As lawmakers gear up for the 2021 legislative session in March, we’ve reported on many of the bills being proposed. Among the possible new laws to be considered is Sen. Joe Gruters’ (R-Sarasota) SB 334, which would ban smoking in public parks and on beaches; Sen. Dennis Baxley’s (R-Ocala) SB 282, which would require principals to direct first-period teachers to set aside one to two minutes for “quiet reflection”; Sen. Manny Diaz Jr.’s (R-Hialeah) proposed constitutional amendment, SJR 340, that would require a two-thirds vote from both the House and Senate before a single-payer system could be enacted; and Rep. Emily Slosberg’s (D-Boca Raton) HB 91 seeking to require motorists to go fully hands-free while using mobile devices. Here’s some of the, er, lively commentary.
¶ On SB 334:
@Derek Perron Good, in a state that relies so much on nature and the ecosystem for its income this should have been done 30 years ago.
@Holbrook CM How about enforcing the current litter laws and not bringing personal choices into the conversation.
@Craig Mazer Yes, 100% support this. If you want to impact your health, cool, but don’t do it in a public place that could impact mine.
¶ On SB 282:
@Dayv Krayn How about we worry about laws that will help our students learn better and be safer in schools? We have a lot to fix before we get to mandating quiet time.
@Joseph Bouchard What’s wrong with a two-minute moment of silence ? It allows you to pray to whatever God, goddess, Smurf, demigod or nymph you choose.
@Dave Hardison I am fine with the idea, but I wonder if he has ever met any third-graders.
@Fernando Maldonado Americans are more in need of a moment of science.
¶ On SJR 340:
@Janet Ivey I think taxpayers, since they are the employers of these elected folks, should do just as corporations do and inform these miserable people they no longer have healthcare. Stop all their benefits like most companies have. They want us to live within our means, so should they. And they have much more “means” than we do.
@Cayla Parks It would be so terrible if everyone who needed it could get healthcare or medicine without having to choose between it and food or a place to live. So terrible. Long live cannibalistic extreme capitalism.
¶ On HB 91:
@Trisha Fanning It’s scary driving in this state. I drive I-4 everyday to work and more people are texting and driving than not
@Jaime Sanderson-Handley This needs to happen ASAP! Everyone in Orlando is on their phone!
@Tiffany Taylor It blows my mind this hasn’t been law for years and years already.
–
Stay on top of Central Florida news and views with our weekly newsletters, and consider supporting this free publication. Our small but mighty team is working tirelessly to bring you Central Florida news, and every little bit helps.