Politics
Gov. DeSantis wants a raise for law enforcement officers and firefighters
The raises could help the state retain good employees, DeSantis said.
Gov. Ron DeSantis is pushing for nearly $120 million in pay increases for state-employed first responders.
During a press conference, DeSantis announced his proposal to give pay bumps to the state’s 4,700 sworn state law enforcement officers and more than 700 state firefighters.
The Governor is recommending a 20% pay increase for entry-level state law enforcement officers as well as 25% increases for both veteran officers and all state firefighters.
“We think these are important vocations. We want to make sure that we’re keeping good talent,” DeSantis said. “Now the reality is if you don’t do that, it’s not that they don’t want to serve, but if they have other opportunities, then you lose them.”
DeSantis’ recommendation comes in the weeks before the Legislature is scheduled to convene for its Regular Session starting March 4.
“This is not terribly a large amount of money in the context of the overall budget,” DeSantis added during Friday’s remarks, calling it a “small fraction” that could be “very meaningful” to employees.
Last week DeSantis announced the Florida Highway Patrol is going to be training to coordinate with the federal government in order to arrest and detain undocumented immigrants and help deport those who are incarcerated and have committed crimes.
DeSantis signed a package of immigration measures Thursday that made several changes from strengthening criminal penalties for undocumented immigrants convicted of crimes, appropriating $250 million for local law enforcement’s immigration efforts and setting up a statewide council to coordinate with the federal government.
Republicans have called Florida a leader in the country in working with President Donald Trump to help him with his mass deportation agenda and cracking down on illegal immigration.
Florida Democrats and advocates countered the new laws are creating an anti-immigration rhetoric in a state with 5 million immigrants. Democrats also pushed back and said the new laws don’t do enough to end illegal immigration by cracking down on employers hiring undocumented workers in the private sector.
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Florida school students could be given instruction on disabilities as part of their curriculum if a new bill intended to raise awareness is passed in the upcoming Legislative Session.
The bill (SB 540) was filed by Tampa Republican Sen. Jay Collins and is titled the “Evin B. Hartsell Act.” The bill aims to amend current legislation to require, rather than authorize, disability history and awareness instruction to students in public K-12 schools.
If passed, the bill would mandate a specific two-week period each year during which students would receive intensive instruction to expand their knowledge, understanding, and awareness of individuals with disabilities, the history of disability, and the disability rights movement.
Students would receive specific instruction on several topics relating to disabilities through the course of each grade. District school boards would be authorized to consult with the Evin B. Hartsell Foundation to help with the development of the curriculum.
Disability history could include the events, timelines, development, and evolution of services, the civil rights of individuals with disabilities, the contributions of specific individuals with disabilities, and contributions made by national leaders.
Instruction for grades K-3 would include conversations around bullying — including what a student should do if they are being bullied, what they should do if they witness someone else being bullied, and what bullying looks like and its different types. Instruction could also incorporate the school’s own anti-bullying policy.
Activities teaching about physical disabilities would also be in the instruction for K-3, including having students try to complete tasks using only one hand, taking turns using a wheelchair, or having students’ complete tasks while blindfolded with other students acting as their guides.
Grades 4-6 would have instruction focused on learning about autism spectrum disorder, which would include activities that require students to communicate to each other without speaking.
Students in grades 7-9 would be provided information on hearing impairment and what life is like for a person living with such a disability. Reading each other’s lips, attempting to listen to a teacher while loud music is playing, or wearing ear plugs could be included in teaching activities.
For high school students in grades 10-12, instruction would include the different types of learning and intellectual disabilities — with learning activities that demonstrate what life is like living with a learning or intellectual disability, including having students attempt to read sentences backwards.
If passed, the act would take effect July 1.
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