Legislative Update, February 2010

STATE SENATOR NAN RICH
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
FEBRUARY 2010
 
Preserving Funding For Education, Health Care & Child Protection
Will Again Be Main Focus of Legislative Session
 
The annual Legislative Session begins in March in Tallahassee, and once again, the budget will be the dominant issue in the coming months.  Despite having billions of dollars in federal stimulus money to help us through the economic downturn, Florida has still had to cut its budget by about $8 billion over the last two years.  Unless the federal government extends the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act to provide states with continued stimulus funding, we are faced with having to make even deeper cuts to public school funding and vital services for children, the elderly and disabled residents.
 
What troubles me most, though, as we head into the Legislative Session is the talk of tax cuts I’m hearing from some of my colleagues.  While it’s not surprising to hear such rumblings during an election year, I am at a loss to understand how we could possibly afford tax cuts when we already have a $3 billion budget deficit, and we are struggling to find ways to pay for public schools and universities and critical health and human service programs like Community Care for the Elderly, Guardian Ad Litem and the foster care system.  On top of the dire budget consequences, Florida is already among the lowest-tax states in the country – it ranks 43rd in the nation in per capita tax collections, and 49th in per capita state spending, according to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation (www.taxfoundation.org).
 
As always, I will continue to do my best to protect these areas of the budget where we simply can’t absorb further cuts without hurting some of Florida’s most vulnerable residents.  In addition to the budget, there is still important work to be done to improve other areas of public policy in this state.  I have already been working on a number of proposals that are making their way through the legislative process.
 
Helping Seniors
SB 146 would give each county’s voters the opportunity to create a Senior Services District that would provide health care, counseling, meals, transportation and other services for older residents in their communities. The programs would be funded through a small voter-approved property tax, and would be similar to the Children’s Services Council, which has been vastly successful in providing services for children and families in Broward County. 
 
Protecting Our Most Vulnerable Residents
I’m also working on legislation that would reform the way we conduct background screenings for people who work in jobs caring for children, the elderly and disabled.  Because Florida uses an outdated paper-and-ink fingerprint system to check criminal histories, people were allowed to work in child and elder-care jobs during the time it took to complete the background check – even some who had convictions for serious crimes, including rape, child molestation and murder. The bill I’m filing would require electronic fingerprint checks, that will enable the background check to be done within a few days, and would only allow people to begin work once they show they have a clean record.

Caring for Children
I have again filed several bills that will provide resources for education and child protection. SB 848 would require teachers in the state’s Voluntary Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program to have a bachelor’s degree by the year 2013.  Well-trained, highly-qualified teachers are the key to preparing Florida’s children to succeed when they start school.
 
SB 102 would repeal Florida’s discriminatory ban on adoption based on sexual orientation.  Sexual orientation has nothing to do with a person’s ability to be a good parent, or to provide a stable, loving home to a child.  With more than a thousand foster children in Florida waiting to be adopted, and hundreds of children aging out of foster care without ever being adopted, it is unconscionable to keep this ban in place.
 
Restoring Trust In Public Service
Public officials are given a great deal of power by the people who elect them, but along with that power comes a responsibility to act for the good of the people – and not for personal gain.  Unfortunately, we’ve seen too many cases lately of elected officials betraying the public trust, and it’s got to stop.  So along with Senator Dan Gelber and Representative Ari Porth, I’ve sponsored SB 1076, which will give state prosecutors the same legal tools to go after corrupt public officials that federal prosecutors have.
 
These are just some of the bills I’ve filed to help improve public policy in our state.  You may view my other bills by visiting the Senate Website at www.flsenate.gov.  And as always, I welcome your comments and questions on any issue related to Florida government.  Please feel free to contact my office at (954) 747-7933 or by e-mail at rich.nan.web@flsenate.gov.

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	Senator Rich Addressing Seniors at the Daniel Canter Senior Center
	Nan Rich with Gradutes of Weston University
	Senator Rich with the Final Graduting Class of Weston University 2010

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