Scott to sign bill that will mostly block minors from getting married
The Florida House on Friday voted 109-1 to pass a measure that will largely block minors from getting married in Florida. The Senate passed the bill Monday, and Gov. Rick Scott plans to sign the bill, a spokesman said.
The bill (SB 140) is a compromise after the Senate initially sought to ban all marriages of people younger than 18. House members, however, balked at a complete ban, pointing to circumstances such as 16- or 17-year-olds getting pregnant.
Under the compromise, state law would bar people younger than 18 from getting marriage licenses. But it would include an exception for 17-year-olds who have written consent from their parents or guardians. Also, the 17-year-olds could not marry people who are more than two years older.
Under current law, minors ages 16 and 17 can get marriage licenses with parental consent, and judges have discretion to issue licenses to younger minors if they have children or if pregnancies are involved. The legislation emerged because of the story of 58-year-old Sherry Johnson, who said she was forced to marry her adult rapist at age 11 after giving birth. Johnson lobbied for an outright ban on marriage licenses for people under 18, with Senate Rules Chairwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Fort Myers, proposing a ban. After Friday’s vote, Johnson said she was pleased with the outcome.
House backs generator rule
In a surprise turnaround, the Florida House agreed Friday to ratify a rule that requires assisted living facilities to have backup generators on site and enough fuel for 72 hours.
Gov. Rick Scott’s administration issued the generator rule for assisted living facilities in September following the deaths of residents of The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills in Broward County after Hurricane Irma knocked out the nursing home’s air-conditioning system. But House Republican leaders cited worries about the estimated $243 million cost over the next five years.
But the House agreed Friday to take up a Senate ratification bill (SB 7028) and voted 108-1 to pass it. The Senate voted unanimously Monday to approve the bill, which means the measure is now ready to go to Scott for his signature.
The House and Senate also had agreed to ratify a generator rule for nursing homes.
Nursing homes, residents win
Nursing homes for the poor will get a $130 million bump in Medicaid payments, and residents who live in the facilities will get nearly a 25 percent increase in a monthly stipend they can use for personal needs, under a state budget deal finalized Thursday.
Senate Appropriations Chairman Rob Bradley said the personal allowance for nursing home residents has long been a priority of senators, and this year’s budget increases the amount from $105 to $130.
The $130 million increase in Medicaid spending for nursing homes comes at a time that the Legislature is requiring nursing homes to have generators and enough fuel to cool facilities during emergencies.
Florida Forever set to get $100M
Neglected for nearly a decade, the Florida Forever conservation program would get $100.8 million in a proposed $88.7 billion budget that lawmakers are expected to approve Sunday.
Rep. Ben Albritton, a Wauchula Republican who chairs the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee, said most of the money would go for land preservation.
Albritton said the Florida Forever money in the proposed budget (HB 5001) includes $5.8 million for the Rural and Family Lands Protection program, $6 million for recreational park development, $77 million for acquisition of unique lands, and $10 million for the Florida Communities Trust program, which also includes land buying. The Rural and Family Lands program is used for conservation easements, which keep land from being developed while allowing ranchers and farmers to continue operating on the land.
The proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 also includes $248.1 million for Everglades restoration; $61.2 million for beach restoration; $52.1 million for citrus canker claims payments in Palm Beach and Broward counties; $46.1 million for state park repairs; $50 million for a federal project to restore the Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee; $50 million for restoration of the state’s natural springs; and $18.3 million for citrus-greening research.