The Melo Minute
March 25th, 2021 – Excellence in Education Edition
Bill of the Week:
HB 1279 – Florida Talent Development Council
Preparing Our Students
This week I had the honor of presenting HB 1279 to the Secondary Education & Career Development Subcommittee. I would like to thank the members of this committee for unanimously voting up on this bill. If you click on the image you will be able to watch the entire committee meeting. I present my bill at the 20 minute mark!
HB 1279 requires the Florida Talent Development Council to create a report recommending any potential avenues for implementing the Pathways in Technology Early College Highschool program (P-TECH program) here in Florida.
The P-TECH program is a model that incorporates secondary and post-secondary education with workforce-centered learning and experiences. The program would be a flexible 6-year model for students to work on at their own pace.
Upon completion of the study a thorough report would be presented to the Governor, the Senate President, the Speaker of the House, the Board of Governors, and the State Board of Education. Should the implementation of P-TECH be seen as reasonable, feasible, and beneficial for our students, further action may be taken to implement it.
With this valuable information we will be able to appropriately address the global “skills gap” crisis, strengthen our future workforce, and provide underserved youth with an innovative education that creates a direct pathway to college attainment and career readiness.
Bills Making Progress
HB 491 – The Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board
This week I introduced HB 491 which addresses the composition of the Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board (FREAB). Currently, the FREAB’s composition does not adequately represent the public. This bill would adjust the makeup of the board in an effort to provide a more equitable distribution of industry representation (based on the number of licensees) while still protecting the interests of the public. It does so by decreasing the number of board members who represent the appraisal management industry from two to one and increasing the number of board members who represent the general public from two to three.
I presented HB 491 before the Regulatory Reform Subcommittee on Wednesday, 3/24, at 3:45pm. It passed the committee unanimously with 15 votes in favor of the bill.
HB 1 – Combating Public Disorder
This bill responds to the violent riots and disorderly protests that have been occurring across the nation. The bill’s primary focus is increasing criminal penalties to individuals or groups who cause damage to any person or property while rioting. The bill protects our communities, our businesses, and our police officers while safeguarding the role of peaceful protests in our republic.
HB 1 appeared before the House Floor for it’s final vote today. I voted in favor of the bill’s passage and it passed the House 76-39. If you wish to see how the bill was debated on the floor, click here!
What We’re Reading…
Gov. DeSantis… Commissioner… Initiative for Non-University Education
WINK News
Biden Administration Not Taken Seriously by America’s World Adversaries
David Bossie
Governor Ron DeSantis Shows up… Biden… with Vaccine Distribution
Unbossed Reporting
Vaccine Information
· An exciting announcement from Governor DeSantis! Beginning Monday, March 29th, the Governor will make it so that all individuals age 40 and older will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The following Monday, April 5th, all individuals age 18 and older will be eligible to receive the vaccine.
· If you or someone you know still needs to get a vaccine, here are some resources you can utilize:
· You can pre-register for a vaccine through the State’s system by going to myvaccine.fl.gov, or by calling (866) 201-4885 if you’re in Collier County or (866) 201-6745 if you’re in Hendry County.
· CVS website for scheduling an appointment.
· Publix website for scheduling a vaccination.
· Homebound seniors can get a vaccine by sending an email to HomeboundVaccine@em.myflorida.com
