Monday, May 16, 2011

Florida legislation that failed to pass in 2011

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- Repealed a law passed last year requiring period septic tank inspections.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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