LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK

Mike Caruso, member, Florida House of Representatives. All eyes are on the vaccine. The governor said in his press release that the first wave of vaccine distribution will be happening before we know it. The vaccine is the first step toward a future where the pandemic no longer controls our lives and we can see our grandparents again.

Dan Daley, member, Florida House of Representatives. In Broward County alone, there have been 102,638 confirmed cases of COVID19, and this number will likely continue to rise. Despite increased cases across the state, Gov. DeSantis has extended the state pandemic reopening’s phase three. This executive order removed all state-level business limitations and limited local governments from imposing mask mandates. These steps are concerning in light of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases. We must continue to push the governor to re-impose reasonable restrictions, as well as permit local governments to do what they do best – keep their residents safe.

Andrew Duffell, president, Research Park at Florida Atlantic University. The pandemic has forced a reckoning for Florida’s economy: We need more revenue and shouldn’t rely on tourists driving sales tax revenues. Two simple, known and analyzed steps the Legislature can take immediately to increase revenues sustainably: 1) close the internet sales tax loophole, mandating online retailers collect and remit sales tax even if they don’t have a physical Florida presence and 2) mandate corporations submit combined reports rather than separate filings for each LLC, which enables legal tax avoidance. These two steps would enable the Legislature to preserve the state’s investments in education, research and child welfare, among others.

Joseph Goldstein, managing partner, Shutts & Bowen Fort Lauderdale. “Choose a Gift that Changes Lives” was a recent opinion piece by Nicholas Kristoff in The New York Times. As we begin the holiday shopping season, I encourage you to adapt Kristoff ’s recommendation, and purchase a subscription to your local paper for a young adult. Participation in civic life is important to sustaining our democracy. The Pew Research Center reports that only 25% of the population is able to identify the three branches of government. Reading the local newspaper will increase your civic learning. Fortunately, our Pulitzer Prize-winning Sun Sentinel is a worthy gift to promote such civil learning.

Christine Hunschofsky, member, Florida House of Representatives. Let’s strengthen our response to the COVID fallout for our vulnerable communities that continue to struggle by supporting the expansion of a national service program. A bipartisan group of U.S. senators, including Delaware Democrat Chris Coons and Mississippi Republican Roger Wicker have introduced the CORPS (Cultivating Opportunity and Response to the Pandemic through Service) Act, which would provide a total of 600,000 paid service opportunities nationwide over the next three years to unemployed people who want to help their communities. These service jobs could support a variety of response and recovery efforts while recommitting our national focus to service and community.

Clarence McKee, president, McKee Communications. Georgia’s U.S. Senate runoff election in January shapes up to be all about race-baiting. The question is whether and how the two Republican U.S. senators, Kelly Loeffler, who has a Black opponent, and David Perdue, will overcome expected attacks accusing them of being racists because they support President Trump. The message will be simple: “A vote for either or both is a vote for ‘racist Donald Trump.’” Hopefully, Black, Hispanic and white parents in Georgia will care more about providing for their families and assuring a decent education for their children than hateful race-baiting rhetoric!

Burnadette Norris-Weeks, attorney, Austin Pamies Norris Weeks, LLC. The dust from the 2020 general election is starting to settle, and it’s clear that Floridians can look forward to a vicious 2022 midterm election. Disinformation campaigns targeting Latino voters in South Florida were unprecedented. These campaigns falsely compared President-elect Biden to Fidel Castro and Nicolás Maduro, with an understanding that where Spanish is the dominant language, Latino voters are extremely vulnerable to disinformation. The Republican Party astutely recognized that these same voters remain connected to the political climate in their counties of origin. Misleading messaging was targeted with this mind. Expect the dirty tricks to get dirtier and more sinister.

Tim Ryan, member, Broward County Commission. The Dec. 2 deadline to apply for the county’s CARES Act Assistance Programs is fast approaching. If you have been financially impacted by COVID-19, you may be eligible for assistance. Broward residents can apply for rental assistance. If you own a small business or run a nonprofit organization, separate assistance programs are also available. The application process takes time and requires specific documents. Submissions are reviewed on a rolling basis, so apply immediately. To learn more or apply visit https://www.broward.org/cares. Questions about the program can be directed to 954-831-2380.