Latest news with #HouseStateAffairsCommittee
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Dangerous dog' owners in Florida may have to buy insurance. What penalties they could face
Owners of "dangerous dogs" will be required to register them, keep them penned, and carry liability insurance of at least $100,000 under a bill sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The bill also requires animal control to quarantine dogs that are being investigated as menaces and mandates a posted notice for any dogs available for adoption that have previously been declared dangerous. The bill was sent to DeSantis May 16 and is dubbed the "Pam Rock Act" in honor of a 62-year-old Putnam County mail carrier who was mauled to death by five dogs when her truck broke down in a rural area in 2022. It was introduced by Rep. Judson Sapp, R-Green Cove Springs, and Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa. The bill 'can't stop every attack, but it will save lives, protect good dogs and hold negligent owners accountable,' Sapp told the House State Affairs Committee in April. The bill passed unanimously in the House and Senate. Anyone violating the Pam Rock Act would be subject to fines up to $1,000 per violation, and anyone obstructing animal control from enforcing the act could get fined up to $1,000 and/or get jail time up to a year. This is separate from HB 255, also known as "Dexter's Law," which creates a statewide animal cruelty database. That bill also passed unanimously but has not yet been sent to DeSantis' desk. Here's what to know. Sapp called the Pam Rock Act "breed neutral." No dog breeds are mentioned in the text, which places more restrictions and penalties on the owners. 'We have to remember that they are animals, and just like a human animal, there are inherently bad and inherently good, but I do think bad behavior of owners definitely can turn a good dog bad,' Sapp said. Instead, it defines a dangerous dog as one that has: "Aggressively bitten, attacked, or inflicted severe injury on a human being" Has chased or approached a person in a menacing fashion in a public area (if sworn to and investigated) The bill also clarifies that dogs subject to a dangerous dog investigation that have killed a human being or bitten one and left a bite mark that "scores 5 or higher on the Dunbar bite scale" must be confiscated and quarantined until the outcome of the investigation and any hearings or appeals. Dogs being investigated for any other reason may be impounded and held. If not, the owner must confine them in a "proper enclosure." The bill includes the legislative finding that "such attacks are in part attributable to the failure of owners to confine and properly train and control their dogs" and requires that the owner of a dog classified as dangerous must do all of the following: Register the dog and renew the registration annually Have a microchip implanted Spay or neuter the dog Obtain liability insurance of at least $100,000 to cover damages resulting from an attack If a dog has killed a human being or left a bite mark scoring 5 or higher on the Dunbar bite scale, animal control must humanely euthanize the dog under the bill. The animal control authority may also euthanize any other dangerous dog that has been surrendered. If the animal control authority elects to put a dangerous dog up for adoption, it must post signage on the dog's enclosure to let potential adopters know that the dog is dangerous. New owners will also have to abide by the owner requirements listed above. An owner of a dog they knew was potentially dangerous but demonstrates "a reckless disregard for suchpropensities" commits a first-degree misdemeanor under the bill if the dog attacks and causes severe injury to, or death of, a human. Violations mean a fine up to $1,000 and/or up to one year in jail. Currently, Florida statutes consider this a second-degree misdemeanor. The bill also makes resisting or obstructing an animal control officer from enforcing the law a first-degree misdemeanor. Knowingly and willfully removing a microchip from a dangerous dog is a third-degree felony, punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 and/or imprisonment up to 5 years. The Bite Scale was developed by Dr. Ian Dunbar to objectively assess the severity of dog bites. It breaks down as: Fearful, aggressive, or out-of-control behavior, but no skin contact by teeth Skin contact by teeth, but no skin puncture One to four punctures from a single bite with no puncture deeper than half the length of the dog's canine teeth, which may include slight bruising or lacerations One to four punctures from a single bite, with at least one puncture deeper than half the length of the dog's canine teeth and considerable bruising around the wound or lacerations in both directions from the dog's actions Multiple bites with at least two Level 4 bites or multiple attack incidents with at least one Level 4 bite in each Death of victim Pam Rock, 61, was delivering mail on Aug. 21, 2022, when her vehicle broke down in the Interlachen Lake Estates area, according to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office. Her brother Tom Rock later said she had called for help and was delivering mail on foot. Witnesses said they heard a woman screaming for help and found Rock on the ground being mauled by five dogs. Several neighbors attempted to pull the dogs off and one shot a rifle into the ground to frighten them away, they said. First responders did what they could, even restarting her heart at one point, and the severely wounded Rock was transported to a hospital and then flown to a trauma center in Gainesville. While attempting to save her, doctors were forced to amputate her right leg, her right arm and her left ear, Tom Rock said. Despite their efforts, Rock died the next day. She had been with the mail service for seven months. In August 2024, the Melrose Post Office was dedicated as the "Pamela Jane Rock Post Office Building." Contributing: James Call, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida 'dangerous dog' owners insurance may soon be required
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill to give Starbase control over Boca Chica closures revived
May 2—Legislation that would take away Cameron County's authority over SpaceX-related beach and road closures has been revived in the House State Affairs Committee after being narrowly voted down in the same committee a couple of days earlier. Sen. Adam Hinojosa's (R-Corpus Christi) Senate Bill 2188, taken up by the committee in lieu of identical House Bill 4660 from Rep. Janie Lopez (R-San Benito), passed 8-6 on Wednesday— recommended without amendment to a vote by the full House — after failing 7-6 on Monday. The Senate passed SB 2188 on April 5. The legislation would hand over to Starbase — a newly minted municipality likely to be approved in the May 3 election — authority over closures over S.H. 4 and Boca Chica Beach except from Friday at noon to 8 a.m. Monday, during which authority would remain with the county. Although the bills' reference municipalities with spaceports and beach access, without specifically mentioning Starbase, they appear tailor made to accommodate SpaceX's wishes when it comes to its operations at Boca Chica. County officials are staunchly opposed to handing control over closures to Starbase's municipal government, which doesn't exist yet. County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr., who has argued against the legislation from the start, said he knew the matter wasn't settled. Treviño said he doesn't buy the argument from SpaceX and other proponents of the legislation that it's necessary to streamline the process of implementing closures. "There is no good reason to change the current protocol," he said. "I don't think that the process has proven to be inefficient whatsoever — quite the opposite. As I think as we've gotten more and more experience and more accustomed to it, it's become much more efficient. "The whole point I think is to make sure that the public is aware of when potential closures or delays may be taking place. We've done that. On occasion the county has said no (to SpaceX), but we've tried real hard to work with them and we're going to continue to do that." Those behind the legislation would be hard pressed to show how not passing it would negative impact SpaceX's operations, Treviño said. "I think the history shows that the county's been extremely supportive, while at the same time trying to safeguard the public access to the beach," he added. Treviño said the county will continue to argue its position among state and local officials, and encouraged county residents who are against the change to contact as many state representatives as possible to register their opposition. "Until the session's over, then we need to keep trying," he said. Treviño said he can see how SB 2188 and HB 4660 might be viewed by some as further evidence of SpaceX's intent to consolidate control of Boca Chica at the expense of the public — though Treviño emphasized that he hopes that's not the case. "I can certainly understand that sentiment," he said. Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bay Area leaders weigh in as Florida House debates reworking tourism tax laws
The Brief The Florida House is debating a bill that would change tourism tax laws. The bill would get rid of the Tourism Development Tax, or the tax on hotel rooms, in favor of lowering property taxes. Local leaders say doing this will leave millions in revenue on the table. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A bill that's just starting to make its way through the Florida House is ruffling some feathers, specifically within the tourism industry. House Bill 1221, sponsored by Rep. Monique Miller (R-Palm Bay) proposes no longer allowing the Tourism Development Tax, also known as the tax on hotel rooms, to be used for tourism purposes. Instead, it argues for lowering property taxes through tax refunds. What they're saying "Tourists flock here to spend their money," Miller told the House State Affairs Committee Tuesday. "This bill gives local governments more control over these taxes and the power to use tax revenues to make Florida more affordable for its residents," Miller said. "People are losing their homes. We have to bring them relief. This is a way to bring them immediate relief." Miller said the bill would also give local governments the power to eliminate certain taxes they don't consider valuable and create new ones. "We are taking all of these local taxes and giving the control to the county commission to get rid of any of those taxes. They're not bringing demonstrable value to the community, and by getting rid of those, it gives you the option to go out and put in place the ones that will be of value to your community with local option taxes," Miller said. The other side Charlie Justice, CEO of the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce and a former Pinellas County Commissioner, said it was good marketing that brought visitors back to the area after last year's hurricanes and helped businesses recover. "People needed to be reminded because they get this image that the entire area shut down or closed or whatever," Justice said. "We needed to remind folks that we had a lot of property still open. We had a lot of hotels open." READ: Plane crashes after veering off runway, sparking brush fire in Myakka City Justice said that while everyone wants property tax relief, this would hurt more than it would help. "This would not be a reduction, but a complete gutting of a funding mechanism that markets our destination, that primes the pump for one of our most important industries in Tampa Bay and in Florida," Justice said. "Kind of the old saying about the juice is not worth the squeeze, the trade-off is just not worth it here." Big picture view Last year, 15 million people visited Pinellas County, generating about $100 million in hotel tax revenue, according to Justice. The hotel tax goes towards marketing the area, funding beach renourishment projects and improving local attractions. "How can you assure us that, if we take that money, if counties take that money, they are now required to take that money that was collected the prior year and apply it towards property taxes?" Rep. Michael Caruso (R-Palm Beach) asked Miller on Tuesday. "That the counties won't just come along, raise their millage, and we end up with the same. Higher millage, higher taxes offset by that amount, and it's a net-zero." READ: Florida teen arrested for poisoning mom's milk with bleach, deputies say "Those projects are going to continue on anyway, and it's the property's taxpayers who are going to end up paying for it instead of the tourists," Caruso continued. Miller said she can't guarantee that local governments won't do this, but she said they have to hold them accountable. "I also think that our beach renourishment is going to be severely impacted," Rep. Lindsay Cross (D-St. Petersburg) said. "There are huge price tags of some of these projects." "30 or 40 million dollars, and these TDT taxes are one of the only ways that local governments can make up that difference when we're looking at support from the state and the federal government, which, frankly, hasn't been doing its part in helping to re-nourish these beaches, which are really our number one tourism draw here to the state of Florida," Cross said. Dig deeper Visit Tampa Bay President and CEO Santiago Corrada said losing that money could lead to fewer tourists, and have a trickle-down effect on the more than 61,000 families in Hillsborough County who rely on the tourism industry. In Pinellas, Justice said the tourism industry employs 100,000 families. "This is an assault on people's livelihoods, because if traffic stops, if demand drops, people get laid off," Justice said. "Businesses close." READ: Florida man dives into lake to save wounded eagle: 'This is the symbol of America man' Corrada said the revenue from the Tourism Development Tax varies for all of Florida's counties, so the bill wouldn't save Floridians the same amount across the board. "If we're talking about property tax relief, we've done the math here. With what we collect, we're probably looking at about $20 in property tax relief per household in Hillsborough County," Corrada said. According to Corrada, 28 million people visited Hillsborough County in 2024. They spent $9.4 billion, which contributed more than $683 million in state and local taxes. "If we want to risk all of that over 20 bucks in property tax savings, you know what? I beg to differ. I think it's a huge risk," Corrada said. "It would defund tourism marketing and promotions. We invest those dollars in bringing big events to town. If we're not around, who's bidding on a Shriner's Convention? Who's bidding a Women's Final Four?" "You're going to kill the goose that lays the golden egg for Florida," Corrada said. Justice said in Pinellas, tourists also pay about a third of the sales tax in Pinellas, which is money that goes into infrastructure projects. State lawmakers expressed opinions on both sides of the bill Tuesday. CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube "I think there are going to be a lot of negative unintended consequences of this bill," Cross said. "You mentioned that tourism is one of our number one industries here in the state of Florida, and it is important to continue to market that to people outside of our state." "What we need to do right now is keep people in their homes, and I'm happy to champion this with you," said Rep. Fabián Basabe (R-Miami Beach). Miller said it would save about $1.5 billion. "That's $68.78 per every man, woman, and child in the state," Vice Chair James Mooney Jr. said. "That is not going to be magnificently successful." What's next Several tourism-related groups also spoke at the meeting, including the Florida Association of Counties, the Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association and the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. They were all against the bill. The House State Affairs Committee did approve moving the bill forward after a lengthy discussion. "I can tell you the residents in my district are going to love this bill above any bill that we pass this year," said Rep. Linda Chaney (R-St. Pete Beach). "One of the number one complaints, or number one requests from the residents, is the cost of living and property tax is a big element of that." The Florida House and Senate must pass the bill before the session ends in May for it to reach the governor's desk and be signed into law. The Source FOX 13's Kailey Tracy collected the information in this story. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
As Texas weighs banning consumable hemp containing THC, Austin shop sees 'stock buying'
Smoke shops in Austin are seeing customers panic-buy consumable hemp products after two proposals in the Texas Legislature threaten to upend Texans' right to "puff, puff, pass" smokable and edible products containing low levels of THC. Senate Bill 3, authored by state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, would ban Texas businesses from selling or manufacturing 'a consumable hemp product that contains any amount of a cannabinoid other than cannabidiol (CBD) or cannabigerol (CBG),' both of which are non-psychoactive compounds, meaning they don't produce the "high" feeling. The Senate last month passed SB 3, which is priority legislation for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the upper chamber. The House State Affairs Committee heard testimony on the bill April 7 and left the proposal pending. Estella Castro, who owns Austinite Cannabis Co. on East Cesar Chavez Street, has seen many senior citizens and veterans 'stock buying' consumable hemp products since SB 3 and House Bill 28, which also seeks to restrict the products, move through the Legislature. The House State Affairs Committee also heard testimony on HB 28 on April 7. 'It's terrible to have somebody thinking that (these products) are going to go away and they're on a fixed income, and they have to budget that gummy or that tincture in there,' Castro said. 'So we've been giving some veterans ... discounts because we've had such a huge amount of people coming out and stock buying because they're scared.' In 2019, a law sponsored by Perry legalized the production, manufacturing and sale of hemp in Texas, and inadvertently approved consumable products with up to 0.3% THC, the primary psychoactive component in the cannabis plant. In just six years, the Texas hemp industry created over 53,000 jobs and represents an estimated economic impact of $10 billion, according to Austin Monthly. More than 8,000 businesses, including everything from gas stations, convenience stores, vape shops, dispensaries and apothecaries, sell a similarly wide range of THC products in the state. SB 3, however, would ban all consumable hemp products, including gummies, pre-rolls, smokable flower and infused drinks. HB 28, authored by Rep. Ken King, R-Canadian, would ban all smokable and edible consumable hemp products except for infused drinks. The bill would bring the regulation of those drinks under the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. The Senate and House proposals come amid concerns from doctors and parents that many potent THC products are too accessible to minors and those whose brains are still developing, which the National Institutes of Health suggests may take until one reaches their mid-to-late 20s. The consumption of high-dose cannabinoids by adolescents leads to an increased risk of addiction and psychosis, which can lead to severe mental health disorders, according to a spokesperson for the Texas Medical Association, who is also a pediatrician. 'About 50% of them (adolescents who experience psychosis because of cannabinoid consumption) develop a formal diagnosis of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder," the spokesperson said. Patrick, who is an ardent supporter of banning all consumable hemp products, calling it a 'life and death issue,' has threatened to hold parts of Gov. Greg Abbott's agenda hostage to get him to call a special session if consumable hemp isn't prohibited by the end of the legislative session in early June. Patrick points to myriad of cannabinoid compounds such as THCa (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid), CBN (cannabinol), Delta-8 and others found in many products being legally sold across the state as being impossible for the state to keep up with effectively. 'You just can't regulate it. You've gotta take it out,' Patrick told the Texas Tribune. 'You're never going to be able to regulate it.' Patrick, who alleges many businesses are selling THC products to minors, investigated the issue himself and visited the Happy Cactus Apothecary in South Austin last month. In security camera footage of the encounter, Patrick seemed to expect not to have to show identification, but the business refused despite the 75-year-old clearly being of legal age. 'I'm Dan Patrick,' he reportedly replied, but the employee stuck to the store's policy of requiring identification. Brothers Mickey and Todd Harris, who own Happy Cactus, believe Patrick targeted their business due to its proximity to Crockett Early College High School and because it sold two joints to a Texas Monthly reporter last year that were above the 0.3% THC limit, according to lab testing. 'We showed him all of our testing,' said Todd Harris of the encounter with Patrick. 'We showed him that our limits are low. He even mentioned that he supports shops doing it like us, which is very different from his attitude in the media.' Patrick didn't purchase anything at the shop, but according to the Harris brothers, customers in his age group represent a significant portion of their business. 'Our clientele is pretty expansive, but I'd say most of them are looking for help with sleep, chronic pain or PTSD,' Mickey Harris said. 'We have a pretty large 55 (years old) and up clientele base.' 'Twenty-one to 100" years old, Todd chimed in. 'We do get a pretty big range. We have 80-year-olds coming in.' As the House State Affairs Committee heard testimony on the bills this month, Castro, the owner of Austinite Cannabis Co., her entire staff and hundreds of others flocked to the Capitol to lay out their case. Although Castro and her staff left after waiting more than 14 hours to testify, the Harris brothers were able to plead their case. 'For anybody that thinks that they can't get involved, they can,' Castro said. 'Everybody has a voice. We're not out of time yet. Challenge your lawmakers and ask questions. There's always room for help in this fight.' This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin shop sees panic buying as Texas weighs banning consumable hemp
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Yahoo
Florida House proposes bill to tackle dangerous dog attacks
A proposal to require owners of dangerous dogs to carry liability insurance and implant microchips in the animals is headed to the full Florida House. The House State Affairs Committee approved the proposal (HB 593) on Thursday, which stems from the 2022 death of Pamela Rock, a 61-year-old mail carrier who was mauled by five dogs that escaped from a fenced-in yard after her truck broke down on a dirt road in Putnam County. to require owners of dangerous dogs to carry liability insurance and implant microchips in the animals is headed to the full Florida House who represents Putnam County, said. 'We can do better. And we will.' The bill defines dangerous dogs, based on criteria such as whether they have attacked people. Owners of such dogs would be required to maintain liability insurance of $100,000 and have microchips implanted in the animals. T hese microchips can be used to locate dogs. The bill would make it a third-degree felony to remove the microchips. An identical bill (SB 572) must clear the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee before it can proceed to the full Senate. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
