Sixty Days — A major-time have a look at the 2023 Legislative Common Session:

The Final 24

Florida lawmakers are transferring quickly to file laws to try to wrestle energy again from Disney over land settlement offers and to make Monorails and Disney World theme park rides topic to state security inspections, Gov. Ron DeSantis mentioned. DeSantis accused Disney of orchestrating a particular deal and circumventing the state when the corporate and its outdated governing Board authorized long-term land settlement offers within the weeks earlier than the state seized management of the Board. The Governor mentioned the brand new Board is contemplating a number of choices to dig again at Disney, together with the potential for constructing a jail on theme park property. “I simply assume that the probabilities are limitless,” he mentioned. Right here’s your nightly rundown.

Tax cuts: The Senate launched its tax minimize proposal (SB 7062), a grab-bag of income reductions aimed largely at client items that largely aligns with DeSantis’ proposal.

Purchaser’s regret: The Home has amended a invoice (HB 973) to offer automobile consumers who’ve a change of coronary heart extra time to return their purchases to apply solely to used vehicles.

Mortgage extension: A invoice (HB 7057) extending the Native Authorities Emergency Bridge Mortgage Program by 2028 is advancing within the Home.

Revamp: Modifications had been promised to the hemp invoice (HB 1475) within the Home, and the invoice sponsor delivered.

Rejected: Democratic laws (HB 1183/SB 1530) filed within the Senate and Home to doubtlessly increase pay for members was a non-starter this 12 months.

Narrowing down: A Home committee narrowed the specification on nutrient discount in an environmental package deal (HB 1379) that usually takes purpose on the state’s septic tanks.

Radio highway: A proposal (SB 982) to honor Rush Limbaugh with a freeway designation died with out a committee listening to within the supermajority Republican Senate this 12 months.

Citizen’s arrest: Laws (SB 812, HB 25) that might ban most authorized allowances for the millennia-old observe of citizen’s arrests in Florida is probably going lifeless.

Harsher: One other 12 months has come and gone, with a hashish legalization invoice (SB 1576) lifeless on the vine within the Legislature.

Quote of the Day

“I’ve all the time been proud to stay in Florida and I’ve by no means met one other Floridian who isn’t proud to stay within the Sunshine State. We’ve got nice climate, low taxes, and pleasure in our state and our nation and its historical past.”

—U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, on DeSantis’ declare that Florida pleasure is a novel idea.

Invoice Day’s Newest

3 Questions

DeSantis went to Orlando on Monday to announce his plans to have Florida lawmakers this Session file laws that might make Monorails and Disney World theme park rides topic to state security inspections. It’s the newest transfer within the DeSantis v. Disney saga. State Rep. Anna Eskamani shared a few of her ideas on DeSantis’ newest proposal whereas at a information convention in Tallahassee. Beneath is an abridged model of the information convention with the Orlando Democrat.

Q: Have you ever had the chance to go over what Gov. Ron DeSantis simply mentioned? What are your ideas and reactions?

Eskamani: Sure, I’ve. Gov. Ron DeSantis is clearly conducting a witch hunt after Walt Disney World as a result of they made him “massive mad” once they defended LGBTQ-plus youngsters. The insurance policies that DeSantis are proposing are punitive in nature and concentrating on one particular company for expressing their First Modification rights. I discover it disingenuous. I discover it anti-consumer. And he’s additionally not closing company tax loopholes, which might be the simplest factor to do to carry each company  accountable versus a want to only goal one firm as a result of they objected to certainly one of your coverage positions.

Q: The Governor has described this as him finishing up the need of the people. Is that one thing you’d agree with?

Eskamani: Completely not. As somebody who lives in Orlando and represents Orange County, the people need us to concentrate on the rising prices of property insurance. Individuals need us to concentrate on problems with flooding in South Florida and all through the state. Individuals need this drama to come back to an finish. We’re asking Gov. Ron DeSantis to let it go and transfer on and concentrate on fixing actual issues as an alternative of simply stretching out this drama for the Republican base throughout the nation.

Q: What are your greatest issues this legislative session?

Eskamani: I’d be involved about coverage that particularly targets one company versus your entire system. And I do know (Agriculture Commissioner) Wilton Simpson was at this information convention and he talked concerning the inspections of theme parks and amusement rides. Let’s be clear: FDACS ought to examine each single theme park whatever the dimension of the corporate. We’ve got in Florida legislation as we speak a coverage the place — if an organization has greater than 1,000 workers and their very own inspectors — they self-regulate. That’s fallacious. Each single firm ought to be inspected by FDACS. What Gov. Ron DeSantis is doing is to particularly carve out one firm as a result of they made him mad. The one different authorities I can consider that’s this obsessive about going after non-public enterprise are communist governments. And so, if Gov. Ron DeSantis believes within the “Free State of Florida” to let companies function freely, deal with each enterprise the identical, cease concentrating on one firm as a result of it made you mad.

Foyer Up

The hemp trade has seen explosive development within the 4 years for the reason that Legislature handed a legislation legalizing its cultivation and sale.

However growers, retailers and extractors say the younger trade is fragile and will face severe unfavourable impacts — or outright eradication — if the state pursues new laws on promoting or producing hemp merchandise.

The trade at giant has raised the alarm about laws (HB 1475/SB 1676) that might reclassify hemp extract as “a meals that requires time and temperature management for security and integrity of product” and impose a number of different laws on the trade.

Whereas the unique payments would have been “devastating” in response to hemp advocates, lawmakers seem like leaning towards a softer strategy, with the Home invoice present process a rewrite because it cleared its closing committee cease on Monday.

The strike-all modification considerably upped the allowable THC content material in hemp merchandise and deleted a proposed definition and prohibition of “artificial derived cannabinoid.”

There are a number of teams with a stake within the invoice and plenty of employed lobbyists to struggle again towards the strictures proposed within the authentic model.

They embody Palmetto-based CBD analysis and manufacturing firm Sunflora, which has Slater Bayliss, Chris Chaney, Stephen Shiver and Sarah Busk Suskey of The Advocacy Companions on retainer; grower and producer GETHempd, which has a lobbying cope with Ellyn Bogdanoff, Nicholas Matthews and Cody Rogers of Becker & Poliakoff; Loving Botanicals, which employed solo lobbyist Mark Anderson final week; and dietary complement packaging firm Premiere Manufacturing Merchandise, which is represented by Al Balido of Anfield Consulting.

The opposition additionally consists of the Florida Wholesome Options Affiliation, which represents a consortium of hemp manufacturers corresponding to Mellow Fellow, Looper, Geeked, Moon Buzz and Torch.

FHAA has described the hemp proposals as “two of essentially the most harmful payments Florida has seen in terms of the overregulation of healthy alternate options,” and arrange a web site encouraging Floridians to contact invoice sponsors Rep. Will Robinson and Sen. Colleen Burton to precise how “devastating” the laws can be to the hemp trade.

The Florida Well being Options Affiliation is represented by David Ramba and Evan Energy of Ramba Consulting Group.

Breakthrough Insights

The Subsequent 24

8:30 a.m. — The Senate Appropriations Committee on Well being and Human Companies will take into account a invoice (SB 1338) that might give native governments and the Florida Division of Well being extra instruments to close down illicit therapeutic massage parlors, which might be hotbeds for human trafficking. Room 412, Knott Constructing.

8:30 a.m. — The Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation Tourism and Financial Growth will take into account a invoice (SB 838) that might require the Florida Division of Freeway Security and Motor Autos to contract with a nonprofit to manage a bike security and training program. Room 110, Senate Workplace Constructing.

10 a.m. — The Home holds a flooring Session. Home chambers.

Midday — The Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture Atmosphere and Basic Authorities will take into account laws (SB 714) that might give cities and counties extra authority over trip rental guidelines. Room 110, Senate Workplace Constructing.

Midday — The Senate Appropriations Committee on Legal and Civil Justice will take into account laws (SB 1130) that might diversify the revenues of Florida’s Clerk Places of work. Room 37, Senate Workplace Constructing.

Midday — The Senate Appropriations Committee on Schooling will take up a invoice (SB 1112) that might require all college districts within the state to set later begin occasions by July 1, 2026. Room 412, Knott Constructing.

3 p.m. — Sen. Jason Brodeur and Rep. Lauren Melo will maintain a information convention with the Worldwide Order of T. Roosevelt to debate a proposed poll modification that might enshrine the correct to fish and hunt within the state structure. Previous Capitol entrance steps.

4 p.m. — The Senate holds a flooring Session. Senate chambers.

Additionally, the next committees will meet:

8:30 a.m. — The Senate Finance and Tax Committee meets. Room 37, Senate Workplace Constructing.

Full committee agendas, together with payments to be thought of, can be found on the Home and Senate web sites.

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