03/18/19

2019 Session: Week Two

During Week 2 of the Legislative Session, lawmakers sent welcome legislation to the desk of Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Now, the new Republican Governor is expected to sign a major change to Florida’s medical marijuana law. The bill (SB 182) would allow some patients who have been prescribed medical marijuana to smoke the medicine, something previously banned by statutes.

With a Wednesday bill-signing deadline, it will likely be the first thing DeSantis authorizes into law while in office.

Repeal of the no-smoke ban happened early on during the 60-day lawmaking process, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise. In January, DeSantis told lawmakers that if they didn’t send him a bill by March 15, he’d drop the appeal to a lower-court ruling that found the ban on smokable marijuana unconstitutional.

The Senate approved the measure two weeks ago and the House sent the bill to DeSantis last Wednesday.

Through the legislative process, lawmakers wrote some restrictions to the proposal. For example, in order for minor patients to smoke, they must be terminally ill and a second doctor must confirm the first physician’s recommendation of smokable cannabis.

As well, the legislation permits “a 35-day supply of marijuana in a form for smoking” but not to “exceed 2.5 ounces unless an exception to this amount is approved” by the Department of Health.

Budget Update

Senate President Bill Galvano spoke with news reporters on Thursday, saying he expects his chamber’s Appropriations Committee to approve its version of a proposed 2019-20 state budget by Thursday of Week 4 of Session.

Allocations are expected to drop at the beginning of this week, meaning appropriations subcommittees will be hard at work.

The Revenue Estimating Conference, which forecasts how much money lawmakers can budget, recently said revenues will remain essentially level heading into next fiscal year.

At play: About $200 million in unspent reserves will roll over from the current 2018-19 fiscal year. So “the result (between) the two years is essentially zero” difference, said Amy Baker, coordinator of the Office of Economic and Demographic Research.

The precise numbers were up by $201 million this year and down $208.7 million next year, as compared to earlier estimates.

Senators Act on
VISIT Florida

A key Senate panel this week unanimously backed legislation that would reauthorize the state’s tourism-marketing agency.

Florida law currently would sunset VISIT Florida on Oct. 1. On Thursday, the Senate Appropriations Committee backed a bill (SB 178) that would repeal that provision from statutes. This lines up with Governor DeSantis, who has recommended maintaining level funding for VISIT Florida, suggesting that he’d support the repeal moving through the Senate.

Meanwhile, the House bill (HB 6031) has yet to be heard by a committee. This, in large part, stems from Speaker Oliva's public support to sunset VISIT Florida. With the Senate likely to pass its version by the fourth week of session, expect this issue to be part of the late-in-session trade conversations.

While this issue looms, the Governor has hired former state Sen. Dana Young to lead the agency.

With tourism driving the Sunshine State’s economy, VISIT Florida serves small, medium and large-size hotels and attractions in attracting more tourists to Florida each year.

Young recently addressed business leaders at the GrayRobinson Community Leader Forum in Orlando, where she discussed the importance of marketing Florida internationally.

Beverage Bills on the Move

Bills that would change the state’s alcoholic-beverage laws found favor in House panels last week.

One measure (HB 1229), by Key Largo Republican Holly Raschein, was cleared by the Business and Professions subcommittee. It benefits craft distillers by, among other things, allowing them to hold tastings at public events and ship product out of state, directly to customers.

The bill also would remove the six bottle-limit on in-person sales and would allow for out-of-state shipping.

Another bill (HB 1219), also cleared by the panel, would allow spirits makers to produce 250,000 gallons a year, up from 75,000 gallons yearly, and still be designated a “craft distillery.” It is sponsored by Howey-in-the-Hills Republican Anthony Sabatini.

HB 1219 would also let craft distillers sell up to 75,000 gallons of product a year at their “souvenir gift shops,” and let them make an in-person sale with the option of shipping the liquor later.

Also, a bill (HB 6037) by Miami Republican Daniel Perez repealing the state law on wine-bottle sizes cleared the Commerce Committee and heads to the House floor as early as this week.

HB 6037 would allow wine to be sold in Florida in containers holding more than 1 gallon. State law currently allows no more than a gallon. A typical bottle is 750 milliliters, roughly a fifth of a gallon.

Issue Roundup

The House Education Committee coalesced around its own version of a DeSantis education priority: Eliminating the waitlist for the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, which funds private-school scholarships for lower-income students.

The measure (PCB 19-01) would create a new voucher program, known as the Family Empowerment Scholarship program. The Senate and House currently differ on who the scholarship could apply to, with the Senate suggesting a more conservative federal poverty rate.
A push aimed at preventing future Constitution Revision Commissions from bundling provisions into single amendments is catching traction.
Legislation (SB 74) that would require a single-subject limitation for CRC ballots cleared its last committee stop in the Senate this week. The House version has one more panel to go.
A measure aimed at preventing life-insurance companies from using genetic tests to price their policies advanced this week in a 5-3 vote through the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee.

The bill (SB 258) still has two more committee stops. Opponents to the legislation have claimed that the bill prevents life insurers from knowing necessary pricing information.

Looking Ahead

The House Appropriations Committee will meet Monday at 1 p.m. in Room 212 of the Knott Building. Members will consider a number of bills during the hearing. Notably, state Rep. Tom Leek’s measure (HB 19) that would create drug importation programs is on the agenda.

The House Ways and Means Committee will meet later Monday at 3:30 p.m. in House Office Building 17 in part to consider state Rep. Clay Yarborough’s telehealth plan (HB 23).

The Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance will take up state Sen. Joe Gruters’ plan (SB 1024) to launch a blockchain working group. The panel, if created by the Legislature, would examine blockchain — the digital ledger technology that supports cryptocurrency transactions — and its use in state government.

The House is scheduled to hold floor sessions at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday and 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. The chamber will consider a number of bills, including a repeal of the state’s “certificate of need” process for health care facilities. That measure (HB 21) is sponsored by state Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen.

The Senate is expected to hold a floor session at 10 a.m. on Thursday. Among some of the items on Third Reading is a bill (SPB 7012) that would implement the vaping ban voters passed on the ballot last year.

Client Spotlight

Common Threads

Pamela Taylor, Vice President Strategic Partnerships

My role at Common Threads entails: Working to identify new partners that can help us bring our nutrition education and hands-on cooking programs to children and families who are looking for information on how to select and prepare healthy foods, particularly when those options don’t seem readily available, affordable, or easy to do. I work to help people know the joy of cooking and how it can keep you healthy for life.

Common Threads can help you: Introduce children and families to experience the joy, convenience, and ease of making healthy, nutritious meals and snacks right at home for far less money than eating out, and how to make our recipes to help combat diet-related diseases.

Something you wish people knew about your job or Common Threads that might not be obvious: Our organization’s name originated from the founders wanting to take their love of cooking and knowledge of healthy and delicious foods from around the world to celebrate the cultures and diversity that blend our communities together – sharing a fun, healthy meal is part of the common threads that weave us all together.

What excites you about going to work each day: Knowing our work helps children and families learn about healthy foods so that every single day they can eat something that fuels their body and mind to be strong and powerful. Food makes us all happy – and great tasting, healthy food is even better!

GRay Matters Video

2019 Session: Peter Dyga Interview

In this week's GRay Matters, Chris Dawson interviews Peter Dyga, President and CEO of the Associated Builders and Contractors Florida East Coast Chapter, discussing the benefits of apprenticeship, and two recent bills filed with the Legislature addressing workforce development.

Check out our video series and stay informed throughout the 2019 Session.

The GrayRobinson Team

* Denotes non-attorney professional

www.GRLobby.com

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