Session Update March 21, 2016

March 21, 2016

Dear Friends,

The 2016 Session successfully adjourned Sine Die on Friday, March 11. We spent most of our time on the House floor debating bills and voting on their final passage, including the state budget and this year's tax cut package. These tax cuts will benefit many Floridians,

including

homeowners, families, veterans, students, businesses, and more.

Session is over but our work in the district continues. I hope to see many of you as I travel all throughout the district. Feel free to reach out with any questions, ideas or concerns.

Regards,

Holly Raschein

State Representative, District 120

2016 Session Update

If you'd like to see the Florida Keys Stewardship Act's final passage in the House, click on the link below and check out the video from The Florida Channel. The bill presentation starts at about the 4:38 mark.

http://thefloridachannel.org/videos/31016-house-session-part-3-445-pm/

Florida Keys Stewardship Act

I am delighted to announce that the final version of the Florida Keys Stewardship Act passed the Florida Legislature with overwhelming support!

The Florida Keys Stewardship Act will give our local governments the mechanical authority they need to leverage the use of local dollars and fully partner with the state in investing in lands for critical habitat protection and property rights protection. Through the Florida Forever program, it directs $5 million a year for land acquisition over the next ten years. Furthermore, it maintains that the Legislature must take a comprehensive approach in protecting water quality and water supply in the Florida Keys, and recognizes the economic and environmental significance the Florida Keys hold to the entire State of Florida. This fiscal year, the act invests $5 million in water quality projects, and it will lay the groundwork for increased future funding for the Florida Keys' most significant environmental needs.

State Budget and Tax Cut Package

Gov. Rick Scott signed the state's $82 billion budget into law late Thursday, March 17. I believe this year's budget is fiscally responsible and prioritizes funding in the best interest of all Floridians. In this budget, we continued to invest in our student's success by providing a historic level of education funding per student, exceeding the previous high in 2007-08 by over $52 per student. To help protect our precious natural resources, we included a reliable and dedicated funding source for restoring the Everglades that reaches over $203 million this year. I believe this budget also focuses on providing critical health care services to our most vulnerable citizens. In addition, we maintain $3 billion in reserves, because, in my opinion, government must responsibly plan for the future, just like Florida families must do.

Additionally, I was pleased the Legislature passed over half a billion dollars in tax cuts this Session. This year's tax cut package is aimed at helping grow Florida's economy and make our state an even more affordable place to live. I believe these tax cuts will benefit many Floridians, including homeowners, veterans, students and parents, and more. Some of the major components of the tax cut package include $428 million in property tax relief for Florida's homeowners, a three-day Back to School sales tax holiday, the elimination of sales tax on purchasing manufacturing equipment, and the elimination of sales tax on food and drink sold to fellow members at veterans organizations. I was proud to support these tax cuts because I firmly believe Floridians deserve to keep more of their hard-earned money and can decide how to spend it better than the government.

District 120

Budget Highlights

Below in an abbreviated list of several organizations, projects and programs that received much needed funding in this year's budget.

Monroe County Mobile Vessel Pumpout Program- $500,000
Laurel Wilt Disease Survey and Mitigation Program- $150,000 for the removal and destruction of infested avocado trees
Lower Keys Medical Center- $2,400,005 to offset the high charity, uncompensated care, and Medicaid sponsored patients served
Historic Homestead Seminole Theater- $500,000 Cultural Facilities grant
Schooner Western Union- $500,000 Historic Preservation grant to help restore our state's flagship in Key West
William Weech American Legion Post 168 - Key West- $154,000 Historic Preservation grant
SAIL Workforce Housing Funding- $20M statewide, with priority given to projects in the Florida Keys Area of Critical State Concern
Farm Share Program- $2,234,909
City of Homestead Water Tower Pump Station project- $500,000
Long Key State Park- $1M for shoreline stabilization project
Bahia Honda State Park- $3.5M to restore Historic Overlook

A great year for our district!

Welcome to the Florida House!

House Messenger, Blake Shillinger

Blake is a student at Key West High School, he is full of energy and enthusiasm. It is wonderful to see young people like Blake interested in the legislative process.