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Education: Lawmakers to reduce school testing; expect sweeping legislation that cuts the number of standardized exams students take and reduce the impact testing has on teachers and schools. There will be battles at state colleges over how best to govern the 28 colleges and regulate bachelor's degrees
Jobs, Budget,... Multiple overviews, reviews and committee meetings were held with careful scrutiny of state agencies and policies; one focus will be fixing the workers' compensation system
Florida Judiciary: There has been a flood of special interest money into judicial elections both across the nation and in FL. Watchdog groups assert legislative proposals in Florida are similar to a national encroachment on judicial independence. To make the judiciary more responsive to community needs instead of political priorities, nine recommendations were made including making the bench more diverse so as to more accurately reflect community concerns. The FL Legislature is criticized for ignoring diversity and pushing for judicial term limits. Florida Access to Justice Project was the author of the report.
Environment, Energy and Water Wars are among the 'hot topics' in the coming legislative session. Sen Rob Bradley is releasing the details of the $2.4B Senate plan to buy farm land for a water storage reservoir south of Lake O. and has given the South Fl Water Management district until Dec 2018 to complete the purchase. This ongoing challenge pits rural and coastal communities one another in fighting for their health and livelihoods. Big Sugar is aligning with Gov Scott to block the purchase of any farm lands south of Lake O.
Opposition to Negron is gaining momentum. Bill Galvano wants to strengthen notification rules ordered by Gov Scott regarding pollution incidents that may threaten public health and endanger Fl air and water resouces. The 'Water Wars' between GA and FL were costly; Corcoran has ordered an investigation to review the cost of the battle FL lost. Central FL pipe line may become the new DACA as protests mount....stay tuned. As the climate changes, FL has fewer hard freezes which will benefit invasive species like mangroves and manatees AND other critters that are less kind to native wildlife as well as humans. Boats remain the #1 enemy of manatees killing a record number in 2016.
The Cost of Repealing ACA will be very high. Meantime, people will die. States that fought the ACA, Obamacare, and shunned the Medicaid expansion in the hopes of avoiding the cost of covering millions of working poor families will still face substantial growth which will drain resources even after the Republican led Congress unravels the law. And the subsidies are not likely to be comparable to those under the ACA. Miami will be one of the hardest hit areas in the nation. In an unprecedented show of disdain for the Congressional action, rallies in support of the ACA were held across FL and the nation. And now healthcare uncertainty looms over state budget talks as well as among the insured.
Repeal of Immigration Order leaves thousands of Floridians in fear.
Gun Laws are being drafted spurred on by violence at the airport in Fort Lauderdale. Most drafts seem to focus on expansion of gun rights, not restrictions.
Violence in FL Prisons escalated to a new high.
Miami Mayor buckles to Trump's threat of withholding federal dollars while other sanctuary cities double down. BUT he says Trump should pay immigrant jail costs. In response to Gov Scott, ports in Broward and Palm Beach counties have canceled plans to sign an agreement for cooperation with the National Port Administration of Cuba.
Medical Marijuana still faces uncertainty as lawmakers struggle to implement the law.