ADVANCES: WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 28, 2008
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THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE.....It's ironic that it has cooled off a bit
in Florida this week because next week there's a lot of focus on global
warming. As if the economy weren't depressing enough.
Gov. Charlie Crist has, along with California's Arnold Schwarzenegger,
been one of the most progressive Republican governors on climate change,
and Crist previewed next week's agenda in his weekly radio address on
Friday, saying that a greener state is good not just because "it's the
right thing to do" but also because of the economic benefits that could
accrue. One of Crist's boldest ideas was to pursue reduced greenhouse
gas emissions in Florida, and a big part of that agenda will be
formalized this week. The Governor's Action Team on Energy and Climate
Change, created by executive order, meets this week to finalize a report
on initiatives to wean the state off foreign fuel sources and reduce
emissions. The 27-member panel will meet two days this week and later
will submit its recommendations to lawmakers.
While that panel focuses more on the economic aspects of global climate
change, on Wednesday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission will hold a summit in Orlando to talk about the potential
impact on animals. The summit, titled "Florida's Wildlife: On the front
line of climate change," is set to explore challenges facing wildlife
managers in the next 50 years relating to climate change. The summit
will feature two co-recipients of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize - Virginia
Burkett of the United States Geological Survey and Jean Brennan of the
Defenders of Wildlife - as keynote speakers. Burkett will speak
Wednesday and Brennan will speak Thursday.
CABINET
The Department of Highway Safety has its proposed legislative budget
request before the Cabinet this week for approval, but perhaps more
interesting will be the latest license plate designs. The Cabinet will
be asked to sign off on designs for a Visit Our Lights plate, and a
plate urging people to "play tennis."
The Department of Community Affairs will ask Gov. Charlie Crist and the
Cabinet to approve a revised Annual Assessment Report for the Florida
Keys Area of Critical State Concern. One of the main things interested
parties are watching is whether the agency recommends reducing building
permits in the Keys, which the agency recommendation currently doesn't
do.
The governor and Cabinet will also receive a report on the imprortance
of Florida's coastal ecosystems and its ocean and coastal economy, and a
report from the State Board of Administration on its search for an
interim executive director.
NEW BILLS
Several bills will become law this week. Laws addressing gang activity
(HB 43), child pornography (SB 1442), home foreclosure fraud (HB 643)
and counterfeiting (HB 1417) will take effect Wednesday. The gang law
allows the state to charge gang leaders with felonies for directing
criminal gang-related activity, while the child pornography law allows
victims of indecent material made in Florida to check civil remedies of
$150,000 or more of individuals who download or distribute their images.
The foreclosure law, particularly timely in the wake financial
uncertainty nationally and in Florida, adds additional protection for
home buyers, including the creation of a three-day right-of-cancellation
period and requiring foreclosure rescuers to notify homeowners of that
right in writing. The anti-counterfeiting legislation raises penalties
for manufacturing, distributing or possessing counterfeit goods with the
intent to sell them. Attorney General Bill McCollum, who pushed for all
four of those bills, will discuss them after Tuesday's regular Cabinet
meeting.
WORKERS' COMP
The office of Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink on Wednesday kicks off
a statewide series of training classes aimed at educating the state's
employers about workers compensation - and keeping them out of trouble.
After a series of well-publicized fraud cases and a reform of the system
several years ago, Florida became one of the nation's more aggressive
states on worker's comp compliance. The Division of Workers
Compensation now conducts 28,000 investigations annually, including
surprise visits at worksites, and issues 2,500 stop-work orders a year.
Some $48.5 million in fines were assessed last year, said division
spokeswoman Nina Bannister. "While we're committed to issuing those
compliance measures, we'd rather not," Bannister said. "Our goal is to
make it easy to comply." In addition to the details of who must carry
coverage and how to do it, the classes will instruct employers on the
fundamentals of workplace safety and state requirements pertaining to
it. "We would rather have safe workplaces in the first place" than
adjudicate the payment of claims, Bannister said. Wednesday's inaugural
session will be the first of 10 quarterly classes statewide, and the
division intends to hold a total of 40 such classes next year.
MONDAY, SEPT. 29, 2008
Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WHAT'S WORKING SERIES: Education Trust
President, Kati Haycock, will kick off the Department of Education's
What's working meeting series with a presentation on Florida's education
system. Haycock will speak on the importance of alignment between
secondary and postsecondary institutions, the significance of access to
accelerated learning opportunities in high school, and compare education
in Florida to national trends. (Monday, 10 a.m., Hillsborough Grand
Ballroom East, Tampa Airport Marriott, Tampa)
COURT HOLDS MEETINGS: The Supreme Court Task Force on Judicial Branch
Planning holds the first of 9 meetings to discuss the future of the
court . (Monday, 5 p.m. CDT, Pensacola Library, 200 West Gregory St.,
Pensacola)
RETIREMENT ACTUARIES: The Florida Retirement System Actuarial
Assumptions Conference meets. (Monday, 9 a.m., 117 Knott Building.
Tallahassee).
TUESDAY, SEPT. 30, 2008
NATIONAL SECURITY SPEECH: Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
Nancy Soderberg will discuss "National Security Challenges, the Next
President's Inbox," in a free lecture. (Tuesday, 3:30 p.m., Alumni
Center Ballroom, 1028 W. Tennessee St. Florida State University,
Tallahassee).
SUICIDE PREVENTION: The Governor's Office of Suicide Prevention and
BayCare Life Management present the fourth annual Suicide Prevention
Symposium and Conference Tuesday through Friday. (Tuesday-Friday, Caribe
Royale All-Suites Resort, 8101 World Center Dr., Orlando).
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 1, 2008
GOVERNOR'S ACTION TEAM ON ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE: Finalization of
recommendations to Legislature on climate change and energy policy.
(Wednesday, 10 a.m., 412 Knott Building.)
WORKERS COMP: The office of Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink kicks off
a statewide series of training classes aimed at educating the state's
employers about workers compensation (Wednesday, 1 pm, Career and
Service Center of Southwest Florida, 4150 Ford St., Fort Myers)
FLORIDA WILDLIFE CLIMATE CHANGE SUMMIT: The summit will feature two
co-recipients of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize - Virginia Burkett of the
United States Geological Survey and Jean Brennan of the Defenders of
Wildlife. Burkett will speak Wednesday and Brennan will speak Thursday.
(Wednesday, 10 a.m. And Thursday and Friday 8:30 a.m., Rosen Plaza, 9700
International Drive, Orlando.
CRISAFULLI FUNDRAISER: Speaker Designate Ray Sansom hosts a fundraiser
for Steve Crisafulli, candidate for House District 27. (Wednesday, 5
p.m. Florida Chamber of Commerce, 136 S. Bronough St., Tallahassee).
HOMEBUILDERS ASSOCIATION BOARD MEETING AND FALL CONFERENCE: The Florida
Homebuilders Conference gets under way. (Wednesday, 1 p.m. J.W. Mariott
Hotel, 4040 Central Florida Parkway Orlando).
FLA BAR BOARD MEETS: The Florida Bar Board of Governors meets in
Boston, Mass. Wednesday through Sunday. (Wednesday - Sunday, Marriott
Boston Long Wharf, 296 State St., Boston, Mass.)
THURSDAY, OCT. 2
GOVERNOR'S ACTION TEAM ON ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE: Finalization of
recommendations to Legislature on climate change and energy policy.
(Thursday, 9 a.m., 412 Knott Building.)
SBA MEETING OF AUDIT COMMITTEE: The State Board of Administration will
hold a public meeting of the Audit Committee at (Thursday, 10 a.m.,
Hermitage Room, 1801 Hermitage Blvd., Tallahassee).
COURT HOLDS MEETINGS: The Supreme Court Task Force on Judicial Branch
Planning holds the third of 9 meetings to discuss the future of the
court . (Thursday, 4 p.m. Coral Gables Branch Office, 3443 Segovia St.,
Coral Gables)
MUSEUM OF FLORIDA CATHOLIC HISTORY TO OPEN: The Archbishop John C.
Favalora Archive and Museum at St. Thomas University will be dedicated.
The archive, museum and research center will house documents and
artifacts related to the history of Catholicism in South Florida, and
ecompass the archives of the Archdiocese of Miami, St. Thomas
University, the National Office for Black Catholics and other special
collections. The material includes more than 200,000 photographs and
various documents, newspapers and videos. The inauguaral event also
marks the opening of the exhibit "United in Faith" celebrating the 50th
anniversary of the establishment of the Archdiocese of Miami. The
archive's namesake, The Most Reverend John C. Favalora, Archbishop of
Miami, will be in attendance. (Thursday, 7 p.m., St. Thomas University
Library, 16401NW 37th Ave., Miami Gardens.)
FUNDRAISER FOR HOUSE CANDIDATE PETER BOULWARE: Hosted by former
Attorney General Jim Smith, and Fred Varn, who initially was in the
Democratic primary for the same race but kept off the ballot after a
challenge over Varn's eligibility. (Thursday, 6 p.m., 10300 McCracken
Rd., Tallahassee).
--END--
9/26/2008
Illuminating the Sunshine State
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