Floridahh..ahh, maybe not
Don't get me wrong, there are a TON of things I love about Florida. The ocean. The weather. The blue skies. The seabirds and the Zone 8 foliage. The view as you cross the Belleair Beach Causeway going toward Gulf Boulevard. Publix's BOGOs. Friends and family visiting to make good their escape from the cold. So many of the people we meet daily.
And then there's the Florida legislature.
We're here during their legislative session and nearly every day, without exception, the Tampa Bay Times reports on yet another piece of legislation the folks up in Tallahassee are voting to enact that send shivers down my spine. To be fair, there are over 900 bills currently being considered and not all of them fall into that category.
Two that really got my goat are: 1) The State Senate voted 22–17 on Tuesday, mainly along party lines, to advance the bill to its final stage: the more conservative State House, according to The Hill. If passed by the House, the new legislation would permit teachers to report to school armed — but only after they’ve passed a psychological test and had at least 144 hours of training at a sheriff’s office. Approval of the school district would also be necessary. 2) When voters choose to hike their local property taxes to help schools in their county, that money would need to be shared between districts and charter schools under a bill passed by the Florida House.
About #1) I've written extensively about my feelings on guns in this country. The legislature has not passed a bill making it more difficult for Floridians to obtain guns. Point of fact, one need not obtain a license or a permit to purchase a gun in Florida but you are supposed to register it. You do need a license to conceal carry a handgun but not a rifle. And to its credit, the legislature is increasing its mental health allocations to schools, although without any mandate to target suicide prevention. This falls into my category of I JUST DON'T GET IT--that is, the wisdom and benefit of allowing teachers to be armed in their classroom--and we'll leave it at that.
About #2) Florida Governor Ron De Santis is promoting expanding the state's Tax Credit Scholarship, which pays for tuition at private schools. This is more popularly known as a voucher program. “If the taxpayer is paying for education, it’s public education” regardless of where the student attends, said DeSantis. Um, this is a big NO, and I'm guessing the Gov is a FOB (Friend of Betsy DeVoss). Many private schools are supported by religious institutions and I flip back to our separation of church and state. (I think that's in the Constitution; that still makes a difference, doesn't it?) Across the country, taxpaying parents chose private schools because they prefer that option as opposed to public schools. Our rental unit is located in Pinellas County, where in 2016 voters overwhelmingly passed a referendum which increased their taxes to support their schools. According to the Tampa Bay Times, when voters choose to hike their local property taxes to help schools in their county, that money would need to be shared between districts and charter schools under a bill passed by the Florida House. Um, this is also a big NO. What doesn't the legislature understand about the word local?
We'll be on the road back to Minnetonka next week, where the latest forecast calls for slushy snow this weekend. It would be easy to say, screw it, we're done and keep our toes in the water and our butts in the sand. After all, Hank IS the Norm Peterson of Belleair Beach. Floridahh? Great place to spend the winter but I don't think, given the political climate, I could live here. And truth be told, I don't think I'd be breaking Florida politicians' heart with my decision.
And then there's the Florida legislature.
We're here during their legislative session and nearly every day, without exception, the Tampa Bay Times reports on yet another piece of legislation the folks up in Tallahassee are voting to enact that send shivers down my spine. To be fair, there are over 900 bills currently being considered and not all of them fall into that category.
Two that really got my goat are: 1) The State Senate voted 22–17 on Tuesday, mainly along party lines, to advance the bill to its final stage: the more conservative State House, according to The Hill. If passed by the House, the new legislation would permit teachers to report to school armed — but only after they’ve passed a psychological test and had at least 144 hours of training at a sheriff’s office. Approval of the school district would also be necessary. 2) When voters choose to hike their local property taxes to help schools in their county, that money would need to be shared between districts and charter schools under a bill passed by the Florida House.
About #1) I've written extensively about my feelings on guns in this country. The legislature has not passed a bill making it more difficult for Floridians to obtain guns. Point of fact, one need not obtain a license or a permit to purchase a gun in Florida but you are supposed to register it. You do need a license to conceal carry a handgun but not a rifle. And to its credit, the legislature is increasing its mental health allocations to schools, although without any mandate to target suicide prevention. This falls into my category of I JUST DON'T GET IT--that is, the wisdom and benefit of allowing teachers to be armed in their classroom--and we'll leave it at that.
About #2) Florida Governor Ron De Santis is promoting expanding the state's Tax Credit Scholarship, which pays for tuition at private schools. This is more popularly known as a voucher program. “If the taxpayer is paying for education, it’s public education” regardless of where the student attends, said DeSantis. Um, this is a big NO, and I'm guessing the Gov is a FOB (Friend of Betsy DeVoss). Many private schools are supported by religious institutions and I flip back to our separation of church and state. (I think that's in the Constitution; that still makes a difference, doesn't it?) Across the country, taxpaying parents chose private schools because they prefer that option as opposed to public schools. Our rental unit is located in Pinellas County, where in 2016 voters overwhelmingly passed a referendum which increased their taxes to support their schools. According to the Tampa Bay Times, when voters choose to hike their local property taxes to help schools in their county, that money would need to be shared between districts and charter schools under a bill passed by the Florida House. Um, this is also a big NO. What doesn't the legislature understand about the word local?
We'll be on the road back to Minnetonka next week, where the latest forecast calls for slushy snow this weekend. It would be easy to say, screw it, we're done and keep our toes in the water and our butts in the sand. After all, Hank IS the Norm Peterson of Belleair Beach. Floridahh? Great place to spend the winter but I don't think, given the political climate, I could live here. And truth be told, I don't think I'd be breaking Florida politicians' heart with my decision.
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