TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida’s 60-day legislative session reached its halfway mark, with lawmakers addressing critical issues spanning budget, education, health care, and more. Here’s a snapshot of the ten significant topics dominating the session:
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Budget: House and Senate proposals exceed $115 billion for the upcoming 2024-2025 fiscal year, which starts July 1. Governor Ron DeSantis advocated for a $114.4 billion budget, aiming for fiscal restraint compared to the $119.1 billion in the current year.
Education: The Senate focused on reducing regulations for public schools, particularly concerning state-mandated exams. House bills on education await consideration.
Health Care: The Senate passed a comprehensive plan to bolster physician numbers and health care access, while the House is pursuing similar measures.
Insurance: Amid concerns over rising property insurance rates, proposals aim to enhance coverage through Citizens Property Insurance Corp.
Labor: The House advanced plans to relax work restrictions for 16-and 17-year-olds, but the Senate’s version differs, particularly on work-hour limits of more than 30 hours.
LGBTQ+ Issues: A House bill seeks to mandate reflecting sex assigned at birth on IDs and driver’s licenses, and imposes stronger requirements for transgender health care coverage such as hormone therapy.
Marijuana: Pending recreational marijuana legalization votes prompted proposals to limit THC levels in pot products. If a constitutional amendment allowing for recreational use is passed, the limits would come into effect.
Monuments: Committees supported measures preventing the removal of historic monuments from public property, amid debates over Confederate monuments.
Social Media: House Speaker Paul Renner prioritized curbing minors’ social media access, preventing those under 16 from creating social media accounts, citing concerns about its impact on mental health.
Taxes: Governor DeSantis proposed $1.1 billion in tax breaks, including sales-tax “holidays” and exemptions on property insurance-related fees. Lawmakers will discuss a tax package alongside the state budget.
As the session progresses, negotiations on these issues will shape Florida’s legislative landscape for the foreseeable future.
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