Politics
Claims bill paying $1.2M to Pasco man maimed in school bus crash gets Gov. DeSantis OK
Decades after he suffered life-altering injuries in a roadway crash with a Pasco County Schools bus, Marcus Button is getting compensation for his pain and suffering.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has just signed legislation (SB 8) authorizing the school district to pay $1 million to Button and $200,000 to his mother, Robin, for injuries, hardship, and lost wages resulting from the 2006 collision.
The signing on Tuesday marks the culmination of 15 years’ worth of efforts to financially assist the buttons, beginning in 2010 when former Sen. Mike Fasano filed the original bill.
SB 8 and its House analog (HB 6507) — sponsored, respectively, by Tallahassee Republican Sen. Corey Simon and Pensacola Republican Rep. Alex Andrade — are claims bills, a special classification of legislation intended to compensate a person or entity for injury or loss due to the negligence or error of a public officer or agency.
Claims bills arise when appropriate damages exceed what is allowable under Florida’s sovereign immunity law, which protects government agencies from costly lawsuits by capping payouts today at $200,000 per person and $300,000 per incident. For payments beyond those sums, legislative action is necessary.
Button is well-deserving of the help, Simon said ahead of his bill’s passage on April 15. The Pasco County School Board also supported the legislation.
“Experts estimate Marcus’ future care costs between $6 million and $10 million, and lifetime lost wages of $365,000 to $500,000,” Simon said. “The bill seeks to provide fair compensation to Marcus Button’s catastrophic, life-altering injuries and ongoing needs.”
Marcus Button was 16 on Sept. 22, 2006, when his friend was driving him to their high school. A school bus driver pulled out in front of Jessica Juettner’s car on State Road 54. It was later determined that bus driver John E. Kinne, whose only other passenger was a backup driver, failed to yield the right-of-way.
The car struck the bus between its wheels, slipping under the larger vehicle. Button, who was riding in the front seat and allegedly not wearing a seat belt, struck the windshield headfirst, sustaining facial and skull fractures, brain damage and vision loss.
Button had to relearn to walk, still suffers from pain, is mostly blind in his right eye and has no sense of smell, among other chronic issues. He also now speaks with a British accent due to foreign accent syndrome, a speech disorder associated with traumatic brain injury. He also endures visual and auditory hallucinations that contribute to chronic paranoia.
Button’s parents sued the Pasco County School Board in 2007 and ultimately won a $1.38 million settlement for Button and $289,000 for themselves. But Button and his mother have seen just $163,000 due to Florida’s statutory limits.
For the past two years, Simon and Andrade sponsored Button’s claims bill. They were the first to take up the cause since 2020, when former Senate Democratic Leader Audrey Gibson filed a comparable measure with no House companion.
It died without a hearing. Similarly, prior efforts by former Republican Sen. Miguel Díaz de la Portilla in 2012 and 2013, and former Republican Sen. Denise Grimsley in 2014, 2015, and 2017, also failed.
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The horrific shooting in Australia that claimed at least 16 lives during a Hanukkah celebration has prompted an expression of sympathy from Florida lawmakers.
The Florida Jewish Legislative Caucus issued a statement of condemnation of the violence during the Jewish observance on Sydney’s Bondi Beach. The Caucus published its statement Sunday afternoon.
“The Florida Legislative Jewish Caucus unequivocally condemns the horrific and senseless killing that occurred during Hanukkah in Australia. An act of violence against Jews celebrating their faith is an attack not only on a single community, but on the fundamental values of freedom, religious liberty, and human dignity,” the Florida Legislative Caucus said in a news release.
“We stand in unwavering solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters in Australia, with the victims’ families, and with Jewish communities around the world who are once again forced to confront hatred simply for being who they are. The State of Florida’s Jewish legislators join in mourning, remembrance, and resolve.”
The Florida LegislativeJewish Caucus has a dozen members from the House of Representatives and two State Senators.
Hundreds of people had gathered Sunday at the beach for an event to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah, when gunmen opened fire. At least 38 others were injured in the attack.
New South Wales Health Minister Ryan Park said the death toll had risen from 12 to 16 overnight, including a 12-year-old child. Three other children are being treated in hospital, he said.
“This is absolutely horrendous for the community broadly, but particularly the Jewish community. … What we saw last night was the worst of humanity, but at the same time, the very best of humanity,” Park said.
The massacre at one of Australia’s most popular beaches followed a wave of antisemitic attacks that have roiled the country over the past year, although the authorities didn’t suggest those and Sunday’s shooting were connected. It is the deadliest shooting in almost three decades in a country with strict gun control laws.
One gunman was fatally shot by police and the second was arrested and in critical condition, authorities said. Police said one gunman was known to security services, but there was no specific threat.
At least 29 people were confirmed wounded, including two police officers, said Mal Lanyon, police commissioner for New South Wales state, where Sydney is located.
“This attack was designed to target Sydney’s Jewish community,” New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said.
The violence erupted at the end of a summer day when thousands had flocked to Bondi Beach, including hundreds gathered for the Chanukah by the Sea event celebrating the start of the eight-day Hanukkah festival.
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Material from The Associated Press was used in this report with permission.
Behavioral health officials have a list of precautions for Floridians to deal with anxieities heading into Christmas and New Year’s Day.
While the holidays can bring a lot of comfort and joy, the can also be a stressful time and Florida’s health management entities are providing some helpful tips to deal with yuletide anxiety.
There are seven behavioral health managing entities in the state and all of them are aware that stress heading into Christmas and New Year’s Day can seem overwhelming at times. They’re advising balance may be one of the key elements in dealing with the holidays.
“The holidays are a time of joy, but they can also be a time of stress, sadness and triggering situations,” said Natalie Kelly, CEO of the Florida Association of Managing Entities. “Florida’s behavioral health Managing Entities remind Floridians that behavioral health services are available, even to those who are uninsured or underinsured.”
The state’s behavioral health professionals are also providing a list of tips to help come to grips with any holiday tension including:
— Get plenty of exercise. Exercising boosts your mood and combats depression.
— Limit alcohol intake. Alcohol is a depressant that can cause feelings of anxiety, sadness and depression.
— Set healthy boundaries and don’t overextend yourself. Setting realistic expectations can help reduce stress.
— Seek the help of a counselor for mental health needs. If you feel overwhelmed or the need to get help to address your feelings, contact a counselor.
— Call 2-1-1 if needed to connect with resources in your community.
— Call 9-8-8 if you or a loved one is having suicidal thoughts.
A mental-health treatment network has been established in the state for providers who deliver services to residents needing help. Those services extend to parents and children, veterans and the homeless.
Providers serve patients for not only mental health needs, but substance use, housing, transportation and employment help. Those managing entities are often overseen by community organizations and administrators and are accountable to state and federal funds.
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