Catch us live on BlogTalkRadio every



Tuesday & Thursday at 6pm P.S.T.




Sunday, January 15, 2012

FLORIDA - An Update From Rep. Fred Costello

OFF THE WIRE
   
Public Resources
It has been said that the Florida House is one of the most transparent and engaging legislative bodies in the nation. I encourage you to take advantage of the many features that the House has to offer.
The Office of Public Information (OPI) provides many resources to learn about what's going on in the House and how it may affect you. If you are an educator or parent, check out the "Just For Students" section on the right, where your students can learn about the legislative process.
Things can move pretty quickly during Session, so the House has set up the Legislative Tracking System. You can creat an account and receive e-mail alerts when there is an action on a bill.
In The Media
Daytona Beach News-Journal Editorial Board Interview
On Wednesday I met with Tallahassee reporter Mike Vasilinda to discuss my plan for revenue-neutral tax reform. The interview will air on Sunday 1/15 on ABC (WFTV) at 12:30 PM, and on WRDQ (27) at 4:30 PM
Contact My Office
If my office can ever be of any assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out. The phone number in DeLand is (386) 736-5100. Maria Becker (Maria.Becker@myfloridahouse.gov) will be happy to assist with any constituent casework, and Dan Barrow (Daniel.Barrow@myfloridahouse.gov) will handle any Legislative issues. During January and February, Dan can be reached in the Tallahassee Office at (850) 488-9873.

Session - Week 1
As we wrap up a busy first week of Session, next week should be even busier. In addition to committee meetings, I will be presenting two bills next week. As you may recall from my last update, I've filed a bill to assist the State Surgeon General in our continuing efforts to curb the prescription drug epidemic. HB 1143, which restricts prescribing from doctors arrested for certain crimes, will be heard in the Health and Human Services Quality Subcommittee on Tuesday morning. HB 1023 will be heard on Wednesday morning in the Civil Justice Subcommittee and will simply clarify that a judge has the authority to grant a business-only driver license (instead of a full license) to someone that is behind on their child support, but needs to be able to drive to earn an income and has agreed to a repayment plan.
In keeping with tradition, the 2012 Session kicked off with speeches from Governor Rick Scott, House Speaker Dean Cannon and Senate President Mike Haridopolis. While each address was unique, the continuous theme was the emphasis on job creation and the up to $2 Billion budget deficit that we must close. Last year we were able to soften the budget cuts to education but along with others, I personally lobbied Governor Scott and House Leadership to increase education funding. I fully support the Governor's budget recommendation that $1Billion in additional education funding be included in the 2012-13 budget. Please note that this additional $1Billion in state funding will largely replace lost federal dollars and help offset the decreased local education funding due to lower property values. I remain committed to improving funding for education ... our most important economic resource! If you are interested in education funding, take a look at HB 1, which I am co-sponsoring.
On Wednesday, the House Banking & Insurance Subcommittee passed HB 119, which I have also agreed to Co-sponsor. It which will help reduce costly auto insurance fraud by replacing Personal Injury Protection with an Emergency Care Coverage law. Insurance fraud is one of the issues on which I have received the most input from my constituents, and Rep. Boyd’s bill will reduce the fraud that drives up the cost of insurance for the rest of us. Please know that many of these bills will receive multiple amendments and may not look exactly the same when they are finally adopted.
I look forward to hearing from you!
GodSpeed!

This message sent to strokerz383@gmail.com by fred.costello@myfloridahouse.gov
Representative Fredrick Costello
120 South Florida Ave Room 206 City Hall
DeLand, FL 32720