Welcome to

Legislation to require 20 minutes of recess a day at elementary schools cleared the state House last night by a vote of 112-2, but even with such an overwhelming vote, Mike Vasilinda says the legislation is on life support.

As many as one in Four Florida kids is overweight or obese. In a video for parents, the Florida Department of Health advises kids: “To be active and play 60 minutes a day”

Legislation requiring 20 minutes a day of recess cleared the State House with just 2 no votes. Rep. Bob Cortes (R-Maitland) is the prime co-sponsor.

“I believe that recess is definately a right, not a privilege” says Cortes.

A Facebook page for Florida recess moms has hundreds of followers. A half dozen of them, including Pinellas County mother of three Christie Bruner came to the Capitol to support the recess bill, because they say local school districts aren’t listening.

“If it’s not a policy or a mandate, there’s going to be people who don’t follow it. just like everything else. that’s why where’re rallying with other counties to come to the state level” says Bruner.

The problem: Senate Education Chairman John Legg. Legg is single handily blocking the bill from being heard and tells us he wont change his mind.

“It is a too rigid of a solution that is best left up to our local districts to resolve” say Legg.

State Sen. Bill Montford is a member of the Senate Education Committee. He supports the idea of recess, but.

“Recess is good. kids need it. But in place of what? what do we remove from those seven hours we have with children” says Montford.

When the state added an extra hour a day at 300 low performing schools, the price tag was 66 million.

Legg did tell us that is counties don’t adopt recess locally, the bill could be back next year. If it is, Legg won’t be there to block it. He’s not running for reelection.

The bill specifies that teachers can not keep kids from going to recess to finish their work or for disciplinary reasons. Senator Legg told us that provision went too far.