“Don’t Say Gay,” Law Enforcement Benefits, Disabled Vet Education & More On Senate Floor

Tallahassee, FL – A few bills are now passed their last committee stop and are now destined for a full floor vote in the state Senate. “Don’t Say Gay” Survives Last Committee Stop House Bill 1557, known by its opposition as “Don’t Say Gay,” passed its final committee stop with a 12-8 vote; and it was an amendment light. When senators met on Monday (Feb. 28) to discuss the bill, the proposal originally had an amendment introduced by Sen. Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg) that would have changed its focus from LGBTQ+ sexuality and gender identity to just human sexuality. The amendment was supported by lawmakers, including Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith (D-Orlando), who was a major opponent of the bill.  Smith said the amendment would have de-escalated opposition to the bill by removing language that essentially targeted the LGBTQ+ community. However, the amendment failed and wasn’t included in the bill. Sen. Lauren Book (D-Plantation), who is also a former kindergarten teacher, spoke in opposition to the bill and said the overall bill is unnecessary. She said as a former teacher, she was never required to teach kids about sexuality in the first place. “What I don’t ever remember is telling my young students ‘don’t worry, you don’t have to pick a gender,’” said Book. “I don’t remember ‘LGBTQ propaganda’ from secret lesson plans.” Bill co-sponsor Sen. Dennis Baxley (R-Ocala) said the bill only has one goal in mind, putting parents in charge of their children. “I believe it is imperative if we love children, that we put parents in charge,” said Baxley. Restraining Disabled Students A bill introduced by Book that wanted to prohibit the use of mechanical restraints against students with disabilities received unanimous support from the senate. The bill, SB 390, looks to prohibit only school personnel from using mechanical restraints against disabled students. Restraints may still be used by law enforcement officers, school resource officers, or school guardians; but they may not use physical restraints to inflict pain as a way of gaining compliance.  Officers and guardians may only use restraints on students grade 6 and above. Under the bill, the only time restraints may be used against a student is if there is serious risk of injury. But restraints must be removed once the “threat has dissipated.” Book’s bill adds to a House companion bill, HB 235, introduced by Rep. Rene Plasencia (R-Orlando), who is also a former teacher. Both bills expand on a 2021 House bill, HB 149, introduced by former Rep. Bobby Dubose of Broward County. His bill prohibited the use of seclusion as a punishment and provided the initial revisions to existing rules regarding the use of restraints on students. “One Of The Most Law Enforcement Officer Friendly States” HB 3, introduced by Rep. Tom Leek (R-Ormond Beach), was one of DeSantis’ main legislative priorities for the 2022 session. The bill seeks to provide recruits with a bundle of perks, such as a one-time $5,000 bonus for newcomers, and a $1,000 reimbursement program for out-of-state officers who move to Florida. Florida’s sheriffs will also see a $5,000 bump in pay. The bill also establishes the Florida Law Enforcement Academy Scholarship Program, which would cover up to $1,000 of tuition, fees, and other police academy-related expenses. Private school scholarships will also be available to the children of police officers. Officers may also provide college credits to cops based on their training and experience. May 1 will also become “Law Enforcement Appreciation Day.” Education Opportunities For Disabled Veterans Under a senate bill introduced by Sen. Janet Cruz, disabled veterans could get federal educational assistance benefits, along with a waiver for the remaining cost of tuition and fees. SB 554 passed with a 19-0 vote and now heads to the senate floor for a full vote. The bill covers any disabled veteran in the state, and those who don’t qualify as having a permanent disability rating of 100 percent, as determined by the Department of Veterans Affairs, can still receive a waiver for tuition and fees. This applies to any state college, university, or technical school in Florida. Victims Of Communism Day If SB 268 survives the senate floor and Governor DeSantis’ veto pen, then November 7 will become “Victims of Communism Day.” This is all part of a proposal introduced by Sen. Manny Diaz (R-Miami) that will require students to learn about “the 100 million people who fell victim to communist regimes across the world.” If passed, the bill will require high school students enrolled in any US Government class to receive at least 45 minutes of instruction on topics such as the revolutions in Russia, Cuba, and China, and leaders such as Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedog, Pol Pot, Fidel Castro, and Vladimir Lenin. The curriculum will additionally cover “how victims suffered under these regimes through poverty, starvation, migration, systemic lethal violence, and suppression of speech.” The bill was approved by the Appropriations Committee 19-0.