Thread: Florida lawmakers consider immigration, property insurance

Posted on Wednesday, 03.24.10


Florida lawmakers consider immigration, property insurance
BY LEE LOGAN

TALLAHASSEE -- Heading into the midway point of the legislative session, lawmakers are ready Wednesday to tackle immigration, local government advertising and dissolving a massive state agency.

In the House, a committee will consider legislation strengthening Florida's immigration laws (HB 219) and allowing local governments to print public notices online instead of in newspapers (HB 1511). The full House plans to consider reauthorizing several special accounts -- known as trust funds -- that pay for specific programs that help the environment, consumers and road builders.

Several major bills will also be heard by Senate committees as the session shifts into its second half. A bill that will allow property insurance companies to increase rates by 15 percent in three years (SB 876) will receive a hearing in the Banking and Insurance Committee.

Meanwhile, the Senate Commerce Committee will review a bill (SB 1430) that would grant up to $20 million in tax credits to film and TV productions starting in 2011.

A bill that would dissolve the state's personnel agency, the Department of Management Services, will receive a hearing, its last substantive stop before the Senate floor. The bill (SB 123 would distribute the agency's functions across state government.

Members of both chambers will spend several hours Wednesday meeting with old colleagues at reunions in the House and Senate.

Lee Logan can be reached at llogan@miamiherald.com.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/03/24/1 ... ation.html

Hopefully the toughening immigration laws get enacted now. Last time Rubio and his some of his fellow Cubans prevented it form even being intrroduced and then boasted about that in the Miami Herald.