Tuesday begins the annual 60-day Florida Legislative session and it will cover a variety of issues from tuition to healthcare to election reform and more.
One of Gov. Rick Scott’s biggest proposals is a $1.2 billion increase to school funding and almost $400 million more for higher education. This includes a proposed $2,500 raise for every public school teacher. Some leaders argue, however, that a merit-pay system to reward teachers should be used, rather than Scott’s across-the-board pay plan. Needless to say, a general rise in salary and wages of public school workers is expected to come out of the session.
Other hot issues being covered include election reform as legislation moves to correct recent problems like long lines at polling places as well as altering contribution factors allowed for campaigns.
A new bill being passed around will decide whether or not Florida will ban texting and driving, just as 39 other states have done already. The Senate’s bill would make texting while driving a secondary violation, which would mean mean motorists would have to be stopped for another reason before they would face a potential $30 fine.
Other issues that will be mulled over include guns, taxes, healthcare, spending and environmental. Continue to check back for updates throughout the session.
To view a list of proposed bills, click here.
