Legislation that failed during the 2011 session of the Florida Legislature, which ended Saturday, would have:
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
- Deregulated a variety of businesses and occupations including interior design, sports and talent agents, moving, telemarketing, gyms, auto repair, dance studios and hair and body wrapping.
- Exempted online hotel booking companies from taxes on price mark-ups they argue are service fees, a claim being challenged in court.
COURTS(equals)
- Put on the ballot a constitutional amendment that would have expanded the Florida Supreme Court from seven to 10 justices and divide it into two five-member panels, one each for criminal and civil cases
- Authorized a $12 million payment to Eric Brody, who suffered severe brain injuries when a speeding Broward County deputy crashed into his car 13 years ago.
- Cap lawyer fees at $10,000 for in personal injury protection auto insurance cases.
CRIME & PUNISHMENT(equals)
- Required lineups to be run by an officer who doesn't know who the suspect is.
- Allowed a computer user to be charged with possessing child pornography for simply viewing multiple images without downloading them.
- Prohibited the handcuffing or other restraint of pregnant prison and jail inmates unless they are security risks.
- Paid $810,000 to compensate William Dillon, who was cleared by DNA of a Brevard County murder after 27 years in prison.
- Made illegal immigration a state crime, allowed police to question suspects about their immigration status and required employers to use a federal database to check the immigration status of prospective hires.
ENVIRONMENT(equals)
- Repealed a law passed last year requiring period septic tank inspections.
- Prohibited state, regional and local government agencies from implementing federal nutrient limits designed to clean up algae-choked waters but opposed by business and agriculture interests as well as many local officials.
GAMBLING(equals)
- Ended a requirement that greyhound racing tracks must offer live racing to keep card tables and other betting games.
GOVERNMENT
- Banned the deduction of union dues from public employees' pay.
- Designated the barking tree frog as Florida's official state amphibian.
HEALTH & SAFETY
- Required youth and high school sports sanctioning bodies to adopt head injury policies and barring a concussed athlete from returning to play without written clearance from a doctor.
- Allowed the removal of manual fire alarms from certain condominium buildings under four stories.
- Repealed a "potty parity" law that sets a male-to-female toilet ratio for public buildings.
TRAFFIC(equals)
- Increased penalties for drivers who turn their audio systems to the max with their windows down while driving.
- Repealed a law passed last year permitting the use of cameras to catch red light runners.
- Required motorists driving in the far left lane of a multiple lane roadway to move to the right to let faster vehicles pass them, a measure aimed at reducing road rage.
- Ended discounts for using the SunPass electronic toll-paying system.
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