Florida House Nixes Call for Ceasefire; Approves Idalia Relief, Farmer Loans, School Choice Expansion
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — After hours of debate on the floor of the Florida House, lawmakers successfully passed several proposals on Tuesday.
Representatives pushed through numerous bills and resolutions, including one aimed at Florida’s farmers and rural workers: Rep. Jason Shoaf’s (R-Blountstown) Hurricane Idalia aid package – HB 1C.
On the floor of the House, Shoaf reiterated that one of the new features in the legislation is a new program that would allow farmers to be able to apply for low-interest loans in order to rebuild structures and buildings on their land.
Shoaf continued saying that “many buildings on farms are uninsured” and that includes buildings like chicken houses – many of which were destroyed throughout North Florida.
The Panhandle-based legislator made a plea saying that if the bill did not pass there would be “more fields turning into parking lots and less food security in our state.” The bill passed unanimously 110-0.
SCHOOL CHOICE SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY
Ahead of the Special Session, one of the policies slated to be considered is a school choice scholarship expansion to include students with unique abilities.
The bill – HB 3C by Rep. Josie Tomkow (R-Auburndale) – expands students with disabilities to be able to apply for the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program.
Tomkow appealed to the legislature’s work last regular session when they passed HB 1 – the first expansion of the scholarship program – saying “we made a commitment last session to get everything right.”
Additionally, Tomkow implored the chamber to pass the bill so that Florida’s students “get the education they deserve.”
The bill received bipartisan support. Multiple House Democrat members rose to express their support but with the caveat that they still oppose school voucher programs.
“I will support this bill, though I don’t support vouchers,” Rep. Kelly Skidmore (D-Delray Beach) said. “As we fix the things we knew were wrong and we raised them during regular session, please remember you have more work to do for this program so that it works for students and families. And you’ve got to roll up your sleeves to fix it.”
In response to Skidmore, Florida Rep. Ralph Massullo (R-Inverness) claimed lawmakers “always knew it would be an iterative process” when they passed HB 1 earlier in the year.
ISRAEL, PALESTINE – AND FLORIDA
Some of the most impassioned speeches from the House floor came as a result of discussions around the circumstances around Israel and Palestine.
Florida Rep. Randy Fine (R-Palm Bay) championed HB 7C that would provide $45 million in emergency funding to protect Florida Jews and Jewish day schools in the state.
The $45 million is broken down into two entities, according to Fine: (1) a pot of $20 million going toward a nonprofit security grant program for Jewish institutions that are allegedly under threat from antisemitic attacks. Those funds would be managed by the Florida Department of Emergency Management.
The second pot of money is $20 million to the Florida Department of Education that will be disbursed to schools facing threats of violence. This could include Jewish day schools or – as Rep. Ashley Gantt (D-Miami) pointed out – Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Following numerous questions from Gantt, Speaker Pro Tempore Chuck Clemons reiterated that any school able to demonstrate they are under increased threat of violence would be eligible for the funds.
The bill received bipartisan support with House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell rising to declare: “Hate knows no bounds, and we must stand against that hate.”
Conversely, a resolution that failed nearly unanimously was HR 31C, calling for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Rep. Angie Nixon (D-Jacksonville) defended her proposal while on the verge of tears. Nixon and Rep. Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando) were the lone supporters.
HR 9C – sponsored by Rep. Katherine Waldron (D-Greenacres) and Rep. Peggy Gossett Seidman (D-Boca Raton) – was another bill that received unanimous approval. The resolution proclaimed Florida’s support for the State of Israel and “reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the partnership it shares with the State of Israel.”
Gossett-Seidman said on the floor of the House chamber that “Israel is a democracy, it is our strength of support in the Middle East.”
The Florida Senate took the day off and is expected back tomorrow.