Condo reform, critical race theory, abortion and more
There’s always a theme to the Florida legislative session, and especially among the Miam-Dade delegation of state representatives and senators.
This year, bills about condo safety, education and oversight are all the rage, thanks to the tragedy at the Champlain Towers in Surfside, where 98 people died after the building collapsed on itself, like pancakes. There are also resolutions to memorialize the event and, likely, appropriations. It’s such a huge package that it is not quite finished yet.
But it is a priority, said State Rep. Daniel Perez, who will be speaker in 2024. He hasn’t filed any bills yet this year and said he wants to focus on helping Speaker Chris Sprowls push his agenda forward, as well as strengthen the GOP. But for him, what he calls the “Surfside package” is key.
Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez (R-Doral), who chair of the Miami-Dade Legislative Delegation, has three bills that aim to improve transparency and safety for condominium owners statewide. One creates a new entity that would investigate complaints and possible fraud for potential prosecution, another requires more education for condo board members and the third makes a lot of condominium information public.
“Education is super important,” Rodriguez told Ladra. ” As of right now, the people who serve on condominium boards are only required to sign an affidavit that they read all the condo rules.”
She also wants the Department of Business and Professional Regulation to keep a searchable database of condominiums, board members, management companies, annual approved budgets and all recertifications.
But the Surfside tragedy is not the only thing that is driving legislation this year. Critical race theory, abortion rights and campaign “security” are also expected to take up center stage at some point in the 60-day tour of duty that will, on some days, look more like a circus.
State Rep. Bryan Avila (R-Hialeah), who is running for county commission this year, and Sen. Manny Diaz, Jr., (R-Miami Lakes) have proposed a law called “Individual Freedom” that is anything but. It is aimed at critical race theory and tries to fix a problem that doesn’t exist.
House Bill 7 would make “subjecting individuals to specified concepts under certain circumstances constitutes discrimination based on race, color, sex, or national origin; revises provisions relating to required instruction; prohibits instructional materials reviewers from recommending instructional materials that contain any matter that contradicts certain principles; requires DOE to review school district professional development systems for compliance with certain provisions of law.”
Senate Bill 148 basically makes does the same thing. It is headed to the education committee on Tuesday.
Both of these are conservative red meat (read: fundraising tools) to whip our viejitos into a frenzy. Porque en cuba no era malo ser negro.
Shudder. Basically it takes away the power of teachers to teach true history when it comes to African Americans, Native Americans and Latinos in the U.S. You know, so Whitey don’t feel guilty.
Diaz additionally is presenting a bill to create a Charter School Review Commission within the Department of Education, with a mechanism to appoint cronies who would then “solicit and review” — solicit — charter school applications. Certainly, Senate Bill 758 also makes it easier for charters to do anything because Diaz — the top charter school champion — works as a top administrator at Doral College, a school related to Academica, which is the largest charter school company in the country.
How is that not a conflict of interests?
On the positive side — which also makes it suspicious — Diaz, who has filed a whopping 33 bills, is also cosponsoring Senate Bill 994, aka the “Florida Pet Protection Act, which would require retail pet stores to be licences and limit the sources from which they may sell household pets, and for what purposes, protecting “working dogs” and the like.
House Bill 149 filed by State Rep. Juan Fernandez-Barquin (R-Doral) is similarly written to protect pets but it adds requirement for the Department of Business and Professional Regulation to conduct periodic inspections of pet stores & audit sales records; revises importation, sterilization, & reporting requirements of certain public or private entities.
State Rep. Nicholas Duran (D-Coconut Grove) who is said to be eyeing a Miami city commission seat, has more appropriation bills than anything (more on that later), but he also has House Bill 189, which would put “red light cameras” in school speed zones to enforce speed limits. Ladra can hear the lobbyist licking their lips already.
State Rep. Tom Fabricio (R-Miami Lakes) seems to be the only legislator who is working to better regulate the rock blasting that is damaging homes in Northwest Miami Dade with three different bills including one that seeks to limit blasting strength and range. This will be welcome news to Miami Lakers. He also wants to get the town their long-held dream of their own zip code. Because they don’t like being lumped in with Hialeah.
Sen. Ileana Garcia (R-Coral Gables), in her second year, has filed 16 general bills. Two are aimed at helping homeless children and another for children who suffer seizures. She also is bringing the “Boating Safety Act of 2022,” which, she says, will curb dangerous marine activity and human trafficking.
Rep. Michael Grieco (D-Miami Beach), who could be running against her in Senate District 37 this November, is nothing if not persistent. He will try again to legalize psychedelic mushrooms — as well as other drugs like Special K and Ecstacy — as a treatment for mental health. His House Bill 1247 would prohibit public employers from firing or denying a job because of a positive pot test to anyone with a medical marijuana card. He also wants to add further protections for abused children and further penalties for animal abusers.
Sen. Annette Taddeo (D-Kendall), who is running for governor this year, has joined forces with other legislators to push for preK expansion, medicaid expansion and protection for employees who need to take sick time from their jobs to quarantine for COVID.
State Rep. Vance Aloupis (R-Coral Gables) is trying to protect the Miami-Dade Urban Development Boundary, which is coming under attack by the current county commission. House Bill 729 would add a state process to any development that proposed for the Everglades Protection Area. Looking like a real moderate, Aloupis also has bills on eviction proceedings, parental leave and creating rules for crypto currency.
Obviously, there is a lot going on in the capitol just for us. Stay tuned because Political Cortadito plans to cover as much of it as possible. We haven’t even gotten to the appropriations bills, yet. Our delegation is aiming for millions for our public spaces, public healthcare and parks.
Please let Ladra know if there is a particular bill or legislator to check out.
Florida legislative session started — here’s what local lawmakers are up to added by Ladra on
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