Friends,
As the month closes, we will be well into our final few weeks of committee meetings before the 2020 Legislative Session begins in January. This leadership in Tallahassee is very talented, energetic and committed to making Florida the best place to live, work and raise a family. We have you, the voter, to thank for sending us these leaders and it is quite humbling to be part of this great process that shapes policy for 20 million residents and millions more visitors. We do not have a perfect system, but it is so much better than anything they have anywhere else in the world. We have gotten to work on a lot great ideas and proposals so far, and it is exciting to be able to share a few of those things with you today.
Earlier this year, we filed SB 498 Consumer Protection. This legislation will crack down on unlicensed vendors who have been predominately preying on people living in our senior communities, but their reach is not just limited to them and it is becoming a state-wide issue. These are vendors that typically show up at your front door, promise a service, take your deposit and either never return, or only partially complete the job. This legislation would help put a stop to these dishonest practices.
More specific to Lake County, though its affects will be felt throughout the region, we have filed SB 384, which would eliminate an unnecessary water authority board called the Harris Chain of Lake Restoration Council. This board was recommended to sunset in 2008, but action was never taken to do so. Eliminating government waste and bureaucracy has always been a top priority, and this is one way that we begin doing that.
Speaking of top priorities, the issue of protecting life has and always will be number one. We have some great pro-life legislation coming out of the Florida Legislature. SB 404, filed by Senator Stargel, will require parental consent for a minor to have an abortion procedure. Current state law only requires parental notification. It is absurd to think that a 15-year-old girl has to have consent from her parents before getting Tylenol at school, but could be allowed to walk into a clinic and get an invasive, dangerous procedure without any input from her parents. Your Senator has also filed legislation that would help expand the Safe Haven Law to add “newborn safety devices” as an acceptable method of surrendering an infant at one of these Safe Havens. No person should ever have to make such a difficult decision, but this addition to our Save Haven Law would allow them to do so in complete anonymity and hopefully encourage more people to choose to allow their infant a chance to live their life. Our hope is that this will continue to spread the message that all life has value, even if it is not how someone envisioned it would be.
Finally, we have also filed a memorial to the U.S. Congress, urging them to adopt an Amendment to the Constitution, titled “Regulation Freedom Amendment”, that would require any federal regulation to be adopted by a majority vote of the House and Senate. Every day, more federal regulatory authority threaten our constitutional liberties. Federal regulators need more accountability from the people’s elected representatives.
As always, it is a pleasure to serve you, thank you for your continued prayers and support. Onward & Upward.
Senator Dennis Baxley
