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On May 17-19, the Florida legislature gathered in a special session to give approval to a 30-year gaming compact recently negotiated by Governor Ron DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The deal would lead to the state receiving $2.5 billion over the first five years. The tribe would operate sports betting and would receive other benefits, including being able to offer craps and roulette at its casinos. In a statement released earlier this week, the FCCB urged the legislature to put a pause on the proposed expansion of casino and internet-based gambling.

The legislature passed an amended version of its affordable housing and resiliency plan. SB 2512 passed the Senate (25-14) on April 7 and the House (78-38) on April 8. The Sadowski Affordable Housing Trust Fund will receive approximately $200 million from documentary stamp taxes this year. About half of the revenue that would have previously been available for affordable housing will be protected from future sweeps. This is an improvement over an earlier proposal that redirected two-thirds of funds designated for affordable housing to resiliency efforts. However, the FCCB has long supported full funding of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Sea-level rise initiatives and sewage treatment projects will each receive approximately $111.7 million under the revised plan. SB 2512 will go next to Governor DeSantis for his signature.

On April 6, HB 1475 (Tuck) passed its final committee, Education & Employment (15-6), and has been placed on the House Special Order Calendar for April 13. The measure protects the rights of female athletes and promotes equality in women's sports by recognizing key biological differences between men and women and requiring separate sex-specific athletic teams. Laws and policies that affirm gender identities not aligned with biological sex often overlook the potential for serious, and often irreversible, physical harm to gender dysphoric individuals, especially minors. In a letter to Rep. Tuck, the FCCB outlined its support for HB 1475. The Senate companion, SB 2012 (Stargel), includes an exception for "persons who transition from male to female" if they meet certain conditions, such as specified testosterone levels. SB 2012 has been passed by its first two committees of reference and is now in the Senate Rules Committee.

SB 582 (Rodrigues, R.) passed its final committee, Rules (11-6), and has been placed on the Senate calendar on second reading. The bill ensures that the right of parents to review instructional materials and curriculum is transparent and forthcoming. It also establishes parental consent requirements for medical care provided to a minor child. Having access to information about their rights allows parents to make informed decisions and better direct their child's education and health care. Companion, HB 241 (Grall), was passed by the full House (78-37) April 1 and has been referred to Senate Rules. FCCB support for the bill is highlighted in a letter to Rep. Grall.

On March 31, the House Appropriations Committee passed HB 5401 (19-10), which redirects two-thirds of documentary stamp taxes designated for the Sadowski Affordable Housing Trust Fund to address sea-level rise and upgrade sewage treatment. The bill also prohibits the sweeping of the remaining funds into general revenue. FCCB supports protecting affordable housing dollars from being swept, as well as resiliency and infrastructure improvements. However, the new formula would appropriate less money to affordable housing than has been appropriated with previous sweeps. FCCB supports full funding of the affordable housing trust fund, which has been proposed by Governor DeSantis every session during his term, and passed by the House last session. The Senate companion measure, SB 2512, passed the Senate Appropriations Committee (12-8), also on March 31.

HB 895 (Stevenson) passed the House Commerce Committee unanimously on March 29. FCCB supports this measure that gives vulnerable consumers an opportunity to access capital with less risk of exploitation. The bill ensures that borrowers are not penalized for prepayment of loans and that installment loans can be paid in installments. The term "installment loan" would presume multiple payments; however, installment lenders in Florida can require one lump sum payment which often results in borrowers having to re-borrow the same principal amount for additional interest and fees, leading to a cycle of debt. A lender that is licensed under the installment loan chapter, rather than the title loan chapter, can repossess the family vehicle on which the borrower depends to travel to work, making it even more difficult to repay the loan. SB 1478 (Gibson) waits to be heard by its second committee of reference, Commerce and Tourism.

Child Abuse Prevention Month leads us to a heightened awareness and serves as a solemn reminder of the need to be vigilant about providing a safe environment within the Church and our communities. We are all part of a larger culture of protection and healing within the Church, and each one of us can play an important role in strengthening this culture. We can better prevent abuse by eliminating situations that create the potential for abuse and by knowing how to recognize the signs of abuse. Noticing these warning signs, taking them seriously, and immediately reporting them are key to preventing abuse.

On March 25, the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee passed a proposal (9-5) to redirect two-thirds of documentary stamp taxes designated for the Sadowski Affordable Housing Trust Fund to address sea-level rise and upgrade sewage treatment. HB 5401 also prohibits the sweeping of the remaining funds into general revenue. FCCB supports protecting affordable housing dollars from being swept, as well as resiliency and infrastructure improvements. However, the new formula would appropriate less money to affordable housing than has been appropriated with previous sweeps. Decent, safe, and affordable housing is a human right. Tens of thousands of Floridians were homeless and over 1 million Floridians spent more than 50% of their income for housing before the pandemic. With the loss of jobs and reduction in income that so many Floridians have experienced in the last year, this is not the time to significantly decrease affordable housing dollars. FCCB supports full funding of the affordable housing trust fund, which was passed by the House last session and what Governor DeSantis has proposed every session during his term.

HB 133 (Harding/Beltran), supported by the FCCB, authorizes the installation of newborn safety devices or "baby boxes" to accept surrendered newborn infants at the same locations where newborns may now be surrendered under current law. The boxes would be installed through an exterior wall, with an access door on the inside of the building. An alarm notifies emergency personnel that someone has placed an infant inside the box. The bill also increases the allowable age of surrender from seven days old to 30 days. HB 133 was passed by the full House (108-11) on March 18. The Senate companion, SB 122 (Baxley), is waiting to be heard in its final committee of reference, Appropriations.

SB 498 (Gruters) / HB 259 (Williamson) authorize the carrying of concealed weapons or firearms on property owned, rented, leased, borrowed, or lawfully used by a church, a synagogue, or any other religious institution, unless the institution has a policy specifically prohibiting persons from carrying a firearm on such property. Both bills advanced through committees this week. Current law already allows concealed weapon permit holders to carry firearms at churches, unless the property owner prohibits it. The primary effect of the legislation would be to allow permit holders to carry weapons onto the campuses of religious schools. 

The FCCB has taken a position in opposition against HB 1 (Fernandez-Barquin), as it is unnecessary and potentially harmful. Recent riots have prompted concern; however, any violence committed during a riot, or at any time, is already prosecutable. HB 1 raises penalties and sentences for certain crimes committed during a riot, violates local subsidiarity by allowing the governor to subvert local law enforcement budgets, and broadly describes certain terms in a way that could potentially criminalize some of our ministries' public activities such as praying in front of an abortion facility, sidewalk counseling, and prayer vigils against the death penalty. Ingrid Delgado, FCCB associate director for social concerns and respect life, testified in opposition to the bill before a House committee last week. A letter highlighting the Conference's concerns with the bill was circulated to the sponsor and committee members.

On the latest episode of Catholics Across the Aisle, Danielle M. Brown, Esq., associate director, USCCB Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism gives us an inside look at her role and what the committee is striving to accomplish. She explains that addressing racism and the injustice it produces relates to our core beliefs as Catholics. "It is crucial that Catholics understand that the racial justice work that the USCCB is doing, that the Catholic Church should be doing, is not because it is the sexy thing right now. It is not because the Catholic church is trying to be woke," says Brown. "It is because this is an issue that is a definite block to people's access to the gospel, our ability to proclaim the gospel with truth and in love. And, it affects our Christian witness when the Church or any person or people have a black eye because they can't seem to get relating to everyone as brothers and sisters in Christ."

Beginning June 22, the Feast of Saints Thomas More and John Fisher, the U.S. Catholic Church celebrates Religious Freedom Week. The annual celebration concludes on June 29, the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul. Join us in promoting religious freedom "For the Good of All," which has been selected as this year's theme.

The U.S. Bishops, "...unequivocally state that racism is a life issue" (Open Wide Our Hearts, 2018). Tragically, the murder of George Floyd and so many other people of color like him shakes all of us into confronting that the dehumanization of black and brown people continues today.

The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee passed (5-2) a bill that would create a new statewide consumer-loan program that could charge interest rates as high as 36 percent on small-dollar loans. Florida statutes consider interest rates beyond 18 percent to be usurious. However, consumer finance loans (installment loans largely accessed by individuals with limited access to capital and traditional financial services) are allowed to charge up to 30 percent under current Florida law.

Members of the Sadowski Coalition - representing a diverse group of organizations including: advocates for elderly, veteran, homeless and special needs populations; faith-based organizations; and business associations - gathered at the Capitol to urge the Florida Legislature to use affordable housing trust fund monies as intended.

In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus says, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (22:39). Unfortunately, society has drifted away from this commandment, and hate has been spewed and acted out in many ways, most recently and notably in the mass shooting that occurred last weekend in El Paso, Texas. Racism and xenophobia are evident in the motive behind this and other mass shootings in recent years.

Religious Freedom Week 2019: Strength in Hope takes place from June 22 to 29. The week began with the feast day of Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher, includes the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, and ends with the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.

For the first time in many years, full funding of the Sadowski Affordable Housing Trust Fund was included in a governor's proposed budget. Governor DeSantis' budget, which outlines potential spending for the fiscal year that starts July 1, 2019, does not recommend any sweeps of state and local housing trust funds. Legislators have historically raided the pool, which was established to provide funding for construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing, down-payment support, emergency repairs, and limited rental development to assist the disabled, elderly, veterans, disaster victims, and others in need of housing assistance.

The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops is deeply encouraged by the signal Governor DeSantis broadcast to the people of Florida and to the Florida Legislature by presenting a budget that uses every penny of Sadowski State and Local Housing Trust Fund money solely for housing.  The Florida Catholic Conference was one of the eleven founding members of the Sadowski Coalition back in 1992 when the William E. Sadowski Act was enacted.  We are now one of over 30 statewide organizations that comprise the Sadowski Coalition.