Sunburn â The morning read of whatâs hot in Florida politics â 4.19.21
In every Session, there are clear winners and losers, while others prove more elusive to pin down.
Once again, Florida Politics is assembling an (arguably) comprehensive look at who walked away from Sine Die 2021 victorious, who tanked, and who landed somewhere in between.
Of course, there is the one bill lawmakers must pass: Floridaâs upcoming state budget.
Crafted in the ever-present shadow of COVID-19, a budget for the fiscal year 2021-2022 came with a new wrinkle â the stateâs slice of a massive federal relief pie. Who does it help, or maybe hurt?
Bright Futures book stipend on budget chopping block
“We re subsidizing textbook companies.
Book stipends provided by the Bright Futures Scholarship program are under the gun as part of the House and Senate budget proposals.
Students currently receive $600 a year for textbooks under the merit-based scholarship. This year, however, both Chambers are in lockstep on the cuts.
“We’re subsidizing textbook companies by just giving them straight dollars that goes from the student directly to the publishers for textbooks that many people know are highly overpriced,” said Rep.
Rene Placensia.
“We believe that the best thing to do, especially the way education is moving into a more digital space, is to provide those digital textbooks at a much higher reduced price for those students.”
Despite parent, student concerns, Bright Futures bill continues to Senate subcommittee for review
Student Financial Aid bill would limit scholarship funding for students on certain degree tracks
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Florida Bright Futures revamp clears its first hurdle
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Senate education bill introduced by State Sen. Dennis Baxley, of Ocala, continues to make its way through Senate committees, even after parents and students have voiced concerns that the legislation would take away scholarship money from college and university students.
On Thursday, the bill is up for review with the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Education. The subcommittee meeting begins at 11:30 a.m. and is carried live on the Florida Channel.
Florida cannot be out-goobered by Georgia on voting âreformâ | Column
Republicans in the state Legislature have decided âto transform this so-called gold standard of democracy into the envy of Cuba,â writes columnist Daniel Ruth.
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Gov. Ron DeSantis delivers his State of the State address in the House chamber at the Capitol in Tallahassee during Opening Day of the Florida Legislature in March. [ IVY CEBALLO | Times ]
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Updated 3 hours ago
Following the November voting last year, Florida Republicans were euphoric, patting themselves on the back for pulling off a pristine, unblemished, pitch-perfect statewide election. Yippee!
Terms like âgold standard,â âa model for the rest of the nationâ and a âbeacon of lightâ were thrown around to describe Floridaâs elections. This simply cannot stand.