to the first 70 runners who register.
After the race, watermelon and refreshments will be served to all participants.
Race day is Friday, July 4 at 8 a.m. at the Jay City Park, 5259 Booker Lane. Entry fee is $20 in advance, $25 day of race. The One Mile Fun Run entry fee is $10. Late registration and pick-up will begin at 6:30 a.m. on race day at Jay City Park.
To register online click here. Or for a printable registration form, click here. Proceeds go towards next year’s race.
For directions or more information, contact Matt Dobson at (850) 217-2603 or (850) 675-6474 or email rmdobson@liberty.edu.
Bizarre Play Helps Jacksonville Down Pensacola’s Blue Wahoos
July 1, 2014
Pensacola Blue Wahoos catcher and clean up hitter Ross Perez hit .356 in June. Lead off hitter Yorman Rodriguez is batting .356 in the past 12 games.
And the five position players called up from High-A Bakersfield after the June 17 Southern League All-Star break (Kyle Waldrop, Seth Mejias-Brean, Marquez Smith, Jesse Winker and Ryan Wright) were a combined 10 for 22, a .454 clip Monday night.
“Our offense this year in my mind has played good,” Wahoos manager DeShields said. “We’ve scored runs and at one point we were hitting the highest in the league. Those things don’t go together. We’ve played a lot better than our record.”
Still, despite collecting 16 hits and six runs the Wahoos dropped their second straight game to the Jacksonville Suns Monday night, losing 8-6.
One could only wonder what would have happened, if not for a bizzare ruling by the umpire crew in the sixth inning.
Wahoos pinch hitter Juan Duran hit a rocket in the air that appeared to glance off pitcher Jay Rogers’ ankle and ricochet into Jacksonville third baseman Terrence Dayleg’s glove – never touching the ground. Dayleg threw Duran out at first to complete the play and Pensacola’s Jesse Winker scored from third, cutting the Jacksonville lead, 8-4. Third base umpire J.J. January ruled Penacola’s Ryan Wright safe at third and the play was dead.
But then the umpires reconvened and homeplate umpire Matt Pridemore, who was filling in for Jeremy Riggs who suffered a concussion Sunday from a foul ball off his mask, decided instead that Dayleg caught the ball in the air. So, he called Winker out after the Suns threw the ball to third base during the umpires’ discussion. The over turning of the call from a run scored and two out to a double play that took a Wahoos run off the scoreboard, ended the inning and stopping Pensacola from adding one run or more. Jacksonville remained ahead, 8-3.
DeShields was thrown out of the game for arguing the reversed call and threw his helmet on the ground in anger. He was still seething after the game and said he had never seen a call like it before.
“I don’t get real aggravated most of the time but I had had enough,” he explained. “It was a messed up play.”
DeShields argued the play was dead and the Pensacola runners should have been allowed to return to second and third base with two out.
Perez called the umpire’s over ruling “really weird.”
“That was a big situation for us,” said Perez, who scored two runs, doubled and knocked in a run. “If the ball goes through there two runs could have scored. I think we’ll be good at the end of the season.”
Perez said he is more confident than ever at bat and credits his coaches after his hot-hitting June.
“I’ve never felt like I’m feeling right now,” he said. “I’m very comfortable at home plate. When you work hard good things come out.”
The third game of the five-game series with Miami Marlins Double-A affiliate the Jacksonville Suns gets underway at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. RHP Michael Lorenzen (4-4, 2.63) takes the mound for the Wahoos and is scheduled to be opposed by the Suns LHP Justin Nicolino (7-2, 3.07).
by Tommy Thrall
Two Of Three Convenience Store Murder Suspects Arrested
June 30, 2014
Two of three suspects have been arrested in connection with the June 22 murder of 31-year old Tabius Cardell Huff.
Trent Baker was arrested June 24 and charged with third degree felony murder.
And then on Sunday moring, Jarrod Blackmon, 23, was arrested by the Linden (Ala.) Police Department. Blackmon. He was wanted in Escambia County for the first degree premeditated murder .
Deputies are still looking for Jimmy Bonner for third degree felony murder.
Wreck Near Walnut Hill Claims Life Of Recent Northview Graduate
June 30, 2014
A recent Northview High School graduate was killed in a single vehicle accident Sunday afternoon near Walnut Hill.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 18-year old Audra Elizabeth Martin of Century was traveling northbound on a dirt portion of Greenland Road when she veered to the left in her 2001 Chevrolet Impala, over-corrected to the right, struck a ditch and overturned into a field.
Her passenger, 17-year old Tori Amber Jordan of Century,was ejected from the vehicle. Jordan, who was not wearing a seat belt, was pronounced deceased on the scene. She was a 2014 Northview High School graduate and would have celebrated her 18th birthday this week, according to family friends.
Martin was transported by Atmore Ambulance to Atmore Community Hospital with minor injuries. Charges against Martin, who also was not wearing a seat belt, will be pending further investigation, according to the FHP.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Fire Heavily Damages Jacks Branch Road Home
June 30, 2014
A Cantonment home received heavy fire and smoke damage Sunday night.
The fire was reported just after 9 p.m. in single story residence in the 400 block of Jacks Branch Road, near Green Tree Circle. The first firefighters on scene reported heavy smoke coming from the house.
There were no injuries reported, and there was no immediate word in the cause of the blaze.
Pictured: Fire heavily damaged a home on Jacks Branch Road Sunday. NorthEscambia.com reader submitted photos by iHeather Murphy, click to enlarge.
Schedule Change For ECUA July Household Hazardous Waste Collection
June 30, 2014
Taking advantage of the ECUA’s Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Program is a great way to dispose of unwanted household hazardous materials in an environmentally responsible way.
HHW in landfills can leak or, if disposed of on the ground, can contaminate our drinking water supply or other water resources. And HHW disposed of in garbage containers can leak or react with other substances, possibly starting fires that may injure drivers and others nearby.
ECUA’s HHW Program is a monthly service that is free to all ECUA residential sanitation customers.
Normally, ECUA’s HHW collection is on the first Saturday of the month. For this July, the HHW pick-up will instead be scheduled on the second Saturday, July 12, because of the Independence Day holiday the previous week.
Some of the items accepted in the HHW Program pick-up list include swimming pool and household chemicals, paints, used cooking grease, lawn and garden chemicals, and used motor oils. These materials are collected by ECUA crews at the customer’s doorstep, making it as easy and convenient as possible.
For more information, or to request a pick-up, ECUA sanitation customers may call the ECUA Customer Service line at 476-0480, or email customer.service@ecua.fl.gov.
Schools: Pick Up Individual Student FCAT Scores
June 30, 2014
Individual student FCAT scores are available for pick up at your child’s school. For schools not listed below, call the school office for summer hours.
- Jim Allen Elementary: June 30, 7 a.m. – noon; July 21-24, 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.,; July 28-31, 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Bratt Elementary: June 30 – July 3, July 7 – July 10, from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Byrneville Elementary: Everyday except Fridays July 1-24 from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.; everyday beginning July 28, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Molino Park Elementary: June 30 – July 3, or July 7 from 7:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. and July 8-10 from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
- Ernest Ward Middle: June 30 – July 2 from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. and again from July 7 from 7:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., or July 8-10 from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Parents should be prepared to show and identification and sign that they have received the report. Those not picked up during the summer will be sent home with the student in the fall.
- Northview High School: July 1 – 3 from 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. in the administrative office. Those not picked up during that period will be given to the student during orientation – August 13, 9 a.m. – noon for grades 10-12, or August 14, 8 – 9:30 a.m. for ninth grade.
Two Injured In Crash With Utility Pole
June 30, 2014
Two people were injured in a single vehicle rollover accident Sunday night near the intersection of Highway 196 and Highway 95A near Molino.
The driver apparently lost control, ran off the road and hit a utility pole just before 10 p.m. Both were transported by ambulance to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola; neither injury was considered severe or life threatening.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
New Speciality Tags Will Soon Hit Florida’s Roads
June 30, 2014
As they did a year ago, Florida lawmakers this spring approved four new specialty license tags, also extending a self-imposed barrier that hasn’t slowed the program.
Starting October 1, sales will start on the four plates — Fallen Law Enforcement Officers, the Florida Sheriffs Association, the Keiser University, and the Moffitt Cancer Center — signed into law this year by Gov. Rick Scott.
Each plate raises money for the sponsoring organization. The fallen hero tag, which will feature the motto “A Hero Remembered Never Dies” across the bottom, will assist the Police and Kids Foundation, Inc.
The latest tags come despite a “moratorium” lawmakers imposed on new license plates in 2008. The moratorium was set to expire this year, but lawmakers extended it through mid-2016.
Since the moratorium was passed, the number of tags on the road has grown from 113 to 122. Also, lawmakers have since established a 1,000-plate pre-order requirement before actual production of the plate begins.
The new plates also come despite warnings from Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, which oversees license plates, officials that the program may have reached a tipping point in terms of sales.
In November, Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Deputy Director Stephen Fielder told a House subcommittee that the market for specialty plates has become saturated.
The base of motorists spending extra for the specialty plates has remained stagnant over the past few years, Fielder said.
“When I had 30 plates, I had 30 organizations competing for 1 million (motorists),” Fielder told the panel. “I now have 120 plates competing for 1 million customers.” But a lobbyist for specialty plates said the state needs to make it easier for motorists to purchase them.
“There is a reason that many people aren’t able to buy them. The Department of Motor Vehicles will not put an option on the renewal form to go to the specialty plates,” said Susan Goldstein, who represents several associations with specialty plates as well as the Florida Association of Specialty License Plates. “You actually have to physically go to the tax collector or DMV to switch to a new plate.”
Asked about expanding the offerings for specialty tags online, department spokesman John Lucas responded in an email, “It’s strictly a technical reason due to additional fees that (are) involved in such a switch.”
The state sold and renewed 1.35 million specialty tags in 2013, up nearly 14,000 from 2012, but still noticeably off from 1.62 million purchased in 2009. Nearly half of the plates have attracted fewer than 5,000 buyers, including 18 with fewer than 1,000 in sales.
Private colleges are among the lowest sellers. Clearwater Christian College has ranked at the bottom of the sales with just 57 plates sold over the past two years.
Top sellers continue to be the University of Florida, Florida State University, Helping Sea Turtles Survive, Protect Wild Dolphins and Protect the Panther.
Goldstein noted that the number of specialty plates dropped after the fees for first time and renewals of specialty license plates were increased in 2009, when lawmakers were also hiking the cost of vehicle registration and other driver fees to close a budget shortfall.
“The person that wants to buy a new specialty plate has to pay $38 in fees to the state to make a $25 donation to the organization,” Goldstein said. “And we still did over $30 million last year.”
According to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the $15 to $25 fee on specialty tags generates about $30 million a year, with about $8.6 million going to state revenue for processing fees and the rest divided among different sponsor organizations. Lawmaker support doesn’t guarantee the tag will hit the road, however.
Of the four tags approved for pre-sale starting July 1, 2013, Florida Freemasons and Lauren’s Kids — a non-profit group that helps survivors of childhood sexual abuse — surpassed the 1,000 mark and went on the road earlier this year.
Meanwhile, the American Legion and Big Brothers Big Sisters continue to struggle in the pre-sale world, with each organization selling about 100 plates as of June 2.
In addition to the new plates, production will begin this year on a new special use plate to recognize field medics who accompanied infantry into battle with a Combat Medical Badge plate. The state already offers Combat Action Badge and Combat Infantry Badge plates.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida