A bill that aimed to create safer walking conditions for students on their way to school in Escambia County and across the state is likely dead this legislative session.
House Bill 229 which was sponsored by state Rep. Michelle Salzman, R-Pensacola, and pushed by local advocate Rob Doss seemed to have a promising future earlier this week after being passed unanimously by the Florida House Education and Employment Committee, which would have sent the bill to be heard by the full House.
However, a sister bill on the Senate side hasn t made any progress, and time likely will run out this session, which ends April 30, before any action is taken.
Local advocates hope scrapping much of their proposed Safe Walkways to School Act for a much shorter bill will help improve walking conditions for schoolchildren in the future.
Rep. Michelle Salzman amended her bill to call for the Department of Transportation to study what constitutes a safe and suitable walkway for children from kindergarten through 12th grade, and ultimately recommend criteria for what would be considered hazardous. The amended bill, HB 229, passed the Florida House s Early Learning and Elementary Education Subcommittee on Thursday. It s a huge win for Florida. It s a long, long, long run but it s still a huge win. It s a step moving forward and we ve never made it this far ever, Salzman said.
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Sunburn â The morning read of whatâs hot in Florida politics â 3.10.21
Good Wednesday morning:
Donald Trump over Joe Biden by a couple of points on Election Day, and not much has changed in the four months since, according to new polling from Mason-Dixon.
The pollster didnât put the former President head-to-head with his successor, but it did find that Bidenâs job approval rating is underwater, with 47% of voters approving and 49% disapproving. The balance is undecided.
Floridians still prefer Donald Trump to Joe Biden, a new survey finds.
Biden does hold a dominant plus-77 approval rating among Black voters and enjoys a plus-12 among Hispanic voters, but White voters are decidedly not fans, handing him a minus-21. Women and South Florida residents were also on his side, too, though men and voters from every other region are nonplussed.
Lawmakers blame flood of Florida homeowner insurance fraud on lax state enforcement
Tallahassee Democrat 2/9/2021 Jeffrey Schweers, Capital Bureau
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In the last five years, a group of lawyers, unlicensed claims adjusters, restoration companies and others posing as loss consultants and insurance specialists have targeted homeowners who suffered damage from hurricanes and other disasters.
The scammers have ripped off thousands of Florida homeowners, offering rebates, deposit waivers and gift cards to get homeowners to sign over their insurance benefits, say lawmakers and other advocates.
And it s given legitimate public claims adjusters a black eye, prompting the Florida Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (FAPIA) to seek legislative support.