South Florida 100

Our panel of 100 influential leaders discusses the most important issues affecting you.

TOP STORIES FROM LAST WEEK

Lamar Fisher, member, Broward County Commission. October came to an end last weekend and so did sea turtle nesting season, with a surprising local record-breaking year for leatherback sea turtles. Historically, nesting patterns suggested that 2021 should have been a high nesting year for green sea turtles, but leatherbacks took local biologists by surprise. The record nearly doubles the number of nests since the last record year in 2012, which had 46 leatherback nests. Preliminary nest counts report that 2,795 nests were documented in 2021 in the county. This includes, 2,287 loggerhead nests, 429 green turtle nests and a local record of 79 leatherback nests.

Beam Furr, member, Broward County Commission. Elections in Virginia and New Jersey saw record-turnout for an off-year election, with wins for both parties across the two states. What is notable is that these states worked diligently to increase access to voting, instead of making it difficult to cast a ballot. This election proves that either party can win when turnout is high. There is clearly no electoral incentive for any party to restrict access, and making voting easier is the moral and American thing to do. It would be a great step if other states, especially Florida, followed these results and increased voting rights.

Chip LaMarca, member, Florida House of Representatives. It’s my privilege to file legislation to increase access to health care for Florida’s kids with House Bill 419: Florida KidCare Program Income Eligibility. Florida leads the nation in job creation and economic opportunity, and Florida should also be a leader by protecting access to affordable health care for our kids. We have a tremendous opportunity to protect some of our most vulnerable families from being punished for advancing their career and doing their part to better themselves. With one in 13 kids in Florida uninsured, now is the time to take action to protect them as their parents work to lift themselves toward prosperity.

Jennifer O’Flannery Anderson, president and CEO, Community Foundation of Broward. The Community Foundation of Broward and Our Fund Foundation are teaming up to boost local LGBTQ+ support. On Nov. 1, we launched a new grantmaking collaboration that targets opportunities to foster racial equity for LGBTQ+ residents. We are looking for nonprofits to submit proposals for innovative initiatives that support equity and inclusion for Black and Indigenous people of color who are part of the LGBTQ+ community. Pooling our expertise will create a strategic, lasting impact that makes life better for everyone who calls Broward home. Check out our websites to learn more.

Frank Ortis, mayor, Pembroke Pines. It’s good news to hear that the Florida Senate Community Affairs Committee unanimously passed Senate Bill 224, which will allow cities and counties to restrict smoking on beaches and in public parks under certain circumstances, as well as prohibit smoking within the boundaries of a state park. Current law prohibits local governments from setting up reasonable smoke-free zones so that we can all enjoy our public parks and beaches without suffering from second-hand smoke. A House bill differs regarding state parks and debates will ensue, but we’re on the way to being able to enjoy our outdoors more in 2022.

Tom Powers, chairman, Republican Party of Broward County. The passionate beliefs held by Broward County Republicans are also held by voters in Virginia, New Jersey, Minneapolis and beyond. The GOP message is America’s message: Family values are back! The creation of jobs to feed our economy, the demand that all parents will be involved in their children’s education, and the premise that law enforcement is the cornerstone for safe communities, is the mandate after Tuesday night’s election results. I would also like to congratulate Jason Mariner on his primary victory, as he is now the Republican Party’s candidate for Florida Congressional District 20.

Larry Rein, CEO and President, ChildNet. How welcome and refreshing: Wednesday’s Sun Sentinel reported that Hallandale Beach approved a paid parental leave policy providing municipal employees 12 weeks of paid leave for childbirth, foster care placement or adoption. Hallandale joins Broward County, and may soon be joined by Fort Lauderdale, in providing this vital support. Regrettable that this policy, common internationally, continues to encounter opposition at the federal level. Nonetheless, ChildNet very much appreciates these local efforts, which will strengthen families of all types and, from ChildNet’s perspective, should reduce child removals and increase support to abused children and their substitute caregivers when removals do occur.

Wendy Sartory Link, supervisor of elections, Palm Beach County. The special primary election for U.S. House of Representatives District 20 took place Tuesday, Nov. 2, and included both Palm Beach and Broward counties. There was also a municipal election in Highland Beach on a local referendum. I am happy to report that the election was a success as over 17,000 Palm Beach County voters cast their ballot either by mail, early or on Election Day at the polls. As of today, the election in the Democratic Primary for CD20 is too close to call, which may trigger a recount. You may view the results from both elections at VotePalmBeach.gov.