The Slosberg Report - United South County Democratic Club

The Slosberg Report
District Ninety-One
Dear Neighbors,
I am your state representative Irv Slosberg. My
job is to write legislation that will benefit you, vote in
your best interest, and approve a state budget.
I pride myself on the work my staff and I
accomplish in an efficient “customer service” manner,
because my business is to serve you. I do not own this seat; the people do. That
makes you my boss.
Our district consists of western Boca Raton, western Delray Beach, and
western Boynton Beach. This district houses a large population of senior citizens
and World War II veterans. As our seniors and veterans built this country, I believe
that our state owes them great representation.
My staff and I are here to serve you. Our office is located on the corner of
West Atlantic and Hagen Ranch Road, on the second floor of the Amtrust Bank
building. Remember, I am your Legislator who is always happy to be at your
service. Thank you for the honor of allowing me to serve you.
Sincerely,
Irving Slosberg
State Representative, District 91
7499 W. Atlantic Ave, Suite 200 Delray Beach, FL 33446
Phone 561-496-5940
Fax 561-496-5942
Lawrence Victoria—District Senior Executive Secretary
Email; lawrence.victoria@myfloridahouse.gov
Krista Ziehler—Legislative Aide Email: krista.ziehler@myfloridahouse.gov
Teri Mitze—Secretary Email: Teri.Mitze@myfloridahouse.gov
OPPOSING THE STATE BUDGET
I couldn’t in good conscience support the 2014 state
budget proposal when the Legislature failed, in my view, to
make the right financial decisions for Florida’s middle-class
families. The budget sent to the Governor makes what I
consider insufficient progress toward funding education, and
doesn’t accept the return of our federal tax dollars to help
pay for health coverage for many hard-working Floridians.
There are many aspects of the budget that I like, including
funding to build a new 4th District Court of Appeals
Courthouse in downtown West Palm Beach. The budget also
continues various initiatives to protect Florida’s vital natural
resources, and there are various local projects in the budget
that were given fair consideration, when the Governor reviewed the spending proposal.
Education
A good education is vital to attaining and keeping a good job and a place in the
middle class. That’s why I am thankful that spending on public education in Florida
will increase this year. Unfortunately, on a per-student basis, the dollars being put into
K-12 education still do not catch up to pre-recession levels. I’m also disappointed that
Florida’s new investments in schools will rely on higher local property tax values.
For our colleges and universities, there are no tuition increases proposed by the
Legislature this year, and there will be an additional $200 million provided for state
universities. Given the importance of a college education, I’m pleased that the Legislature approved a measure to give undocumented residents a waiver to pay in-state tuition
rates at state universities.
We also approved a bill that will allow certain undocumented immigrants a
chance to practice law in our state. The immigrant who triggered this new policy concerning admissions to The Florida Bar is Jose Godinez-Samperio of Largo. He was
brought to the country from Mexico by his parents at age 9 and later graduated with
honors from law school at Florida State University.
This year, I was among lawmakers who opposed efforts to expand eligibility in
the state’s school voucher system. Under a bill that passed, more people can take part
in a program in which companies donate money to nonprofit entities that pay for children to go to private schools. I opposed this expansion of the Tax Credit Scholarship
Program because, in my view, it may bleed support away from our traditional public
schools.
Rep. Slosberg meets with public school teachers in Tallahassee to
discuss the importance of fully funding public education.
Health Care for Floridians
Expansion of health coverage to the uninsured under the Affordable Care Act
remained a major concern of mine this year. However, unlike last year, the House didn’t
debate bills on Medicaid expansion. Instead, the House focused on other health topics,
such as the scope of practice of nurses, changes to the health insurance programs for
public employees, and various other proposals, including one that attempted to address
the cost of care at certain trauma centers.
Despite sometimes contentious deliberations, many of the major health care bills
were left unresolved at the last night of session. Among those ideas that didn’t pass was
an effort to improve oversight of assisted living facilities, or ALFs.
I am pleased that the Legislature sent to the Governor the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act. The bipartisan legislation will allow people suffering from cancer,
Lou Gehrig’s disease and other illnesses to be able to legally use a strain of noneuphoric low-THC marijuana under the direction of a licensed Florida physician. With
more than 125,000 children and 380,000 adults in Florida with severe epilepsy and
other debilitating illnesses, I believe it’s time to ease the suffering and bring relief.
Meanwhile, I would liked to have seen more state spending focused on reducing
various waitlists for services to seniors, families and children. Though a few healthcare
waitlists were fully funded, such as one for certain “critical needs” individuals, tens of
thousands of individuals continue to wait for needed services that our state, in my
opinion, really can afford to provide.
Rep. Slosberg visiting with people from
the Alzheimer's Community Care Group
of Florida.
Representative Slosberg meeting
with Cecile Desormes, R.N. at
Boynton Health Care Center, and
Kim DelPlato, Administrator,
discussing health care for seniors.
Bills Sponsored by Rep. Slosberg
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HB 5— Ban on Cellphones for Minors while Driving
HB 17— Yellow Dot
HB 19— Yellow Dot Public Records
HB 539— Ban on Texting While Driving
HB 645— Ban on Cell Phones in School Zones
HB 1253 – Vehicular Homicide while Texting & Driving
HB 7013—Sexually Violent Predator Program
Irving Slosberg
DISTRICT 91
ON THE FLOOR OF
THE FLORIDA
HOUSE!
Bills Co-Sponsored by Rep. Slosberg
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HB 239—Prohibited Discrimination
HB 159—Establishment of Mental Health First Aid Training
HB 183—Drivers Leaving the Scene of a Crash (Aaron Cohen)
HB 225—Child Safety Devices in Motor Vehicles
HB 409—Offenses Against Vulnerable Persons
HB 475—Disclosure of Sexually Explicit Images
HB 709—Alzheimer’s Disease
HB 989—Human Trafficking
HB 1017—Human Trafficking
HB 1139—Expansion of School Counseling Resources
HB 1191—Telephone Solicitation
HCR 8001—Equal Rights for Men and Women
HCR 9013—Women’s History Month
HCR 9021—Florida Service Members & Veterans
Raising Speed Limits
Governor Scott vetoed SB 392, the speed limit increase bill. In my opinion, this
is a huge victory for road safety and will save lives in our state. Florida was ranked as
having the 6th worst drivers and the number one most careless drivers in the nation by
the Car Insurance Comparison Study. In my opinion, we already have constant congestion, millions of tourists, and a distracted driving epidemic, so I feel that adding a
higher speed limit in the mix would be a recipe for disaster.
I would like to thank the AAA Foundation and law enforcement in our state for
speaking out about this bill, as I believe it is a dangerous proposal. The bill passed in the
House by 58-56, which was the closest vote of the Legislative session. Democrats and
Republicans both spoke out in opposition. Former members of law enforcement voted
against the measure, including Rep. Clovis Watson, Rep. Dave Kerner, Rep. Ray Pilon,
and Rep. Victor Torres.
I would like to thank all of the members who voted against what I consider to be
a dangerous bill. The Legislature needs to be very road-safety conscious because it is
already a free-for-all out there on our roads. In my opinion, this was a common-sense
veto on behalf of the Governor, and I’m grateful the traffic safety advocates helped stop
this unsafe bill.
Representative Slosberg with
Attorney General Pam Bondi
and Tara Kirschner, Executive
Director of the Dori Slosberg
Foundation, at a Traffic Safety
press conference at the Capitol.
Yellow Dot Bill
The Yellow Dot Program
passed as a amendment as
part of a Department of
Transportation Package
THE BILL AWAITS FINAL
APPROVAL FROM GOVERNOR
The Yellow Dot program passed in the Legislature and is now en
route to the Governor. The program was tacked onto the Department of Transportation’s package bill as an amendment, as the original bill did not make it through the entire process. The program’s
language can be found in HB 7005 by Representative Artiles, under
Amendment #436100 filed by Senator Abruzzo. The original bill was
sponsored by Representative Irv Slosberg in the House and Senator
Joe Abruzzo in the Senate. The Yellow Dot program was brought to
the attention of Rep. Slosberg and Senator Abruzzo by the Alliance
of Delray, COBWRA, West Boca Community Council, and Palm Beach
County Fire & Rescue. The life-saving program calls for a Yellow Dot
sticker to be placed in the rear-window of a vehicle. In the event of
a collision, first responders will identify the Yellow Dot as a signal
that the driver's medical records and photograph are contained
within the glove box of the vehicle. This allows first responders to
quickly and effectively respond to severe crashes. I believe this legislation will save lives and bring in revenue for the counties.
HB 1253—Use of Wireless Communications
Devices while Operating a Motor Vehicle
Causing a fatal car crash while texting costs you $30, but under the
Slosberg – Soto proposed law, it could cost you up to 30 years.
Rep. Slosberg and
Sen. Soto celebrating
the unanimous passage
of the bill in its first
Senate committee.
Rep. Slosberg sponsored a bill with Senator Soto that would increase the
penalty for texting and driving, if a driver breaking the current law causes a
fatal car crash. The bill sends a message to the public that a person will be
punished for causing a death while breaking the current Texting & Driving
Law. This means you cannot manually type anything into a wireless device,
such as texting, using your GPS, updating Facebook, etc. This measure would
allow prosecutors to charge drivers with vehicular homicide if they cause a
death during a texting & driving car crash. The current penalty is a $30 fine.
The bill passed unanimously through all of its committees in the House, but
unfortunately did not make it through all of its committee assignments in the
Senate. Rep. Slosberg hopes this law will pass someday. The Legislature
hopes to send an important message to the motoring public – “If you text &
drive, if you Facebook & drive, if you GPS & drive, if you manually type
anything into your wireless communications device and drive, and cause a
fatal car crash…you could go to jail for 30 years.”
Aiding Victims Of Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is a growing epidemic in Florida. Even with increasing awareness, many victims of human trafficking remain unidentified and services to meet their
many needs are lacking. One aspect of human trafficking is of particular concern: commercial sexual exploitation of children. According to the FBI, the average age of a sexually-trafficked child is 13.
This session, the Florida House made it a priority to protect Florida’s most vulnerable children, including victims of human trafficking. HB 7141 will help sexually
exploited children get the services they need to overcome their abuse and to heal.
Irv giving a speech at a
pre-session Caucus
meeting to fellow
Legislators inside the
Capitol.
Irv with Rabbi Oirechman of
Tallahassee Chabad affixing the
Mezuzah on Representative
Slosberg's Tallahassee office.
Bringing blessings and good luck
for the upcoming year.
Flood Insurance
A bill passed by the Legislature tries to provide relief for homeowners who are without
flood insurance and are struggling to afford coverage offered under the National Flood
Insurance Program. Senate Bill 542 allows insurers to write, and the state to regulate,
flood insurance policies.
Irv spoke at the Coalition of Boynton West Residential
Associations (COBWRA) meeting this week. Members of the
Legislative Delegation came to discuss the 2014 Session.
Honoring Florida’s Veterans
The brave men and women who serve our country and protect our freedom deserve, in
my opinion, to be honored and treated as heroes. That’s why I supported House Bill
7015 that establishes Florida as a “Welcome Home” state for veterans, military personnel and their families. The legislation waives out-of-state tuition and fees for honorably
discharged veterans and increases funding to allow more members of the Florida National Guard to earn a degree for little or no out-of-pocket costs. The bill also includes
other provisions to help veterans find employment, including the creation of a nonprofit
corporation to assist retired service members.
MY RESPONSE TO REQUESTS TO OPPOSE THE BUDGET
I received an influx of emails from teachers, students, parents, and school faculty
members relating to my vote on the Florida state budget, all of which requested I
vote in opposition. Below is my response that I sent to all of the concerned
citizens who contacted my office.
THE EMAIL RESPONSE I DISTRIBUTED IS BELOW:
I am proud to have voted against the FY 2015 budget for the state of Florida, but
unfortunately, the budget did pass. Despite having extra revenue available to
spend on public education this year, we allotted the money to different interests.
In my opinion, Palm Beach County was insufficiently funded in the following
ways:
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Proposed per-pupil funding is $273 less than the start of the 2007-08 school
year, which was prior to the recession
Only uses 12% of the $1.5 billion additional revenue available on K-12
education funding
Provides no additional funding for teacher salary pay raises
Provides no additional funding for reading instruction time, yet requires
additional hours to be dedicated to reading instruction
Provides no additional funding for our Safe Schools Preventative Program
I believe that the budget does not adequately provide for public education,
especially in a year when we have extra money to spend. I do not think the budget
makes public education a priority for Florida or Palm Beach County. Therefore, I
am proud to have listened to each of your concerns and to have voted against this
budget. I am grateful that many residents of Palm Beach County took the time to
provide my office information and input on the education funding of this budget.
As your Representative I pounded the table to earn the funding that education
deserves....It's time for a "Fresh Start!"
Serving Our Constituents
My staff and I are happy to help you anyway we can, and to assist in any issues relating
to our state agencies. Whether you have an issue with your driver’s license, trouble
receiving benefits, or need help with a state agency, we are here to help. I look forward
to seeing you in my office one day soon!
OUR OFFICE HAS A FREE PUBLIC
NOTARY HERE TO SERVE YOU!!!
**This service requires an appointment,
please call our office to schedule one
at your convenience.**
I’m Proud to Represent District 91!
Our office is conveniently located in the Villages of
Oriole Shopping Plaza on the corner of Hagen Ranch
Rd. and West Atlantic. We are on the second floor of
the Amtrust Bank building.
7499 W. Atlantic Ave, Suite 200
Delray Beach, FL 33446
IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS
Congressman Ted Deutch—(561) 470-5440
Congresswoman Lois Frankel—(561) 988-9045
Senator Maria Sachs—(561) 279-1429
Palm Beach Tax Collector—(561) 355-2805
Palm Beach Supervisor of Elections—(561) 656-6200
Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office—(561) 274-1075
Seniors v. Crime Project—(561) 865-1571
Palm Tran Connection—(877) 870-9849
FL Division of Consumer Services—(800) 342-2762
Medicare—(800) 633-4227
Elder HelpLine—211
Irv and Senior Executive Secretary Lawrence Victoria
help a constituent in our Delray Beach office.