Clay Ingram: Session Week 3 Review
March 22, 2014
submitted by Rep. Clay Ingram
We’re through the third week of Session and this was a productive one for us in the Florida House of Representatives.
I had two bills heard in committee this week. HB 1271 is a bill that would bring the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation in compliance with the regulations under the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The bill also provides transparency and protects consumers. Florida’s HB 1271 passed the Insurance and Banking Committee and is now ready to be heard by the full House of Representatives.
HB 697, which adds new mixes of synthetic drugs to the Schedule 1 list of controlled substances, also passed its final committee and is ready to be heard by the full House of Representatives.
We were in Session twice this week and were able to pass some major pieces of legislation. I am proud to say that the House passed a $395 million tax cut that will reduce vehicle registration fees for all Floridians. This fee was increased under former Governor Charlie Crist’s watch and I’m glad we were able to reduce this burden on our citizens.
This week the House passed three bills that will provide greater protection of our 2nd amendment rights including a stronger Stand Your Ground law. I worked with my friend Representative Matt Gaetz on this legislation that will protect law abiding Floridians who defend themselves against violent criminals.
On Wednesday I also had the privilege of speaking to our Northwest Florida leaders when I addressed the Leadership classes from Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa Counties. I am encouraged to see our community leaders take in an interest in the legislative process.
This week we also celebrated the life of former Governor and Pensacolian Reubin Askew. I was honored to lead a moment of silence for Governor Askew during Wednesday’s House Session. Governor Askew led our state through some tumultuous times but he was always a true statesman and a gentleman. He will be missed.
That’s all for this week. I’m home for a few days of rest and then back to work for the citizens of Northwest Florida.
House Approves Vehicle Fee Rollback; Ready For Scott To Sign
March 21, 2014
Motorists will start to pay less when registering their vehicles in the fall, shortly before voters go to the polls to decide whether to re-elect Gov. Rick Scott, in a major victory for the unpopular chief executive.
The House, after releasing a wide range of tax-cutting proposals on Thursday, unanimously approved the largest part of Scott’s request for $500 million in taxes and fees reductions — the elimination of the vehicle registration fee increase put into place in 2009 by the Republican-dominated Legislature.
By reducing individual vehicle registration fees by $20 to $25, depending upon the size of the vehicle, the bill is expected to save motorists a total of $309 million during the upcoming 2014-15 budget year, with the new, lower rates going into effect Sept. 1.
The Senate approved the measure (SB 156) on Tuesday; the bill now goes to Gov. Rick Scott, who said he will sign it.
During the discussion of the bill on Thursday, House Democrats called the rollback they were now voting for a political gimmick that will allow Scott to campaign on cutting a tax that was enacted while potential Democratic opponent Charlie Crist was in the governor’s mansion.
“We’re doing this because one governor wants to use this issue against a former governor in the election,” said Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Coral Springs.
Republicans disagreed.
“This bill is not about politics over policy. Keeping taxpayer dollars in the pockets of our citizens is always good policy,” replied Rep. Ritch Workman, R-Melbourne, who carried the bill. “Politics will play itself out after session, as two men that we all know will battle it out to be our next governor.”
Scott, who visited the House floor during Thursday’s debate, took a political tone outside the House chamber following the vote.
“This is a tax increase that Charlie Crist passed in 2009,” Scott declared. “The right thing happened tonight, to reduce these taxes and put more money back in Floridians’ hands.”
The overall savings is expected to grow to about $395 million a year, once it’s in effect for the full 12 months.
Earlier in the day, the House Finance and Tax Subcommittee introduced a plan that would surpass the governor’s call for $500 million in cuts through a package that includes four sales-tax free holidays in the coming year, including one for gym memberships.
“We want to make sure make sure we’re not a barrier between you and your health,” Workman, the committee chairman, said of the proposal to drop sales taxes for those paying for gym memberships during the first week in September.
The package, cobbled together from different bills and proposals that have been filed and moving in the House, could reduce state revenue by more than $150 million. It will return to the committee next week.
Workman’s package includes: sales-tax free holidays for back-to-school items, hurricane preparation, energy- and water-efficient appliances, and physical fitness memberships; a three-year exemption on cement mixing drums; a lifting of sales taxes from the purchase of car seats and other child restraints; Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam’s request to reduce the sales tax businesses pay for electricity and shift about $188 million to school construction and maintenance; and Scott’s call to increase in the corporate income tax exemption from $50,000 to $75,000.
The package is vastly different from the Senate proposal that was announced Wednesday by Finance and Tax Committee Chairwoman Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange.
Hukill’s package would limit the cuts to a three-day back-to-school sales tax-free period (SB 792) as well as a measure to scale back the communications services tax (SB 266) that is imposed on cable and phone services.
Workman said that, because of the differences, he’s “concerned” about the upcoming budget conferences with the Senate, where the chambers will try to iron out a compromise.
“It’s going to be an interesting conference. I’m going to fight for our bill because I think it was very organic and very natural and very diverse. I think it touches a lot of people in different and unique ways,” Workman said. “You know, sometimes there is a curtain — and you think is something going on — but there is nothing going on there. I think it’s going to be one hell of a conference.”
Hukill, whose package reaches the $500 million mark when combined with the vehicle registration fee reduction, said she had yet to review the House package but called Workman’s approach “interesting.”
“We’re going to have to negotiate and see what we come up with that we agree upon, what’s going to help the most people,” Hukill said. “There are lots of different ideas out there. We’re only in the third week. There’s a long way to go.”
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Investigator To Look Into Deaths At Escambia Animal Shelter
March 21, 2014
An investigation is being launched into animal deaths at the Escambia County Animal Shelter.
Sharyn Berg of Cantonment, co-founder of a group called Escambia Animal Activists, told the Escambia County Commission that an unusually large number of animals had died from surgical complications during the tenure of the last veterinarian at the shelter, Dr. Alphonso Steward.
“Animals died while he was at the shelter through routine spay and neuter surgery. There were handfuls of other issues with his surgeries that had to be fixed by him and other vets,” she said, claiming that 10 animals had died under Steward’s surgical care in the last three months. She also alleged that Steward’s hiring process was inappropriate.
Interim Escambia County Administrator Larry Newsom said the county is bringing in an independent, third party veterinarian from out of town to look at the animal deaths, and the county will look into any issues with the hiring of Steward.
Last August, Director of Animal Services Delfi Messinger resigned due to pubic outcry after a family dog was mistakenly euthanized. A second dog was mistakenly put down in October, a month before newly hired veterinarian Dr. Melissa Adkison resigned. Steward resigned last month.
In an interview with the Pensacola Independent News, Steward blamed animal deaths on shelter staff and claimed staff members were involved in a social media campaign to tarnish his reputation. To read that interview, click here.
NC Man Convicted Of Murdering Of Former Molino Resident
March 21, 2014
A North Carolina man was convicted Thursday of the brutal murder of a former Molino resident.
It took a jury in Cherokee County, SC, about two hours to find 43-year Joey Clark guilty of the 2010 murder of his ex-girlfriend Winter Delane Wingard. Clark was sentenced to 45 years, which he must serve day for day without parole.
The 26-year old’s nude body was found on the side of a rural road near Gaffney, SC, a town of about 13,000 people about 20 miles northeast of Spartanburg. She died after being severely beaten in the head and neck and strangled. In addition, the coroner said Wingard sustained 13 stab wounds to the neck.
Winter Wingard formerly lived with her family on Molino Road. She attended Molino Elementary, Ransom Middle and Tate High before completing her education online.
After Fiery Debate, ‘Warning Shot’ Bill Passes Florida House
March 21, 2014
After a nearly two-hour debate that focused on Florida’s controversial “stand your ground” law, the state House on Thursday easily passed a bill that would expand the self-defense law to include threatened use of force — including showing a gun or firing a warning shot.
The measure (HB 89) by Rep. Neil Combee, R-Polk City, would extend immunity to people who threaten to use force in self-defense — the same immunity already in law for those who actually shoot people in response to perceived threats.
It passed in a 93-24 vote after a floor debate filled with the names of people associated with gun-related crimes that sparked public outrage in Florida, especially Marissa Alexander, a Jacksonville woman who faces the possibility of 60 years in prison for firing a shot into the wall during a domestic dispute.
The proposal has become known as the “warning shot” bill, although Combee said Thursday that people who call it that “do a terrible disservice to the general public if they put the notion out that this bill somehow or other authorizes or encourages warning shots, because it does not. We specifically did not put ‘warning shot’ in the bill.”
The omission of those words bothered Rep. Kionne McGhee, D-Miami, who questioned how HB 89 would have helped Alexander.
Most of the debate Thursday, however, centered on an amendment by House Minority Leader Perry Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale, that sought to repeal the “stand your ground” law. While Democrats and Republicans went back and forth about the law, few of the arguments were new.
“I thought we had this settled,” said Rep. Dennis Baxley, an Ocala Republican who sponsored the House version of “stand your ground” in 2005. The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee in November rejected a bill (HB 4003) by Rep. Alan Williams to repeal “stand your ground.”
Thurston filed the amendment, he said in an email before the vote, because under the law, “Innocent people have been killed and the perpetrators have been able to walk away. … ‘Stand your ground’ encourages citizens to use force if they ‘feel’ threatened even if no real threat exists.”
Rep. Reggie Fullwood, D-Jacksonville, pointed to black mothers who warn their teenage sons, “Be careful, because a black boy’s life is not as valuable.”
The law “may work for your community, but it’s not working for ours,” Fullwood, an African American, said to other House members.
But Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, who famously vowed that “not one damn comma” of the law would be changed, took issue with such arguments by the law’s opponents.
“In 90 percent of the cases where there is an African American decedent, the shooter — or killer — is also African American,” Gaetz said. “While African Americans constitute about 17 percent of the population in the state of Florida, they account for over 31 percent of assertions of the ’stand your ground’ defense. …And African Americans are 8 percent more likely to prevail when asserting a ’stand your ground’ defense than Caucasians.”
He said a wider sample size, not a handful of cases that have attracted attention, would show no racial disparity under the law.
Thurston’s amendment failed in an 83-31 vote.
The final version of Combee’s bill contained an amendment, passed Wednesday, that would limit access to court records in self-defense cases. The amendment, filed by Gaetz, would allow people found to have used justifiable force in a “stand your ground” hearing to have their court records expunged.
The Senate version of the bill (SB 448) could be approved next week.
While Combee’s bill drew heavy debate, another gun-related bill with a distinctive nickname — the “Pop-Tart” bill — passed in minutes by a vote of 98-17. Sponsored by Baxley, the proposal (HB 7029) would prevent children from being disciplined for simulating guns while playing or for wearing clothes that depict firearms. It draws its nickname from a widely reported news story about a Maryland 7-year-old who was suspended from school last year for chewing his breakfast pastry into the shape of a gun.
The bill attracted bipartisan support in the House from Democrats, who are often critical of “zero tolerance” school discipline policies, and from gun-friendly Republicans.
Pictured: A bill by Rep Neil Combee and Rep. Matt Gaetz (handshake, center) passed the Florida House Thursday to strengthen the ‘Stand Your Ground’ law. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Sex Offender Gets Life For Violating Probation
March 21, 2014
A convicted sex offender was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for violating his probation.
In 1989, Timothy Richard Jordan was convicted of sexual Battery, robbery with a weapon, and attempted murder of a student at UWF. He was sentenced to 40 years state prison to be followed by 10 years of probation. Jordan was released in 2007. In July 2013, Jordan violated his probation by resisting an officer without violence and failure to comply with sexual offender regulations.
Judge Linda Nobles sentenced Jordan to life in prison.
Clerk Injured During Flomaton Armed Robbery
March 21, 2014
A store clerk suffered minor injuries during an armed robbery Thursday night in Flomaton.
Two black males armed with handguns rushed into the Dollar General on Sidney Manning Boulevard (Highway 29) in Flomaton at the store’s 10 p.m. closing time, according to Flomaton Police Chief Bryan Davis. The suspects escaped with an undisclosed amount of cash.
The suspects fled the scene on foot southward toward Roosevelt Street where it is believed they got into a vehicle.
No shots were fired, but Davis said one store clerk was injured during the incident.
The suspects were dressed in all black, including black hoodies, black pants and shoes. They had bandanas — one described as blue with small white pattern like snowflakes — on their faces. One was carrying a red bag that he demanded be filled with cash.
“We are looking for tips from anyone that may have seen someone matching the suspect’s description at any of the surrounding businesses before the robbery,” Davis said.
Anyone with information should contact the Flomaton Police Department at (251) 296-5811 or call their local law enforcement agency.
Former Gov. Askew Returned To Pensacola For Graveside Service
March 21, 2014
Former Florida Governor Reubin Askew, who died last Thursday at age 85, was escorted back to his hometown of Pensacola Thursday afternoon.
He was returned to lie in repose Thursday evening f at this former home church, the First Presbyterian Church on East Gregory Street. Askew will be buried with full military honors Friday at Bayview Memorial Park, 3351 Scenic Highway, Pensacola. The graveside service will begin at 11 a.m. and is open to the public.
Askew is survived by his wife Donna Lou; a son, Kevin and a daughter, Angela White; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be made to the Children’s Home Society of Florida, Lafayette Presbyterian Church in Tallahassee, or the charity of the donor’s choice.
Pictured top: The body of former Florida Governor Reubin Askew is escorted through downtown Pensacola Thursday afternoon. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Supreme Court: Pensacola Beach Residents Should Pay Property Taxes
March 21, 2014
The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously ruled that homes and condominiums in Navarre Beach and Pensacola Beach should be subject to property taxes, though they were built on land leased from Santa Rosa and Escambia counties.
Justices upheld 2011 appeals-court rulings in favor of the Santa Rosa and Escambia property appraisers and tax collectors.
The cases centered on long-term leases that the Northwest Florida counties approved for the development of homes and condominiums on the land. Plaintiffs in the cases contended that residences in the area should not be subject to property taxes, known as “ad valorem” taxes, and instead should face intangible personal property taxes. The Supreme Court noted that government-owned property usually is not subject to property taxes.
But it agreed with the 1st District Court of Appeal that the plaintiffs are the “equitable owners” of the properties and should pay the taxes.
“Here, for ad valorem tax purposes, the ‘owner’ of the property is not a governmental entity,” said the 19-page Navarre Beach opinion, written by Justice Charles Canady.
Navarre Wins Aggie Classic (With Final Standings, Thursday Scores)
March 21, 2014
The Navarre Raiders won the 24-team Aggie Classic hosted by Tate High Thursday night with a 5-1 win over the Christ Presbyterian Lions. The West Florida Jaguars finished fourth, the Milton Panthers fifth, the Escambia Gators ninth, and the Tate Aggies rounded out the top 10.
Here are final standings in the 2014 Aggie Classic:
- Navarre Raiders
- Christ Presbyterian Lions
- South-Doyle Cherokees
- West Florida Jaguars
- Milton Panthers
- Brentwood Bruins
- Knoxville Catholic Irish
- Washington Hornets
- Escambia Gators
- Tate Aggies
- Ponte Vedra Sharks
- Second Baptist School
- Davidson Academy Bears
- Sallisaw Black Diamonds
- Edmond North Huskies
- Niceville Eagles
- Washington Wildcats
- Brentwwod Academy Eagles
- Pryor Tigers
- Claremore Zebras
- Tulsa Union Redskins
- Sapulpa Chieftains
- Gibson Tigers
- Jay Bulldogs
Thursday scores were as follows:
Washington Hornets 6. Brentwood Academy Eagles 5
Knoxville Catholic Irish 8, Pryor Tigers 3
Davidson Academy Bears 13, Jay Bulldogs 2
Ponte Vedra Sharks 5, Niceville Eagles 2
Sallisaw Black Diamonds 7, Milton Panthers 4
Christ Presbyterian Lions 7, Second Baptist School 6
Brentwwod Bruins 6, Claremore Zebras 3
South-Doyle Cherokees 6, Escambia Gators 2
Tate Aggies 9, Sapulpa Chieftains 1
Navarre Raiders 5, Tulsa Union Redskins 2
Edmond North Huskies 6, Washington Wildcats 2
West Florida Jaguars 12, Ft.Gibson Tigers 0
Brentwood Bruins 9, Milton Panthers 3
Ft.Gibson Tigers 9, Sapulpa Chieftains 5
Second Baptist School 6, Ponte Vedra Sharks 0
Tate Aggies 8, Knoxville Catholic Irish 7
South-Doyle Cherokees 3, West Florida Jaguars 2
Davidson Academy Bears 8, Sallisaw Black Diamonds 6
Washington Hornets 3, Escambia Gators 2
Claremore Zebras 13, Washington Wildcats 6
Tulsa Union Redskins 15, Niceville Eagles 10
Navarre Raiders 5, Christ Presbyterian Lions 1
Pryor Tigers 12, Jay Bulldogs 0
Edmond North Huskies 0, Brentwwod Academy Eagles 0