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Anitere Flores

First legislation filed after nursing home deaths

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A South Florida senator has filed the first bill in response to the deaths of eight nursing home residents this week after Hurricane Irma knocked out their air conditioning. Sen. Lauren Book, a Plantation Democrat, filed the measure (SB 284) on Friday afternoon. Among other things, it would require the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) “to determine compliance with standards for electricity and emergency power sources during the routine inspection of a licensed nursing home facility.”

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Lawmaker ties insurance changes with lower rates

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The chairwoman of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee said Wednesday that customers of Citizens Property Insurance should receive rate reductions as the state-backed insurer takes steps to curb claims for water-damage repairs. Miami Republican Sen. Anitere Flores said during a hearing on proposed Citizens rate increases that South Florida policyholders are frustrated and have “lost trust” in the insurer.

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Hillsborough to expand civil citation program for juveniles

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State Attorney Andrew Warren campaigned on a platform of reforming the criminal justice system in Hillsborough County. On Thursday, he delivered on that promise, announcing an expanded plan for law enforcement to issue civil citations to first-time offending juveniles who commit nonserious, delinquent acts.

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Tampa Bay lawmakers admit criminal justice reform was a bust in Legislature this year

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Over the past decade, deep Red states like Texas, Oklahoma and Georgia have enacted serious criminal justice reforms. Florida? Not so much. That was going to change in 2017, several state lawmakers predicted earlier this year. Except it didn’t. “We walked into this session very high on idealism, thinking that we could accomplish quite a bit, that the climate was right for this,” said St. Petersburg Democratic state Senator Darryl Rouson, while speaking to the Suncoast Tiger Bay Club in St.…

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Jose Oliva’s political committee spreads the (financial) love

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In advance of his 2018-20 House Speakership, state Rep. Jose Oliva‘s political committee this year has been sharing the wealth with his friends and allies, campaign finance records accessed Monday show. Most recently, the Miami Lakes Republican’s committee, called Conservative Principles for Florida, gave $1,000 on May 19 to fellow House Republican Jose Felix Diaz’s state Senate run. Diaz is seeking to take the South Florida seat vacated by former Sen. Frank Artiles. On March 7, the committee chipped in…

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In Tampa, public officials call for common sense solutions to end gun violence epidemic

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After the bloody assault at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando nearly a year ago resulted in the deaths of 49 people, 13 members of the Florida Legislature — 12 Democrats and Miami GOP state Sen. Anitere Flores — were on the losing side of a request to hold a special session on gun regulations. Despite that attitude at the Capitol, Michelle Gajda, the leader of the state chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, says Floridians have the power to end gun violence. “There…

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Senate adds civil citations, passes Supreme Court reporting bill

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The Senate on Monday passed the House’s Supreme Court reporting bill, but after Sen. Anitere Flores had tacked on as an amendment her plan to expand the use of juvenile civil citations. Without debate, senators passed the measure (HB 301) on a 35-1 vote. Sen. Jeff Brandes, a St. Petersburg Republican, was the lone ‘no’ vote. Because of the change, the bill will return to the House. The original bill, by Republican state Rep. Frank White of Pensacola, would require the state’s high court…

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