Tallahassee Update from Rep. McKeel
Week 2 of the Legislative Session is now drawing to a close. It was a week filled with committee meetings and other legislative meetings. I was also very happy to see and meet with many constituents who made the trip up to Tallahassee this week. There were an abundance of important advocate groups flooding the Capitol halls and courtyard, and many made their way into my office to say hello. I was also thrilled to participate in the Everglades Water Supply Summit that took place on Tuesday and Wednesday. It’s hard to believe that Session is already a fourth of the way completed, and I’m excited for the upcoming weeks. The process of redistricting will be of utmost importance in the next couple weeks as the proposed House map will be completed and voted upon. It is a historic time in the Florida Legislature, and I thank you for allowing me to represent you.
Everglades Water Supply Summit
The Everglades Water Supply Summit took place on January 17th and 18th. It was a well attended, and planned event and I was glad to be asked to be a part of it. Read the rest of this entry »
Redistricting Update
On Monday, January 9, 2012, seven proposed committee bills were approved in their respective subcommittees- Congressional, House or Senate. To review each bill and for additional information, take some time to visit the House’s Redistricting Bills page. The next Redistricting meeting will take place January 20, 2012, where members will workshop the seven plans that have been approved by the subcommittees. Members will also hear public testimony on the maps at that meeting. For those who are unable to attend, the Redistricting Committee encourages citizens to submit comments on the maps via Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and the Florida Redistricting blog. Constituents may also submit the redistricting suggestion form online at www.floridaredistricting.org or email the redistricting committee at mydistrictbuilder@
State of the State Address
On Tuesday, Governor Rick Scott took to the podium in front of a crowded group assembled in the chamber to present his State of the State speech. Issues discussed by the Governor included balancing the budget, PIP (Personal Injury Protection), creating jobs, reducing taxes and increased funding for schools. In his speech, Gov. Scott stated that an increase on premiums for PIP are increasing by 30 percent and, currently, that those rates cannot be sustained and that if we are going to be serious about keeping the cost of living low in Florida, we must get tough on auto insurance fraud and abuse. Governor Scott also mentioned the need for new education funding when he referenced his recommended budget which includes $1 Billion of new funding.
I look forward to working with my fellow members in tackling many of the issues presented by Governor Scott particularly education funding, reducing government regulation, and putting Floridians back to work. We can, and should help him achieve these objectives.
