Scott Vetoes Alimony Overhaul
April 16, 2016
For the second time in three years, Gov. Rick Scott has vetoed a controversial alimony proposal, this time blaming an even more-contentious child custody component included in the latest bill.
The proposal vetoed Friday would have created a formula, based on the length of marriage and the combined incomes of both spouses, for judges to use when setting alimony payments. After years of disagreement on the issue, alimony reform advocates and The Florida Bar’s Family Law Section supported the alimony proposal, which would have also eliminated permanent alimony while giving judges some discretion to veer from the formula.
But the plan became one of the most hotly contested issues of the 2016 legislative session when it was amended to include a child-sharing component that would have required judges to begin with a “premise” that children should split their time equally between parents.
The proposed time-sharing changes could potentially upend the state’s current policy of putting the needs of children first in favor of parents’ wishes when judges determine custody arrangements, Scott wrote in Friday’s veto letter.
The proposed revisions “have evoked passionate reactions from thousands of Floridians because divorce affects families in many different ways,” Scott wrote.
Men, women and a handful of children on both sides of the measure (SB 668) clashed outside of Scott’s office Tuesday, before representatives met with the governor’s policy director to make last-ditch pitches. Scott received nearly 10,000 messages urging him to sign the bill into law, more than three times the number of requests for a veto.
“As a husband, father and grandfather, I understand the importance of family and the sensitivity and passion that comes with the subject of family law. Family law issues are very personal, and nearly every family comes to the court with different circumstances and needs. As such, we must be judicious and carefully consider the long term and real life repercussions on Florida families,” he wrote.
But “the one constant” when a divorce involves a young child is “the needs of the child must come before all others” when judges determine parenting schedules, something now required by Florida law, Scott wrote.
“This bill has the potential to upend that policy in favor of putting the wants of a parent before the child’s best interest by creating a premise of equal time-sharing. Our judges must consider each family’s unique situation and abilities and put the best interests of the child above all else,” he concluded.
Scott’s veto drew a barbed response from Senate budget chief Tom Lee, who has pushed the child custody issue.
Lee, a former Senate president, said he met with Scott’s staff throughout the session in an attempt to address some of the concerns expressed in the governor’s 2013 veto of a similar alimony bill. Scott objected to a retroactivity provision in the 2013 legislation, which was not included in this year’s bill. Scott’s aides wouldn’t give any clear guidelines about what might please the governor, Lee indicated in a statement issued Friday afternoon.
“At this point it is unclear what future family law reform legislation the governor may find acceptable. Today’s veto message is vague and does nothing to further illuminate the governor’s concerns,” Lee, a Brandon Republican whose wife is a judge, wrote. “Specifically, the veto message focuses exclusively on potential outcomes, without giving reasons for how the legislation could actually result in those outcomes. Current law is clear that the best interest of the children remains paramount and it is the primary responsibility of judges to make a determination based on 20 factors listed in current law. Senate Bill 668 does nothing to change the primary role of the court, which is to do what is in the best interest of the children.”
Lee said he remained “hopeful that we can continue to work to find a solution for the thousands of families across our state who are seeking meaningful changes in family law.”
Other alimony reform advocates aren’t backing down, but will try to keep the time-sharing and alimony issues in separate bills next year.
“We still believe, as an organization, child sharing is important. We just don’t want it to hurt our chances for alimony reform, which is what happened this session.” Family Law Reform founder Alan Frisher, who has spent nearly a decade pushing the issue, said in a telephone interview Friday.
The alimony measure has been mired in controversy since Scott’s first veto three years ago.
A revised version of the measure, which included the formula included in this year’s proposal, died in 2015 after being enmeshed in a dispute between Lee and House Rules Chairman Ritch Workman, a key alimony-overhaul supporter who opposed the child-sharing component.
Late in this year’s legislative session, Workman and Lee reached a compromise regarding the child-sharing language. Instead of requiring a “presumption” of equal time-sharing between parents, the proposal instructed judges to begin with a “premise” that children will divide their time equally between both parents.
The Family Law Section of the Florida Bar, which for years had opposed the alimony reform efforts but worked with Workman, Frisher and others to develop the formula, opposed the child-sharing portion of the bill. Late in the session, the Family Law Section hired lobbyists close to Scott — including the governor’s former legislative affairs director, Jon Costello, and Slater Bayliss — to persuade the governor to veto the proposal.
The National Organization for Women and the League of Women Voters of Florida and some conservative groups also opposed the bill, which they argued would be especially harmful for older homemakers who have few prospects of lucrative employment after spending much of their lives caring for children and husbands.
Family Law Section Chairwoman Maria Gonzalez hailed Scott’s veto, saying the bill would have caused more litigation if it had become law.
Divorces or paternity cases in which couples are separating are “tough situations for the entire family” but are particularly painful for children, Gonzalez said.
“So when mom and dad come in front of the judge the best thing they can have is a clean slate and have a judge consider the uniqueness of the family, and also the needs of the particular family and come up and craft a good parenting plan, a good time-sharing schedule that works best for that family,” she said.
Calling Scott’s veto “crushing and devastating,” Frisher accused the governor of ignoring the will of “the highest court, the court of public opinion.”
“He did not listen to our citizens. He did not listen to our legislators. One man made this determination. I understand he’s a family man, but he’s also our governor. And that made me even more disappointed,” he said.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
New Prison Health Contractors Moves Into Nine North Florida Facilities
April 16, 2016
A new prison health contractor will begin moving into nine North Florida facilities Saturday, an initial step toward providing care for more than 80,000 inmates, the state Department of Corrections said Friday.
Centurion of Florida will begin what the department described as an “initial transition” into Holmes Correctional Institution, Gulf Correctional Institution, Liberty Correctional Institution, Madison Correctional Institution, Cross City Correctional Institution, Lake Correctional Institution, the Quincy Annex, the Mayo Annex and the Gadsden Re-Entry Center.
The department in January awarded a contract to Centurion of Florida after another firm, Corizon Health, decided to end its contract to provide services to about three-fourths of the state’s inmates. Centurion of Florida will move into 32 other facilities by May 31, the department said.
The award of the contract drew a challenge from Wexford Health Sources, Inc., which provides services to inmates in the rest of the state. But an administrative law judge this month rejected the Wexford challenge.
“Since entering into a contract for comprehensive health care services in January, the department and Centurion have worked collaboratively to ensure proper staffing, the availability of medical resources and a seamless delivery of medical care and services during this transition period,” Corrections Secretary Julie Jones said in a prepared statement Friday. “I am confident that Centurion will produce positive, patient-centered health outcomes for the more than 80,000 inmates under their care.”
by The News Service of Florida
Pictured: The medical unit inside Century Correctional Institution. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Tate Wins District Title; Jay Falls To South Walton
April 16, 2016
Tate 7, Pace 2
For the third year in a row, the Tate Lady Aggies won the District 1-7A title Friday night 7-2 over Pace at Escambia High School.
Savannah Rowell recorded 10 strike outs in seven innings and allowed just two runs and seven hits. Rowell was also 2-4 with two RBIs and run. Savannah Ullrich and Hannah Brown bother homered for the Lady Aggies.
Other Tate hitters — Hannah Brown 3-3 HR, 2 RBIs, 2 R; Savannah Rowell 2-4 2 RBIs, R; Savannah Ullrich 1-2 HR, 2 RBIs, R.
Tate will host Milton on Wednesday in regional action, while Pace will hit the road to Niceville.
South Walton 3, Jay 1
The Jay Lady Royals lost Friday night 3-1 to South Walton at Northview in the Lady Royal’s sixth consecutive appearance inthe District 3-1A title game.
Destiny Herring pitched seven innings for Jay, allowing three runs, eight hits and striking out three. Micheala Stewart was 1-3 with a run for Jay.
Jay will travel Thursday night to Franklin County for the regional semi-finals.
Pictured top: The Tate Lady Aggies celebrate their district championship win Friday night. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Scott: Area’s Unemployment Drops
April 16, 2016
Gov. Rick Scott announced Friday that the Pensacola area added 4,300 new private-sector jobs over the year in March. The area’s unemployment rate declined by 0.7 percentage point over the year to 4.6 percent in March.
Scott said, “I am proud to announce that the Pensacola area added more than 4,000 new jobs this year and the unemployment rate dropped to 4.6 percent. We want Florida to become first for jobs, which is why we worked to cut more than $1 billion in taxes in the past two years and why we will continue to do all we can to support job growth in Florida.”
The industry with the largest job gains in the Pensacola area over the year in March was leisure and hospitality with 1,000 new jobs. The Pensacola area had 4,866 job openings in March, including 1,219 openings for high-wage, high-skill, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) occupations.
West Florida Lady Jags Win District Championship
April 16, 2016
The West Florida Lady Jaguars shut out Gulf Breeze 4-0 for the District 1-6A championship Friday night.
Sarah Nicholas pitched seven for the Lady Jags, allowing three hits and striking out five. Lauren Carnley was 2-4 with a single, a double, three RBIs and a run scored for West Florida, while Jibrashia Moore was 2-3 with a walk and two runs scores. Bri Morgan was 1-3 with a sacrifice bunt.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Gary Carnley, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Beat Jacksonville
April 16, 2016
Pensacola Blue Wahoos first baseman Ray Chang said when he stepped into the on-deck circle, he had a serious case of de ja vu.
Less than a year ago on June 10, the 32-year-old minor league veteran hit a walk-off single to defeat the Jacksonville Suns.
He did it again last night with a single to right field to score catcher Chad Wallach from third base with one out in the 11th inning, giving Pensacola a, 4-3, victory Friday over Jacksonville at Blue Wahoos Stadium. It’s the first time in the Blue Wahoos’ five-year history that it has won the first two five-game series.
Pensacola is 3-1 against the Suns and sits atop the Southern League South Division at 7-2. Jacksonville fell to 5-4.
Chang, who’s hitting .294, nearly froze to death after his walk-off hit getting doused in cold water three times. It was the third walk-off in his career. He said the feeling of hitting a walk-off never gets old.
“Never. Absolutely never,” Chang said after the game. “That’s an awesome feeling.”
Chang’s walk-off was set up by smart base running by Wallach. He took off for second when Suns’ closer Victor Araujo bounced one in the dirt and ended up on third when catcher Francisco Arcia threw the ball into right-center field.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said Chang was just the person he wanted at the plate.
“I love him being up in that situation with his experience,” Kelly said. “Chang was clutch again.”
In the 10th inning, the Blue Wahoos loaded the bases against Araujo with two outs but he struck out Pensacola’s Brandon Dixon to get out of the inning.
Chang said the mood of the 2016 team compared to last year’s team is “180-degrees different.” He added, “We got off to a really slow beginning last year. We’ve got some serious chemistry going on here.”
Interestingly, Wallach scored the Blue Wahoos last two runs. He smashed a two-run homer to right field — the team’s third home run of the season — that put the Blue Wahoos up, 3-0, in the second inning.
“Chad’s got the power to go to the opposite field,” Kelly said. “In this park, I don’t care which way the wind is blowing, that’s a big home run.”
The Blue Wahoos went up, 1-0, in the first when Beau Amaral walked and then scored when left fielder Tony Renda, ripped a single to center field.
However, Jacksonville clawed its way back scoring one run in the sixth, seventh and eighth to tie the game, 3-3. In the eighth, Suns first baseman Brady Shoemaker singled into right field with one out to score right fielder Jeremias Pineda with the tying run.
Jacksonville had a golden opportunity to win the game in the ninth inning when it loaded the bases but Austin Dean hit a chopper to Pensacola third baseman Eric Jagielo, who quickly threw to home plate to force out second baseman Peter Mooney. With the bases still loaded and two out, Shoemaker hit a grounder to Jagielo who stepped on the third base bag to end the scoring threat.
Meanwhile, the Wahoos bats went silent as Jacksonville relievers set down 16 Pensacola hitters in a row from the fourth inning until Chad Wallach earned an infield single that ricocheted off the first baseman in the ninth inning. In fact, Suns relievers Scott Lyman, Tyler Kinley and Sean Donatello combined to pitch 5.2 innings of no-hit, no-run ball until Wallach’s hit.
Pensacola pitcher Jackson Stephens, who got the Suns side out four times in six innings, pitched 5.2 innings and allowed one run on three hits and two walks, while striking out seven.
Cantonment Man Facing Multiple Drug, Weapons Charges After Traffic Stop
April 15, 2016
A Cantonment man is jailed on a list of drug and weapons charges after a Pensacola traffic stop.
Pensacola Police conducted a traffic stop on Olive Road on a vehicle driven by 31-year old Thomas Richard Moore III.
After K-9 alerted on the vehicle, officers reported finding Spice, several controlled narcotics and other prescription medications for which Moore did not have a prescription, a variety of drug paraphernalia, methamphetamine and a .38 caliber revolver. The loaded revolver was listed as stolen by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Moore was charged with possession of a new legend drug without a prescription, possession of a weapon or ammo by a convicted felon, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a synthetic narcotic with intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and possession of marijuana.
Moore remains in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $34,500.
Waiting List Remains Open For Century Tornado Housing Assistance
April 15, 2016
A phone line remains open for tornado victims inside the Town of Century to be placed on a waiting list for possible state housing assistance.
It is not yet known how long the waiting list will be taking additions due to limited funding. An interlocal agreement between the Town of Century and Escambia County is expected to go before the Escambia County Commission on April 21 spelling out additional details.
Only residents in the incorporated town of Century whose housing units were damaged by the tornado are eligible to apply. Owner occupants of manufactured homes are also eligible to apply if they own the property on which the home is located.
Century residents may call (850) 595-0872 to be placed on the waiting list. Residents must provide the following information when calling:
- Name
- Street address of impacted residence
- Contact phone number
Services will be made available to income-eligible owner occupants on a first qualified, first served basis as funding permits. Staff will follow up with applicants within five business days to determine program eligibility and to make appointments to begin the application process.
The following chart shows the maximum gross family household income requirements in Escambia County (effective March 28, 2016) for the housing repair and reconstruction activities through the State Housing Initiatives Partnership program, or SHIP. Household income includes income received from all persons residing in the household and from all sources providing income to the household.
Applications are still being accepted for owner occupants needing housing repair or reconstruction assistance from the February 15 and 23 tornadoes. Owner occupants in unincorporated Escambia County can call the Neighborhood Enterprise Division at (850) 595-0022, and those inside the city of Pensacola limits can call the City of Pensacola Housing Office at (850) 858-0306 to apply.
Habitat For Humanity To Hold Open House On Saturday
April 15, 2016
Pensacola Habitat for Humanity will host an open house Saturday for interested persons to learn more about becoming Habitat homeowners.
The open house will be held from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at 2037 North Roberts Circle near Cantonment. Attendees can learn about affordable home ownership, Habitiat’s home buyer program and tour a Habitat house.
Scott Signs Key Health Bills, Vetoes Dental Measure
April 15, 2016
Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday signed a series of health-care bills, including a measure that supporters say will help shield patients from getting hit with surprise tabs after going to hospital emergency rooms.
Scott also vetoed a bill that would have provided financial incentives for dentists to practice in underserved areas of the state. The bill (HB 139) had been unanimously approved by the House and Senate during the legislative session that ended March 11.
The measures signed Thursday included some of the most heavily lobbied health-care bills of the session. As an example, Scott signed a measure (HBÂ 221) that drew attention from health insurers, doctors and hospitals and addresses an issue known as “balance billing.”
That issue primarily deals with patients who have preferred provider organization, or PPO, coverage and go to hospitals for emergency care. Patients have sometimes gotten unexpected bills because doctors at the hospitals are not part of the insurance plans’ networks.
The legislation seeks to prevent patients from getting hit with those surprise expenses and, in part, sets up a dispute-resolution process for health-care providers and insurers to work out payment issues. State Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, who has been an outspoken supporter of the measure, said it establishes a “balanced solution to the complex issue of medical billing.”
“This new law protects consumers by holding them harmless in times of both emergency situations when choosing a provider is not an option, and in non-emergency situations when communication may not be made clear regarding out-of-network providers who may be offering care,” Atwater said in a prepared statement. “As a result, consumers are left with a more affordable bill comparable to what they would have paid if the provider had been in their network.”
The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Carlos Trujillo, R-Miami, and Sen. Rene Garcia, R-Hialeah, also will require health insurers to cover such services as speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy for people with Down syndrome. That provision, which expands part of a law that took effect in 2009 for people with autism spectrum disorder, was a priority of Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, and was added in the final hours of the session.
Among the other bills signed Thursday was a long-debated measure (HB 423), sponsored by Rep. Cary Pigman, R-Avon Park, Rep. Daphne Campbell, D-Miami, and Sen. Denise Grimsley, R-Sebring, that will allow advanced registered nurse practitioners and physician assistants to prescribe controlled substances. The bill would place some limits on the authority, such as restricting the prescribing of what are known as “Schedule II” controlled substances, such as codeine and oxycodone, to seven-day supplies.
Also, Scott signed a measure (HB 1175), sponsored by Rep. Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, and Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, that is aimed at creating greater transparency for patients about health-care costs and quality. In addition, Scott signed a bill (HB 7087), sponsored by Sprowls, Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, and Senate Minority Leader Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa, that will create an advisory council that would make recommendations about increasing the use of “telehealth.”
In all, Scott signed 20 bills Thursday dealing with a range of issues including health care, education, transportation and property insurance.
Scott’s veto of the dental bill was something of a surprise — and was only the second bill he has vetoed this year. The proposal, sponsored by Rep. Travis Cummings, R-Orange Park, and Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, would have created a program to provide awards of $10,000 to $100,000 to dentists who work in underserved areas, such as rural areas or low-income areas.
The money could have been used for such things are repayment of dental-school loans or investment in facilities and equipment. But in a veto letter, Scott said, in part, that the bill was duplicative of other programs that provide dental care, such as the statewide Medicaid managed-care system.
“While I agree with the bill sponsors that maintaining good oral health is integral to the overall health of Florida families, I cannot support a program that does not place appropriate safeguards on taxpayer investments,” the veto letter said. “The bill does not require dentists who receive taxpayer dollars to hire a specific number of new employees or to serve a certain number of low-income patients each year. Furthermore, the bill opens the door for state dollars to be used to incentivize other high-income professionals.”
by Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida