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Florida Senate passes adoption bill to assist public employees in some adoptions

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The Florida Senate today passed an adoption bill today that would provide financial assistance to public employees to encourage them to adopt foster and special needs children in the Sunshine State who need parents. Sponsored by Niceville Republican Don Gaetz, the bill survived serious opposition led by Lakeland Republican Kelli Stargel, who seized on a provision in a bill passed in the House of Representatives that would repeal the ban on same-sex adoptions, something that has been effectively the law for the past…

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Bill banning smoking in car with young children moves through Senate

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Smokers beware: there may be one less place you can light up in the Sunshine State. The Senate Health Policy Committee on Tuesday gave the nod to state Sen. Jeff Clemens‘ bill that makes it illegal to smoke cigarettes in a car if there’s a child under 13 traveling in the vehicle. The bill — SB 548 — isn’t limited to just the driver, though. Anyone who chooses to  to light up with young children in tow could be charged with a…

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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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4th Floor Files talks with Steve Wise about shoes, spaghetti and Ronald Reagan

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Stephen R. Wise served 25 years as a lawmaker; first elected to the state House of Representatives in 1989 and term-limited out of the Senate in 2014. Wise was a skillful lawmaker in the area of education. As chair of both education appropriation and policy committees he would hold up bills until he believed they were ready for debate. He often spiced his floor speeches with stories of his time as a classroom teacher in the mid-1960s. “I thought I was…

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Medicaid dental carve-out saga shows fundamentals still matter

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Amid the early skirmishes of the 2015 legislative session, an unexpected upset occurred last week when a bill died in its first committee of reference. The fact the bill died is not entirely surprising, especially in light of the policy in the bill. In fact, that the bill was even being considered is a testament to the incredible effort of its proponents. This is the third year in a row the bill was being considered, and it had every political advantage…

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The day that was in Florida politics — March 17

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There’s a development in the Gerald Bailey affair I want to tell you about but first it’s FSU Day.  Not that I attended the school or anything but if I’m put on a beat it’s what is in the front of my mind, you know? Like, I’m all FSU, fascinated by Charlotte’s Web rule making, intrigued by the personalities on the Regulated Industries Committee and very grateful that I’m nowhere near Frank Artiles and his bathroom bill. Tuesday morning Seminoles…

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