Today marks the half-way point for the 2020 Florida Legislative Session: Day 30 of the 60-day session.
Today at 4 p.m. the Senate Community Affairs Committee will hear SB 1066, the FHBA impact fee bill that has been stalled in committee.
What was the catalyst for this, you ask? For starters, it’s the more than 100 legislative visits made by FHBA members last week during the 2020 FHBA Legislative Conference. YOU are what makes a difference in our legislative efforts.
Last week’s conference kicked off with a FHBA trivia contest among FHBA Senior Officers, Local Presidents, Area Vice Presidents, Local Executive Officers and FHBA staff. (Click here to see how well you’d do in the contest!) This fun night ushered in a full day of legislative meetings on Tuesday beginning with a briefing at 8 a.m., meetings with legislators throughout the day, committee hearings for FHBA priority bills, and topped off with a well-attended reception at the Governor’s Club on Tuesday evening.
The great turn out at the reception is certainly an effect of the friendly competition between local HBA’s to visit the greatest number of legislators- and a big congratulations to the Charlotte Desoto Builders Association for winning the contest by meeting with more than 24 law makers that day. In addition to visits with local delegations, FHBA leaders met with Senate President, Bill Galvano, Senate Majority Leader, Kathleen Passidomo, Senate Rules Chair, Lizbeth Benacquisto, Senate Democratic Leader Designate, Gary Farmer, House Majority Leader, Dane Eagle, Future House Speaker and FHBA Member Paul Renner, House Minority Policy Chair, Evan Jenne and Florida Chief Financial Officer, Jimmy Patronis.
Many members noted that this was the best turn out for the Tuesday legislative reception they have seen.
On Wednesday, the FHBA board meeting welcomed fellow FHBA Member, and State Representative Blaise Ingoglia who reminded us us how important it was to have someone one inside the process who understands our industry. Rep. Ingoglia is sponsoring HB 1199, which pre-empts the misguided rights to nature movement actively being considered by multiple charter counties. Implementation of this concept will lead to economic chaos. FHBA extends a thank you to both Rep. Ingoglia and Senator Allbritton for sponsoring this common sense legislation.
Throughout the conference, members were also able to sit in on many committee meetings important to the industry. In addition to Rep. Ingoglia passing HB 199 out of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee, Rep. DiCeglie passed the Impact Fee Bill (HB 637) out of the Ways & Means Committee, Rep. Overdorf, a fellow FHBA member, passed HB 459 (the FHBA Building Design bill) out of its final committee, House Commerce and Sen. Mayfield guided SB 306, which prohibits sweeping of Sadowski funds, out of the Senate Infrastructure and Security Committee with unanimous approval.
FHBA staff and leadership extends a huge THANK YOU to all who left their families and businesses to travel to Tallahassee and make such an impact. The success of the conference truly speaks for itself.