TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Lawmakers will meet on Tuesday, January 14th for the 2020 Legislative session. The session is expected to last 60 days.
Thousands of bills get filed, but In 2019 less than 200 passed and became law. We wanted to make sure you knew some of the top issues that will be on the minds of lawmakers and people in southwest Florida.
ELECTIONS:
The state has proposed over $6.2 Million dollars for state election funds. The funds would go towards things like cyber-security enhancements, to make sure all 67 Florida counties are up to par.
AMENDMENT 4:
Amendment 4 will also be looked at again. It restores the voting rights to non-violent felons who finished their sentences. At first, lawmakers said those felons had to pay all fines and restitution before they could vote. In October of 2019, a judge overruled that measure. There is still controversy over how these voting rights are described on ballots.
WATER QUALITY:
Water quality is something big on the mind of those in southwest Florida. There is money on the table that would target how to stop Blue-Green Algae and combat the effects of red tide.
E-VERIFY:
Governor Ron Desantis says he wants to see the E-Verify bill passed. It would require employers to check if a potential employee can work in the United States.
GUN BILLS: Gun bills will be a big story at the 2020 Legislative Session. There are dozens of bills already filed and, many contradict each other. Some pro-gun bills call for open carry in the whole state and would allow carrying onto college campuses.
On the other end, one bill would have concealed carry permits holders undergo mental health checks and an assault weapons ban.
Even though there thousands of bills filed, the Legislature only has to pass one thing, which is the state budget.
For a full list of bills click here.
