HB 549 and SB 1114: Bills that Facilitate Freedom of Choice in Advocacy

           


Today is a huge day in the legislature for a bill that will solve many problems for elected constitutional officers, school board members, who want more accountability from their advocacy associations;  more importantly,  school board members that want and deserve more choice in advocacy, particularly when taxpayer subsidized advocacy groups sue the Governor and Legislature in court, will now have this--if some dominoes fall the right way today.

              HB 549 is on the agenda for consideration today in the House, and an amendment will be added from the  floor that reads:

(4)  Membership association dues paid with public funds, as defined in s. 215.85(3), shall be assessed for each elected or appointed public officer. However, if a public officer elects not to join the membership association, the dues assessed for that public officer shall not be paid to the membership association.

HB 549 has a similar, companion bill  (SB 1114)  in the Senate that did not make the special order calendar for this week.  

Because of this, many of us from around the state will be putting on a "full court press" urging

FCSBM Blitzes Tallahassee to Rock the Status Quo

President Don Gaetz joins the founding members of the Florida Coalition of School Board Members at a Legislative Reception in Tallahassee Wednesday, March 11, 2015.  L to R  Erika Donalds, (Collier County), Bridget Ziegler (Sarasota County). Pres. Don Gaetz, Jeff Bergosh (Escambia County). Shawn Frost (Indian River County)

Today the members of the upstart, conservative Florida Coalition of School Board Members “stormed” Tallahassee, meeting and speaking with 5 Senators and a total of 12 State Representatives.  We were very well received at every stop, and the legislators were happy to hear from a group of School Board Members that wants to work together with them ( not SUE them) for the benefit of students, parents and taxpayers. 

At our legislative reception, board members from throughout the state of Florida met and heard from State Representatives Gonzales, Hudson, and Fitzenhagen.  Sen. Don Gaetz joined the group of thirty assembled at our reception and gave words of encouragement, expressing support for our coalition, while simultaneously explaining that he thought it refreshing that conservative board members from around the state will have a voice, an advocate. 

Our coalition attended the Senate Education committee meeting, with our treasurer, Erika Donalds, speaking on behalf of charter schools.  Our group left each legislator with a one page position paper, detailing our positions on several bills of interest-most importantly HB 549 (SB1114).  We sat down with Rep. Manny Diaz Jr., and discussed this bill in depth.

We also expressed our continuing support for the bills related to expanding school choice, as well as Sen Legg’s accountability bill.

At each stop today, our group spoke with one voice:  We support students, parents, and taxpayers first and foremost---not the system, the bureaucracy, and the status quo.  Our message was very well received!