School safety bills: The Florida House Appropriations Committee rejects a proposal to ban the sale and possession of about 200 types of semi-automatic rifles, and approves a school safety bill that calls for arming teachers in schools if district superintendents or school boards approve. The goal of the school marshal program is to put 10 armed teachers in every school. The bill also would put a resource officer in every school, raise the age to buy rifles from 18 to 21, impose a three-day waiting period for purchasing guns, improve mental health counseling, make public school buildings safer and give police broader powers to seize guns from people who threaten themselves or others. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a similar bill. Sun-Sentinel. Tampa Bay Times. Politico Florida. Palm Beach Post. GateHouse. Tallahassee Democrat. The Legislature's proposed gun reform bills have plenty of loopholes. Tampa Bay Times. Gov. Rick Scott provides further details about his $500 million plan to improve school safety. WQAM. WFLA.
Budget deal: The Florida Senate and House agree on a bill that would cut taxes by $80 million this year, and appear close to agreeing on an overall state budget. Specific budget details will be negotiated in conference committees. The most contentious issue in the tax cut talks had been the amount local property taxpayers pay for public education. The rate is tied to property values, which are rising. The Senate wanted to keep the tax rates the same, which would bring in more money, while the House considers that a tax increase. The compromise exempts new construction from being counted. News Service of Florida. Politico Florida.
Education bills: Last week, the Senate Education Committee removed a provision from the massive education bill that would decertify public employees unions that drop below 50 percent membership of represented workers. Tuesday, the Senate Appropriations Committee put the provision back into the bill. It exempts first responders, leaving teachers unions as the biggest target. Gradebook. Politico Florida. redefinED. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. News Service of Florida. The autonomous public schools provision in the education bills continue to be tweaked. redefinED.
School board term limits: A proposal to limit terms for school board members is among the 103 changes to the state constitution that the Florida Constitution Revision Commission will begin considering Monday. Fourteen education-related proposals have been filed. Twenty-two of the 37 commission members have to approve proposals to put them on the November 2018 ballot. Then, 60 percent of voters would have to vote for the changes to put them into effect. The commission has until May 10 to finish voting on the proposals. News Service of Florida. WFSU.
Fighting end of TPS: Educators in south Florida vow to fight the Trump administration's decision to end the temporary protected status for 60,000 Haitians who fled the island after a 2010 earthquake. About 20 percent of them are enrolled in the Miami-Dade school system. TPS for the Haitians would end in July 2019. WPLG. WSVN. WTVJ.
Bright Futures: Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O'Lakes, says he agrees with the bulk of the higher education agenda of Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, including the portion of the bill that would provide $77 million to restore 75 percent funding for Medallion scholars, the second level of the Bright Futures program. Politico Florida.
Charter appeals rejection: A charter school company is appealing the Marion County School Board's decision to deny its application to open a school. Charter Educational Foundation Inc., which operates Charter Schools USA’s schools, asked the board for permission to open the 745-student Southeast Marion Charter Academy. The board decided the proposal offered nothing new or innovative, and denied it. The charter group is appealing that decision to the state. Ocala Star-Banner.
