A Full Agenda Ahead as Legislative Session Enters Week Two
Monday, March 11, 2013
By: Margie Menzel

March 11, 2013 | WMFE - State lawmakers start the second week of the annual legislative session today. Lawmakers are planning to bring more bills to the floor in both chambers, and the Senate might indicate this week which way it will go on the issue of Medicaid expansion.

Lawmakers will consider a bill to let counties create special taxing districts to pay for school safety and mental health services with voter approval.

They'll also take up bills to prevent local governments from passing laws to bar people from talking at public meetings.

Another measure would ban local police departments from using unmanned, remote-control drones except in extreme emergency situations.

A committee will also hear a proposal to explore a statewide domestic partnership registry for unmarried couples.

Ethics reform is one of the major priorities for lawmakers in both chambers this session and committees will discuss measures this week that would reform campaign finance laws by abolishing the so-called "committees of continuous existence."

Today, the Senate Panel on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will discuss expanding Medicaid coverage to nearly a million additional low-income Floridians under the federal Affordable Care Act.

Governor Rick Scott recently came out in favor of the Medicaid expansion, but the proposal faces some stiff opposition in the legislature.