Fast, furious
Bills are passing fast and furious as the 2021 Session clock winds down.
Also, on today’s Sunrise:
— As expected, the Florida House approved a bill to expand the private school voucher program.
— Vouchers started as a way to help low-income families send their kids to private schools. Under this bill, vouchers would be available to any family with an annual income below $100,000.
— The House also passes Rep. Chip LaMarca’s bill to try to fix the state's unemployment compensation system. The vast majority of that money came from the feds, not the state. And the House bill does nothing to improve the actual unemployment benefits.
— Another bill from the House will mean free books for students who are not reading at their grade level. One more proposal could change children's lives by having health care professionals’ licenses suspended if charged with certain sex crimes.
— Sen. Lauren Book filed the bill after her family pediatrician was charged with child porn.
— The Senate also dove into an odd issue: The Otter Cat. It's not another invasive species … it was freshman hazing.
— And finally, two Florida Women: One claims to be a witch; the other was hit in the head by a turtle that crashed through her windshield on the interstate.