Florida could soon drop regulations about the use of day laborers.

Sen. Keith Truenow, a Tavares Republican, filed legislation (SB 1672) that would repeal Labor Pool Act provisions about day labor from Florida’s state statutes.

“We have an obligation to review laws on the books and eliminate waste when we identify it,” Truenow said.

In this case, the use of day laborers already is regulated by federal rules. The Department of Labor maintains regulations of wages, allowed hours, overtime pay and record-keeping for employers.

“Florida’s Labor Pool Act may be duplicative and unnecessary — day labor centers are already subject to extensive federal, state, and local regulations that ensure worker safety, fair wages, and employer accountability. Repealing this redundant law cuts bureaucratic red tape while keeping strong protections in place,” Truenow said.

State law defines day labor as “employment that is occasional or irregular for which the worker is employed for not longer than the time period required to complete the temporary assignment for which the individual worker was hired.”

Truenow’s bill drops mention of labor pool hires in state regulations about temporary work firms, and dumps day labor from statutory language on what defines temporary employees.

It also eliminates a large section of state law regarding leased employees.

Current law defines day laborers as those hired for completion of jobs from labor pools, and requires employees to be notified that the assignment of work ends with the start of a new business day. The change drops state requirements that employers notice these terms on paychecks at the end of jobs.

A House version (HB 6033) of Truenow’s legislation was filed by Rep. Shane Abbott, a DeFuniak Springs Republican. Abbott owns a pharmacy in North Florida, The Prescription Place. Truenow founded Lake Jem Farms in Lake County. So both lawmakers have experience with hiring labor.

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Two prominent Lee County business leaders now hold seats on Florida Gulf Coast University’s (FGCU) Board of Trustees.

Gov. Ron DeSantis named Lee Health President and CEO Dr. Larry Antonucci to the university Board. He also reappointed Edison National Bank and Bank of the Islands Founder and President Robbie Roepstorff to remain a Trustee.

Antonucci previously served as Lee Health’s Chief Operating Officer and as Chief Operating Officer of Hospital Services and Chief Administrative Officer for Cape Coral Hospital, a part of the hospital network.

Antonucci currently serves as Chair of the Florida Hospital Association Board of Directors and is a member of the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida Board of Directors and the FGCU Foundation Board of Directors. A Florida-educated physician, Antonucci holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of South Florida and a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Miami.

Lee Health frequently hosted press conferences helmed by DeSantis, where Antonucci often provided expert testimony and updates of the situation in area hospitals.

Roepstorff, meanwhile, has been a longtime leader in Southwest Florida’s finance and commerce communities. She previously served as a member of the Florida Transportation Commission and remains a member of the Southwest Florida Community Foundation Executive Committee. She has consistently served as the public spokesperson for the banks she founded in the region, and in 2010 was named Florida Bankers Association Banker of the Year.

Roepstorff earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology and political science from the University of North Alabama. She has been appointed to the FGCU Board regularly since 2010, and served as Chair of the Board of Trustees in 2012.

Both appointments are subject to confirmation by the Senate, but neither is expected to be controversial.

The FGCU Board of Trustees is made up of 13 members, including six appointed by the Governor.

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