Teach Florida Thanks State Legislature For Expanding K-12 Scholarships By JLNJ Staff | April 29, 2021
(Courtesy of Teach Florida) Teach Florida, a nonpartisan organization advocating for educational funding opportunities for Florida nonpublic schools, thanks the state’s legislature for passing SB48/HB7045, a bill that will significantly increase the state’s income-based and special-needs scholarships for nonpublic school students. As of July 1, students from working- and middle-class families with income up to 375% of the federal poverty level will be eligible for scholarships to attend nonpublic schools at the same funding level as per student public school students receive from the state approximately $7,500 per student. The bill is now set to go to Governor DeSantis, a strong school choice supporter, for his expected approval.
(Source: News Service of Florida) By News Service of Florida | April 29, 2021 at 6:35 AM EDT - Updated April 29 at 6:35 AM
TALLAHASSEE (News Service of Florida) - Hereâs whatâs on tap in the Capitol today.
Legislature:
SENATE DEMOCRATS MEET: The Senate Democratic caucus will meet to discuss issues in advance of a floor session. (9 a.m., 228 Senate Office Building. Public access at https://flsenate.zoom.us/j/9165394846?pwd=STZscXo3UVBaeVE5ZUJ 2MXpBWTBwdz09. Meeting ID: 9165394846. Passcode: 410275)
SENATE TAKES UP POLICE STANDARDS BILL: The Senate will take up numerous issues during a floor session, including a proposal (HB 7051) that would require new training standards for law-enforcement officers. The legislation is a response to the nationwide debate on policing practices after the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by a Minneapolis police officer in May. (10 a.m., Senate chamber, the Capitol.)
Governor Signs Right to Farm Bill Following Overwhelming Legislative Support On April 29, 2021, in News Releases, by Staff
Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 88, Farming Operations, preserving Florida’s agricultural heritage and modernizing Florida’s Right to Farm Act which regulates agriculture throughout the state of Florida. The Governor was joined at the bill signing ceremony by Florida farmers, Senate President Wilton Simpson, and bill sponsors, Senator Jason Brodeur and Representative Jayer Williamson, highlighting the strong bipartisan support of SB 88.
Senate President Wilton Simpson (R-Trilby), a lifelong farmer said, “Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature stand with Florida farmers. The State of Florida is committed to preserving Florida’s farms, which are legacy businesses that contribute to our nation’s food supply and billions of dollars to our state’s economy. We frequently updat
05:00 AM EST Share “If we can’t get meaningful reform, we’re better off doing nothing,” says Sen. Jim Boyd.
This is it. This week is the moment we find out whether Florida lawmakers have the courage to take on Florida’s trial Bar and save Florida homeowners from unabated skyrocketing property insurance rates.
As this was going to press, Senate and House members in Tallahassee were negotiating the final terms of a bill intended to keep property insurance rates from killing homeownership for the middle class; save Florida’s property insurance industry from collapse; and save the state’s economy from a contraction that would put thousands of Floridians out of work.
In Florida, the latest four-week average stands at 20,466 new claims. Last year, as the state’s economy was devastated by the pandemic, 433,103 unemployment claims were filed during the week that ended April 25.
The previous week, a pandemic high of 506,670 applications were filed. Before the pandemic hit the state in mid-March 2020, the state was averaging 5,505 new claims a week.
Florida last month had a 4.7 percent unemployment rate, representing 475,000 people out of work from a workforce of 10.17 million. The workforce was down 460,000 people from March 2020.
Since March 15, 2020, Florida has paid out more than $26.8 billion in state and federal unemployment benefits to 2.35 million claimants.