How easily bad legislation can become law in Florida

Weekly Update #145

Dear Members and Advocates,

I’d like to think we accomplished something big last week. The language that we were so concerned about in Senator Book’s Bill, SB 234; “A day includes any part of a calendar day” might be gone! I say “might” because you never know what kind of shenanigans can happen before this Bill reaches the finish line or the trash can, but I say “gone” because a floor amendment filed on April 9^th was adopted on the 13^th and a second floor amendment that was filed on April 14^th was adopted today. Neither of the amendments had the concerning language in the text. So, as of this moment it seems like all of our efforts in writing to our lawmakers, calling their offices and showing up to speak out against this bill might have been effective!

,It still amazes me (in a bad way) to watch Bills make their way through the legislative process. After a Bill is introduced, it goes through a series of committees whose members vote on the bill and can make amendments to it. Presumably the amendments should incorporate some of the what was discussed during the committee meeting, but not always. After a bill makes it’s way out of a few committees it comes to the floor, where again, lawmakers discuss, vote and make amendments to the bill. The amazingly bad thing is the amendments don’t have to be tweaks and language corrections. The amendments can be completely different laws. They can be proposed language from other bills that got voted against previously, which someone sneaks into a bill that already passed through that hurdle. It really is unbelievable and it is a lot to keep track of. Much thanks to the volunteers in our Legislative committee who have been tracking the bills (and will continue to do so) and much thanks to all of you who have been responding to our calls to action and speaking out against proposed bad legislation.

There is still time left in the legislative session and there is still a lot of advocacy to be done. Please keep checking back on our website to look out for calls to action. We have also put up a table of the bills we are watching at https://floridaactioncommittee.org/2021-legislation/. Our legislative committee tries to update this table a couple times a week, but there are developments happening daily, so if you find a bill on the table that you have a particular interest in, be sure to visit the Florida Senate’s website (https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bills/2021) and or the Florida House’s website (https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/sections/bills/bills.aspxsearch) and look up the bills by their bill number or by search term, to monitor changes more frequently.

Most importantly… if you see something… say something! In the context of FAC, we’re asking you to keep your eyes open for any federal or state bills, county or local municipal ordinances, or anything taking place in your community that might impact other members. Our numbers are growing and our best source for information to keep ourselves informed, compliant and safe, is our organization.

Sincerely,

The Florida Action Committee

Reminders:

New Research Studies – Voluntary Participation.

1. ENDS Sunday April 18 at MIDNIGHT.  Dr Jill Levenson is conducting an anonymous survey about Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD) for people required to register and their family members. For more information about the study and how to access the survey, click here.
2. Shelley Kavanagh (Doctorial Candidate) is conducting one-on-one phone interviews with mothers of registered citizens living in Florida.  For more information about the study and how to schedule an interview, click here.

Meet and Greets are Resuming:

Monday April 19 at 7pm – Palm Beach / Broward / Miami-Dade member Call.  Catch up on local issues and meet your local team. Call 319-527-3487.

Saturday April 24 in Apopka (Orange County) Doors open at noon for complimentary lunch and mingle.  Guest speaker 1-2pm is “The Travel Blogger”  Topic: Domestic Travel Planning Tips (and where to find current visitor requirements in each state).  For location, RSVP to membership@floridaactioncommittee.org or text to 904-452-8322 with your name and number attending.

Tuesday April 27 in Sebring (Highlands County) – Meet-and-Greet. Optional Smorgasbord Dinner 4:30 to 6 ($12 pp) followed by the local meeting from 6-7:30.   For location, RSVP to membership@floridaactioncommittee.org or text to 904-452-8322 with your name and number attending.

Need to Talk?  FAC has peer volunteers that are here to talk one-on-one, call 904-452-8322.  Volunteers are not available 24/7 but you will receive a call as soon as possible.  If you have an emergency, call 911, or helpline at 1-800-273-8255 or a crisis center (Listing of Crisis Centers and Hotlines)

SOME HEADLINES FROM THE WEEK

When Animus Matters and Sex Offense Underreporting Does Not: The Sex Offender Registry Regime

ACSOL Board Member Ira Ellman has published a scholarly work that claims the registry regime is motivated by animus and should be stricken.  This conclusion is based upon an analysis of four relevant U.S. Supreme Court decisions in which the Court determined what…

General counsel for Florida Elections Commission arrested for possession of child porn

[FAC COMMENT: Does this somehow justify Amendment 4?] The general counsel for the Florida elections commission was arrested for possession of child porn Wednesday, according to The Tallahassee Democrat. Courts records indicate that Eric M. Lipman was charged with 11…

FAC Letter to Prosecutors of Charles Rodrick, Brent Oesterblad and Sarah Shea

For those who don’t know, Charles Rodrick, Brent Oesterblad and Sarah Shea, the individuals behind a network of websites who, for years, extorted persons required to register, have been indicted in Arizona and are facing a number of criminal charges. So many of us…

Summerfield sex offender jailed after showing up a day late to register

A Summerfield sex offender spent a night in jail last week after showing up a day late for his quarterly registration update. He has re-registered 25 times since originally registering in April 2015. He most recently re-registered in Marion County on Dec. 4, 2020 and…