TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Highlands Today

Ready for Florida's new laws?

Courtesy photo

Smokers who haven't stocked up will have to pay an extra $1 tax on a pack of cigarettes.

ADVERTISEMENT

By JOE SEELIG

Highlands Today

Published: July 1, 2009

SEBRING - A barrage of new laws go into effect today in Florida, including one that loosens schools' zero-tolerance policies a bit and one that tightens those seat belts.

"This legislation maintains Florida's strict school safety policies while reducing the unintended consequences that have led to the wrongful placement of students in the juvenile justice system," said Gov. Charlie Crist in a news release.

"Florida's children are one of our most important resources for securing Florida's future, and we must ensure they have a safe, fair and first-class education."

Senate Bill 1540 requires school boards to revise their zero-tolerance policies to ensure that students expelled or referred to law enforcement pose a serious threat to school safety, and are not expelled or arrested for petty misconduct, the governor's news release stated.

It is expected that the legislation will cut costs and prevent kids from having criminal records, according to an Associated Press story.

Sebring Police Chief Tom Dettman said the principals and assistant principals he dealt with in his experience handled these cases with a high level of discretion and fairness.

When one applies the law there is an element called the spirit of the law - how it was intended to be applied by the writers of the law, said Dettman on Tuesday.

"Well, if you just applied the letter of the law you'd be filling up all the jails and prisons everywhere in the world," he said.

The legislation also specified that these policies be applied equally to students, regardless of their economic status, race and disability.

"The bill is expected to redirect a large number of children away from the juvenile justice system through diversionary alternatives," the release stated.

Research reportedly showed that removing children from schools increased the odds of academic failure and not completing their education.

"During fiscal year 2007-08, 15 percent of referrals to the juvenile justice system were from schools," the news release stated. "In addition, more than half of those 21,000 students were first-time offenders, with 69 percent of the school-related referrals qualifying as misdemeanors."

Also, schools allowing corporal punishment must now review their policies publicly at a school board meeting once every three years.

Cigarette tax

Smokers who haven't stocked up will have to pay an extra $1 tax on a pack of cigarettes. The state's prior 34 cent cigarette tax was among the lowest in the country, reportedly. Federal taxes on cigarettes went up by 62 cents, to $1.01 a pack in April, according to the Associated Press.

There will also be an increase to 60 percent on the wholesale price of other tobacco products, with the exception of cigars, which are exempt.

Seat belts

When they say "Click it or ticket" they really mean it now.

As of midnight Florida drivers can be pulled over by law enforcement for not being buckled up. Drivers face tickets and fines that can be higher than $100, depending on the county they are driving in.

In Highlands County the ticket is now $99 for each unbuckled occupant, according to the Highlands County Sheriff's Office. However, fines are higher for unsecured children and infants.

Prescription drugs

On June 18, Gov. Crist signed SB 462, designed to put the kibosh on "pill mills" operating inside the state.

It requires the Florida Department of Health to implement an electronic system to monitor the prescribing and dispensing of specified controlled substances and requires prescribers and dispensers of controlled substances to report information for inclusion in the monitoring system.

The system must be in place by Dec. 1, 2010. Florida is one of 12 states that did not currently have a prescription drug monitoring system, according to www.mondag.com .

DNA collection

The state joined 13 other states in the collection of DNA samples from felony suspects upon arrest. Under the previous law DNA samples were only collected after a felony conviction.

The new law would reportedly be phased in over a period of 10 years, beginning with murder and sex crime suspects, until the day when all felony suspects became included in the database.

Opponents of the bill stated it violated the suspects' rights and predicted it would be challenged.

Ban on 'crash tax'

Governments that were charging a crash tax will now have to stop.

Cities and counties are prohibited from charging victims or their families fees to cover the costs of first responders.

Bright Futures

"Beginning July 1, changes made by the Higher Education Appropriations Conforming Bill (Senate Bill 1696), which was passed June 2, will affect Bright Future recipients who enroll in college for the first time in the 2009 - 2010 school year," according to www.usforacle.com .

"The scholarship has three award levels: Florida Academic Scholar (FAS), Academic Top Scholar (ATS) and the Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS).

"Bright Futures will pay students a flat rate of $126 per credit-hour for FAS and ATS recipients at four-year schools and $78 per credit-hour at community colleges. ATS recipients will receive an additional $54 per credit-hour.

"The program will pay FMS recipients $95 per credit-hour at four-year schools and $59 at community colleges."

The new policies mean students at Florida's universities will potentially pay thousands of dollars more out-of-pocket per school year.

Highlands Today reporter Joe Seelig can be reached at (863) 386-5834 or jseelig@highlandstoday.com .

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT