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Senate committee forwards measure to allow school employees to carry guns in schools

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A measure that would allow school employees and volunteers to carry guns on school campuses was approved by the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice on Monday. The measure is being sponsored in the House by Sarasota Republican Greg Steube and in the Senate by Greg Evers from Baker, the same duo who have been pushing the more infamous guns on college campus bill. This legislation would allow school superintendents to designate people to carry weapons on campus. Those people could…

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Jack Latvala’s anti-human trafficking bill moves in Senate committee

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A bill aimed at shining a light on human trafficking breezed through the Senate Criminal Justice Subcommittee Monday with unanimous approval. Latvala’s bill requires posted signs including the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline and text numbers to be posted at various places throughout the state. Those locations include rest areas and welcome centers, airports and bus stations, truck stops, emergency rooms, adult entertainment locations, public schools and libraries and some privately operated job recruitment centers. “There is absolutely no…

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Uber, Airbnb insurance requirements approved by Senate panel

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A bill creating insurance requirements for short-term rental and transportation network companies — bywords for industry leaders Airbnb and Uber, respectively — passed the Senate Banking & Insurance Committee this afternoon, though not without an airing of grievances about some practices within the “disruptive” ridesharing business. Altamonte state Sen. David Simmons, an influential member of the Republican majority known for his policy chops, introduced the bill back in late February, which aims to clarify one of the murkiest issues of the sharing…

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St. Pete City Council seems more supportive of public input than Pier Selection Committee

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St. Pete City Council members have a potentially difficult decision facing them as soon as April 2. They are charged with voting up or down whatever pier design a committee appointed by the mayor puts before them. Based on several straw votes placed by the committee during their marathon meeting last week, that design may be Alfonso Architect’s Alma. The design boasting a narrow tower at the end of the pier ranked 5 out of 7 in the city’s public…

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Arthenia Joyner filing budget amendment to boost land-buying

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State Sen. Arthenia Joyner of Tampa, the Senate Democratic leader, is filing a budget amendment to redirect $80 million toward the Florida Forever land-buying program and away from other purposes she said are not consistent with Amendment 1. Approved by 75 percent of voters in November, Amendment 1 is supposed to direct $742 million toward water and land conservation programs in the 2015-16 state budget. The Senate budget bill filed Friday provides $2 million for Florida Forever along with $20…

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Eyeball wars II: Senate OKs bills letting retailers set price for contacts

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The Senate Health Policy Committee on Monday gave the nod to a bill that would restrict contact lens manufacturers from preventing retailers from selling or advertising contact lenses below a set price. The bill, SB 1400 by state Sen. Tom Lee, brought lobbyists from Las Vegas, Utah, and Washington, leading former Senate President Don Gaetz to joke that Lee, also a former Senate president, deserved the “Visit Florida” award for the number of lobbyists who traveled to the state to testify on the…

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Senate is the ‘right place’ for Florida Medical Association’s top priority

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Florida physicians have friends in the Senate. The Senate Health Policy Committee took up and passed a priority bill for the Florida Medical Association over the strong objections of Associated Industries of Florida as well as the Florida Association of Health Plans. But the majority of those who attended the committee meeting on Monday were there in support of the CS/SB 784, sponsored by state Sen. Don Gaetz. In all, 28 people filled out cards to testify on the measure.…

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