Latest news with #LoriBerman
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Advocates claim victory as several anti-LGBTQ bills fail this legislative session
LGBTQ advocates are claiming victory after this year's legislative session. 'We just achieved the impossible again: Every anti-LGBTQ bill filed this year has been defeated!' wrote Equality Florida in a press release. Bills that would have banned pride flags and regulated the use of pronouns in the workplace died in committee or never even had a hearing, the LGBTQ advocacy group said. Senate Democratic Leader Lori Berman attributed the failure of this year's anti-LGBTQ bills to the hundred of LGBTQ Floridians and their allies who showed up to the Capitol and met with lawmakers face to face. 'Florida lawmakers are increasingly turning away from the relentless anti-LGBTQ culture war attacks of recent years,' Berman told the USA TODAY Network – Florida. 'Those laws have done real harm to the LGBTQ community, especially transgender Floridians. But they're not helping anyone. And that's what Floridians want lawmakers to focus on – making their lives better.' In recent years, the Republican majority has pushed laws that have targeted LGBTQ Floridians. It kicked off in 2022, when the Florida Legislature passed HB 1557, which is known as the 'Don't Say Gay' bill by critics. The law, called the 'Parental Rights in Education Act,' prohibits the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. Since then, Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican leaders have expanded that law and passed more legislation, including laws that require people use the bathroom of their biological sex at birth and that driver's licenses display the biological sex at birth versus someone's gender identity. DeSantis has touted these laws as examples of how Florida is the state 'where woke goes to die.' But in 2025, the four bills advocates flagged as 'expressly anti-LGBTQ,' died at the previously scheduled end of the regular legislative session. (Lawmakers will return to Tallahassee May 12 but only to finish the state budget and related bills, including a tax cut package.) A bill that would have banned Pride flags flying on government buildings (SB 100) failed after the Senate bill's sponsor, Randy Fine, R-Melbourne, resigned to run for Congress, and no other senator picked up the measure. Another bill advocates dubbed the 'Don't Say Gay or Trans at Work' (SB 440) never moved past the committee phase in the Senate and was never heard in the House. If passed, it would have prohibited workplaces from requiring employees to use preferred pronouns. 'Official Actions of Local Governments' (SB 420) would have banned local municipalities from spending money or promoting diversity, equity and inclusion policies. While it got through a committee stop, lawmakers, including Senate Rules Committee chair Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, did voice concern about the language, worrying it was too broad. The bill was never heard in its second committee. And 'Official Actions of Local Governments' (SB 1710/HB 731) died in committee in both the Senate and the House. The measure would have prohibited spending on DEI initiatives and applying for federal health care grants that include DEI. 'This year the Legislature asserted more independence and spent less time on partisan issues,' said Jon Harris Maurer, Equality Florida's public policy director. 'Positively, with more emphasis on policy over partisanship, many of the culture war issues failed, including anti-LGBTQ legislation.' Ana Goñi-Lessan, state watchdog reporter for the USA TODAY Network – Florida, can be reached at agonilessan@ This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida LGBTQ advocates say every targeted bill failed this session
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
2025 Florida legislative session: Winners and losers (so far)
There was high drama, big swings, and a few head-scratchers. Florida's 2025 legislative session wrapped (temporarily) with culture wars, environmental wins, and some surprise upsets. Florida lawmakers still must return to the Capitol to finalize a state budget and tax cuts, but most other policy matters were settled when the clock ran out on the two-month session May 2. With the session now extended till June 6, the Legislature is set to return to Tallahassee as early as May 12. (So yes, this list is admittedly incomplete.) But the main stage is cleared — and the scorecards are in. In no particular order, here's who walked away grinning, and who (or what) got left in the dust. Winners in Florida's 2025 legislative session Sen. Lori Berman: After State Sen. Jason Pizzo proclaimed the Democratic Party 'dead' and stepped down as the party's Senate leader, legislators chose a new leader: Lori Berman. The Boca Raton senator has been elected for consecutive terms since 2018 and served in the House eight years before that. Berman, an attorney, is known for her work with those across the aisle and for passing bipartisan legislation. "We may not hold the majority, but we have something just as powerful — a vision, rooted in fairness, in justice, in equality, and in care," Berman told her Democratic colleagues. Gulf of America: It was smooth sailing for this Trump-mandated name change. The Gulf of America, formerly the Gulf of Mexico, will be used in state statute and across state agencies. And schools across the state, as they replace their educational materials, will have to purchase books that include 'Gulf of America.' In late April on social media, the White House posted 'Christopher Columbus is so back.' Is he next? Apalachicola River: The House and Senate agreed to a measure that prohibits the Florida Department of Environmental Protection from issuing oil and gas drilling permits within 10 miles of the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve – or about the final 52 miles of the Apalachicola River, internationally recognized for an unusual abundance of reptiles, amphibians, and rare plant habitats. Condo owners: Residents facing higher costs under a 2022 law passed after the Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside drew a break as lawmakers reshaped the measure. This year's changes allow some condo associations to fund their maintenance reserves through a line of credit or loan; gain more authority to pause reserve payments while prioritizing needed repairs; and extends deadlines for when associations must complete structural integrity studies. Walton County beachgoers: A 2018 state law was repealed that critics said had empowered beachfront property owners who contended their stretch of sand was off limits to the public. If the repeal is signed into law, the county commission could now take action to declare the county's 26 miles of beach open to all beachgoers. State park fans: A year after a Department of Environmental Protection proposal surfaced aimed at opening state parks to a wide range of questionable attractions, lawmakers responded to public outrage by approving a measure that would prevent adding golf courses, resort-style lodges and pickleball courts to state parks. The bill is intended to maintain 'conservation-based recreational uses' at state parks. Wrongfully imprisoned: A law on the books that kept dozens of people wrongfully imprisoned from receiving compensation for years spent behind bars was eliminated. Lawmakers eliminated a so-called 'clean hands' standard that made a former inmate ineligible from receiving paid compensation for being locked up if they were previously convicted of a violent felony or more than one non-violent felony. Medical malpractice families: The Legislature overturned a law in place since 1990 that prevented some families from suing for medical malpractice if their loved one died due to medical negligence and was over 25, unmarried, and had no children under 25. Children and parents, regardless of age, would now be able to file lawsuits seeking compensation for pain and suffering if their family member dies as a result of medical malpractice. Opponents of the repeal had argued that it could lead to increased medical malpractice insurance premiums. Utility workers: Criminal sanctions were strengthened and reclassified against anyone convicted of assaulting a utility worker on duty restoring power or performing other work, a measure that grew out of some recent high-profile attacks. Holocaust remembrance: January 27 has been declared Holocaust Remembrance Day in Florida. Florida farmers: A Florida farm bill was approved that expands access to housing for agricultural workers, as required by the H-2A visa program, along with tax exemptions and fuel-access guarantees during emergencies. Immigration services: Certain advertising was banned considered deceptive to individuals with limited English proficiency and seeking immigration-related services. Lawmakers prohibited the use of such misleading titles as 'notario publico,' immigration consultant or immigration specialist that may imply legal qualifications that are lacking. Horse breeders: An attempt to decouple live horse racing and gambling didn't make it to a vote on the House floor. Florida's thoroughbred industry lobbied hard against the measure, arguing it would weaken the state's economy, even though horse breeding is on the decline. Property insurance companies: A bill to rollback the 2022 law eliminating one-way attorney fees for homeowners suing their insurer in a dispute over a claim failed to pass. Trial attorneys and consumer advocates say the statute and the fees are needed to ensure homeowners receive a good lawyer if they get stiffed or underpaid on a claim. Insurers, though, said frivolous lawsuits were driving up losses and therefore, premiums. The bill passed through two committees in the House but failed to move in the Senate. Losers in Florida's 2025 legislative session Late sleeping teens: Lawmakers backed off a 2023 law intended to prohibit high schools from starting classes earlier than 8:30 a.m., to give teens more sleep time. While the law wasn't scheduled to take effect until 2026, several counties complained that the time restriction made it harder to hire school bus drivers. The related later end of the school day also could affect after-school activities and family childcare, opponents said. Kids who like their cell phones: Students in elementary and middle schools would be barred from using cell phones during the school day, with a pilot testing program of the ban also set for high schools in six counties. Current law prevents students from using cellphones during instructional time, but the change would expand that prohibition to throughout the school day in lower- and middle-grades. Flag watchers: A perennial culture war demand that government officials be banned from flying Pride flags, Black Lives Matter and other banners with a 'political viewpoint,' from public buildings failed when its prime sponsor, Sen. Randy Fine, R-Melbourne, left the Legislature in April because of his election to Congress. DEI opponents: The state has done plenty in recent years to attack and limit diversity, equity and inclusion in schools and the workplace. But this year, bills failed that would've banned cities and counties from following DEI guidelines and prohibit state contractors and grant-holders from using state funds for DEI. People with tooth decay: Florida could become the second state in the nation to ban fluoride in public drinking water, following Utah. The ban would prohibit cities and counties from adding fluoride to public water sources. Fluoride is considered helpful in preventing dental cavities, but Gov. Ron DeSantis declared it 'forced medication.' Citizens' ballot groups: Ballot initiatives in Florida will now face tougher rules. Organizations must meet higher financial requirements and risk steep fines if signatures aren't submitted to elections officials within 10 days. Some felons, non-Floridians, and noncitizens are barred from collecting signatures, while paid gatherers must register and complete training. Fines for late submissions could reach thousands. Also, the governor is now banned from using taxpayer funds to support or oppose ballot measures—a response to DeSantis' actions last year. President Trump's election ID requirements: A bill following a White House executive order requiring prospective voters to show proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote failed amid protests. Voter groups warned the Florida measure's demands would create obstacles that could block thousands of Floridians from casting ballots. The bill also would've required that, next year, Florida drivers' licenses would display whether the holder is a U.S. citizen. Babysitters: Candidates still won't be able to use campaign donations to pay for child care when they're participating in campaign events, canvassing, participating in debates, and meeting with constituents or donors. The Senate version of the bill was unanimously passed in two committee meetings, but the House version never even got a hearing. There are 13 states that have laws that allow campaign donations to be used to pay for child care, but Florida won't be joining them any time soon. Gun advocates: A push to roll back a ban on people under age 21 from buying rifles, including AR-15s, failed, upholding a measure that was approved following the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Cheap labor seekers: Efforts failed to let teens work longer hours on school nights and carve an exemption in the state's minimum wage for people working in internships, as apprentices or work-study positions. Immigration crackdown supporters: A measure failed that would've required small business to use the E-Verify database to check workers' legal status. Property insurance skeptics: House-supported efforts failed to further regulate property insurers on how they can move money between affiliated companies. Hemp: A year after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a hemp regulation bill, lawmakers this year failed to agree on measures intended to impose stricter regulations on the sale and production of euphoria-inducing hemp products. Hope Florida: The House spent a large part of the session exposing how the foundation behind First Lady Casey DeSantis' social services initiative may have been used as a funnel to get at least $8.5 million connected to a Medicaid settlement to the coffers of political committees opposing ballot questions on abortion and adult-use pot. No surprise, legislation that would've made Hope Florida a permanent part of the governor's office failed to gain traction. Open presidential searches: A push to repeal a 2022 law and again make university presidential searches open to the public failed. As before, only the name of finalists are public. What'd we miss? Let us know. Send an email to News@ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: 2025 Florida legislative session: Condo owners win, Hope Florida fails
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The winners and losers (so far) of the 2025 Florida legislative session
There was high drama, big swings, and a few head-scratchers. Florida's 2025 legislative session wrapped (temporarily) with culture wars, environmental wins, and some surprise upsets. Florida lawmakers still must return to the Capitol to finalize a state budget and tax cuts, but most other policy matters were settled when the clock ran out on the two-month session May 2. With the session now extended till June 6, the Legislature is set to return to Tallahassee as early as May 12. (So yes, this list is admittedly incomplete.) But the main stage is cleared — and the scorecards are in. In no particular order, here's who walked away grinning, and who (or what) got left in the dust. Winners Sen. Lori Berman: After State Sen. Jason Pizzo proclaimed the Democratic Party 'dead' and stepped down as the party's Senate leader, legislators chose a new leader: Lori Berman. The Boca Raton senator has been elected for consecutive terms since 2018 and served in the House eight years before that. Berman, an attorney, is known for her work with those across the aisle and for passing bipartisan legislation. "We may not hold the majority, but we have something just as powerful — a vision, rooted in fairness, in justice, in equality, and in care," Berman told her Democratic colleagues. Gulf of America: It was smooth sailing for this Trump-mandated name change. The Gulf of America, formerly the Gulf of Mexico, will be used in state statute and across state agencies. And schools across the state, as they replace their educational materials, will have to purchase books that include 'Gulf of America.' In late April on social media, the White House posted 'Christopher Columbus is so back.' Is he next? Apalachicola River: The House and Senate agreed to a measure that prohibits the Florida Department of Environmental Protection from issuing oil and gas drilling permits within 10 miles of the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve – or about the final 52 miles of the Apalachicola River, internationally recognized for an unusual abundance of reptiles, amphibians, and rare plant habitats. Condo owners: Residents facing higher costs under a 2022 law passed after the Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside drew a break as lawmakers reshaped the measure. This year's changes allow some condo associations to fund their maintenance reserves through a line of credit or loan; gain more authority to pause reserve payments while prioritizing needed repairs; and extends deadlines for when associations must complete structural integrity studies. Walton County beachgoers: A 2018 state law was repealed that critics said had empowered beachfront property owners who contended their stretch of sand was off limits to the public. If the repeal is signed into law, the county commission could now take action to declare the county's 26 miles of beach open to all beachgoers. State park fans: A year after a Department of Environmental Protection proposal surfaced aimed at opening state parks to a wide range of questionable attractions, lawmakers responded to public outrage by approving a measure that would prevent adding golf courses, resort-style lodges and pickleball courts to state parks. The bill is intended to maintain 'conservation-based recreational uses' at state parks. Wrongfully imprisoned: A law on the books that kept dozens of people wrongfully imprisoned from receiving compensation for years spent behind bars was eliminated. Lawmakers eliminated a so-called 'clean hands' standard that made a former inmate ineligible from receiving paid compensation for being locked up if they were previously convicted of a violent felony or more than one non-violent felony. Medical malpractice families: The Legislature overturned a law in place since 1990 that prevented some families from suing for medical malpractice if their loved one died due to medical negligence and was over 25, unmarried, and had no children under 25. Children and parents, regardless of age, would now be able to file lawsuits seeking compensation for pain and suffering if their family member dies as a result of medical malpractice. Opponents of the repeal had argued that it could lead to increased medical malpractice insurance premiums. Utility workers: Criminal sanctions were strengthened and reclassified against anyone convicted of assaulting a utility worker on duty restoring power or performing other work, a measure that grew out of some recent high-profile attacks. Holocaust remembrance: January 27 has been declared Holocaust Remembrance Day in Florida. Florida farmers: A Florida farm bill was approved that expands access to housing for agricultural workers, as required by the H-2A visa program, along with tax exemptions and fuel-access guarantees during emergencies. Immigration services: Certain advertising was banned considered deceptive to individuals with limited English proficiency and seeking immigration-related services. Lawmakers prohibited the use of such misleading titles as 'notario publico,' immigration consultant or immigration specialist that may imply legal qualifications that are lacking. Horse breeders: An attempt to decouple live horse racing and gambling didn't make it to a vote on the House floor. Florida's thoroughbred industry lobbied hard against the measure, arguing it would weaken the state's economy, even though horse breeding is on the decline. Property insurance companies: A bill to rollback the 2022 law eliminating one-way attorney fees for homeowners suing their insurer in a dispute over a claim failed to pass. Trial attorneys and consumer advocates say the statute and the fees are needed to ensure homeowners receive a good lawyer if they get stiffed or underpaid on a claim. Insurers, though, said frivolous lawsuits were driving up losses and therefore, premiums. The bill passed through two committees in the House but failed to move in the Senate. Losers Late sleeping teens: Lawmakers backed off a 2023 law intended to prohibit high schools from starting classes earlier than 8:30 a.m., to give teens more sleep time. While the law wasn't scheduled to take effect until 2026, several counties complained that the time restriction made it harder to hire school bus drivers. The related later end of the school day also could affect after-school activities and family childcare, opponents said. Kids who like their cell phones: Students in elementary and middle schools would be barred from using cell phones during the school day, with a pilot testing program of the ban also set for high schools in six counties. Current law prevents students from using cellphones during instructional time, but the change would expand that prohibition to throughout the school day in lower- and middle-grades. Flag watchers: A perennial culture war demand that government officials be banned from flying Pride flags, Black Lives Matter and other banners with a 'political viewpoint,' from public buildings failed when its prime sponsor, Sen. Randy Fine, R-Melbourne, left the Legislature in April because of his election to Congress. DEI opponents: The state has done plenty in recent years to attack and limit diversity, equity and inclusion in schools and the workplace. But this year, bills failed that would've banned cities and counties from following DEI guidelines and prohibit state contractors and grant-holders from using state funds for DEI. People with tooth decay: Florida could become the second state in the nation to ban fluoride in public drinking water, following Utah. The ban would prohibit cities and counties from adding fluoride to public water sources. Fluoride is considered helpful in preventing dental cavities, but Gov. Ron DeSantis declared it 'forced medication.' Citizens' ballot groups: Ballot initiatives in Florida will now face tougher rules. Organizations must meet higher financial requirements and risk steep fines if signatures aren't submitted to elections officials within 10 days. Some felons, non-Floridians, and noncitizens are barred from collecting signatures, while paid gatherers must register and complete training. Fines for late submissions could reach thousands. Also, the governor is now banned from using taxpayer funds to support or oppose ballot measures—a response to DeSantis' actions last year. President Trump's election ID requirements: A bill following a White House executive order requiring prospective voters to show proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote failed amid protests. Voter groups warned the Florida measure's demands would create obstacles that could block thousands of Floridians from casting ballots. The bill also would've required that, next year, Florida drivers' licenses would display whether the holder is a U.S. citizen. Babysitters: Candidates still won't be able to use campaign donations to pay for child care when they're participating in campaign events, canvassing, participating in debates, and meeting with constituents or donors. The Senate version of the bill was unanimously passed in two committee meetings, but the House version never even got a hearing. There are 13 states that have laws that allow campaign donations to be used to pay for child care, but Florida won't be joining them any time soon. Gun advocates: A push to roll back a ban on people under age 21 from buying rifles, including AR-15s, failed, upholding a measure that was approved following the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Cheap labor seekers: Efforts failed to let teens work longer hours on school nights and carve an exemption in the state's minimum wage for people working in internships, as apprentices or work-study positions. Immigration crackdown supporters: A measure failed that would've required small business to use the E-Verify database to check workers' legal status. Property insurance skeptics: House-supported efforts failed to further regulate property insurers on how they can move money between affiliated companies. Hemp: A year after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a hemp regulation bill, lawmakers this year failed to agree on measures intended to impose stricter regulations on the sale and production of euphoria-inducing hemp products. Hope Florida: The House spent a large part of the session exposing how the foundation behind First Lady Casey DeSantis' social services initiative may have been used as a funnel to get at least $8.5 million connected to a Medicaid settlement to the coffers of political committees opposing ballot questions on abortion and adult-use pot. No surprise, legislation that would've made Hope Florida a permanent part of the governor's office failed to gain traction. Open presidential searches: A push to repeal a 2022 law and again make university presidential searches open to the public failed. As before, only the name of finalists are public. What'd we miss? Let us know. Send an email to News@ This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Thrill of victory, agony of defeat in 2025 Florida legislative session
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Senate Democratic leader Berman says the party is ‘alive and kicking'
Florida Channel Screenshot of Democratic Senate Lori Berman on April 28, 2025. Lori Berman, the new Democratic Florida Senate Minority Leader, insists that despite the criticisms made in recent days by now-former Democratic Senate Leader Jason Pizzo, the Democratic Party in Florida is actually 'alive and kicking.' 'I take issue with what was said last week,' she told her Democratic colleagues at the beginning of the Senate's business on Monday afternoon. 'We may not hold the majority, but we have something just as powerful — a vision, rooted in fairness, in justice, in equality, and in care.' Her caucus elected Berman on Thursday afternoon, shortly after Pizzo stunningly announced on the floor of the Senate that he was leaving the Florida Democratic Party and would instead become a non-party-affiliated (NPA) voter. 'I am very disappointed about the way things unfolded last week,' Berman acknowledged in a conference call with reporters earlier in the day. 'I can't believe with one week left in session we had this huge disruption. But I am moving on, and I think that's what we in the Democratic Party need to do. I feel that our Democratic Caucus here in the Senate — 'The Tenacious Ten' — we are more unified than ever. We are ready to finish this session strong. We are ready to make sure our Democratic values get heard in the bills that we pass. We will be fighting bad bills. We will be making sure that we get appropriations that are impactful for our districts at home.' She added that she considers herself a unifier. 'I want all my members to shine, and that is going to be my goal, to make sure that each member of our caucus has the opportunity to move forward and do the job that we were are all elected to do, to represent the people of our districts.' Pizzo's resignation was the latest in a series of devastating blows that the Florida Democratic Party has suffered in recent years. The party fell into superminority status in both the state House and Senate after the 2022 elections — in which its candidates for governor lost by 19 points and for U.S. Senate by 16 points. A year earlier, the Republican Party for the first time took the lead in voter registrations in Florida, a lead that has since increased to more than 1.2 million voters. Then, after the Democrats failed to win back any new seats in the Legislature last fall, they saw their numbers in the Florida House dwindle by two more last December to just 33 in the 120-member body after Hillsborough County Rep. Susan Valdés, and then South Florida's Hillary Cassel, announced that they were ditching the Democrats to go Republican. With Pizzo's departure and the death of Orange County Sen. Geraldine Thompson before the session began in March, there are now just 10 Democrats in the 40-member Senate. In announcing his resignation, Pizzo said that the 'Florida Democratic Party is dead,' adding that 'there are good people that can resuscitate it, but they don't want it to be me.' Pizzo added more criticism of his now-former party over the weekend. 'I've spent thousands of hours trying to resuscitate something that's just not there, and we just got so consumed with taking the bait and the opportunity cost lost with going ahead and going down a rabbit hole of socially divisive issues that — there was no plan. If you go on whether it's the state [web] site or a local site as it relates to party, there's no policies. There's no plan,' Pizzo said in an interview aired Sunday on WPLG television in Miami. 'There's just a lot of anger and a lot of hate — which I understand, because it's been a generation of Republican control.' Berman and House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell disputed that assessment. 'Unfortunately, we had to be reactive in past years because there were so many bad bills that came through and so much policy that you had to react to, but I think we clearly have an agenda,' Berman said. 'Our agenda is to help the working people here in the state of Florida. To make sure that people can get access to health care. To support public education. To make sure that we have a clean environment for everyone to flourish.' Driskell said that in fact what she calls the party's 'platform bills' have been focused on making life better for everyday Floridians, not on culture war issues. 'They focused on making housing more affordable, expanding Medicaid so we can help health care be more affordable for all of us, protecting our drinking water and our natural resources. Focusing on commonsense gun solutions, gun reform. … We focus on protecting workers, we focus on investing in our kids in terms of public education, so those are the issues that we center on, but please understand that, as a party of opposition, where we have to stand up and fight for the Constitution and fight for the least among us, we will do it at every time.' Berman and Driskell later focused on developments in the saga revolving around Hope Florida, the welfare program started by First Lady Casey DeSantis, which has dominated the second half of the legislative session in terms of news coverage. A House committee announced last week that it was ending its investigation into reports of $10 million going to the Hope Florida Foundation from a state Medicaid overpayment settlement. Much of that $10 million was later sent to a political committee run by James Uthmeier, Gov. Ron DeSantis' former chief-of-staff (now state attorney general), that was working to combat last year's referendum on recreational cannabis. 'I don't think this issue will fade,' Berman said, 'because when everybody goes home to their districts over the summer, they are going to hear about this issue and I really believe that … we need to continue to investigate this issue. It should not be allowed to go without a response, whether it's a legal response or whether it's a political response, but we should never allow this kind of graft to happen in our state of Florida.' Boca Raton Democratic Rep. Kelly Skidmore said that Gov. DeSantis certainly hopes that the controversy over Hope Florida will fade. 'That is why he is going so hard after his own Republican colleagues, because he wants them to be afraid and not focused on this fraud that was perpetrated on taxpayers.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Measure to allow campaign funds for child care expenses glides through first committee hearing
(Getty Images) A proposal to let candidates spend campaign funds used for campaign-related childcare expenses if the expense derives from the candidates' campaigns advanced unanimously on Tuesday in its first hearing before a legislative committee in Tallahassee. Existing state law prohibits a candidate or spouse of a candidate from using campaign funds to defray living expenses for them or their family other than for transportation, meals, and lodging for the candidate or family member during a campaign. A 2018 advisory opinion from the Federal Election Commission declared that campaign funds may be used to pay for a candidate's childcare expenses incurred directly from campaign activity. Since then, 13 states have enacted their own laws allowing candidates running in state and local contests to use financial contributions for campaign-related child-care expenses. 'The campaign's funds cannot be used for general family living. They have to be directly tied to a campaign-related event, and they can't cover just routine childcare,' said South Florida Democratic state Sen. Lori Berman in describing the legislation (SB 72) before the Senate Ethics & Elections Committee. 'I think that this is a great bill because we're going to encourage more working families, more working parents, to be able to run for office,' she added. 'And they certainly bring a different perspective because they are part of the workforce.' Only about 8% of state legislators around the country are mothers with children under 18, according to a recently released report by the Vote Mama Foundation. That means that they're represented in state legislatures at less than half the rate they appear in the general population. A companion to the bill in the House (HB 61) is being sponsored by Sarasota Republican Fiona McFarland & Palm Beach Democrat Kelly Skidmore. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
