Tensions flared, and emotions ran high in a 3-day special legislative session in the Florida capital.
Lawmakers from around the state united across the aisle on issues such as hurricane relief and security funding for ethnic organizations. They exchanged barbs, however, about the Israel-Hamas war.
The Florida House and Senate met separately to debate bills on imposing extensive business sanctions on Iran and bolstering security for Jewish institutions and historically black colleges and universities. They talked about giving relief money to industries devastated by Hurricane Idalia and worked on expanding the number of students eligible for school voucher scholarships.
Ultimately, they passed four bills to achieve those goals. The bills were sent to the desk of Gov. Ron DeSantis on Nov. 13. He signed them later that day.
The legislative session began on Nov. 6 with a heart-tugging appeal to take action. Making the session’s opening statements and leading a prayer in a heavy German accent was David Schaecter, a Holocaust survivor.
Mr. Schaecter tearfully recounted watching Nazis shoot his mother and little sisters with machine guns at the edge of a mass grave when he was just 10 years old.
“I urge you all to stand with me and view the world through my eyes, as someone who watched marches and protests in Europe that led to gas chambers and mass graves,“ he told the room full of legislators. ”I am here to tell you that our world needs a rude awakening.
Beefing Up Security
Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers united behind his appeal in a pledge to Jewish Floridians.Israel, she indicated, still is the safest.
The bill, which passed unanimously, provides security funding to Jewish and other ethnic institutions, such as historically black colleges and universities, known as HBCUs.
“Anti-semitism is a corrosive stain on the soul of human history,” Ms. Calatayud said to her colleagues before the vote.
Florida has seen a 400 percent increase in acts of anti-semitism, she said. So it’s important to quickly add funding for beefed-up security at Jewish schools, synagogues, and Holocaust museums, all institutions that could be targeted with violence, she said.
Democratic senators became especially enthusiastic about supporting the bill when language was added to boost funding for security at black institutions, as well.
“I am tired of black kids getting killed in my district,” said state Sen. Jason Pizzo, a Democrat from Broward County. “Every child’s life is so valuable, and it feels trite to put dollar amounts on it. It’s worth more.”
Democratic state Sen. Rosalind Osgood, also from Broward County, agreed, saying, “Hate is wrong. And we know we live in a fallen world, and some people are dominated by evil spirits when they do these horrible things.
“And now we have to safeguard everything everywhere. We need to have a larger conversation about being better people and sincerely dealing with violence.”
The vote on that bill was particularly emotional for Jacksonville-area state senators still reeling from their hometown tragedy on Aug. 26. That’s when Ryan Palmeter, a white man, allegedly opened fire at a Dollar General store, killing three black people.
Angela Michelle Carr was shot in her car. A.J. Laguerre, a store employee, was shot attempting to flee. Jerrald Gallion, a customer, was gunned down while entering the establishment.
The shootings occurred in Jacksonville’s New Town, a predominately black neighborhood. Authorities believe the shootings were racially motivated.
That morning, Mr. Palmeter allegedly parked his car at Edward Waters University, a historically black college with a little more than 1,000 students and faculty on campus. Several students reported seeing a man don tactical gear outside his vehicle in a school parking lot. He fled the scene when police asked him to identify himself, according to police reports.
Two days after the shootings, Florida’s governor told a crowd at a memorial vigil that the state would announce financial support for college security.
“What he did is totally unacceptable in the state of Florida,” Mr. DeSantis said. “We are not going to let people be targeted based on their race.”
State Sen. Tracie Davis, a Democrat from the Jacksonville area, emotionally recalled the details of the shooting to fellow lawmakers.
“You know what happened in Jacksonville, and you can see it is still very painful,” she said, pausing as tears rolled down her cheeks. “You think every day that you’re taking steps away from that. And that you can deal with that.
“My colleagues express the pain that we all still feel, and the fact that our communities are riddled with hate and bigotry.”
Sanctions Against Iranian Businesses
Another measure on the docket for Florida lawmakers during their special session was discussing whether to impose expanded sanctions against Iranian companies beyond those strictly in the petroleum sector.While the federal government imposes its own sanctions against foreign adversaries like Iran and Russia, some Florida lawmakers wanted to create a precedent that goes beyond existing sanctions against Iran.
The United States has implemented wide-reaching sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran since 1979.
The measures block the Florida government from using taxpayer dollars to contract with any companies—foreign or domestic—that do business with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Republican state Rep. John Snyder, sponsor of HB 5-C, said, “The state of Florida is not in the business of funding terrorism.”
During a committee debate on the issue, state Rep. Michele Rayner, a Democrat from St. Petersburg, asked if companies could circumvent the sanctions by going through businesses in neighboring countries near Iran or with companies that have indirect ties with Hamas.
State Rep. Anna Eskamani, a Democrat and the lone Iranian-American in the Florida House, emphasized Russia’s role in supporting Hamas. She questioned why lawmakers haven’t included Russian companies in the expanded sanctions.
She said she has family in Iran and is worried about small businesses that have no choice but to contract with Iran’s authoritarian government. She tearfully declined to vote for the bill, arguing that it was symbolic, instead of substantive policy.
Mr. Pizzo had similar remarks when the bill was debated in the Senate.
“Why isn’t Florida divesting itself in investments it has in Russia and mainland China?” he asked.
“What are we doing differently that the federal government isn’t already doing?” he continued, referring to the extensive list of existing federal Iranian sanctions.
Republican state Sen. Bryan Avila from Miami-Dade County offered his take on the threat from Russia during a floor debate.
Russia has “a history of destabilizing that area, that region, and the countries around Georgia and Crimea,” he said. “That is their strategic objective. They want to go back to the days of the USSR. They want to essentially get all of that land, all of that back, from those countries now enjoying freedom and democracy.”
But he also agreed with the need for sanctions against Iran’s industries.
Iran, he said, “still houses and provides shelter for members of Al-Qaeda. Their objectives are not to only eliminate and completely take them off the map—our ally and friend Israel—but to essentially gain supremacy in that region.
“By us divesting with companies that do business with the Iranian regime, and to include all the other sectors, this will set the standard for the federal government to act.”
Current federal sanctions on Iran are limited to sectors including energy and weapons.
House Erupts in Chaos
In the House, tempers flared when state Rep. Angela Nixon of Jacksonville, a Democrat, introduced HR 31-C. The resolution calls for the “immediate cease-fire and de-escalation in the State of Israel, protection of constitutional rights, and advocating for dignity and safety of residents.”Resolutions are symbolic and implement no policy changes.
Ms. Nixon said the move was meant to “humanize” both sides of the Israel-Hamas war, most notably the innocent civilians, such as children and infants.
“Children should not be punished for the sins of adults,” she said. “This is about humanizing the lives that have been lost as it relates to Israelis and Palestinians.”
And, she railed, “This [legislative] session is a political stunt.”
Republican state Rep. Randy Fine of Brevard County, who has been outspoken about his Jewish faith, grilled Ms. Nixon, and said voting for her resolution would be akin to supporting Hamas and anti-semitism.
He paced in front of his desk, saying there is “evil in this room.”
“This resolution is dangerous because it legitimizes the people out there saying, ‘Gas the Jews,’” Mr. Fine said. “If you vote for this [resolution], you are an anti-semite, and I encourage you to vote no.”
State Rep. Hillary Cassel, a Democrat from Broward County, argued that a “cease fire” existed on Oct. 6, the day before Hamas terrorists attacked Israel, slaughtering about 1,400 civilians and taking more than 200 hostages.
“We are not dealing with rational people,” Ms. Cassel said.
“We are not dealing with equality or equal sides with this issue. We are dealing with an attempt to massacre an entire group of people.”
To cheers and applause, she shouted across the chamber to Ms. Nixon, “We will not back down, which is what we are constantly told to do. Where is your resolution to Ukraine telling them to stop defending themselves against Russia? Why is it just Israel?”
Republican state Rep. Ralph E. Massullo of Citrus and Marion counties said, “Yes, we should seek peace, but you can’t have peace with evil. There will be no peace until that evil is destroyed.”
Republican state Rep. Mike Caruso went further, saying, “There will only be peace when every Hamas soldier is dead.”
Even Ms. Eskamani admitted that Israel and the United States must call for an immediate release of all Israelis taken by Hamas as hostages before asking for a “cease-fire.”
Hurricane Idalia Relief Funding
One of the most popular efforts among lawmakers during the special session was an increase in disaster relief funding for the Big Bend region’s agriculture and aquaculture industries devastated by Hurricane Idalia in September. The Big Bend refers to the crook in Florida’s western coastline, where it curves sharply, and the northern region of the state becomes what’s known as the Florida Panhandle.State Sen. Corey Simon of Tallahassee and state Rep. Jason Shoaf, who represents a dozen counties in Florida’s Big Bend region, advanced bills in their respective chambers to provide $417 million in relief funding. The bills proposed by the two Republicans will help farmers and others in the agriculture and aquaculture industries affected by the storm. The funding also would help homeowners needing assistance to rebuild and strengthen their homes.
Mr. Simon spoke passionately ahead of the committee debate, explaining that no money would go to businesses that abandoned the Big Bend region following this year’s storm. He took aim at Georgia-Pacific, which closed its plant in Perry after 70 years of operating in the small rural community. Now, many badly needed jobs are gone, he lamented.
Lawmakers invited agriculture and aquaculture business owners and leaders to tell why they need help.
Joe Cannon, vice president of Cedar Key Aquaculture Association, has farmed clams for 25 years. He said his industry was on a path this year to reach $50 million in valuation. But that achievement was thwarted by the havoc Hurricane Idalia created in the region.
The industry recorded an 89–91 percent loss for the year in the storm’s wake, he said. He expects it to take two years for aquaculture businesses to recover.
“Our industry is on life support,” he said, pleading with legislators to pass the relief bill.
Democratic state Sen. Bobby Powell commended the efforts to boost hurricane relief.
Farmers “don’t ask—they just go to work,” he said. “In times of need, I am glad this body sees them, and the value they provide for us is great. I am encouraged that we will finally get the help these folks need. We’re gonna give these folks time to improve and recover from this historic event.”
Expanding School Vouchers
The final order of business in the special session was considering an expansion of students eligible for Florida’s Step Up for Students (SUFS) scholarships.Step Up For Students is a state-approved nonprofit scholarship-funding organization. It helps administer the Personal Learning Scholarship Account for students with “special needs” and the income-based Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program.
Democrats and Republicans said they'd received many calls from worried parents who still haven’t received promised funding for their children’s education this school year. Some had already pulled their children from public schools and were counting on the scholarship payments for tuition.
Many schools have reported not receiving the payments for the students they enrolled. The state hoped to have more than 96 percent of vouchers processed by Nov. 12, Mr. Collins said. He said the SUFS waitlist includes 8,339 applicants.
The wait times have disproportionately affected families of students with special needs, said Mr. Collins, who has a child with autism. With the new bill, children with an autism diagnosis would be automatically accepted into the SUFS program.
Mary Josephine Walsh, the founder of the Coalition for Private Schools, spoke emotionally about her journey with her son, who is deaf. He also does not speak because of severe autism.
She first opened a private school to help him, she said. After 10 years, the school is on the brink of closure, she said.
Because students’ state scholarship money hasn’t arrived to pay their tuition, she has exhausted her savings and reached the limit on her credit cards, she said. Meanwhile, the school’s mortgage payments loom, she said.
For months, she said, she called the state frequently to try to learn when the disbursements would arrive, only to be given excuses. She disputed testimony by state officials who had told lawmakers that only a small percentage of private schools still await payments.
“We cannot abandon our children in the wake of this gross mismanagement,” she said.
She worries that disbursement to cover tuition for children receiving scholarships from the state could be delayed until the start of the next school year.
“We simply cannot wait” till then, Ms. Walsh pleaded.
More Needs
State Rep. Fentrice Driskell, the Democratic minority leader of the House, reminded the body of the state’s growing needs beyond the session’s scope. She praised efforts to address economic and educational problems in the state, but urged lawmakers of both parties to go further in helping Floridians in future legislative sessions.Because Republicans currently have a majority in both chambers, they control which bills can be discussed and taken to a vote.
