Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 7-8-16 Online Edition

Feature State
Laws Impacting Schools, Taxes Sentencing Take Effect
The Florida Legislature passed 279 bills during this year’s session three months ago, and 161 of them took effect last Friday with the start of the state’s fiscal year, affecting school choice, rape kit testing, tax cuts and other aspects of life in Florida.
A law redefining when abortions can be performed and preventing state funds from going to an organization that also provides abortions will not take effect as scheduled after a federal judge issued a temporary injunction late last Thursday. The move comes after a Texas law restricting abortions was declared uncon- stitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
Here is a round-up of some of the measures taking effect:
BUDGET: The $82.3 billion budget was passed by a combined vote of 159- 1. It includes more than $700 million for school construction and $203.8 million for Everglades restoration.
TAX CUTS: Two will benefit most Floridians. Property taxes should drop along with a reduc- tion in local millage rates, and a three-day sales tax holiday August 5-7 should help back-to-school shop- pers.
Other highlights include a permanent sales tax ex- emption for manufactur- ing equipment and machinery, beverage tax reductions on pear cider and a drop in the tax rate on aviation fuel.
BULLYING: School districts must review their anti-bullying and harass- ment policies every three years, and integrate rules on dating violence and abuse into discipline poli- cies.
CRIME AND PUNISH- MENT: Those convicted of aggravated assault or at- tempted aggravated as- sault are no longer subject to “10-20-Life” mandatory minimum sentences.
FESTIVALS: Any food contests or cook-offs last- ing no more than three days and hosted by a school, church, religious organization or nonprofit will not be defined as “public food service estab- lishments.” That means they don’t have to pay li- censing fees or are subject to an inspection by the Di- vision of Hotels and Restaurants.
JURY DUTY: Individu- als permanently incapable of caring for themselves may request a permanent exemption from jury duty by submitting a written statement from a doctor verifying the disability.
MARRIAGE: Clergy with religious objections don’t have to marry same- sex couples.
RAPE KITS: Law en- forcement agencies must submit rape kits within 30 days of the start of their in- vestigations to a state crime lab which must test them within 120 days.
SCHOOL CHOICE: Chil- dren can transfer to any state school with available space and student athletes are immediately eligible to play if they haven’t joined practices in the same sport at their previous school. Children of military par- ents or those who transfer due to economic or legal reasons are immediately eligible in season if they haven’t been suspended or expelled from their prior school.
City Councilman Not Surprised Union President Exonerated
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
City Councilman Frank Reddick said he’s not sur- prised the Tampa Police Union President was exonerated for making an alleged throat- slashing gesture during a City Council meeting.
The meeting on April 7th in- volved the election of a new Chair for the Council, a posi- tion Councilman Reddick was holding at the time.
Vincent Gericitano, president of the Tampa Police Benevolent Association, de- nied making the gesture, and said he was shocked when Councilman Reddick inter- rupted the meeting to accuse him of making the gesture.
Councilman Reddick
filed an internal affairs com- plaint the week following the meeting, alleging Gericitano violated a police department rule that requires employees, whether on or off duty, to con- duct themselves in a manner which does not compromise their professionalism, ethics and objectives, or impair their ability to do their jobs.
“When Gericitano made the gesture, he was looking at Councilwoman Lisa Monte- lione,” said Councilman Reddick.
“It’s also a known fact that Gericitano and Council- woman Montelione talked before the election of the Chair position. I also know he spoke
COUNCILMAN FRANK REDDICK
to other Council members be- fore the election. It’s obvious to me the reason I wasn’t re- elected Chair.”
According to sources,
Councilman Montelione
told investigators she didn’t see what Councilman Red- dick was talking about, and that Gericitano did mention the chairman’s election to her before the meeting.
Councilwoman Monte- lione reportedly said Gerici- tano told her there were some members of Council they would prefer not be made chair. Her response was she was going to vote for Council- man Harry Cohen, and she did, 13 times.
None of the 13 rounds pro- duced the necessary votes for the three candidates, Coun- cilmen Cohen, Reddick, and Mike Suarez. After the Council decided to elect a Vice- Chair first, Cohen was se- lected, taking him out of the running for Chair. That left Councilmen Suarez and
VINCENT GERICITANO Tampa PBA President
Reddick, and Councilman Suarez won.
Councilman Reddick
said there was a lot of politick- ing going on, and in spite of the way things turned out, he will continue to respect his col- leagues.
“I just think it’s funny how things changed after the Mayor expressed an interest in run- ning for Governor before his term is up. If he had followed through, the City Charter says the Chair of the Council will assume the position of Mayor on an interim basis.”
Internal Affairs detectives looked at city video from the meetings and interviewed sev- eral people, as well as all of the Council members. Their find- ings were the alleged gesture didn’t show up on the city’s video.
Councilman Reddick
said he knows the gesture was- n’t directed at him, and he never felt personally threat- ened.
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