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Sen. Latvala & Rep. Brodeur Introduce the Protect Florida Small Business Act

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Advocates for Florida small businesses, led by state Senator Jack Latvala and Representative Jason Brodeur, today unveiled legislation that will level the playing field for owners of franchised small businesses in Florida. The Protect Florida Small Business Act provides legal protections that will lead to more economic growth and jobs in communities across the state. The Protect Florida Small Business Act would only apply to renewals and new franchise contracts after the bills effect date. 

“More than 400,000 jobs in Florida are directly tied to the hard work and efforts of franchised small business owners,” said Senator Latvala (R-16), the bill’s Senate sponsor. “Currently these small businessmen and women have no real protection if the national corporation drops them as a franchise holder. This is not a level playing field, this is wrong, and it must change.” 

“As a legislator, I want to continue to make sure Florida has the most business-friendly climate in America. As a chamber of commerce president, I’m particularly sensitive to the threats against small business owners from out-of-state companies.” said Rep. Brodeur (R-28), the House sponsor. “I want to be sure that there is a level playing field for all business owners in Florida, whether they are a small independent shop or a franchisee.”

The Coalition of Franchisee Associations (CFA) has signed on to support the new legislation for the upcoming Florida legislative session. The CFA, founded in 2007 as an organization of franchisee association leaders, provides a forum for its members to share best practices, knowledge, and resources for the benefit of all small businesses that operate independent franchise establishments.

If enacted into Florida law, the Protect Florida Small Business Act will:

Ø  Create more financial certainty by protecting small business franchise owners from unjust terminations. Currently, national corporate brands can terminate franchises without cause or warning.

Ø  Add protections for local franchise owners from unfair restrictions on sales and transfers, therefore giving these small business owners the opportunity to seek a fair return for their business success.

Ø  Provide needed safeguards for unsubstantiated non-renewal of their franchise agreements. Local business owners often invest their savings and years of hard work building up their franchise business, yet the corporations can decide not to renew an agreement even if the business owner has fully complied with its terms.

For more information on the Protect Florida Small Business Act please visit: www.protectFLbusiness.com.

Senate Committee Passes Legislation to Require Unanimous Verdict in Death Penalty Cases

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The Florida Senate Committee on Criminal Justice, chaired by Senator Randolph Bracy (D-Ocoee), today passed Senate Bill 280, Sentencing for Capital Felonies, which revises sentencing requirements in capital felony cases to require a unanimous jury verdict, rather than a certain number of jurors, for a sentencing recommendation of death.
“The Senate has supported a unanimous verdict requirement in the past, and now the Supreme Court has made it clear that if we are going to follow the Constitution, we need to amend our death penalty statute to require a unanimous jury verdict in death penalty cases,” said Senate President Joe Negron (R-Stuart).
“It is important that we have an orderly system of justice in place for both families of victims and individuals charged with serious crimes,” said Chair Bracy, sponsor of Senate Bill 280. “This legislation removes ambiguity from our death penalty statute, which will help reduce delays in due process for all parties involved in death penalty cases.”
Senate Bill 280 is now available for a hearing in the Senate Committee on Rules. If passed by the Rules Committee, the bill would be available to be heard on the Senate floor early in the 2017 Legislative Session.

Gov. Scott highlights transportation investments in the "Fighting for Florida’s Future" budget

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02-06-17_Jacksonville_Transportation Event_2

Governor Rick Scott visited Port Canaveral and JAXPORT to highlight transportation investments in his 2017-2018 “Fighting for Florida’s Future” budget, which invests $10 billion for the Florida Department of Transportation’s Work Program, including $178 million for seaport infrastructure improvements. According to a recent report from the Florida Ports Council, Florida’s 15 seaports are responsible for $117.6 billion in economic activity, supporting nearly 900,000 jobs, $40 billion in personal income and $4.3 billion in state and local tax revenue.

Tom Weinberg, Chairman of the Canaveral Port Authority, said, “Port Canaveral is a major economic engine for the state, and we have great plans to continue growing and supporting our local community. It is clear Governor Scott knows that by strategically investing in our seaports, we are investing in new opportunities for our state’s businesses, families and visitors. I applaud the Governor’s commitment to investing in our ports and look forward to working with the Legislature to support this funding.” 

Captain John W. Murray, CEO of Port Canaveral, said, “As the gateway to Central Florida and the second busiest cruise port in the entire world, Port Canaveral is proud of the incredible impact we have on the State of Florida. We are not only responsible for employing thousands of Floridians, but also help welcome millions of visitors to our great state each year. Governor Scott’s proposed investments in our port system is crucial to continuing this success and we look forward to seeing this funding passed during the upcoming Legislative session.” 

Jim Citrano, Chairman of JAXPORT, said, “Since 2008, job creation supported by JAXPORT has grown tremendously and today, we are proud to support more than 130,000 jobs throughout northeast Florida. This incredible growth would not have been possible without the Governor’s commitment to making investments in our port and the area’s transportation system. We are so grateful to the Governor for once again seeking to make important investments in our ports through his ‘Fighting for Florida’s Future’ budget and hope to see this plan fully passed.”   

Florida Ports Council President and CEO Doug Wheeler said, “Governor Scott continues to make Florida’s seaports a priority by investing in the necessary improvements to keep up with current needs and prepare for future growth in cargo and cruise passengers.”

Florida Elected Officials & Leaders To Denounce SCOTUS Nominee Neil Gorsuch's Extreme Legal Record

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During a press conference tabindex=”0″ data-term=”goog_751863255″>Tuesday, Florida leaders will detail their concerns with the legal record of President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch. State Representative Carlos Smith, State Representative and attorney Sean Shaw, and Planned Parenthood’s Missy Wesolowski will discuss how Gorsuch’s record as a judge and his writings show that on the nation’s highest Court, he would prioritize the interests of corporations at the expense of everyday Americans and threaten women’s rights and LGBTQ equality.

WHO: Sean Shaw, State Representative & attorney
Carlos Smith, State Representative
Missy Wesolowski, Director of Public Policy & Organizing, Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates
Damien Filer, Why Courts Matter Coalition spokesperson

WHAT: Elected Officials & Leaders Denounce SCOTUS Nominee’s Extreme Legal Record

WHEN: tabindex=”0″ data-term=”goog_751863256″>Tuesday, February 7th at 12:15pm

WHERE: Florida Capitol Building, 4th Floor Rotunda, 400 S Monroe St, Tallahassee, FL 32399

Community Health Centers to hold press event in capitol to raise awareness of patient services amid healthcare changes

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Lawmakers will join FACHC members to champion the role they play in providing
high-quality healthcare to Florida’s low-income and vulnerable populations

Tomorrow, Florida’s leading advocate for community-based health care programs, the Florida Association of Community Health Centers (FACHC), will hold a press conference alongside Florida’s elected leaders to discuss the vital role its members serve in providing quality healthcare to local communities across the state. 

For more than 35 years, community health centers have provided high-quality primary care, preventive and wrap-around services to those who need it most. FACHC serves more than 1.3 million Floridians at over 450 locations statewide with:

  • 35% of its patients uninsured;
  • 43% of its patients enrolled in Medicaid; and
  • 90% of its patients reporting income below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.

“Amid changes taking place across the healthcare spectrum, FACHC has and will continue to fulfill its mission to improve access to quality health services, no matter an individual’s ability to pay,” said Andy Behrman, president and CEO of FACHC. “We thank the legislature for its continued support, and look forward to working with them this year to educate and advocate on behalf of Florida’s community health centers and the patients they serve.”  

For more information about FACHC and its members, visit www.fachc.org.

WHAT: Press conference to discuss the important role FACHC and its community-based healthcare members plays to provide high-quality care to patients across Florida.
WHO: Participants to be on hand at Tuesday’s press conference include:
· FACHC President and CEO, Andy Behrman
· CEO of Tampa Family Health Centers, Charlie Bottoms
· Representative and Minority Leader, Janet Cruz
· Senator Aaron Bean
· CEO Agape Community Health Center and former member of the House of Representatives, Mia Jones
WHEN: Tuesday, February 7, 2017
11:30 a.m. – noon
WHERE: Fourth Floor Rotunda
Florida Capitol
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100

Statement by advocate Lauren Book on findings that 1 in 14 Australian Catholic priests committed child sexual abuse

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STATEMENT by advocate Lauren Book on findings that 1 in 14
Australian Catholic priests committed child sexual abuse

“The findings of the Australian inquiry into child sexual abuse committed by Catholic priests in their country since 1980, revealing 1 in 14 committed child sexual abuse, are shocking and despicable…but all too familiar. We know proper reports were not being made and priests were being shuffled around, free to commit assault after assault in community after community, harming child after child, instead of being turned over to authorities and made to pay for their heinous crimes. I cannot say it enough: this happens in all communities, all continents, all countries, to children of all ages, races, religions and socioeconomic statuses. This is Australia’s story, but this is also OUR story. And until we commit to doing more as a society, and as individuals, to combat this preventable crime, we will continue to see headlines such as these. Please, let’s arm ourselves with information on grooming tactics of predators, signs of abuse in children, how to make a report, and teach our children prevention education and how to seek help if they are harmed. It’s ALWAYS ok to tell, and as we teach children in our curriculum, it’s important to keep telling until you get the ‘2 H’s’: Heard and Helped.”

About Lauren Book
Senator Lauren Book, M.S. Ed, is an author, educator, internationally respected and renowned child advocate and founder of the Lauren’s Kids Foundation. She is also one of 42 million survivors of child sexual abuse living in the United States today. Since 2002, she has advocated for the passage of laws to better support survivors of sexual abuse and to help protect children from predators, including the nation’s toughest mandatory reporting laws, the creation of child safety zones and the elimination of the statute of limitations for prosecution of sexual crimes committed against children. She worked with the Florida Legislature and the Florida Department of Education to create the first-of-its-kind personal safety and abuse prevention curriculum program, currently in more than 65,000 classrooms across the state of Florida and beyond. www.laurenskids.org

Senate Education Committee Passes College Competitiveness Act

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Legislation Re-Establishes Statewide Coordinating Board, Clarifies Mission
of Community Colleges, Strengthens 2+2 College-To-University Programs

The Senate Committee on Education today passed Senate Bill 374, the College Competitiveness Act of 2017, sponsored by Senator Dorothy Hukill (R-Port Orange) and co-sponsored by Senator Bill Galvano (R-Bradenton) and Senate Majority Leader Wilton Simpson (R-Trilby). Senate Bill 374 is a component of the Florida Excellence in Higher Education agenda advocated by Senate President Joe Negron (R-Stuart).
“Florida’s 2+2 college-to-university partnership program has earned a national reputation as a successful model for state systems of higher education,” said President Negron. “The goal of this legislation is to further elevate Florida’s community colleges through a renewed focus on their core mission.”
“As a former student and teacher, I recognize each component of our education system can provide a unique and valuable experience for our students as they learn the skills needed for a successful career,” said Senator Hukill. “A statewide coordinating board will provide the dedicated focus needed to keep our community colleges nationally competitive.”
Senate Bill 374, reinstates a statewide coordinating board for the Florida Community College System, tightens the community college bachelor degree approval process, expands 2+2 college-to-university partnerships, and clarifies responsibilities within Florida’s taxpayer-funded K-20 education system to avoid wasteful duplication of programs offered by state universities, community colleges, and technical centers.
“Florida’s 2+2 program was an important part of my college experience as I worked to complete my associate’s degree at Manatee Community College before transferring to the University of Florida,” said Senator Galvano. “This legislation will strengthen and expand college and university partnerships, so the next generation of Floridians can benefit from our excellent 2+2 program.”
“On-time completion of associate degrees and workforce programs are critical to our economy,” said Leader Simpson. “Learning these valuable skills enables students to graduate with the tools they need to begin a career in their community, or to obtain a degree that makes it easy to transfer to one of our outstanding state universities.”
Reinstates Statewide Coordinating Board  
Senate Bill 374 reinstates the State Board of Community Colleges as the coordinating board of the Florida Community College System, independent of the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors of the State University System, to oversee the local community college boards of trustees. The bill requires the State Board of Community Colleges to appoint a Chancellor to the board, and transfers personnel, budget, and other appropriate functions from the State Board of Education to the State Board of Community Colleges.
Clarifies Missions of Community Colleges and School District Workforce Programs
Senate Bill 374 clarifies that providing lower-level undergraduate instruction and awarding Associate in Arts degrees, which transfer to a state university, are responsibilities under the primary mission of community colleges.  Additionally, responsibilities under the primary mission of community colleges are to prepare students directly for careers requiring less than bachelor degrees, by awarding Associate in Science degrees, Associate in Applied Science degrees, and nationally recognized industry certifications, which help students enter the workforce prepared for success.
Offering upper-level instruction and awarding bachelor degrees are responsibilities under the secondary mission of community colleges. To support this delineation in mission, the bill establishes a cap on the planned growth in upper-level undergraduate enrollment at each community college, thereby focusing attention and resources on excellence in meeting primary mission responsibilities.  The provisions of the bill do not terminate any existing programs and no students currently enrolled in community college baccalaureate degree programs will be impacted by the enrollment cap.
The legislation further clarifies the mission of technical centers is to promote advances and innovations in specific workforce preparation and economic development.  The public technical center learning environment prepares its students to meet the needs of the local community through specific and specialized technical career-based training; thus promoting diversity and choices within the public technical education community and while increasing a quicker turnaround in economic investments as these students are more likely to immediately enter the workforce. The bill clarifies technical centers governed by local school boards may not offer college credit courses, college credit certificates, associate degrees, or bachelor degrees.
Expands 2+2 College-To-University Partnerships
Senate Bill 374 expands successful 2+2 college-to-university programs, such as DirectConnect partnerships with the University of Central Florida and FUSE partnerships with the University of South Florida, by requiring every college to implement, by no later than the 2018 academic year, a minimum of one 2+2 pathway agreement with at least one state university partner. The 2+2 pathway agreement guarantees the college’s Associate in Arts degree graduates, who meet specific requirements, admission to the university partnered with that community college.

ICYMI: Orlando Sentinel: Incentive cuts could stymie Orlando's hunt for higher-paid jobs, officials say

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Incentive cuts could stymie Orlando’s hunt for higher-paid jobs, officials say
Orlando Sentinel
Column: Paul Brinkmann
February 5, 2017
Alan Horne was worried last year about finding a job in manufacturing when he moved back to Orlando where he had gone to high school.
…
But he quickly landed a job at a company that had just been approved to receive state incentive dollars to expand in Orlando: Voxx International.
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The incentive program that Voxx used is facing elimination under a bill filed in the Legislature this week, backed by House Speaker Richard Corcoran.
Local leaders say cutting incentives could spell trouble for Orlando’s efforts to add more higher-paying tech, health and professional jobs — as it did in recent years with incentives for Voxx, Deloitte, Verizon and KPMG — to balance tens of thousands of low-paying hospitality and theme-park jobs.
There are many ways to entice a business to locate in your community, said Crystal Sircy, executive vice president at the Orlando Economic Development Commission. The most important issue is ability to hire a trained workforce. But Sircy said competition is fierce, and sometimes cities wind up being equal at the end of a company’s research. If Orlando has no money to offer, while Dallas or Atlanta does, the company probably won’t come to Central Florida, she said.
“To lose the ability to win the competitive advantage, at the end of that competition, would be unfortunate,” she said.
…
Every state offers some kind of incentives, and half of them offer cash incentives, said Jay Biggins, a New York- based consultant with one of the nation’s leading site selection companies.
“Public-sector economic-development incentives are built as a pricing strategy,” he said. “Like any other part of your business, relocating has a cost, and helping companies with that cost makes you more attractive.”
Other states continue to offer aggressive cash incentives. Industry observers said lawmakers in other states, such as North Carolina, have tried to end or cut back some of their incentive programs, only to refund them. In 2015 North Carolina replenished funding for its Jobs Development Investment Grant program through 2018, and raised the monetary value of JDIG grants the state can give each year from $15 million to $20 million for most projects.
Bloomberg produced a survey that year that named Texas, Florida and Nevada as the most business-friendly states for relocations, in terms of corporate taxes and incentives. New York, California and Illinois were deemed the least friendly, although those states do offer incentives also.
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The Space Coast also has been relying heavily on incentives to attract companies such as Blue Origin, which has already been approved for a reported $26 million incentive package to build a new rocket factory and employ 300 people at an average of $89,000 salary, and OneWeb, which is in line for about $20 million in various incentives to build a satellite plant employing 250 people.
In Orlando, Voxx executives said an incentive package of $1.4 million from Florida and the city was among the reasons they chose to move their headquarters here from New York.
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Technical Advisory Committee meeting February 16, 2017

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FDOT SunRail
The Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission’s Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) will meet on Thursday, February 16, 2017 at 2 p.m. in the second-floor multipurpose room at LYNX Central Station, 455 N. Garland Ave., Orlando, FL  32801.
Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability or family status. Persons who require special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or persons who require translation services (free of charge) should contact Ms. Jessica Ottaviano, FDOT District Five Public Information, 719 S. Woodland Boulevard, DeLand, FL 32720, or by phone at 386-943-5367, or by email at [email protected].
Questions? Please contact Steve Olson of the Florida Department of Transportation at 386-943-5479 or [email protected].

Chief Justice names three to Constitution Revision Commission

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Florida Chief Justice Jorge Labarga today announced his three appointments to the Constitution Revision Commission, which is created every 20 years to review the Florida Constitution and make proposals directly to voters.
Labarga’s appointments are Hank Coxe of Jacksonville, Arthenia Joyner of Tampa and Roberto Martinez of Coral Gables.
“I looked not only for people skilled in the law, but also for those who have a breadth of knowledge about all the functions of government and its impact upon the everyday lives of everyday people,’’ the chief justice said.
More than 70 people contacted the Court to request appointment to the CRC. Under the Florida Constitution, the chief justice appoints three of the 37 commissioners. Labarga made his appointments with the advice of the other six members of the Supreme Court:

  • Coxe, a Jacksonville attorney who specializes in federal and state criminal matters, has served as president of The Florida Bar. He has also served on the Judicial Qualifications Commission, which is the constitutionally created board that receives and investigates allegations of judicial misconduct. He served on the Florida Supreme Court Innocence Commission and the Judicial Nominating Commissions for the Fourth Judicial Circuit as well as the First District Court of Appeal.
  • Joyner, a Tampa attorney, represented her community in the Legislature for 16 years, first in the Florida House and then in the Florida Senate. She was a student participant in the first civil rights demonstration in Tampa, part of the effort to desegregate department store lunch counters. A few years later, as a student at Florida A&M University, she was part of the demonstrations seeking to desegregate the city’s movie theaters and churches.
  • Martinez, a Coral Gables attorney, has served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Florida, first as an assistant U.S. attorney and then, later, as the U.S. Attorney. He has a record of active service in education, both in his home county of Miami-Dade and also on a state level, serving as a member of the state Board of Education for several years. He served as a member of the Florida Taxation and Budget Commission in 2007-08 and chaired the commission’s Government Services subcommittee.

For more details on the appointees, click here.