| Preparation for the 2022 Session has kept the Legislature and Governor busy these past few weeks. We will keep you updated throughout the 2022 Session once the new year begins. Here are some of the latest happenings. SPECIAL SESSION The Legislature held a special session the week of November 15th to address COVID-19 vaccination mandates and K-12 student mask wearing in public schools. Passed bills included giving options to private sector employees and employers regarding vaccine mandates; prohibiting mandated vaccinations of government and education employees; granting sole discretion to parents regarding their children’s mask wearing and vaccinations; authorizing fines up to $50,000 for improper termination of employees; offering protection of private healthcare and religious information; withdrawing from the federal Office of Occupational and Safety Association and creating a program unique to Florida but with the minimum guidelines required by the federal government; and removing authority of the state health officer to order vaccinations. All of the bills passed on party lines. Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bills in Brandon on November 18th. BUDGET In advance of the 2022 legislative session, the Governor proposed a $99.7 billion budget entitled the “Freedom First Budget” for Fiscal Year 2022-2023. Over the last month, he has held press conferences around the state foreshadowing some of his budget requests of the Legislature. Some of them include salary increases for law enforcement and state workers, bonuses for teachers, a fuel tax holiday, $100 million for cancer research, $1 billion for the environment, an E-verify program and election fraud enforcement, among several other earmarks. He also recommended placing $15 billion in reserves. The Governor’s proposed budget utilizes federal funds for some of these priorities as well as the anticipated annual $500 million from the newly negotiated Seminole Compact (though that is now being litigated). The Legislature will consider the Governor’s proposed budget during the 2022 Session, which begins on January 11th. The current budget is $101.7 billion, which included $10.2 billion in federal assistance due to COVID-19. |
| SPECIAL ELECTIONS Special elections will be held on January 11th for U.S. Congressional District 20, Senate District 33, House District 88 and House District 94. The elections will be a special general election for Congress and special primary elections for the legislative districts. The congressional seat opened when Democratic U.S. Representative Alcee Hastings died earlier this year. It appears Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick will face Republican Jason Mariner for Hastings’ seat. Cherfilus-McCormick defeated Dale V.C. Holness by five votes in the Democratic primary. The state Senate and House primaries are being held to replace Senator Perry Thurston (D-Fort Lauderdale), Representative Omari Hardy (D-West Palm Beach), and Representative Bobby DuBose (D-Fort Lauderdale), who all resigned from their seats to run for Hastings’ congressional seat. |