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Presented by Floridians for Affordable Rx
Hello and welcome to Thursday.
The daily rundown Between Tuesday and Wednesday, the number of Florida coronavirus cases increased by 5,885 (nearly 0.3 percent), to 2,096,747; active hospitalizations increased 26 (nearly 0.9 percent), to 3,045; deaths of Florida residents rose by 42 (0.1 percent), to 33,822; 6,630,107 Floridians have received at least one dose of a vaccine.
Like the controversial
California Consumer Privacy Act, it requires businesses to provide a “Do Not Sell or Share” link on their web pages so users can opt-out of data sharing. This approach favors large first-party platforms that collect data from users while they are on their sites. For example, Facebook collects large amounts of data about users’ interactions directly on its own platform and the company’s other properties, like Instagram. This is different from smaller third-party advertising technology companies that rely on relationships with a network of online publishers.
If the Florida privacy bill passes, “walled gardens” like Facebook can continue to enhance their products and advertising services using their own first-party data, while preventing smaller ad-tech companies from doing the same using third-party data. This harms ad-tech companies who would be placed at a competitive disadvantage.
Florida Senate approves changes to public retirement system
BOBBY CAINA CALVAN, Associated Press
April 8, 2021
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP)
A proposal pushed by the leader of the Florida Senate to close the state s pension plan to most new enrollees won approval Thursday from the Republican-controlled chamber, but its fate was uncertain as it headed to the House for possible consideration.
Senate President Wilton Simpson has made the legislation a priority, calling the state’s pension fund “the single largest threat to Florida’s balance sheet.”
He said the measure was meant to keep the pension fund solvent as its liabilities grow. Simpson noted that the fund’s liabilities now total $36 billion, more than double from about a decade ago.
House set to back plan to collect online sales tax in Florida
By Jim Turner article
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A plan that would use taxes on sales by out-of-state online retailers to help Florida businesses is ready for a vote in the House.
The measure (SB 50) would require out-of-state retailers to collect and remit Florida’s sales tax, producing an estimated $1 billion a year that would initially be used to replenish the state’s Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund, which became depleted during the COVID-19 pandemic. After the fund is replenished, the revenue would be used to make a major cut in a tax on commercial rent.
A stark contrast, in other words, to ongoing legislative moves against cannabis. Nearly five years after 71% of Floridians voted to approve medical marijuana, a sizable number of Florida lawmakers want to slash the THC content now legally available to more than half a million registered cannabis patients.
The most popular retail product, smokable flower, can contain more than 30% THC. A bloc of legislators in the Florida House, however, has decided that Floridians just don’t need that much on account of allegations that elevated amounts can cause psychosis and schizophrenia.
What’s safe, according to some lawmakers? Ten percent for flower. Oils and extracts, which can contain up to 100% THC? Sixty percent. Edibles would be limited to 15%.