Latest news with #ClayYarborough
Newsweek
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Florida Set To Change School Start Times
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Florida lawmakers have unanimously voted to undo a statewide mandate requiring later start times for middle and high schools - less than a year after approving it. The bill, passed in both the House and Senate without opposition, would give school districts the ability to keep earlier bell schedules if they determine that later times are unworkable. Newsweek has contacted State Senators Clay Yarborough and Tracie Davis, who introduced the bill, as well as House sponsor Representative Anne Gerwig via email for comment. Why It Matters Local officials in counties such as Pinellas and Pasco raised red flags over the cost and operational strain of the original law. Pinellas County estimated it would need to spend nearly $3 million and hire dozens of new bus drivers. Pasco County leaders cited similar concerns. Pinellas board member Lisa Cane said students have voiced concern over how later times could affect their jobs and extracurricular activities. Traffic congestion is another worry in the county. File photo: students hangout between classes at Colonial H.S. in Orlando, Florida. File photo: students hangout between classes at Colonial H.S. in Orlando, Florida. Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP What To Know The 2023 law had required middle schools to start no earlier than 8 a.m. and high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m., based on research into teen sleep patterns. Districts were given three years to comply, however, implementation quickly ran into financial and logistical hurdles, particularly in large urban and small rural counties, the Tampa Bay Times reported. Senate Bill 296 will allow school districts to avoid the requirement, by informing the state Department of Education why a shift in the start times would not work. House sponsor Representative Anne Gerwig, a Republican from Wellington, said the original law had good intentions as it considered adolescent and teens normal sleep schedules, but that for some schools making the change could be difficult, so allowing them leeway was important. "A lot of times we don't really realize everything that could happen," she said during the floor discussion. A fiscal report on the bill explained that some of the barriers faced by schools under the ruling of the 2023 legislation included childcare and student supervision issues, after-school activities issues and transportation issues concerning the costs of adding bus routes and buses. What People Are Saying State Representative LaVon Bracy Davis, a Democrat from Orlando, speaking about the original legislation, said, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times: "When this bill came, so many of us yelled to the rooftops about the unintended consequences. Unfortunately it fell on deaf ears. So here we are repealing the bill." State Senator Danny Burgess, a Zephyrhills Republican, during a committee debate on the bill last month: "Without more resources, without maybe even more time to figure out how we actually implement this in real time, with bus driver shortages and the like, we are possibly walking into a minefield that we shouldn't venture into," said "It was one heck of a pain in the butt that bill was. And so this makes me wonder what it was really all for." What Happens Next The bill is now headed to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for approval. With DeSantis expected to sign the new bill, Florida school districts will retain wider authority over start times.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Florida bill ignites debate over parental consent for minors' healthcare
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — A parental rights bill moving through the state legislature is sparking heated debate over access to reproductive healthcare for minors and whether or not parents should have a say. If passed, the bill would require written parental consent for all medical procedures on minors, except in emergencies or when authorized by a court. Supporters of the bill say this move will help children make critical decisions when it comes to their health care, with parents by their side. While opponents argue that not every child has the ideal parental guidance — and worry this will only restrict children from seeking passing out of its first committee stop, Senate Bill 1288 continues to make its way through the legislature, moving closer to the Senate floor for a final bill seeks to change current law that allows minors under the age of 18 to access certain health care services without parental consent. After hearing hours of public comments, the bill sponsor made changes to the language and is open to working on the bill further as it continues to advance. 'I work closely with many children. My visitors are often young and often victims of incest, so their parents are not trusted adults, they are perpetrator,' said Chloe Bareswit, speaking against the the other side of the argument, parents and Republicans in support of the legislation say we can't have the mindset that all parents are bad actors, and it's about finding a balance between the two.'To just base everything we're doing, that all parents are bad and that all parents are bad actors is just fundamentally not true,' said State Senator Clay Yarborough (R-Jacksonville).'I don't want to continue to trade individual liberties because of one-offs, and that doesn't mean we don't have empathy for those one-offs. My heart breaks, and I can promise you that many on this committee would be there for you, each and every day to protect from those horrors,' State Senator Jay Collins (R-Tampa) said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Capless: Med mal bill passes second Senate panel without limitations on damages
(iStock /Getty Images Plus) A bill that would allow more lawsuits for medical malpractice cleared its second Senate panel Tuesday over strong objections from health care and business lobbyists who say they would favor the proposal if it included caps on damages. Sen. Clay Yarborough said he is continuing to fine tune the proposal (SB 734) that, if passed, would allow parents of single, childless, adult children (and adult children of single parents) to sue physicians and hospitals for noneconomic damages, such as pain and suffering. The law doesn't allow that now. That's because they were left out of a 1990 law that expanded the class of survivors entitled to recover damages for pain and suffering for a wrongful death. 'I remain open and willing to consider changes that some would like to make, though we must pursue a solution that can secure support from both chambers and thus prevent the exceptions from remaining on our books for what would be 36 years if we don't do something this year,' Yarborough said as he closed the Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee debate on the bill. 'The bill is about accountability, the value of life, ensuring our laws are just.' The bill passed by an 8-2 vote with Sens. Colleen Burton and Gayle Harrell voting no. Those senators during debate said the state could enhance its regulations over providers to increase accountability in lieu of increasing potential civil liability. Harrell, a longstanding champion of physicians in the Florida Legislature, added that the bill could open doctors and hospitals to wrongful death litigation from children who have been estranged from their parents. David Mica, executive vice president for public affairs for the Florida Hospital Association, told the panel that physicians in Miami Dade County pay the highest medical malpractice rates in four areas of medicine in the country: family practice, obstetrics, emergency medicine, and orthopedics. Mica told the committee that he'd spoken with a top 100-rated South Florida hospital that morning. An official at the facility, which he did not name, said its reinsurance rates increased by 76% year-over-year and 101% over the past three years. For the first time in the hospital's history, Mica said, it was procuring coverage from an insurance company with a less than A-rating. 'That's not how this system should work,' Mica said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Mica, as well as representatives of the state's largest business associations, wants senators to cap the amount in damages that plaintiffs can recover. Not just for the new suits that would be allowed under the proposal, but for all medical malpractice cases. I remain open and willing to consider changes that some would like to make though we must pursue a solution that can secure support from both chambers and thus prevent the exceptions from remaining on our books for what would be 36 years if we don't do something this year. – Sen. Clay Yarborough Yarborough filed similar legislation last year but had to amend it to include a $500,000 damages limit per claimant for practitioners and $750,000 for 'non-practitioners' to move it through its first committee stop. The cap was a non-starter in the Florida House and the bill died. Florida Chamber of Commerce lobbyist Carolyn Johnson told members the bill would 'significantly increase ligation.' It would inflate medical malpractice insurance rates that are already highest in the nation, she said. That, in turn, would lead to higher health care costs for consumers and businesses. As a result, she continued, fewer physicians would practice in Florida, 'exacerbating Florida's already medical professional shortage.' Johnson said the Florida Chamber supported Yarborough's bill last year with its medical malpractice caps but that without them, 'unfortunately, we have to stand here in opposition today.' Yarborough stressed that he didn't intend to criticize the health care delivery system, although plenty of criticism of Florida's physicians and hospital system was aired during the debate by proponents of the bill, who shared their stories of medical malpractice. Opponents said the legislation would make a bad situation worse. Villages Resident Bob Harris said there are 12 houses on his block, 11 of which are occupied by residents who hail from 10 different states. 'You can talk about pickle ball and golf for a couple of minutes, then you talk about quality [of health care],' he said. He and his peers, he said, are looking for stability, long term relationships with providers they trust and access to specialists. 'We have two neighbors who travel to their home state for their health care. They are full- time residents of Florida, and that's why — it's because they can't get here what they need in health care,' Harris said. SB 734 heads to the Rules Committee next. The House Civil Justice earlier this month voted unanimously to pass HB 6017, the companion bill. The legislation heads to the House Judiciary Committee next, the last committee before the full House can take a vote. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senate committee approves bill to restrict local DEI policies
A proposal that would prevent local governments from setting policies related to 'diversity, equity and inclusion' was approved Monday by a Senate committee. The Republican-controlled Community Affairs Committee voted 5-3 to back the measure (SB 420), sponsored by Sen. Clay Yarborough, R-Jacksonville. The bill also would allow people to take legal action if the prohibition is violated. 'We need to focus on core essential services, maintain the roads, parks, public safety, economic development and the like,' Yarborough said. 'But we should always place a higher emphasis on those very important efforts … and not make it limited in the other categories that are outside individual qualifications, skills and performance.' One of several DEI-related bills going before lawmakers this week, the measure, for example, would affect such things as employment policies. Sen. Shevrin Jones, D-Miami Gardens, called the proposal 'authoritarianism' and said it wouldn't improve the lives of Floridians. Yarborough's bill would need to clear two more committees before it could go to the Senate floor. Rep. Dean Black, R-Jacksonville, has filed a House version (HB 1571), which has not been heard in committees. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
House, Senate panels OK bills to revamp Florida's medical malpractice laws
A bill that would revamp the state's wrongful death statutes to allow more lawsuits stemming from medical malpractice is moving through the committee process in the Florida Legislature. The House Civil Justice and Claims Subcommittee voted unanimously Wednesday to approve HB 6017. The vote followed a Tuesday evening 9-2 vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee to approve SB 734. The legislation heads to the House Judiciary Committee next but has no additional committee references in that chamber, while the Senate version will head to the Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services and the Rules Committee. When it comes to wrongful deaths stemming from medical malpractice claims, parents of single, childless, adult children cannot sue for noneconomic damages, such as pain and suffering. Additionally, adults (defined as 25 or older) cannot pursue wrongful death claims for parents who die from medical malpractice. This is in no way a knock against the medical profession or anyone in it, because Florida has some of the best health care providers and institutions in the country and beyond. – Sen. Clay Yarborough The Legislature adopted the ban during the 1990s as lawmakers wrestled with rising malpractice premiums. There has been a concerted effort in recent years, though, to eliminate the ban, and members of Senate Judiciary heard from people on both sides of the issue Tuesday, the first day of the annual 60-day legislative session. Senate sponsor Clay Yarborough of Jacksonville, who chairs the committee, said existing law is 'unjust and prevent[s] accountability.' 'This is in no way a knock against the medical profession or anyone in it, because Florida has some of the best health care providers and institutions in the country and beyond. I don't have a number to quote, but I will venture to say we likely have a low, single-digit percentage of those in Florida's health care community that have issues with malpractice or negligence,' Yarborough said. 'While we all understand no amount of money can bring back a loved one, to solely argue from a monetary or economic perspective would be misplaced, because no individual and no institution is above accountability, which is exactly what this bill is about.' Opponents argued that changing the law would drive up costs of health care and incentivize physicians to leave the state, although recent research shows a number of other reasons why physicians are leaving practices, including family demands and inadequate support staff. Shelly Knick is a claims adjuster for the Physicians Insurance company, which covers doctors and hospitals. She testified that the change would mean an additional 500 wrongful death lawsuits annually, an estimate she called conservative. 'Each [hospital] will face an additional one to two wrongful death cases annually,' Knicks testified. 'Non-economic damages like pain and suffering are often the largest portion of settlements which exponentially increase the cost. But, importantly, understand that most medical malpractice lawsuits do not involve negligence. They result from unfortunate medical outcomes, not bad medicine. ' Her remarks seemed to belie some of the stories supporters of the bill shared during their testimony in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sara Franqui shared the story of her 28-year-old daughter, Sadie Dela Cruz, who died in 2021. Her daughter suffered what's called an ovarian torsion, which occurs when an ovary twists on its supporting ligaments and cuts off blood flow. She said her daughter went to several physicians about her pain but that they misdiagnosed her condition. When the pain became unmanageable, she testified, her daughter went to the emergency room at the hospital where she had worked for seven years. But her daughter, who had developed sepsis, was misdiagnosed by a 'brand new doctor and a travelling nurse that was new.' 'All she needed was a septic test. She went to various doctors and when she finally went to the hospital and she thought she had hope to live they let her die,' Franqui told the House Civil Justice and Claims Subcommittee. Franqui, who also testified during the Senate hearing, said she feels she's been 'chosen' to take her experience and try to change the law. 'And now I come to you because I feel that we have been chosen,' she told senators. 'We have been chosen as messengers to the people and to our representatives.' Navy veteran Keith Davis died from a blood clot after being admitted to a hospital for knee pain. His daughter, Sabrina Davis, filed a complaint against the doctor with the Department of Health. She testified that the Florida Board of Medicine, charged with disciplining physicians, found that the doctor violated the standards of care and committed medical malpractice. The BOM hit the doctor with a $7,500 fine and made him take a continuing education course on blood clots, Davis said, 'I still ask myself today how my dad can serve in the Navy on a ballistic missile nuclear submarine and travel the depths of the ocean but when he goes into a hospital for knee pain not make it out alive.' Florida has had no caps on pain and suffering in medical malpractice lawsuits since 2014, when the Florida Supreme Court ruled them unconstitutional. But the makeup of the Florida Supreme court has changed since then, with the majority of the justices appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The medical community is eager to put the rejuggled court to the test. Yarborough filed similar legislation last year but agreed to put a cap of $500,000 per claimant for practitioners and $750,000 on 'non-practitioners' found liable, such as hospitals and health care facilities. The cap would drop to $150,000 for health care practitioners in emergency medical cases. There are no caps in the 2025 legislation and at least one senator who voted to pass the Senate bill Tuesday explained his yes vote was conditional. Sen. Ed Hooper, chair of the powerful Appropriations Committee, said he had three conversations with Yarborough about the bill and promised to support the measure in Senate Judiciary. 'I want to help and work with you to make this as good as it can be made, but my commitment to you was that I will support the bill at this stop and I'm not going to change my mind today,' Hooper said. Palm Beach County Medical Society President-elect Vicki Norton told the Florida Phoenix Wednesday that she started practicing emergency medicine in Florida in 2010 with the security of knowing there were limits on the amount a plaintiff could be awarded for pain and suffering had she been sued. The threat of lawsuits, she said, was one reason she left Philadelphia. 'I couldn't get out of there fast enough. I was scared to death I was going to make a mistake and then I was going to get sued for like millions of dollars.' Norton, assistant medical director of the Boca Raton Regional Hospital emergency department, said she saw her medical malpractice insurance premiums increase following the 2014 ruling. Also, hospital call sheets started to have 'gaps in the schedule for high-risk specialties,' and that she once had to fly a patient from her hospital to UF Health Shands in Gainesville for emergency heart surgery. 'I had no surgeon on call,' she said. 'I had to call all around the state.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
