By Peter Schorsch
Sixty Days Newsletter
March 4, 2022
The lines are set — at least for state legislative districts. The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday cleared new House and Senate maps for the 2022 elections. The automatic review of cartography crafted and approved by the Florida Legislature closes a once-a-decade redistricting process for the state’s 40 Senate districts and 120 House districts. For the first time since that automatic review went into effect in 1968, no petitions were challenged against the maps. That prompted justices to cancel oral arguments and base decisions on filings from the House and Senate. A partisan performance analysis by MCI Maps shows the Senate map includes 23 districts where a plurality or majority voted for Republican Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election and 17 where voters picked Democrat Joe Biden. For the House, the split is 71-49. Here’s your nightly rundown.
Two-map solution. The House formally voted to advance a controversial two-map plan (HB 7503) as part of Florida’s congressional redistricting legislation.
Under the microscope. Budget proviso put forward by the House would have the state take a closer look at Medicaid-managed care plans care for patients with sickle cell disease.
Infrastructure week. The Panhandle is cashing in on its strong representation as House and Senate budget negotiators agreed to an additional $28.1 million in infrastructure funding.
Cancer cash. Sylvester Cancer Center’s fight against firefighter cancer is likely to get a $2 million boost from the state.
STEM the tide. The Senate has met the House in its offer to allocate $1.5 million for the Pinellas County Science Center to repair storm damage and become ADA compliant.
Never forget. After holding its ground in allocating $750,000 to the Florida Holocaust Museum, the Senate was able to close a deal with the House in the lower chamber’s second budget offer.
‘Don’t Say Gay.’ Tallahassee-area students poured into the Capitol as part of a statewide student demonstration against a measure (HB 1557) limiting LGBTQ instruction in Florida’s schools.
Doctors’ orders. Gov. Ron DeSantis is attempting to resuscitate a plan (HB 687/SB 1184) known as the Free Speech of Health Care Practitioners Act.
Ready to sign. The Senate sent a bill (SB 340) to the Governor’s desk that would allow parents to draft “individualized seizure action plans” school staff could follow in the event of a seizure.
Vestigial feature. Same-sex marriage is legal, but the Republican-controlled Legislature won’t be passing bills (SB 168/HB 6015) to strike out the state laws banning it.
BYOT. For the second straight year, legislation (SB 248/HB 175) that would make tampons and sanitary pads freely available in Florida public schools has died.
PBMs. The Senate unanimously passed a House measure (HB 357) that would impose more regulations on pharmacy benefit managers, sending it to the Governor.
Clean bill of health. The Governor announced that First Lady Casey DeSantis is now “cancer-free.”
Sour or sweet. The House is prepared for a vote on one of the most bitterly contested bills (HB 567) this Session — legislation that would designate strawberry shortcake with a dollop of whip cream as the state dessert.
