Special election will determine who replaces Randy Fine.
A special election has been scheduled to fill a Florida Senate seat in Brevard County. WFIT’s Rick Glasby tells us the seat will become vacant when Randy Fine resigns on March 31st.
Fine will be running for a seat in the US Congress. A special primary election for Fine's current Florida Senate seat will be April 1, with the general election on June 10. Under this schedule, the 19th District, which includes Brevard County, would be without a state senator for more than half of the 2025 legislative session. Republican Debbie Mayfield and Democrat Vance Ahrens have indicated they are interested in running for Fine's Senate seat.
Satellite Beach Police Department introduces new special needs registry
In a new Satellite Beach Police Department initiative, a parent or legal guardian may enroll minors or incapacitated adults with certified medical conditions or disabilities in a program to improve interactions and responses with special needs individuals.
The Department is committed to ensuring residents receive the care and attention they deserve, particularly those requiring additional support during an emergency or interaction with our officers.
The certified medical conditions will include but are not limited to Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alzheimer’s or Dementia, Bipolar Disorder and Down Syndrome.
Adults with certified medical conditions or disabilities may enroll themselves.
Enrolling in the program helps officers respond more effectively to individuals who may need the help, whether they live in or frequently visit the City of Satellite Beach.
To register, complete the Special Needs Registry Form. Forms can be obtained at the Satellite Beach Police Department or the City’s website.
Florida lawmakers seeking money for member projects are told belt-tightening is likely
Legislative leaders are telling senators and representatives about a need to slow spending, at least partly because federal money that flooded into the state during the COVID pandemic has dried up.
Florida lawmakers have started filing what are expected to be hundreds of proposals seeking money for local projects and programs — but legislative leaders are cautioning not to expect as much spending as in the past few years.
Lawmakers each year try to get state money for local projects and programs — what are known in the Legislature as “member projects.” Spending on such projects and programs grew from $174 million in 2019 to $1.3 billion in 2024.
Sen. Tom Leek, former House budget chairman, stated, “During the COVID years, the federal government was just dumping money on the states.
So, you should expect the total legislative projects to be substantially less than it's been in the past.”
Phone ban in school gets mostly positive feedback from administrators
School administrators provided mostly positive feedback to lawmakers curious about implementing a 2023 law prohibiting students from using their phones.
School officials provided feedback last week on HB 379, a 2023 law that prohibits phone use during instructional time, prohibits access to certain websites on school networks, and requires instruction to use social media responsibly.
Teachers say, “It’s gone very, very well in many of our classrooms, especially I would say it goes really well in our classrooms with struggling learners. The teachers have seen the benefit of increased interaction with each other.
Florida schools have discretion regarding how they enforce the law, with some prohibiting cell phones from the beginning until the end of the day, while others allow students to use their phones during downtimes like lunch.
More: www.floridatoday.com