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State lawmakers holding special session
Justin Matthews reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - Florida lawmakers will be back in Tallahassee on Monday for a four-day special session.
Items on the agenda include help for Florida’s timber industry and farmers who were badly impacted by Hurricane Idalia.
Lawmakers are also looking into increasing spending on the My Safe Florida Home program, which helps homeowners get upgrades to protect their house, like installing hurricane-resistant roofs and windows and ease a backlog of residents looking to lower insurance premiums by improving their homes.
Homeowners may get more help if lawmakers increase funding for the My Safe Florida Home program.
All the funds for that program have been used up this year, and lawmakers say it needs a boost.
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"We created this fund a couple of years ago to allow Florida homeowners to harden their homes, both for their own peace of mind, but so the state didn't have to take care of them after their house got destroyed, and to help them potentially get their insurance bills lowered. That fund is tapped out. So we're going to refill it next week," explained Rep. Randy Fine, R – Florida.
There are also a few other bills that are aimed at supporting Israel and Florida’s Jewish community.
Florida's Jewish community may get more protections during the special session.
"We need to make sure that Jewish families are safe right now," said Rep. Fine.
Representative Randy Fine slammed Governor Ron DeSantis last week, citing his lack of action in countering antisemitism in the state.
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In a statement, Governor Ron DeSantis praised Florida lawmakers for what's on the agenda in this special session, also saying: "Following the horrific atrocities committed by Iranian-backed terrorist group Hamas against Israel, I am calling on the Florida Legislature to act swiftly to ensure our state does not send a penny to the Iranian terror state."
Representative Randy Fine recently called out Govenor DeSantis.
That’s a topic during the session, where lawmakers are looking into creating an extensive blacklist of iran-linked businesses, expanding the list of businesses that state agencies and local governments cannot contract with for goods and services.
Another couple of bills on the agenda, would allocate funding for improving security at Jewish schools and synagogues.
Lawmakers may also make changes to the Family Empowerment Scholarship program, by letting more students get school vouchers through a program for children with disabilities. The bills would get rid of the "cap" that’s on the program, which would allow more students who are "eligible" receive the voucher.