I am proud of all the accomplishments the legislature made during this year’s legislative session. Representatives from both sides of the aisle put partisanship aside to come together to pass a balanced budget and legislation that addressed a wide variety of concerns and problems ranging from expanding retirement benefits for first responders’ families to comprehensive water bills that address our most precious resources — and everything in between. Here are some of the highlights I am most proud of:
Tax Cuts
- $428 million in property tax relief for Florida homeowners — approximately $4.86 million for Alachua County property owners
- Permanently removing the sales tax on purchasing manufacturing equipment
Job Growth
- Florida’s unemployment rate is at 5%, the lowest in seven years.
- Added over 32,000 jobs in January 2016, the most of all 50 states
- Job growth rate of 3.3% outpaced the national rate of 1.9%
- Welcomed over one million tourists in 2015, and generated 1.2 million tourism-related jobs
Education
- Passed measures to make college more affordable
- Increased per-pupil funding by $71.16 to record levels of put $7,178.49/student
- Surpassed pre-recession high
- Increased funding for early learning programs like VPK and School Readiness
- Room for 2,200 more students in VPK and an additional 3,500 slots for School readiness after $10 million increase
- Enhanced educational and occupational opportunities for disabled citizens by funding programs such as nancial literacy programs and making our state government a model for employing the disabled
- Automatic termination of low- performing charter schools
Environment
- Established a dedicated funding source for Everglades restoration and protection
- Legacy Florida
- $50 million provided for springs restoration, protection and preservation
- $15.9 million allocated to provide nancial assistance to local governments for the construction of drinking water systems and critical environmental infrastructure
- $4 million just for Dixie County for conservation easement
- Protecting 8,000 acres available for public use
- Home to black bears and bald eagles
WHAT BILLS PASSED?
- HB 7005: Comprehensive Water Bill
- One of the most comprehensive water bills in Florida’s history
- Created the Florida Springs and Aquifer Protection Act to expedite protection and restoration of the water ow and water quality in the aquifer and Outstanding Florida Springs
- Updating and restructuring the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program (NEEPP) to reflect and build upon the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) completion of basin management action plans
- SB 912: Gas Pump Fraud Protection
- Requires that gas pumps be fitted with security devices to prevent the installation of illegal credit card skimmers
- HB 89: Childcare of Legal Immigrants
- Removes the five-year waiting period for children of legal immigrants to qualify for coverage under Florida KidCare.
- HB 131: Unattended Persons and Animals in Motor Vehicles
- Grants civil immunity to anyone who damages a motor vehicle in an attempt to rescue a child or animal locked inside
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HB 545: Human Trafficking Penalties
- Includes human trafficking as predicate offense for felony murder
- Minors may not be charged with specified prostitution offensesRequires a person convicted of specified racketeering offenses to register as a sexual predator or sexual offender
- Prevents issuance or renewal of licenses for massage parlors and/ or therapists convicted of certain prostitution offenses
- Three ballot measures granting tax breaks
- Property tax breaks for first responders disabled in the line of duty
- Exempt solar panels from tangible personal property taxes
- Lock in place the value of a home belonging to a senior citizen who is eligible for a property tax break
WHAT OTHER ACTIONS AFFECTED ALACHUA COUNTY SPECIFICALLY?
- HB 135 veto
- GRU Governance Bill —This bill intended to give GRU customers the choice to create an independent governing board for GRU.
- The bill was vetoed by Governor Scott, but I plan to continue trying to help GRU customers have more say in how GRU operates.
- Funded Projects
- Culture and Arts
- Cade, Harn and Natural History Museums
- Hippodrome
- Dance Alive
- Newberry Community Center Park
- Environmental Projects
- Newnans Lake Improvement Program
- Archer Waste Water Collection and Treatment System
- Hawthorne Downtown Water Main Replacement
- UF and SFC
- UF College of Medicine: Autism Program
- UF Norman Hall Renovation
- UF Nuclear Science Building Renovations/Additions
- Santa Fe Blount Library Renovations
- Culture and Arts