For Florida, the stimulus package will mean $12.2 billion across a broad range of programs over the next two years. Specifically, more than $105 million is earmarked for childcare, but it is still subject to legislative action. According to documents released by the Governor, his proposed budget anticipates spending $53.7 million for FY 2008-09 and $51.5 million in 2009-10. Florida will also receive $29.9 million for Head Start programs, which will go directly to the local level. The Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy prepared a report, "What the Economic Stimulus Means to Florida," which provides some additional information of impacts across all state programs. Read the report.

 

2009 Legislative Session Begins Next Week

Opening ceremonies for the 2009 Legislative Session begin next week, March 3. Declining revenues and a weakened economy have placed a greater emphasis on the need to invest in health and human services and family support.  The Florida CSC team will be working with legislators to maximize federal and state revenue on behalf of children and families. Several bills have been filed, and Florida CSC will actively monitor these and other pieces of legislation as they evolve. Below are just a few: 

 

• Cigarette Tax Increase - Florida's cigarette tax would go up by $1 to just under $1.34 a pack under legislation filed by Sen. Ted Deutch. The bill (SB 1840) is meant to induce people to stop smoking, according to Deutch, but the revenue - estimated at more than $500 million a year - would be used for biomedical research aimed at finding a cancer cure, and related infrastructure projects, which could help jump start the economy.
• Streamlined Sales Tax on Internet Purchases -- Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, together with Sen. Evelyn Lynn, filed Streamlined Sales and Use Tax bills (HB 329 & SB 1134) and sent letters to members of Congress and President-elect Barack Obama urging them to pass federal legislation that will enable states to collect Internet sales taxes.
• Property Tax Reform - Among other provisions, HJR 97 by Rep. Carl Domino, limits increases in commercial or residential rental property to greater of 5 percent or average annual percentage growth in revenues derived. It also provides first-time homestead property owners with additional homestead exemption equal to 50 percent of property's just value in first year and is reduced by 20 percent in each succeeding year. HB 105 by Rep. Clay Ford, provides for a decrease or no change in assessed value of homestead property under specified circumstances. And HB 849 by Rachel Burgin deletes a requirement that the property appraiser consider a property's highest and best use when determining a property's just value.

Crist Outlines $66.5B State Budget, Includes Federal Funds

Last week Gov. Charlie Crist released his 2009-10 proposed budget, totaling $66.5 billion, including $4.7 billion in federal stimulus dollars. Among his budget recommendations, Gov. Crist included:

• Increased funding for KidCare - additional $52 million, to cover costs associated with increased enrollment and utilization of health care services
• Funding to maintain VPK - $17.9 million to maintain VPK at $367.3 million to serve anticipated enrollment growth and to maintain the base student allocation adopted in the 2009 Special Session
• Funding for School Readiness - $670.5 million in state funds to provide child care to 153,975 children. Federal funding of $51.6 million in Fiscal Year 2009-10
• Funding for juvenile justice - $636.5 million to fund juvenile justice programs
• Funding for school health nurse services - $9 million to maintain current levels

To view the full budget, go to: http://peoplesbudget.state.fl.us/.

 

More Property Tax Cuts Proposed

Along with his budget recommendations for 2009-10, Gov. Crist released proposals for additional property tax reforms that will impact all local government entities including children's services councils. If passed, the reforms would continue the erosion of revenues that support local services. One constitutional amendment would:

Early Learning Gets Special Mention in Presidential Address

A mention of an issue or program in a presidential address to Congress sends a strong signal about the importance of the topic to the President. In fact, efforts by government officials and special interests to be included in these highly vetted speeches are legendary. Early learning advocates surely celebrated at the clarity by which President Obama expressed his intent to continue to invest in young children and youth as part of his economic recovery and education reform initiatives. He cautioned that the United States has one of highest dropout rates of any industrialized nation, which he said is a "prescription for economic decline."  He directly spoke to the nation's youth saying, "... dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It's not just quitting on yourself, it's quitting on your country."

 

The President stated that, "it will be the goal of this administration to ensure that every child has access to a complete and competitive education - from the day they are born to the day they begin a career. Already, we have made an historic investment in education through the economic recovery plan. We have dramatically expanded early childhood education and will continue to improve its quality, because we know that the most formative learning comes in those first years of life."

 

Florida CSC Announces Support for Streamlining Sales Tax

Florida CSC has joined several other organizations in support of bills that would "streamline" sales tax collections for online purchases. The proposals -- HB 329 and SB 1134 - have the potential to generate more than $2 billion for Florida. Sen. Evelyn Lynn (R-Volusia) and Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda ( D-Leon), held a news conference to announce the proposals and were joined by 18 supporting organizations ranging from Florida CSC to Associated Industries of Florida. Under the proposals, Florida would join 22 states in the Streamlined Sales Tax Project seeking to enforce the sales tax on purchases from Amazon and other big "remote" retailers. Lynn and Rehwinkel Vasilinda said they would also call on Congress to make Internet sellers collect the tax, just as in-person merchants do, and remit the money to the states. Both legislators emphasized that their bill is not a "new" tax but merely enforcement of Florida's existing levy on retail transactions. They said untaxed remote sales are costing not just revenue, but jobs and economic activity. See video of the press conference.

 

Broward County Wants Out of Florida Medicaid Pilot

The Associated Press reported in today's Tampa Tribune that "the largest county in Florida's Medicaid privatization experiment wants out of the troubled program amid complaints that residents are getting shoddy medical treatment." Two years into the pilot, residents are telling horror stories about how their medical treatment is being compromised. Rep. Elaine Schwartz, (D-Broward) has worked with Broward County commissioners to draft a resolution that supports a repeal of the pilot in Broward and opposes expanding it into other counties. See the article in Tampa Tribune.

 

Florida Afterschool Network partners with AWI and Others for In-Service Training

The Florida Afterschool Network (FAN) will be partnering with the Agency for Workforce Innovation, the Children's Forum, and the Early Learning Coalitions to deliver a series of in-service training opportunities for afterschool providers and practitioners. The statewide in-service training opportunities will be based on FAN's, "Florida Standards for Quality Afterschool Programs." These trainings also represent the first-ever collaborative effort among these organizations to provide professional development opportunities for afterschool professionals. The training dates and locations are now being scheduled. They will be posted on the FAN web site at www.myfan.org.

 

Former Children's Trust Chair Urges Floridians, Legislators to Show They Care About Kids

In a recent opinion editorial published in the St. Petersburg Times, former Children's Trust Chair David Lawrence writes, "In Florida, we say we love children - and surely we do. But if that be so, how can so many children be treated so badly?" Lawrence goes on to explain just how bad things have gotten in Florida for children, and shares ideas on what can be done to improve the situation. Read the article in the St. Petersburg Times. On a side note, David Lawrence has stepped down as chair of the Children's Trust due to term limits. However, Lawrence has not gone far. At the January meeting, the Board unanimously voted to make him Founding Board Chair. Read more.

Palm Beach CSC to Participate in Countywide "Digital Public Square"

Web Site Helps Public Monitor Stimulus Spending StimulusWatch.org is a web site designed to help the new administration keep its pledge to invest stimulus money smartly, and to hold public officials to account for the taxpayer money they spend. The web site allows citizens around the country to find, discuss and rate projects deemed "shovel ready." These projects are not part of the stimulus bill; however, they are candidates for funding by federal grant programs that will come out of the stimulus bill. Learn more at www.stimuluswatch.org/.

Chapin Hall has released a review of state policies and programs designed to support youth transitioning out of foster care. The review spans all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The survey covered a number of domains including: conditions under which foster youth can remain in care after turning 18; provision of independent living and transition services; opportunities for youth to reenter care; and use of state dollars to supplement federal funds from the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program. Read the report. (requires free registration).