Florida's Latest News

Mystery donor — again — drops $350K ahead of expected Florida data privacy fight

Propel Florida, the dark money group that in 2021 picked a fight with Florida’s powerful business lobby, is once again gearing up for a lobbying fight over data privacy.

The mysterious group in September gave $350,000 to two Florida political committees, timing that comes ahead of an expected fight in the Florida legislature over whether consumers can opt-out of companies selling their personal data, and if they can sue companies over any violation of the law. It was one of the most heavily lobbied issues of the 2021 legislative session after business groups mobilized against the plan.

The group upended Florida’s political order when it gave $350,000 in untraceable campaign contributions to state political committees as part of a push to pass a data privacy bill it said was an effort to fight Big Tech. Propel Florida stirred loads of political intrigue both because no one knew who was funding the effort and it was able to muscle the bill through House and Senate committees over the opposition of some of Florida’s most politically influential business groups. The bill ultimately died on the last day of session after prolonged floor fights.

'Safe Waterways Act' filed in Florida legislature

Floridians are at-risk of swimming in sewage-contaminated water without realizing it. Two Democratic state lawmakers want to change that.

On Friday, state Sen. Lori Berman of Delray Beach and Rep. Yvonne Hayes Hinson of Gainesville filed the “Safe Waterways Act."

The bill would require county health departments to post notices whenever bacteria from fecal matter has impaired any swimming area in its jurisdiction, not just salt-water beaches.

"The Legislature needs to crack down on wastewater pollution to address this crisis on the front end, but in the interim, Floridians and tourists should be given full transparency," Berman wrote in a recent press release announcing the legislation.

Tampa General, Broward Health successful in first day of negotiated rule-making

'My hope is that you all will reach consensus. And I have a good feeling about this."

The debate over health care services and surgeries for newborns took turns and twists on Monday, the first of two scheduled days of “negotiated rule-making” at the state Agency for Health Care Administration.

AHCA Secretary Simone Marstiller kicked off the meeting by telling members of the negotiated rule-making panel she appointed that its proposed recommendations for new rules should be evidence-based or recommended by industry guidelines for service and care. She also told members that the licensure requirements they develop shouldn’t be “affected by or inconsistent with, or be driven by” state policy regarding so-called “Regional Perinatal Intensive Care Centers.”

Florida may consider mentor program for teachers

Sen. Shevrin Jones, D-West Park, has filed a bill for the 2022 legislative session that seeks to create a training and mentoring program for teachers.

The proposal (SB 618) would pair retired or current classroom teachers who have been evaluated as highly effective with educators who are new to the job, in an effort to increase “effectiveness and involvement” through mentorship. Mentors also would be placed with teachers who are “rated as needs improvement, developing, or unsatisfactory,” and teachers who are from “a different demographic group, under the bill.

The measure would require lawmakers to budget an unspecified amount of money for the program.

“The funds must be sufficient for each school district to establish three mentors at each school within the district and for school districts to provide each selected classroom teacher a stipend in the amount of $2,000,” according to the bill filed Monday.