Session Update

Legislators received an updated economic forecast from the state’s Revenue Estimating Conference. State economists revealed in their forecast of tax collections that for the year ahead that while the state economy is showing a slight improvement, Florida will continue to face a budget shortfall of as much as $3.2 billion. The good news from the report was that for the first time in three years we expect to see positive economic growth in the weeks ahead. But that growth is nowhere near the level we saw just a few years ago meaning we will continue to face difficult economic challenges here in Florida.

With those facts in mind, my House colleagues and I remain committed to continuing to work hard on crafting a responsible, common-sense budget that reflects Florida’s economic realities without burdening Florida’s families or businesses with new taxes.

In these times when big government continues to invade the private lives of our citizens, it is critical that we explore the constitutionality of big government’s actions. With this goal in mind, House Joint Resolution (HJR) 37, known as the Health Care Freedom Act, continues to move through the legislative process. The measure is a proposed constitutional amendment that seeks to ensure that Floridians' rights are not abridged by overreaching and invasive government mandates on their private health care decisions as mandated by the recent Federal Health Care Reform legislation passed in Washington and signed by President Obama. HJR 37 passed the House Floor on Thursday.

In order to provide a first-rate learning experience for our children, we must have policies that are practical and applicable. I voted to pass Senate Joint Resolution 2, Class Size Requirements for Public Schools. This legislation will change the way class size limits are calculated; providing school districts with the flexibility as it relates to the Class Size Amendment. By right sizing the Class Size Amendment, school districts will have the flexibility to focus on student gains and reward excellent teachers as we endeavor to provide our children with a world-class education taught by world-class teachers.

The Florida House of Representatives website, http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/, is a useful tool to track and research filed legislation.

Please do not hesitate to contact me at Steve.Precourt@myfloridahouse.gov with any questions on legislation or policy.