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Medical professionals who fall behind on student loan debt may no longer have to fear having their license suspended by the state of a bill passed by a Senate committee Wednesday morning becomes law.

The bill dubbed the ‘Keep our graduates working act’ would prohibit state agencies for suspending licenses based on failure to pay student debt alone.

The average Florida graduate leaves college more than $24,000 in debt.

Senate Sponsor Travis Hutson said it will ensure medical workers can keep earning a living and not fall further into financial turmoil.

“We found this to be a little draconian and we’re going to repeal that and make sure that those can continue to have a job, continue to work as they pay off those debts,” said Hutson.

The bill is now teed up for a floor vote in the Senate.

From pirates on stilts to a 30-year-old Macaw from Zoo Tampa, Wednesday was Tampa day in the State Capitol.

Traditional cuban sandwiches were being handed out from a pirate ship and there were beads galore.

The annual event is a chance for the Chamber to showcase Tampa and State Representative Jackie Toledo said the awareness will help her convince fellow legislators to approve her 35 different budget requests for the area.

“We have so may requests from the Aquarium, the Straz Center. We have funding requests from flooding. We have New Life Village which you should come by and visit. Definitely, we have varying different appropriations requests in our area and I’m gonna be fighting for all of them,” said Toledo.

The Moffitt Cancer center also had displays in and outside the Capitol.

From the opening prayer to a moment of silence Tuesday morning, the first item of business for the Florida Senate in the 2020 legislative session was to pay tribute to the three fallen Navy men who were killed in the December 6th terrorist attack at the Pensacola Naval Air Station.

Also present and honored were dozens of law enforcement officers who brought the shooter down.

“We pray and remember the hero’s from the tragic events of December sixth in Pensacola. Especially of the three who paid the ultimate sacrifice. We lift up our prayers to thanks giving for the first responders from the base, the county, the state and the city who stopped the tragedy and saved innumerable lives. We pray honor on their heroism this morning, and we pray your continued strength for our military, our first responders, and their loved ones,” said NAS Pensacola Chaplain Brian Crittendon.

The US has since expelled a dozen Saudi airmen training at the base.

Governor Ron DeSantis delivered his second State of the State address to the opening session of the state legislature Tuesday.

The Governor’s wish list is very much a continuation of his first year in office.

The Governor said the operative word for the 2020 legislative session is “opportunity”.

“This is Florida’s season of opportunity,” said DeSantis.

Over the course of 32 minutes, the Governor encouraged lawmakers to keep the course on a half billion dollar funding for water projects and everglades restoration, but he asked for new penalties for cities dumping sewage into the streets and waterways.

“It’s cheaper to violate the law and pay a nominal fine. This is unacceptable,” said DeSantis.

And he pushed his plan to deregulate dozens or professions, including beauticians and barbers.

“Our citizens shouldn’t need a permission slip from government to earn a living,” said DeSantis.

New was his effort to pass an employer required E-verify system.

“Our low income workers should not have their wages depressed by cheap foreign labor,” said DeSantis.

And he prompted his plan give teachers raises so that no one makes less than $47,500.

“My plan will lead to a substantial pay increase for over 100,000 current teachers,” said DeSantis.

Veering into a social agenda, he jumped on legislative leaders push for new abortion legislation.

“I also hope that the legislature will this session send me the parental consent bill,” said DeSantis.

The session began with 3,393 bills already filed.

Sixty days from now very few of them will have passed.

Opening day was the Governor’s chance to make his case, lawmakers will spend the next 9 weeks articulating their vision for Florida.

The Governor did not mention Visit Florida funding in his speech, but said he supports the agencies continuation.

Nor did he mention gun control or background check legislation, but afterwards called the so called gun show loophole nonexistent.

After the Governor delivered his state of the state Florida Democrats unveiled their own plan for where they want to see the state go in 2020.

“We are here today to deliver the people’s response to the Governor’s State of the State address,” said Ray Seaman with Progress Florida.

The Sunrise Agenda, as Democrats call it, touts their alternative plans for key issues like health care.

“We care deeply about expanding Medicaid,” said Rep. Anna Eskamani.

They argued for reducing carbon emissions.

“When we ignore the needs of our environment we ignore the needs of our friends, our children and our neighbors,” said Jonathan Webber with the Florida Conservation Voters.

And they condemned Republican efforts to restrict access to abortion.

“My pregnancy is between me, my family, my doctor, my faith and not politicians,” said Eskamani.

When it comes to the economy, Democrats argued Republicans have time and time again chosen cooperate hand outs over the working class.

Democrats favor a minimum wage increase and an end to affordable housing trust fund sweeps.

“3.2 million households, 45 percent of all the households in the state of Florida are working poor,” said Rich Templin with the Florida AFLCIO.

As in year’s past, many of the ideas proposed by Democrats will likely fall on deaf ears, but they’re hopeful for the 2020 election.
“To narrow the gap between the Republicans in the House and the Democrats in the House, The Republicans in the Senate and the Democrats in the Senate,” said Rep. Geraldine Thompson.

But with the Presidency also on the ballot, it’s guaranteed to be a hard fought battle on both sides.

In an effort to increase voter turnout, Democrats have for the second year in a row proposed changes to the state’s elections including making Election Day a State Holiday and automatically registering Floridians to vote when they turn 18.

Clemson and LSU will battle it out for the National Championship Monday evening.

Ahead of the big game, three Florida House Committees met jointly to discuss the possibility of allowing college athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness.

California was the first to mandate college athletes be allowed to profit off their likeness last year.

Monday’s conversations were the first step towards Florida doing the same.

“What we’re truly looking for is how can we best guarantee a fairness system,” said Rep. Kionne McGhee, who is sponsoring one of two bills aimed at allowing college athletes to receive compensation.

The idea has the backing of the Senate President, House Speaker and Governor.

All the panelists who testified before House lawmakers also endorse legislation similar to that passed in California.

“The only category in the country that I’m aware of that does not have an unfettered right to their name image and likeness is college athletes,” said Professor Gabe Feldman, Director of the Tulane Sports Law Program.

While the NCAA has argued student athletes are compensated with the education and scholarships they receive, experts like Ramogi Huma, Executive Director of the National College Player Association said it’s not enough.

“A full athletic scholarship leaves over 80 percent of college athletes at FBS athletic programs, that’s the top division, living below the federal poverty line,” said Huma.

The NCAA has said it would work to allow athletes to profit off their image, but experts argued Florida putting it into law would keep pressure on the organization.

“The NCAA has not committed to allowing compensation for college athletes. I think it was a bit of a redirect. Just last month they’re talking publicly about going to Congress. Instead of coming up with a solution on their own they want to preempt the states and kind of stop what’s going on. So we sniffed that out a bit. I think the real change is going to come from the states,” said Huma.

Both bills filed for the 2020 session allow compensation for name, image and likeness.

The Democrats’ plan also includes a task force that would investigate possible changes to college athlete compensation moving forward.

Representatives from the NCAA, SEC and ACC were all invited to attend the discussion.

All turned down the opportunity to appear.

Florida Democrats unveiled a plan to increase teacher salaries across the board Monday morning.

The move comes in opposition to the Governor’s proposal, which would increase starting pay for teachers to $47,500, but Democrats argue the Governor’s plan would only impact about 50 percent of teachers.

Democrats said their plan would cost the same, $900 million, but would raise salaries for all teachers and other employees by 7.5 percent starting next year.

Senate Minority Leader Audrey Gibson said the plan would take Florida from 46th in the nation for average teacher pay to 35th.

“I would certainly like to get higher than that and our caucus would, but using that money without being labeled tax and spend Democrats then keep us level and then it includes everyone. No one is left out,” said Gibson.

Moving forward, Democrats’ plan would also increase salaries by an average of 4.5 percent each year for the next ten years to adjust for cost of living increases.

Thousands of teachers from across the state were in the State Capitol Monday, arguing that 20 years of disrespect and low funding for public schools has got to come to an end.

Teachers came by bus from every corner of the state.

Then marched to the Capitol in mass, taking up Governor Ron DeSantis on his call to make 2020 the year of the teacher.

The teachers say this is about a whole lot more than a pay raise.

“We’re losing PE. We’re losing programs that are meaningful to the students,” said retired Escambia teacher Mary Louise Winter.

The crowd, estimated at over 10,000, was far bigger than the Governor’s own inauguration last year.

“Teachers don’t do it for the salaries. Our support professions don’t do it for the salaries. They don’t even make a living wage, but that’s got to change,” said Hillsborough teacher Missy Keller.

On Friday, the state DOE sent an email to Polk County teachers, who with about 1,500 making the trip may have had the biggest turnout of any county, telling them their absence for the rally could be considered an illegal strike.

“And we are here with you today in Tallahassee,” said Polk Education Association President Stephanie Yocum.

Polk teachers who made the trip say the memo backfired.

“I think it rallied more people and I think it drew people closer together,” said Polk County teacher Samantha Joyner.

“Yes, absolutely. We had more from our school personally, we had more people rally together and come after that email was sent. So it did not do its job of scaring us away,” said Chelsea Clements, also a teacher from Polk County.

In the end the union is asking for a ten percent pay hike for everyone who works in a school.

“We’e those who are being crushed by student debt. We’re those who are being crushed by skyrocketing health care,” said Florida Education Association President Fedrick Ingram.

The cost would be right at $2.4 billion more this year alone.

Also Monday, Senate Democrats introduced their own pay raise plan.

It would increase the salaries for all school employees by 7.5 percent beginning next year and provide for a 4.5 percent cost of living increase each year for the next decade.

A decades long tradition of welcoming visitors to Florida with free orange and grapefruit juice has gone the way of roadside motels.

Now, the very fate of the state’s welcome stations is in doubt as lawmakers prepare to do battle over whether to keep funding Visit Florida, which runs the stations.

Nearly 900,000 visitors walked through the door of the welcome station on I-75 just south of the Georgia border last year.

These days, more often than not, they’re asking this question: Where’s the orange juice?

But the free orange and grapefruit juice is gone.

$500,000 for the juice was vetoed in 2015.

Florida’s orange growers picked up the slack, but smaller crops and disease have cut their harvests and profits.

“We always stop for the orange juice. There’s no orange juice,” said Kathy Boaz visiting from Chicago.

We’re told that taking selfies with the ‘no juice’ sign has become very popular, but the welcome centers face much bigger problems than no free juice.

One of the hottest battles this coming legislative session will be over the $50 million of funding for Visit Florida, the state tourism arm that runs the centers.

Fiscal conservatives believe people come to Florida, well, because it’s Florida, and the money for promotion is just wasted.

House Speaker Jose Oliva, one of the agency’s most critical opponents, only allowed funding to go through in 2019 to in his words, show the Governor ‘how unnecessary it is’.

Visit Florida initially came under fire for spending millions on tv shows that were only shown in Florida, but under the leadership of former Tampa State Senator Dana Young, supporters believe the agency has righted itself.

But supporters of the $50 million argue Visit Florida is most valuable when there’s trouble in paradise.

“There are certain things that we do have to message and mitigate. For example, whether its Zika that cost our tourism industry millions,” said Senate President Bill Galvano.

Dominic Calabro, President of Florida TaxWatch calls the tourism promoter a good value for taxpayers.

“Because advertising often works,” said Calabro.

And because the fight over Visit Florida’s money is going to be so bitter it will be the end of the session before its solved.

The Governor included $50 million for Visit Florida in his budget proposal.

A proposed constitutional amendment that could have dramatically altered Florida’s utility landscape has been blocked from the 2020 ballot by the State Supreme Court.

The Energy Choice Amendment would have prevented investor owned utilities from generating electricity, limiting them only to maintenance of the power grid and distribution roles.

The Supreme Court took issue with the fact the amendment also claimed to grant Floridians the right to generate and sell their own electricity, but did not specifically do so in the amendment language.

Dominic Calabro with Florida TaxWatch said the move is a win for the state, arguing the amendment could have cost the state and local governments billions in lost revenues.
“Well first of all they were trying to sell it that everyone pays too much for electricity. That’s a false argument. Florida has one of the lowest utility rates in the country and that’s a real advantage for consumers and tax payers alike. The other thing is there’s a lot of instability if you were to take their model. It hasn’t worked as well as people believe it has. Before you make such a dramatic change, you’ve got to make sure it’s far better than the one you have,” said Calabro.

Aside from the court decision, the ballot initiative had so far not gathered enough signatures to secure a place on the 2020 ballot, falling about 100,000 signatures shy with the deadline less than a month away.

From money for cyber security to environmental help, Florida Cities have a long wish list for Florida lawmakers this year.

The Florida League of Cities says one of its top priorities for 2020 is securing $5 million to help cities strengthen cyber security.

“Every city in the state is under attack every day. Now whether they’re successful in that attack is a a different story,” said Casey Cook with the League.

Next on its list is the environment.

In particular, improving the state’s water quality.

“There’s estimates that we’ll need 20 percent more water by 2030 to meet population growth,” said Rebecca O’Hara with the League.

They’re hoping the Legislature will mandate a study to determine how to pay for improvements.

The League estimates the cost could be as high as $18 billion.

“We hear so much about we need water funding, we need water funding, but we really don’t know exactly how much is needed,” said O’Hara.

Another ask of the League, fully funding the Sadowski Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

Lawmakers have repeatedly taken money from the fund for other state needs.

Above all else, the League is fighting for local control.

Bills have been filed to preempt regulations of short term vacation rentals, something cities fought hard to gain in 2014.

“These short term rental ordinances are balanced, they’ve been vetted by the community and I think that they’re working,” said Cook.

Cities say they’re optimistic Governor Ron DeSantis stands behind them on local control, pointing to the fact he vetoed a bill last year that would have taken away municipalities’ ability to ban plastic straws.

“His message was essentially local voices local choices, which is what our mantra is,” said Scott Dudley with the League.

More bills attacking local control are sure to be filed as session moves forward.

Over the past three sessions more than 40 have been filed each year.

Governor Ron DeSantis could make his fourth and fifth appointments to the nine member Florida Supreme Court as early as next week.

A panel appointed by the Governor is expected to send at least six names to the governor after meeting all weekend, but critics of the process warn there is a danger the court is being politicized.

Thirty-two people, mostly judges, will be interviewed this weekend to fill two open seats at Florida’s Supreme Court.

A nine member panel will make the selection.

“All nine of the members are ultimately appointed by the Governor, but four of the nine are appointed by Governor from recommendations from recommendations made to him from the Florida Bar,” said Daniel Nordby, Chair of the Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission.

It hasn’t always been done this way.

In the mid 1970’s the elected high court was rocked with scandal.

Appellate judges became appointed.

Then Governor Reubin Askew created a commission to make recommendations.

He appointed three members, the Florida Bar named three, and together the two groups appointed another three.

It had been called a model for the nation, but in 2001, all of the appointments went back to the Governor.

“Unfortunately, in recent years, it has really become a very politicized process,” said Damien Filer with Progress Florida.

Governor Ron DeSantis has made no secret what he is looking for in a judge.

“The Judiciary, while important, must be limited,” said DeSantis in his inaugural address.

But critics worry concentrating too much power in the Governor can have consequences.

“We could see what would be an all out ban on abortion here in Florida, even it Roe V Wade stands at the federal level,” said Filer.

Democrats have filed legislation that would return nominating commissions to three Gubernatorial appointments, three Florida Bar appointments, with the six naming three more people.

It is unlikely to get a hearing in a GOP controlled legislature.

Supporters of the Governor appointing all nine to the nominating commission are quick to point out that he’s elected and can be held accountable, while members of the Florida Bar are not.

Those making the recommendation have only one concern.
“We’re looking for people with highest level of integrity, the intellectual ability to do the job, and judicial temperament,” said Nordby.

While the Governor will name two more justices to the court, the replacements are for judges he appointed last January and who have been elevated to a Federal appeals court by the President.

Students across the world have increasingly made their frustrations over climate change loud and clear, but a group of Florida students are taking their activism to the courtroom… Suing the Governor and state agencies.

Joined by their attorney, the students laid out their case to law students at Florida State University.

One of the key parts of their case is that the students aren’t suing based on the inaction of the state, instead, they list specific things the state has done to make climate change worse.

“Florida generates more electricity from petroleum than any other state in the nation, second highest amount of CO2 emissions from electricity in the nation. These are very, very big numbers,” said Andrea Rodgers, an attorney with Our Children’s Trust.

The students are diverse, ranging from as young as 12 to college aged.

The one thing they share is the belief the state’s energy policy has put their right to life, liberty and property at risk.

Nineteen-year-old plaintiff Delaney Reynolds said the suit is about preserving the future.

“Our reality is that these rising temperatures and resulting sea level rise is placing much of the region at the real risk of disappearing,” said Reynolds.

Plaintiff Valholly Frank, a 16-year-old member of the Seminole Tribe, said sea level rise will eventually threaten to destroy the tribe’s lands in the Everglades.

“And you can’t really easily move an entire community. If we were displaced we would lose everything we know. We’d lose our identity,” said Frank.

Plaintiffs are asking the courts to declare the state’s energy policy unconstitutional and establish a maximum level of carbon emissions for the state.

If successful, it would be up to lawmakers to figure out how to bring the state into compliance.

The Governor and state agencies involved in the case have asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed.

Both sides are expected to make their arguments before a judge in the coming months.

CBD businesses are undergoing their first round of inspections now under newly finalized state regulations for the hemp based products.

The regulations are meant to ensure consumers are being sold quality products and help weed out bad actors in the marketplace.

Inspections at Natural Life in the state’s capital city began this week, just days after the Department of Agriculture published its new rules regulating CBD products in the state.

“We’ll be completely inspected and done by the end of this week,” said Natural Life owner, Gabe Suarez. “Having all players have to play by these rules will weed out the bad dishonest players and shed light on the proper honest players.”

The goal of the inspections is to ensure products properly labeled, free of contaminants like pesticides and contain the CBD levels advertised.

Suarez said those are all quality controls his company had already implemented.

“So it have a very minimal effect on us,” said Suarez.

But as Taylor Biehl with the Florida Hemp Association points out, for smaller retailers, compliance may be more difficult.

“From a quality control standpoint I mean this is imperative. You know you had a lot of quote unquote snake oil out there,” said Biehl.

Companies found to be out of compliance will have between 30 and 45 days to conform with the new rules.

Businesses that want to sell CBD will be required to purchase an annual permit from the department of agriculture.

That comes with a price tag of $650.

The state is still waiting on the Federal Government to finalize its rules for hemp cultivation, the plant from which CBD is derived.

Once finalized CBD retailers like Suarez hope their products will be able to carry the fresh from Florida label.

The Department of Agriculture expects to have hemp cultivation rules finalized early this year.

FAMU ad UF are already cultivating some test plots as part of the learning curve to growing the crop in Florida.