LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK

Lori Berman, member, Florida Senate. It should come as no surprise that Gov. DeSantis will be hosting a holiday party for lawmakers at the governor’ s mansion. While corona virus cases continue to surge at an all-time high, silence befalls the governor. Not only this, legislators who would not otherwise be traveling to Tallahassee this time of year are traveling for a party that could become a super sp reader event. The governor has botched his COVID-19 response since day one, and the recent resignation of a Judicial Nominating Committee member only reaffirms this. It’s time to take responsibility, governor.

Lauren Book, member, Florida Senate. Florida’s classrooms should not be places of fear, isolation or physical restraint. I am committed to changing the lawto ensure students with disabilities are not placed into dangerous situations, specifically those that include seclusion and inappropriate physical restraint. In the past decade, we have had over 75,000 incidents where students were restrained and more than 20,000 where theywere put into the equivalent of solitary confinement. Use of proper restraint must be tightly regulated, and seclusion should be eliminated from schools. While most special education professionals do it right most of the time, we need to protect all children all the time.

Lamar Fisher, member, Broward County Commission. The holiday season is upon us, and as you are making your holiday shopping lists this year, please keep in mind several tips to protect yourself. Due to the pandemic, online shopping has become th eNo. 1way to shop this year. This also means that cybercrime is also on the rise. The Federal Trade Commission advises customers to please follow these security tips: Take time to compare products, check out the seller, look for coupon codes, pay by credit card, use secure checkout and of course, keep a record of your purchase!

Lois Frank el, member, U.S. House of Representatives. If you have lost your job and your health care insurance or are looking for affordable coverage, be aware that Tuesday, Dec. 15, is the deadline to sign up for an Affordable CareAct plan unless you experience a life-changing event. Most Americans qualify for financial help fromthe federal government that will lower the cost of the premiums. Free assistance is available by federal paid navigators to help you find the right plan and coverage for your family. Call (813) 974-8888 or visit CoveringFlorida.org for assistance, or go to healthcare.gov directly to find your plan on your own.

Christine Hunschofsky, member, Florida House of Representatives. It has been eight years since a gunman tragically killed 20 elementary school children and 6 adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14, 2012. In the years since, we have seen various laws implemented in some states to reduce gun violence and improve school safety. While COVID-19 currently dominates the headlines, wemust not forget to also work in a comprehensive manner to reduce gun violence through background checks, safe storage and other measures, while simultaneously focusing on addressing policy changes and providing funding allocations tomake our schools safer as students transition back to in-person learning. Jennifer and CEO, Aswe of the coronavirus continue Community O ’Flannery experiencing pandemic, Foundation Anderson, the it’s important local of Broward.president effects to stay focused on South Florida’s fight against sea-level rise. A ground breaking new report projects amore than $5 billion economic benefit for Broward ifwe invest in community-wide improvements— like seawalls and restored beach dunes— to protect the place we call home. The Community Foundation of Broward is proud tobe among the regional partners that sponsored “The Business Case for Resilience in Southeast Florida,” whichmakes a compelling case for doing more to tackle one of our biggest challenges.

Frank Ortis, mayor, Pembroke Pines. School winter break is fast approaching. Formany, it will be a time to decompress and assess the true impact this pandemic has had on our students. The Broward Public School District with the Parent University Task Force will hold a webinar on Monday, Dec. 14, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., to help parents identify signs and triggers of their children’s mental health needs at this time. This pandemic has taken a significant toll onmany of our students, and we must use every resource in supporting their mental health now. I encourage everyone to visit browardschools.com/parentuniversity for more info.

Matt Willhite, member, Florida House of Representatives. On Monday, state records recorded 106 deaths related to COVID-19, the highest fatality report for a Monday since the pandemic began. By Monday, a total of 19,529 Floridians had died. Florida is on track to get two million doses of the vaccine by the end of the year, and Palm Beach County is ready to store and distribute the vaccine. Yet, out of the five hospitals in Florida’s major metropolitan areas selected to receive a vaccine, not one was in Palm Beach County. As one of Florida’s hardest-hit counties, this is unacceptable. We must put pressure on the state to bring a vaccine here.