Sunday, March 11, 2012

Legislative report – 2012. What are the changes and how will they affect you? A good reason to continue to subscribe and read the Miami Herald.

Legislative report – 2012.  What are the changes and how will they affect you? And they do affect you - from setting ticket fines, sales tax rules, how much is spent on your child's education or how much you will pay for college tuition next year. There are many new changes for everyone to be on the lookout for. This article is a good reason to continue to subscribe and read the Miami Herald. Stay informed.

There is an outstanding listing of the bills passed by this 2012 Florida Legislature in the Sunday, March 11, 2012, Miami Herald.  Click the headline to read At a glance: Bills that passed in Fla. Legislature.  This is a listing of the bills that will take effect, some immediately upon signing, most either July 1 or October 1 of this year.  Please note that most of these passed bills still have NOT been signed into law, and some may be vetoed by the Governor.  You may want to read up on this list to see if any inspire you to contact the Governor either to support or to request his veto.

I am merely listing some of these examples here to stimulate your interest, not passing judgment.  Some are good law, some bad, I am not taking a position at this time – I am posting it and directing you to the article so you can see for yourself and determine how YOU feel about these new laws/changes:

- Increase the maximum penalty for lying to police about a missing child from a year in jail to five years in prison, a bill inspired by the disappearance and death of 2-year-old Caylee Anthony.

- Require Florida's next governor and other statewide elected officials to preserve and make public documents and emails they send between their election and when they take office.

- Exempt local governments with pre-existing charter provisions that require referendums on planning changes from a new law banning such votes.

- Waive a requirement for legislative approval of state water pollution rules backed by business, agriculture and utility interests that have been proposed as an alternative to the federal Environmental Protection Agency's numeric nutrient standards.

- Allow school boards to permit student-initiated prayer and other "inspirational messages" at public school assemblies and events.

- Cut funding for public schools scoring below the state average on some end-of-course tests starting three years from now.

- Expand online learning for elementary-age children.

Please take the time to review the full list published in the Miami Herald -  At a glance: Bills that passed in Fla. Legislature

2 comments:

  1. Hmm, already noting one change: Exempting local governments with pre-existing charter provisions that require referendums on planning changes from a new law banning such votes.

    Could the Palmetto Bay Charter committee be too late to impose its draconian rules? Another thing to make you say hmm.

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  2. Thanks for the update. We would never hear any information like this form the current Mayor and council. I am amazed at how this government has disappeared into the shadows now that you are gone. I wish you would have run again for Palmetto Bay mayor rather then run for Katy's County seat.

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