Andy Fernandez told the story of his daughter Lucy to members and attendees of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee on Tuesday. It was the first stop for “Lucy’s Law,” otherwise known as SB 628, sponsored by Sen. Jonathan Martin, a Fort Myers Republican.

Lucy was tragically killed on Labor Day weekend in 2022 when the boat she was in collided with a cement channel marker, launching passengers into the water and capsizing. Lucy was trapped underneath. Emergency responders airlifted her to the hospital, and a day later, she passed away surrounded by her family.

Lucy’s death was one that could have been prevented with education and training. Now, Andy and his wife Melissa are on a mission to make Florida waters safer and prevent other families from suffering the same unimaginable loss.

“Boating today is not what it was 30 years ago. There are more boats than ever before, and with that more distractions. More boats, more passengers and more crowded waterways. It is a recipe for disaster,” Fernandez said. “Florida leads the nation in reportable accidents that result in death. This is not a political issue — this is about saving lives.”

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), there were 659 reported boating accidents in 2023, which led to 408 injuries and 59 deaths. Ten percent of those were tied to alcohol consumption.

SB 628, in its original form, would require safety training for all boaters, not just those born after 1988, ensuring that anyone operating a vessel in Florida has a basic understanding of safe boating practices. The bill would also increase the severity of penalties for reckless and careless vessel operation to include factors such as accidents involving serious injury or death. Those who boat under the influence would face driver license suspension.

SB 628 on Tuesday was stripped of the education and training requirements that were part of the original filed legislation. Sen. Jason Pizzo, a Broward Democrat, questioned the changes that diluted the legislation.

“You want to wait until there is a violation, a tragedy, before we retroactively post-incident requirements?” he said.

While the language requiring training and education was removed from the Senate bill, it remains in the House companion (HB 289) sponsored by Reps. Vicki Lopez and Vanessa Oliver. HB 289 is scheduled to be heard in the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee Thursday.

“I come to you today not only as grieving parents who lost a 17-year-old daughter, but also as avid and lifelong boaters. Our best memories are on the water,” said Fernandez during his testimony. “The last thing we want to do is hurt this industry. We want to keep boaters on the water safe.”

SB 628, as amended, passed the Senate Criminal Justice Committee. The next stop for Martin’s bill is the Senate Committee on Transportation.

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Neither Senate President Ben Albritton nor House Speaker Daniel Perez is tipping his hand as to who he supports in next year’s Republican gubernatorial Primary.

Albritton told a reporter Tuesday that it’s his “first day of Session” when asked about how he felt about the prospect of Gov. Ron DeSantis promoting First Lady Casey DeSantis as the next Governor.

The Wauchula Republican invoked the name of previous Senate President Bill Galvano in justifying his neutral stance.

“I am not a golfer,” Albritton said. “But his saying was you play the hole you’re on. And right now, I’m on a very important one and my mission is to do a good job for the Florida Senate, to do a good job for Floridians.”

He said the Senate “had a very important agenda,” which is “about Floridians … especially those that many times or at least sometimes may fall through the cracks.”

“We’ll see how that works out right now,” Albritton said. “I’m certainly busy being Senate President.”

Perez offered similar deflections.

“I haven’t heard that from the governor personally. I don’t know that he’s been promoting his wife as a as a successor. I think that’s more speculation than anything at this point. If the First Lady chooses to run for governor, then she’ll have every ability to run as a candidate, but him and I have not had that discussion,” the Speaker said.

The leaders’ avoidance of a question about the looming Republican race for Governor may provide a template for legislators who recognize the perils of navigating the gap between the Governor’s promotion of the First Lady and President Donald Trump’s backing of U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds.

A few legislators have endorsed Donalds. State Sen. Randy Fine and state Reps. Yvette Benarroch, Berny Jacques, Toby Overdorf and Juan Porras are among them.

Others are quieter but seemingly on board, including a member of leadership who tells Florida Politics that the Governor’s management style rankles House Republicans and see Casey DeSantis as a third term bid by the incumbent.

But with Ron DeSantis having the ultimate say over the legislatively approved budget and what bills may become law, there is wisdom in holding one’s opinion on the 2026 race close to the vest.

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