Today is the scheduled final day of the 60-day session of the Legislature.
Biblical theme park given property tax exemption
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published May 5, 2006
Orlando's Holy Land Experience, a biblical nonprofit theme park, won't have to pay property taxes under a bill passed 28-10 by the Senate Thursday and sent to the governor.
Sen. Gary Siplin, D-Orlando, tried at the last minute to derail the bill (HB 7183), contending it was narrowly tailored for one entity and should have been considered as a "local bill." Senate Rules Chairman Ken Pruitt, R-Port St. Lucie, ruled otherwise.
The bill - which stems from Holy Land's ongoing fight with the Orange County property appraiser - is drafted to grant theme parks "used to exhibit, illustrate, and interpret biblical manuscripts" an exemption from local property taxes, like churches, even though the parks charge money.
The bill only applies to 501(c)3 organizations, making a property with creationism science displays, Dinosaur Adventure Land in Pensacola, ineligible.
Byrd Alzheimer's Center in line for $60-millionThe Legislature Thursday passed and sent to Gov. Jeb Bush a bill that provides $60-million over four years in funding for the Johnnie B. Byrd Sr. Alzheimer's Center and Research Institute at the University of South Florida in Tampa. The center is named in memory of the father of former House Speaker Johnnie Byrd of Plant City.
The bill (HB 1027), sponsored by Rep. Adam Hasner, R-Delray Beach, includes four-year appropriations of $36-million for cancer research and $24-million for biomedical research.
Hasner said the bill mandates that $3-million of the Byrd center's annual $15-million appropriation be spent on peer-reviewed, investigator-initiated research.
Final passage was delayed until the House agreed to Senate President Tom Lee's insistence that the governor and Legislature appoint the institute's 11 board members. Under current law, they appoint their successors or reappoint themselves.
Inmates get more leeway to seek DNA exonerationA bill expanding access to DNA testing for people who plead guilty to crimes, not just those convicted by juries, is headed to Gov. Jeb Bush after gaining unanimous approval in Senate on Thursday and previously passing the House.
The bill (HB 61) also eliminates the time limit for inmates to seek a review. The current deadline is July 1, 2006.
"It's quite a giant step forward for Florida," said Jenny Greenberg, director of the Florida Innocence Initiative, which worked to free Alan Crotzer of St. Petersburg after DNA evidence showed he did not commit a 1981 rape. Crotzer served 24 years in prison before being let out in January.
House settles for less for affordable housingLawmakers locked in the number they will spend helping Floridians find homes they can afford - $516-million - and the House sent the measure to Gov. Jeb Bush.
The bill (HB 1363) includes $50-million for down payment assistance and loans directed at middle-income workers struggling to find affordable homes where they work, $30-million to help poor Floridians, $60-million for hurricane rental recovery, $15-million for farmworker hurricane recovery, and $7-million for homeless programs.
The House originally decided to spend $634-million, but in the end accepted the Senate proposal unanimously.
--The Legislature's official Web site: www.leg.state.fl.us