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Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida Legislature OKs $27M in claims bill payments
Rep. Fiona McFarland says she'll file another sovereign immunity bill for the 2026 session. (Photo via the Florida House) Lawmakers during this past session refused to make changes to the state's heavily criticized and often politicized claims bill process, but at the same time signed off on $27 million worth of payments in lawsuits that had been filed against local governments. A Florida Phoenix review of the 2025 session shows the Legislature passed nine claims bills totaling $26,938,364 in liability that will be passed on to local governments or entities acting on their behalf. The City of Gainesville is responsible for the largest claims bill (HB 6251), which will allow the payment of $10.8 million against the city for the negligence of a utility employee who ran a stop sign on his way home from work. The accident left Jacob Rodgers paralyzed from the waist down. The bill analysis shows that of the total claim, $2.6 million-plus will go to his attorneys and another $137,500 will be paid to lobbyists who, according to the lobbyist disclosure system, are Matthew Forrest and Adrian Lukas with the firm Ballard Partners. Conversely, the smallest claim bill passed during the 2025 session (SB 22) was for $200,000 and involved Joe Dimaggio Children's Hospital and the death of a seven-year-old-child, referred to in the record as E.E.M. The hospital, part of the South Broward Hospital District, did not oppose the claims bill, filed on behalf of Eric Miles Jr. and Jennifer Miles, E.E.M's parents. Claims bills are required because Florida enjoys sovereign immunity for state and local governments as a legal sovereign from civil lawsuits filed in state court. The state does, however, allow negligence claims against itself and its subdivisions — agencies, cities, counties, and public hospitals — within limits. Set in statute, those limits are $200,000 per person and $$300,000 per occurrence. Injured parties can sue for damages and collect within those limits. But jury awards beyond those limits cannot be collected without the Legislature first approving a claims bill. The claims bill process is lengthy and allows the defendant to challenge a jury verdict — two reasons why, Rep. Fiona McFarland says, she has twice filed legislation to change the law. Her latest effort, HB 301, was one of the most heavily lobbied bills in Tallahassee this session, drawing 214 lobbyist registrations. The original bill would have increased the caps to $1 million per person and $3 million per occurrence. She later agreed to tag on an amendment that increased the caps to $500,000 per person and $1 million per incident for claims accruing on or after Oct. 1 and $600,000 per person and $1.1 million per occurrence for claims that accrue on or after Oct. 1, 2030. While the amended bill passed the House by comfortable margins it never was considered by the Senate. 'I'm very disappointed,' McFarland told the Florida Phoenix as the session drew to an end. She promised she'd sponsor the bill during the 2026 session. While McFarland pushed the bill to change what she called an arbitrary process, a bid to raise the limits was opposed by local governments and public hospitals. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida passes bill to enhance crane safety on construction sites
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — Last year's hurricanes left their mark on the area, destroying homes and businesses, and ripping apart the roof on Tropicana Field. We also saw a construction crane topple in downtown St. Petersburg. In response, state lawmakers launched a 'listening tour' to assess what the state did right and where it fell short. Lawmakers heard from constituents and local governments about what needed to change before the next hurricane hits. Those conversations led to one big hurricane bill, a portion of which focuses on crane safety, especially following the St. Petersburg crane collapse. 'Residents everywhere were super frustrated because it felt like something that could have been avoided,' said State Senator Fiona McFarland, (R-Sarasota). When Milton hit St. Petersburg last October, it's heavy winds caused a crane to crash onto another building across the way. From that, lawmakers knew they needed to find a solution.'Before the bill was passed, current law was pretty silent on how cranes needed to be treated in a construction site,' said McFarland. There may have been building codes and safety standards, but no specific rules about cranes during a hurricane.'It's a it's a unique kind of situation where you have OSHA with their level of responsibility when it comes to health and the safety of crane operators, but then when it comes to the things that we we're laying out, there was just no state enforcement, no state mechanism,' said State Senator Nick DiCeglie, (R-Indian Rocks Beach). Now construction sites need to secure hoisting equipment 24 hours before a hurricane is expected to hit.'All work sites will have to have a plan in place available for inspection, and that plan details what equipment they have on the scene, what needs to be secured, maybe a timeline if they need to remove any equipment,' said McFarland. Those who choose to violate the new law could lose their license. Governor Ron DeSantis has yet to sign the new bill. In October he responded to the crane crash saying more common sense was needed.'The question is should there be more regulation or more common sense? Do we have to regulate everything? I mean, most people take the cranes down,' said DeSantis. After getting input from the construction industry, building industry, local towns and cities, Lawmakers say they struck a balance all parties can agree on. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Florida Legislature passes bill regulating construction cranes during hurricanes
Politics Florida Legislature passes bill regulating construction cranes during hurricanes Workers are seen in a basket suspended near part of a crane that sits atop 490 First Ave. S. building Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024 in St. Petersburg. The crane broke off and landed on the building during the high winds of Hurricane Milton. TNS After Hurricane Milton's winds brought part of a crane crashing into an office building in downtown St. Petersburg, new regulations could soon be required for construction managers during storms. Lawmakers near-unanimously passed a bill last week that requires all hoisting equipment for a construction project be secured no later than 24 hours before a hurricane's impacts. The move comes after a Times investigation last year revealed significant gaps in oversight for heavy equipment like cranes. Florida lawmakers more than a decade ago passed a law that prevented local governments from writing regulations for cranes, including measures regarding 'hurricane preparedness or public safety.' When it came to hurricane crane safety, there were 'really no requirements for crane operators to have a plan in place or anything to do with hurricane preparedness,' said Sen. Nick DiCeglie, R-Indian Rocks Beach. He and Rep. Fiona McFarland, R-Sarasota, championed SB 180, which also deals more broadly with hurricane relief and emergency preparedness. The bill passed on the final day of the regular legislative session. The legislation would leave in place the law that stops local governments from setting their own crane regulations. It instead creates new statewide requirements for crane safety. That includes ensuring that booms on hydraulic cranes are retracted, tower cranes are set in a weathervane position and all power at the base of cranes is disconnected ahead of a storm. Anyone who intentionally violates the law could be subject to administrative discipline, including having their business license suspended. Worksites also must have a hurricane preparedness plan for their crane available for inspection. The bill also requires the Florida Building Commission to put together a report on the best practices for using cranes during hurricane season by the end of 2026. The section of tower crane that toppled from The Residences at 400 Central in October pulverized a building on First Avenue South that housed the Tampa Bay Times, a law office and other businesses. The building still has a gaping hole. Gov. Ron DeSantis has yet to sign the bill. Shortly after the crane in St. Petersburg toppled, DeSantis held a news conference near the wreckage where he dismissed the need for additional oversight, saying, 'Do we have to regulate everything?' DiCeglie said it was important to strike a balance with the crane language because some regulation is the responsibility of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. In 2008, a group of contractors sued to challenge a local ordinance in Miami-Dade that regulated cranes, including regulations for hurricane preparedness. A federal judge sided with the contractors, who argued the ordinance was inappropriate because regulation belonged in OSHA's hands. But the court made clear that OSHA doesn't regulate storm requirements, said Carol Bowen, the chief lobbyist for the Associated Builders and Contractors of Florida, who was involved in the lawsuit. A few years after that decision, though, state lawmakers passed a bill banning local governments from creating their own safety rules for cranes, including for hurricanes. Two St. Petersburg Democrats this year tried to remove that preemption language, but their idea got little traction. Rep. Lindsay Cross, D-St. Petersburg, said she knew removing the local preemption wouldn't be popular with the construction industry. But she said, 'Sometimes you put something out there and use it to start the conversation.' Cross said she worked with McFarland's staff on the final bill and said the language was 'getting closer to where we need to be.' The Associated Builders and Contractors of Florida opposed removing the preemption because they want a uniform crane standard throughout the state, Bowen said. But she said the organization 'signed off 100%' on the final crane requirements. She said she thinks it's a great addition to the law. David Thompson, St. Petersburg's director of government affairs, on Friday told city council members that the bill's language was 'a vital first step in making our community safer' and said the city would keep trying to get 'stronger language' in the law. Tampa Bay Times reporter Colleen Wright contributed to this report.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Florida Legislature passes hurricane crane safety requirements after crash
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways TALLAHASSEE — After Hurricane Milton's winds brought part of a crane crashing into an office building in downtown St. Petersburg, new regulations could soon be required for construction managers during storms. Lawmakers near-unanimously passed a bill last week that requires all hoisting equipment for a construction project be secured no later than 24 hours before a hurricane's impacts. The move comes after a Tampa Bay Times investigation last year revealed significant gaps in oversight for heavy equipment like cranes. Florida lawmakers more than a decade ago passed a law that prevented local governments from writing regulations for cranes, including measures regarding 'hurricane preparedness or public safety.' When it came to hurricane crane safety, there were 'really no requirements for crane operators to have a plan in place or anything to do with hurricane preparedness,' said Sen. Nick DiCeglie, R-Indian Rocks Beach. He and Rep. Fiona McFarland, R-Sarasota, championed SB 180, which also deals more broadly with hurricane relief and emergency preparedness. The bill passed on the final day of the regular legislative session. The legislation would leave in place the law that stops local governments from setting their own crane regulations. It instead creates new statewide requirements for crane safety. That includes ensuring that booms on hydraulic cranes are retracted, tower cranes are set in a weathervane position and all power at the base of cranes is disconnected ahead of a storm. Anyone who intentionally violates the law could be subject to administrative discipline, including having their business license suspended. Worksites also must have a hurricane preparedness plan for their crane available for inspection. The bill also requires the Florida Building Commission to put together a report on the best practices for using cranes during hurricane season by the end of 2026. The section of tower crane that toppled from The Residences at 400 Central in October pulverized a building on First Avenue South that housed the Tampa Bay Times, a law office and other businesses. The building still has a gaping hole. Gov. Ron DeSantis has yet to sign the bill. Shortly after the crane in St. Petersburg toppled, DeSantis held a news conference near the wreckage where he dismissed the need for additional oversight, saying, 'Do we have to regulate everything?' DiCeglie said it was important to strike a balance with the crane language because some regulation is the responsibility of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. In 2008, a group of contractors sued to challenge a local ordinance in Miami-Dade that regulated cranes, including regulations for hurricane preparedness. A federal judge sided with the contractors, who argued the ordinance was inappropriate because regulation belonged in OSHA's hands. But the court made clear that OSHA doesn't regulate storm requirements, said Carol Bowen, the chief lobbyist for the Associated Builders and Contractors of Florida, who was involved in the lawsuit. A few years after that decision, though, state lawmakers passed a bill banning local governments from creating their own safety rules for cranes, including for hurricanes. Two St. Petersburg Democrats this year tried to remove that preemption language, but their idea got little traction. Rep. Lindsay Cross, D-St. Petersburg, said she knew removing the local preemption wouldn't be popular with the construction industry. But she said, 'Sometimes you put something out there and use it to start the conversation.' Cross said she worked with McFarland's staff on the final bill and said the language was 'getting closer to where we need to be.' The Associated Builders and Contractors of Florida opposed removing the preemption because they want a uniform crane standard throughout the state, Bowen said. But she said the organization 'signed off 100%' on the final crane requirements. She said she thinks it's a great addition to the law. David Thompson, St. Petersburg's director of government affairs, on Friday told city council members that the bill's language was 'a vital first step in making our community safer' and said the city would keep trying to get 'stronger language' in the law. Tampa Bay Times reporter Colleen Wright contributed to this report.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Childcare in the Capitol: As more women run for office, some are bringing their kids
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — When Florida state Rep. Fiona McFarland's infant daughter, Grace Melton, crawled for the first time, the mom of four was right next door, hard at work with her legislative policy staff in the state Capitol. Thanks to the on-site childcare available in the statehouse, McFarland didn't miss that magical first milestone in her 7-month-old's young life. 'The sitter I had with her just grabbed me out of my meeting right next door and I came over and got to witness it,' McFarland recalled. As more women and young people run for public office, they're bringing more than fresh policy ideas to statehouses — some are bringing their kids. Like working parents across the country, some lawmakers are scrambling to find childcare that fits their often unpredictable schedules, at a price they can afford. Rushing back and forth from their districts, they juggle meetings with constituents and coordinate their children's drop-offs, power through late-night floor sessions and step out to pump breast milk between votes, hoping to make it home for their kids' bedtime. 'Looking back, I'm like, 'How did I do that?'" Michigan state Sen. Stephanie Chang said, recalling those frenzied years when she was a new legislator and a new mom. The Democrat used to race across the state with her baby and freezer bags of milk in tow, leaving her daughter with family members so she could make her 9 a.m. committee meetings at the state Capitol in Lansing. In one of the few industrialized countries that lacks universal paid family leave, Chang says America's childcare crunch is keeping some parents from running for public office because they simply 'cannot make it all work," ultimately leaving young families with fewer advocates to help decide "what we're doing for the future of our children.' Advocates push for more support, as more young parents get elected Some state capitols, which were mostly built before women could vote, still lack enough accessible bathrooms, advocates say, let alone spaces to comfortably change a baby's diaper or nurse an infant. "Legislators legislate based on their lived experience," said Liuba Grechen Shirley, founder of the Vote Mama Foundation, which pushes to break barriers that moms face while running for office. 'We have terrible policies that fail women and children across the country because we don't have enough moms serving at any level of government,' she said. As of this year, 33% of state legislators were women, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. Fewer than 8% of those lawmakers are moms of minor children, a Vote Mama analysis found. Statehouses' childcare offerings largely lag behind other workplaces, but advocates say they're gaining some ground. The Virginia House of Delegates now gives a childcare stipend to members with young kids to help cover their expenses during session. At least two-thirds of states allow candidates of any gender running for public office to use campaign funds to pay for child care expenses after the Federal Elections Commission approved the practice for federal candidates in 2018. A childcare space just for Florida lawmakers Inside the echoing halls of Florida's Capitol, amid the chattering of lobbyists and the clicking of high heels, the voices of children like Grace can be heard as they play inside two on-site childcare spaces that were created just for the kids of legislators. McFarland, whose four children are ages 5 and under, was elected for the first time in 2020, when she was pregnant with her first child. Since then, her public service has been fueled by 'caffeine and dry shampoo," she joked. On early mornings before the Capitol's in-house day care opens up, McFarland plops Grace into a bouncy chair that sits on her desk in her legislative office, or holds the baby with one hand as she flips through briefing books with the other. 'Moms will always make it work,' said McFarland, a Republican. While the House is in session or committee hearings are in swing, McFarland is able to drop her daughter off at the childcare upstairs. The space isn't open every day and the hours vary, McFarland says, an experience many working parents can empathize with. The staff working in the Capitol's childcare are paid out of campaign funds, spokespeople for the House speaker and Senate president said. The initiative grew out of the Legislature's program for lawmakers' spouses, many of whom travel to Tallahassee for session. After the day care has closed for the afternoon, Grace comes back downstairs to nap and play in a nursery McFarland has set up in the room next door to her office. McFarland also hires sitters to take care of her baby when the childcare space isn't open, a cost she pays for herself. Every working parent has to make tradeoffs, McFarland said, but having childcare in the Capitol means she doesn't have to make quite as many. 'That's what makes Florida stronger, right? Is when we have good representatives and we have good parents — who are able to do both,' McFarland said. Florida's Capitol childcare is an 'informal' approach, but could serve as a model for legislatures across the country, Grechen Shirley said. It's a 'first step' she said, that states should bolster with other supportive policies like allowing proxy voting, paying lawmakers a 'livable wage' and letting candidates use campaign funds to cover childcare expenses. 'If we want a legislature that actually reflects our society, we have to make it easier for young families to run for office and to stay in office," Grechen Shirley said. ___ Associated Press writers Olivia Diaz in Richmond, Virginia and Isabella Volmert in Lansing, Michigan contributed to this report. Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. The Associated Press' women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at Kate Payne, The Associated Press
