Latest news with #Grall
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A look at some bills that are struggling in the Florida Legislature as Sine Die approaches
Legislation cracking down on distracted driving appears to be stalling in the Florida House during the 2025 session. (Stock photo by Getty Images) Shortly after the Senate passed her bill (SB 1318) to ban individuals from hands-on cellphone use while driving, Vero Beach Republican Erin Grall acknowledged that the measure's future was uncertain. Its House companion had yet to receive a single hearing in the lower chamber of the Legislature. 'If there is the will, there's always a way' Grall told the Phoenix after the measure passed the Senate 29-7 on Wednesday. 'At least it's going to be with [the House] now, and we'll see if any other solutions are proposed.' Grall's is one of several high-profile proposals in limbo at this point in the 2025 Florida legislative session, having passed through one chamber going nowhere in the other. And with two-thirds of the regular legislative session now in the books, the outcome of some for these bills look cloudy at best. Yet those involved in the legislative process don't dare say they are dead just yet. 'I would say there's a lot of time left in the session,' Senate President Ben Albritton said this week when asked about the timeline for such bills and whether he might jumpstart their passage through the Senate. 'You're asking me if I'm specifically open to the idea of referring a House bill that we receive it to say, Rules or Appropriations to have that bill heard and potentially move?' he said in repeating an inquiry with reporters on Wednesday. 'The answer is yes.' Among bills that the Senate President himself has been asked about on an almost weekly basis is HB 759, which would would lower the age for individuals in Florida to purchase shotguns and rifles from 21 to 18. Three measures in the Senate include that provision, but none of them have had a committee hearing. Albritton has refused to commit to whether he might consider it — unlike his predecessor, Kathleen Passidomo, who was explicit in rejecting that idea during the past two sessions, when she was presiding officer. 'We've heard through back channels that there might be a bill to use as a bargaining chip with the House. Possibly for the budget or something else,' said Luis Valdes, Florida state director of Gun Owners of America. 'If that's the case, Gun Owners of America aren't actually fond of that, because using Second Amendment rights as a bargaining chip for something else is wrong, especially when hundreds of thousands of Floridians have had their rights violated by this law.' Second Amendment enthusiasts were hyped before the session that their long-awaited hope that Florida would join the overwhelming number of states that allow for open carry would finally be realized, but Albritton shut down that thought in November. Then there's SB 166, the public school 'deregulation' bill sponsored in the Senate by North Florida Republican Corey Simon. Under this legislation, Florida high schoolers would not need to pass algebra or English final exams to graduate. The bill looks to 'level the playing field amid other school-choice options,' Albritton said in a news release. There is no House companion for the proposal. A year ago, Tallahassee Democratic Rep. Allison Tant's distracted-driving bill cleared all three of its committees before dying on the House floor. Its Senate companion, however, was blocked in committees and never received a hearing. Flash forward to 2025 and the exact opposite is happening: Sen. Grall's bill cleared all of its three committee assignments before passing in the Senate by a two-thirds majority this week, while its House equivalent has yet to be heard in either of its two assigned committees. Yet advocates aren't ready to throw in the towel just yet, noting that the bill has been sent to the House in messages, making it available for action there. 'We are extremely hopeful that Rep. Perez will bring this forth, since he represents Miami-Dade, one of 11 counties that have passed a hands-free resolution asking lawmakers to act,' said a spokesperson for the Anthony Phoenix Branca Foundation, a group led by Demetrius Branca, who visited lawmakers around the state earlier this year in hopes of getting them to pass the bill this year. A distracted driver killed Branca's son in 2014. The House has championed a number of scope-of-practice expansions this session but the Senate does not seem interested in doing the same. For instance, the House passed legislation allowing certified registered nurse anesthetists to work without having a written supervisory protocol with a physician. The bill (HB 649) passed the House on April 3 on a 77-30 vote. Conversely, the Senate companion (SB 718) has been referred to three committees but has been heard by none. Other bills that have soared through one chamber but are gaining no traction in the other, such as the 'right to repair' legislation sponsored by Central Florida Republican Keith Truenow in the Senate (SB 1132). The measure would require manufacturers to more freely provide access to tools, manuals, and parts needed to repair certain agriculture and portable wireless equipment. It's House companion, sponsored by Tampa Bay Democratic Rep. Michele Rayner (HB 235), hasn't received a single hearing in any of the committees it was assigned to. There's the E-Verify measure (HB 955), which would require all Florida businesses to use the system to check the legal status of employees, which has cleared both of the committees that it was assigned to in the House. If approved, it would change existing law, which requires only businesses with 25 employees or more to employ the program. However, E-Verify hasn't moved at all in the Senate. Sarasota County Republican Sen. Joe Gruters told the Phoenix late Friday that the proposal is still viable in that chamber. With additional reporting from Christine Sexton and Jay Waagmeester. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Florida teens may be blocked from birth control, STI treatment without parental consent
A measure that would make minors in Florida get parental consent for birth control and treatment for sexually transmitted infections goes against guidance from the nation's leading association for obstetricians and gynecologists. A bill entitled "Parental Rights" (SB 1288) by Sen. Erin Grall, R-Fort Pierce, which has passed through its first two committees, would nullify an existing state law that allows for a physician to prescribe birth control or STI treatment for those under 18. But the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) supports 'confidential" care, as "it is even more crucial for adolescents because the lack of confidentiality can be a barrier to the delivery of reproductive health care services." This includes confidentiality in billing and insurance claims. According to guidance provided by ACOG: 'Even though policies should encourage and facilitate communication between a minor and her parent or guardian when appropriate, legal barriers and deference to parental involvement should not stand in the way of needed contraceptive care for adolescents who request confidential services.' Dr. Anne-Marie Amies Oelschlager, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Washington, said based on her clinical experience, what patients tell her when their parents step out of the room is often different from what is said in front of them. 'I want to ask every single person in that (legislature) if they would call up their mother and tell their mother every single thing they've done sexually in their life,' Oelschlager told the USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida. 'It's not uncommon for adolescents to hold back information from their parents," she added. "It's part of respecting boundaries between a parent and a child.' Grall stood by her position that if a child has an STI and needs treatment, a parent should know. A more hardline earlier version of the bill originally required parental consent for just STI testing, but lawmakers amended the bill, allowing minors to get tested for STIs without parental consent. 'I believe their needs can be best met with parenting. I get that it's hard, and I get that everything's not perfect, but it doesn't mean we say 'OK government, you can do better,' ' Grall said at a recent Senate committee meeting. The bill would not prevent a minor from buying birth control or emergency contraception over the counter, like condoms or Plan B. It does, however, penalize with a misdemeanor charge any health care provider who prescribes birth control pills or related medication without a parent or guardian's consent. 'You could have a child that has HIV, and you would not be informed as a parent. You could have a child that has syphilis who needs certain types of treatment. That treatment could interact with other things that that child either has, a reaction to, an allergy to … and those are things that parents know. A provider may not know, and a parent should know when a child is getting treatment,' Grall said. At the first committee hearing in the Senate, Grall said she did not consult with medical professionals when drafting the original policy. From 2017 to 2021, syphilis rates rose 82% in Florida and increased 72% nationwide, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Congenital syphilis, which occurs when syphilis is passed to a baby during pregnancy, rose 88% in Florida during this time period, and 219% nationwide. Chlamydia and gonorrhea are often asymptomatic, Oelschlager said, and left untreated can lead to life-changing consequences. In women, untreated chlamydia and gonorrhea cause inflammation in the cervix, which can travel up into the uterus and into the fallopian tubes. Patients can get intense inflammation, infection and scarring from the untreated STIs. Oelschlager said she's had adolescent patients admitted to the hospital because of severe infections. "I understand the need to want to make sure my children are healthy and safe, and I also want to know if they're in a dangerous situation or if they've been hurt, but also understand they're never going to tell me everything that they would tell their doctor about their private sexual lives,' Oelschlager said. Ana Goñi-Lessan, state watchdog reporter for the USA TODAY Network – Florida, can be reached at agonilessan@ This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Birth control and parental consent debated in Florida bill
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Wrongful death suits for the unborn would be allowed under proposed Florida law
A woman potentially could be sued for wrongful death by the father of her unborn baby if she has an abortion under legislation moving in the Florida Legislature. Further, the bill – "The Civil Liability for Wrongful Death of an Unborn Child Act" (SB 1284) – has sparked fears it will increase malpractice liability for doctors. It also gives parents the ability to sue health care providers for damages for the wrongful death of an unborn child. The bill by Sen. Erin Grall, R-Fort Pierce, this week cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on a 6–4 vote. One Republican, Sen. Tom Leek, joined the panel's Democrats in voting 'no.' Leek said he worried the bill could weaponize other laws to prosecute a woman who lost a child. But other Republicans on the panel questioned how courts could determine the future loss of income of a week-old embryo, and questioned its effect on malpractice insurance premiums. Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples and a former Senate president, voted against a similar bill last year. She walked Grall through provisions in the bill she finds troubling, saying 'this is creating a huge tort.' Passidomo questioned how judges and juries could compute damages based on a fetus' future earnings, calling it 'so speculative' because there is no way of knowing if a three-day embryo would become a 'Elon Musk or someone with a disability.' By including unborn children under the state's Wrongful Death Act, opponents including Democrats and nearly 30 members of the public said they feared the measure would further restrict abortion access. Florida law already defines an unborn child as a member of the Homo sapiens species at any state of development. Grall, who sponsored last year's six-week abortion ban signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis, said her intent is not to strengthen an abortion ban but to protect unborn children: 'It is (for) when there is negligence that happens. But for that negligence, that child would be here.' She added, 'We should have parity in the way we treat a child inside the womb and outside the womb.' But the bill's potential unintended consequences troubled some of the lawmakers and many of the people who filled all 170 seats available in the committee room. Grall's proposal does not authorize a wrongful death suit against a healthcare provider acting lawfully – but it lacks a definition of what is lawful medical care. Florida faces a shortage of obstetrics and gynecology since passage of the six-week abortion ban, according to media reports. And a lobbyist for physicians said Grall's bill will increase malpractice insurance premiums and further make Florida an unattractive option for OB-GYNs. 'Doctors are going to make the economic decision to avoid treating high-risk pregnancies. The very life that needs the most care, the high-risk pregnancies the doctor is going to avoid because of the additional (malpractice) exposure this puts on the physician,' said Mark Delegal, who represents the Doctor's Company, a nationwide physician-owned medical malpractice insurer. Others have echoed Leek's fears that an estranged father could weaponize the bill against a woman who lost a child. In an interview with the Florida Alligator newspaper, University of Florida constitutional law professor Danaya C. Wright said the way Grall's bill is written is troubling. Wright said granting a fetus or embryo the same legal protections as a person makes anything a woman does that could injure a fetus liable for damages: 'A woman goes on a walk, and she trips, and she falls, and it causes a miscarriage. You're going to say that's manslaughter?' Wright said. And abortion rights advocates said that including embryos in the Wrongful Death Act will further restrict access to reproductive healthcare. Ashe Bradley of Tampa told the committee that the bill would enable a rapist to sue a victim. 'Would you want your child to leave a rape and then pay her rapist?' Bradley asked. The bill next goes to the Rules Committee, which Passidomo chairs, before it can get to the Senate floor. Passidomo said she voted for it to give Grall time to work on her and other's concerns. And Grall committed to doing so. James Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jcall@ and is on X as @CallTallahassee. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Debate grows over Florida bill giving legal rights to unborn children
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senate Republicans criticize bill establishing wrongful death of fetuses
A bill in the Florida Legislature would let parents claim loss of potential income for fetuses at any stage of development. (Photo credit: Getty Images) Republican senators raised concerns over a bill that would permit parents to claim damages in the wrongful death of a fetus at any stage of development in the womb, with Ormond Beach Republican Sen. Tom Leek voting with Democrats against the proposal Tuesday. Vero Beach Republican Sen. Erin Grall's proposal (SB 1284) could let parents claim damages for the mental pain and loss of support from the fetus, which the sponsor explained means parents could be awarded for the loss of future wages that the fetus could have earned over its life. Although the bill passed its first hearing, its future could be in peril after former Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, who chairs the powerful Rules Committee, which it must go through before reaching the Senate floor, took issue with the bill's definition of unborn child. She questioned Grall about whether someone could file a wrongful death suit for a fetus at one week of gestation. 'To put dollar figures on something and the damages being so speculative is different than a criminal prosecution,' Passidomo said. 'I'm having trouble wrapping my arms around this whole issue.' Passidomo's doubts are not new. The Naples Republican also expressed skepticism over Grall's bill last year before Grall withdrew it. During Tuesday's Senate Judiciary Committee meeting, Democrats also bashed the bill, with Lori Berman, of Boynton Beach, calling the idea of a jury debating the potential salary of a fetus crazy, and Tina Polsky, of Boca Raton, calling it nonsensical. 'This person could be a waiter. This person could be the next Elon Musk. There is just absolutely no way to know, and it doesn't make any sense whatsoever to try to calculate economic damages,' Polsky said. Still, Grall defended treating a fetus the same as a day-old baby, questioning the other senators about what age would be appropriate to determine if the child would grow up to be wealthy. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE 'So, at what age do we get to start to ascribe real damages to a person? At two?' Grall said. 'Maybe we know how they're doing; they've taken an IQ test.' Passidomo also worried about OBGYNs leaving the state if they're susceptible to more lawsuits. 'We're losing OBGYNs. Who's gonna wanna come to Florida?' Unlike the proposal last year, SB 1284 doesn't authorize wrongful death suits against a health care provider acting lawfully. But what lawful medical care means is too vague for Polsky, who said doctors are already hesitant to provide medically necessary abortions following the enactment of the law banning most abortions after six weeks' gestation. Florida's six-week ban, which Grall sponsored, includes exceptions to save the life of the mother, fatal fetal abnormalities, and in cases of rape, incest, and human trafficking. However, doctors have spoken about the difficulties of assessing whether a case meets the exceptions, given that they can lose their medical licenses and face jail time if they provide an abortion outside the legal boundaries. Additionally, Leek called out an amendment Grall made, switching language in the bill protecting pregnant people. He worried that the language didn't go far enough to protect women from estranged partners. The original text stated that wrongful death action 'may not be brought against the mother of the unborn child.' The bill now states that it doesn't authorize such suits. 'My concern is more about this bill being weaponized against women who lose a child outside of abortion,' Leek said. The House Judiciary committee is scheduled to hear the bill (HB 1517) on Wednesday in its last stop before the floor. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State senator walks back restrictions to migrant children's path to residency
Adela Miranda holds a sign advocating for immigrants' rights during a protest in front of the Gadsden County Courthouse on Feb. 24, 2025. She said she immigrated to the U.S. when she was 3 years old. (Photo by Jackie Llanos/Florida Phoenix) Vero Beach Republican Sen. Erin Grall steered away from making it harder for immigrant children fleeing abuse in their home countries to seek residency in Florida. Offering no explanation, Grall put forward an amendment removing all of the provisions in one of her bills, SB 1626, dealing with abused and abandoned migrant children vying for immigration relief. Immigration attorneys representing children fleeing abuse previously condemned the bill, calling it unethical because it would have prevented kids without legal permanent status from gaining residency in Florida if the abuse happened outside of the country. Miami Republican Sen. Ileana Garcia said she had been in talks with Grall to walk back provisions that would have restricted a path to residency for immigrant children entering the country without their parents or a guardian. 'So we want to make sure, at least I'm going to make sure, that children are always safe,' Garcia told reporters after the committee meeting. The amended child welfare bill advanced in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services on Wednesday. Wihout the immigration provisions, the bill would allow the Florida Department of Children and Families to issue provisional certifications for new domestic violence shelters, have more power over exemptions to background checks for child care employees, and extend licenses for family foster homes. Grall had originally pitched the excised language as necessary to close what she claimed was a loophole allowing criminals and gang members to gain legal status, a claim President Donald Trump touted in his first term. 'It's also clear that there is some abuse of the special immigrant juvenile visa by those who have other criminal history, gang activity, that type of thing,' Grall said during the first hearing of the bill on March 14. 'That's what this is really responsive to and to make sure that we are really looking out for the interest of the children that are within the state of Florida.' Although advocates with the Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC) thanked the lawmakers for the change, they said they were still concerned about a provision giving sheriffs authority over cases of missing children who are supposed to be in custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families. Tiffany Hankins, FLIC's director of politics and policy, said she worried missing kids without legal status would wind up in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, given the enforcement agreements the state's sheriffs have signed with the federal government. The House companion, HB 1301, still maintains the changes that immigration attorneys said would shut them out from representing migrant children in court. However, the bill has not been heard in the lower chamber. At the federal level, the Trump administration moved on Friday to end a contract providing legal help to unaccompanied migrant children. Grall's office did not respond to Florida Phoenix's request for comment. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
