Motor Vehicle Fee Roll Back Sails Through Senate Committee
March 29, 2013
The Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved a bill Thursday lowering motor vehicle fees in exchange for repealing an insurance tax credit, turning aside protests from the insurance industry that the measure would hurt a thriving business.
Under the legislation (SB 7132), the bill would reduce the annual cost to register a motor vehicle by $12. In return, insurance companies would lose a premium tax credit of up to 15 percent of the salaries they pay to Florida-based employees.
Doing away with the tax credit will raise about $220 million, according to the committee’s estimates, which will cover most of the projected $225 million cost of rolling back the fees.
The bill sparked an unusual dynamic in the committee, with industry groups questioning a proposal from the Republican-led Senate and one GOP senator asking the committee to go slowly while others seemed eager to plow ahead.
Lobbyists for insurers told the committee they had no problem with trying to reduce the fees Florida motorists pay to register their automobiles — as long as the money to pay for the reduction came from somewhere else. The industry says 44,000 jobs were created by companies that get the tax credit even as the economy struggled through the Great Recession.
“This credit, which was created to attract insurance jobs in the state, has worked and is working,” said Brewster Bevis with Associated Industries of Florida.
But committee members were skeptical, with Republicans in particular pushing for the industry to name a company or companies that located jobs in Florida because of the credit or would leave if the credit were repealed. They also said that the success of the industry might suggest the tax break isn’t needed anymore.
“At what point has an incentive done what we intended it to do and we as a Legislature say, ‘That was it’?” asked Sen. Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando.
Others were more cautious, including Sen. Garrett Richter, R-Naples.
“I do think we need to tread very carefully because if … any industry has had a tax exemption that goes away, that’s a tax increase,” he said.
Senators also suggested the door was still open for insurance companies to come up with another source for the money to pay for the fee cut — something Appropriations Chairman Joe Negron, R-Stuart, said he had given the industry a week to do. After the meeting, Negron said the industry’s arguments — which he said were largely speculation — hadn’t moved him.
“If I juxtapose an insurance (industry) tax break with sending money back to our constituents, I’m going to vote for the constituents,” Negron said.
Gov. Rick Scott’s office said he was focused on his own priorities for the session, but didn’t rule out the proposal.
“The Governor is always open to looking at ways we can lower the cost of living for Florida families,” spokeswoman Jackie Schutz said in an email.
By The News Service of Florida
Low Cost Health Insurance Available To Many Area Children
March 29, 2013
Many families in the North Escambia area are eligible for a program that offers private insurance to children for as little as $15-$20 per month.
Florida Kid Care covers health emergencies and a wide variety of services, such as doctor visits, shots, lab tests, X-rays, dental care, prescriptions, emergencies, hospitalization, mental health examinations and sports physicals.
Many families are eligible for the program, but the parents do not know about it. Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital and United Way are working together to promote awareness of the low-cost insurance.
The family’s size and income determine if the children are eligible. The statewide program is aimed at children 18 or younger. A family of four with an income of up to $46,100 a year is eligible.
Details: In Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, simply call 2-1-1. Or email InsureKidsNow@shhpens.org. For more details, contact Cheryl Pilling at cpilling@shhpens.org or call (850) 416-6040.
Blue Angels To Fly Again Next Week
March 29, 2013
The Blue Angels will resume practice demonstrations following the Easter weekend, Tuesday through Friday, April 2-5, with take-offs from Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
Bleacher seating is provided behind the National Naval Aviation Museum. Following Wednesday’s practice, the team will visit the museum to answer questions and sign autographs.
Friday’s practice will launch from NAS Pensacola but the practice demonstration will not be viewable from the base or the National Museum of Naval Aviation.
The Blue Angels’ practice schedule for the remainder of April is still to be determined; updates will be released as soon as they become available.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Firefighters Respond To Control 338 Acre Fire
March 28, 2013
A huge plume of smoke could be seen from across Escambia County Thursday afternoon due a prescribed burn near Saufley Field. The Northwest Florida Water Management District intended to burn about 338 acres within the Perdido River Water Management Area.
After a change in winds, Escambia County Fire Rescue was asked for assistance in monitoring the prescribed burn. Crews from five different Escambia County fire stations were dispatched to the scene to be on standby. A crew from the Navy’s fire department aboard NAS Pensacola was also dispatched.
Mid afternoon, Escambia County Fire Rescue state that no homes or businesses were threatened by the fire, and the situation was under control.
The Northwest Florida Water Management District’s burn-certified land managers conducted the burn, with help from Gulf Coastal Plain Ecosystem Partnership, Escambia County Natural Resources Division and other agencies.
Officials said prescribed fire is an effective and efficient land management tool used to restore and protect natural resources. Prescribed fires, which mimic naturally-occurring fires, reduce wildfire risk, enhance native vegetation and improve wildlife habitat.
Pictured top: A Forest Service Bell UH-1H helicopter was used to control the blaze. Pictured inset: A huge plume of some from the fire as seen from the 9 Mile Road area. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Fire Destroys Abandoned Building
March 28, 2013
Fire consumed two abandoned structures on Cobb Lane this afternoon, just north of the I-10 and Highway 29 interchange. The fire reportedly started when an abandoned trailer was being demolished and the flames spread to another structure. The fires are under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Three Women Charged With Attempt To Defraud Bank
March 28, 2013
Three women were charged with attempting defraud Regions Bank out of $850.
Deputies responded to the Regions at 4 East Nine Mile Road Tuesday afternoon where an employee advised them that a customer had tried to deposit a counter check written to Lashay Hodges for $850. There were insufficient funds to cover the check, deputies said.
The customer claimed to be Shantela Martin and produced identification with that name. Deputies determined that Shantela Martin had several active warrants for bad checks, and began to handcuff the subject in question. Deputies soon determined that the person they had in their custody was not Shantela Martin, but was actually Martin’s mother, Shantell Biggers of Cantonment.
At the time of the incident, Biggers was accompanied by Lashay Hodges of Pensacola, who was also arrested. Another female pulled up to the scene who said she was a friend of Biggers, and gave deputies a false name. Deputies later determined her actual identity was Louise Pinestraw of Cantonment, and she was also arrested.
Biggers, 43, was charged with financial fraud and producing a false identification and booked into jail with bond set at $20,000. Hodges, 22, and Pinestraw, 28, were both charged with fraud and giving false identification to a law enforcement officer and bond was set at $16,000 each.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is still looking for Shantela Martin, 24, who currently has eight misdemeanor insufficient funds arrest warrants. Anyone with information on her whereabouts in asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Warrants Division at (850) 436-9747 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Thousands Attend Blue Angels Practice Amid Uncertain Future
March 28, 2013
A final public practice is planned this morning for the Blue Angels, beyond that is a very uncertain future for the Navy’s flight demonstration squadron.
At least eight Blue Angel air shows have been canceled in the coming months due to federal budget cuts. There’s no word yet if the sequester will cut the big air show this July over Pensacola Beach.
Wednesday morning, an estimated 8,000 fans braved cool temperatures to watch a Blue Angels practice at NAS Pensacola.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured: The Blue Angels practice at NAS Pensacola Wednesday morning. Photos by Ditto Gorme for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Gets 25 Years For Home Invasion Robbery
March 28, 2013
A Cantonment man has been sentenced Wednesday to 25 years in state prison for a a 2011 home invasion robbery.
Londarrius Don Padgett, 21, will be required to serve a minimum mandatory 10 years under the sentenced handed down by Circuit Judge Michael Allen. Padgett was convicted by an Escambia County Jury last month of home invasion robbery with a firearm, grant theft, and grand theft of a firearm.
On December 8, 2011, Padgett and an unknown codefendant, kicked open the door of a residence in Cantonment while armed with a handgun and shotgun. The victims at the residence were forced to the ground at gunpoint and were then robbed of their money, cell phones, and other items.
One victim saw Padgett’s face during the robbery and was able to identify him in a photo lineup. The victims were unable to identify the other suspect because of a mask.
Free Ride: Escambia EMS To Write Off $2.1 Million In Ambulance Bills
March 28, 2013
Next week, the Escambia County Commission will consider writing-off over $2.1 million in bad debts owed to the Emergency Medical Service Fund.
The write-off includes 4,435 accounts receivable totaling $2,142,106.92 from the first quarter of fiscal year 2012-2013 that have been through all phases of the billing and collection cycle — including all primary and secondary insurance filings, private pay processing, pre-collection letter(s), and/or referral to a secondary collection agency. All accounts have been with the secondary collection agency for at least 120 days.
“All avenues for collection have been exhausted and we are confident these accounts are truly uncollectible, and any further action would be unproductive,” according to county documents.
The county’s resolution to write-off the debts does not forgive the debt.
Escambia Once Again Looking At Chicken Ordinance
March 28, 2013
Escambia County is once again looking at new rules for chickens at single family homes outside areas zoned rural or agricultural.
Earlier this year , the commission decided against a new chicken ordinance mostly because the estimated enforcement cost would be too high. But after hearing from pro-chicken groups, the commission decided to delay their official decision to consider options.
In a meeting next Monday, the county’s planning board will look at chicken regulations on the books in Sarasota and Pinellas counties, plus they will consider a position statement from a group call the Escambia County Chicken Owners.
The chicken owners group wants an ordinance that allows chickens — no roosters — within all residential zones in the county. No commercial or breeding operations would be allowed, except for youth that might be participating in a 4-H or equivalent program. There would be no minimum acreage requirement.
“Chickens are no more a nuisance than any other animal permitted within residential zones of Escambia County. In fact, chickens can be ideal for residential areas, provided the owners use common sense and individual responsibility. We believe that under the existing animal nuisance section residents can legally and responsibly keep chickens within their own backyards,” the position paper states.
Any chicken recommendation from the Escambia County Planning Board would require public hearings and the approval of the county commission prior to becoming law.