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Sex offenders may be noted on state IDs

By Times Staff
Published April 27, 2007

TALLAHASSEE - Drivers' licenses and ID cards issued to sexual offenders and predators would bear special markings revealing their criminal history, under amendments to the Jessica Lunsford Act passed unanimously by the Senate Thursday and headed for passage in the House. The changes to the bill (SB 988) also clarify fingerprinting and background check requirements for school contractors.

State gets grant to hold summit

Florida will conduct a criminal justice mental health summit this fall using grant money awarded by the Council of State Governments Justice Center, Florida Supreme Court Justice Fred Lewis announced Thursday. Florida will receive up to $12,000 for expenses for the statewide summit this fall. Seven states were chosen by the Justice Center, which was created in part to address the way states handle mentally ill inmates.

28 amendments added to cable bill

Senators are poised to vote today on whether to make it easier for telephone companies to enter the cable TV market. There were 28 late-filed amendments Thursday in the battle that has pitted cable companies, consumer groups and local governments against telephone companies. Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, inserted language to penalize cable providers if they discriminate against certain neighborhoods. Lobbyists for cities and counties scrambled to regain some control over public access channels and competition.

House debates abortion bill

The House on Thursday debated an abortion bill sponsored by Rep. Trey Traviesa, R-Tampa. The most controversial provision: requiring women to receive an ultrasound and be asked if they want to see the image. Susan Bucher, D-West Palm Beach, called it an ugly amendment designed to inflict psychological damage. Rep. Curtis Richardson, D-Tallahassee, asked if Traviesa simply wanted to make it more difficult for a woman to seek an abortion. "Of course not," Traviesa replied. "This is about the precious life of an unborn child and the standard of care that woman is receiving."

Senator backs off power plant plan

Sen. Mike Bennett backed off a controversial amendment Thursday that would have paved the way for Florida Power & Light to build a coal-fired plant near the Everglades. A day before, Bennett, R-Bradenton, met resistance when he asked that the measure be attached to a bill he's sponsoring to help Tampa Electric charge customers upfront for the costs of building a $1.5-billion gasified coal plant in Polk County.

House cleans up bill's 'glitches'

The House on Thursday unanimously passed an insurance "glitch bill" that mostly dealt with technical issues. Earlier drafts of the bill stripped away some consumer-friendly work negotiated during the special session in January. One industry-driven revision that made its way into the bill was aimed at malpractice insurers, extending their ability to escape assessments if the state's catastrophe fund falls into the red. The exemption is controversial because several medical malpractice insurers have reported record profits in Florida.

[Last modified April 27, 2007, 01:21:19]