Legislative Session Summary: Day 2

SB 736 ready for full Senate vote

Today SB 736 the so-called teacher quality bill was on the Senate Special Order Calendar – this means it was the first time the full senate heard the bill. Special Order Calendar is the list of bills on ‘second reading’ to be taken up in session on a particular day. Amendments and questions are allowed when a bill is in second reading – but no debate.

Sen. Bill Montford (D-Tallahassee) offered an amendment to preserve due process for teachers who will either lose or never have Professional Service Contracts. After lengthy debate, the amendment failed.

Democrats, and Republican Senators Jack Latvala (R-St. Petersburg) and Paula Dockery (R-Lakeland) asked some very tough questions of the bill’s sponsor Sen. Steve Wise (R-Jacksonville). Wise struggled to respond, and was unable to answer Dockery’s persistent question: “how much will it cost and how will this bill be paid for?”

The bill was placed on third reading which means it is ready for full Senate vote – we think tomorrow morning. At the time this report was written the Third Reading Calendar had not been released.

Thursday in Tallahassee

We have another fun filled day ahead of us in the Capitol! On the agenda in the legislature are:

· SB 736 the so-called ‘teacher quality’ bill will be debated and voted on by the full Senate

· SB 958 the TABOR amendment will be introduced on the floor of the Senate

· HB 1021 the House version of SB830 Union gag bill will be heard in the House State Affairs Committee

· HB 7019 the House version of SB 736 will be heard in the House Education Committee

· SB 1130 the Florida Retirement System reform bill will be heard in the Senate Government Oversight and Accountability Committee (there are 15 amendments going to be considered)

You can read the bills at:

SB 736 http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2011/0736/BillText/c2/PDF

HB 7019 http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2011/7019/BillText/Filed/PDF

SB 958 http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2011/0958/BillText/c1/PDF

HB 1021 http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2011/1021/BillText/Filed/PDF

SB 1130 http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2011/1021/BillText/Filed/PDF