Delegation addresses tough topics at Tiger Bay

SARASOTA – Members of Sarasota County's legislative delegation found themselves focused on hot-button topics such as insurance reform, how race is taught in schools and the Parental Rights in Education Bill – dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill by critics – at the Sarasota Tiger Bay Club Thursday afternoon.

In other words, the legislative wrap-up mirrored the actual session.

Former state Sen. Lisa Carlton, the panel discussion moderator, noted this year's legislative session saw 285 bills passed, as well as a $112 billion spending plan, with an $8.9 million surplus waiting for a signature by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

She also pointed out that state Sen. Joe Gruters finally saw passage of his bill restoring regulation of smoking on beaches to local governments.

"Will this season be remembered as the year of the family... or will it be marred by 'Don't Say Gay?'" Carlton said.

Time will tell, but attorney Sherri Johnson led things off with a question about whether the legislators would support a special session to deal with rising property insurance rates.

"This, I think, is the most important thing you should be spending your time on," said Johnson, who noted that all of of her neighbors have dealt with increased rates, dropped policies or demands for new roofs.

Insurance reform is complex

Rep. Tommy Gregory countered that it's complex legislation.

"Our biggest disappointment is we didn't do additional reforms in the insurance market," he said.

He later added that there are no quick fixes to issues such as insurance reform or condominium construction, repair and safety regulation in response to the Surfside collapse.

"When you're talking about modifying the insurance industry in Florida, it's just simply not a 60-day conversion," Gregory said. "It's a two or three year conversation."

"It's the same thing when you're talking about changing condo associations and inspections and the transfers of that money in and out general revenue and how that money is going to be spent," he added.

Walter Gilbert then asked about education.

"There was a bill passed that limits the way history is taught in public school now," Gilbert said. "If you read the bill now, it says anything a child feels pretty much hurts their feelings equates to a problem – I'm wondering how that's going to be enforced."

Gruters fielded the question from his old Ringling Redskins youth football coach about HB 7, dubbed the "Stop WOKE Act" by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who pushed the legislation. The bill governs how schools and businesses approach racial issues.

"Specifically if you're one race or the other you shouldn't be taught that one race is superior or you should be ashamed or made to feel bad as a result of the race that you are," Gruters said of the legislation.

He said that the legislation doesn't deal with the feelings of an individual student, saying, "It's about the instruction, what's actually taught by individuals in the schools."

Critics have argued that the legislation will prevent teachers from dealing frankly with the country's history.

Rep. Will Robinson said: "Our history is littered with warts an ugly times – of course that should be taught; absolutely, it should be taught."

"The topics that students have been taught traditionally will still be taught," he added. "We just wanted to make sure that there wasn't any perspective that got beyond a historical aspect to it."

Rep. Fiona McFarland agreed that those "warts and uncomfortable truths" should be taught and equated the issues that the legislation attempts to address with the bigotry she experienced in the U.S. Navy, based on her gender.

Parental Rights in Education

Phyllis Kirtley eventually asked about HB 1557, the Parental Rights in Education Bill.

"I have concerns about all kinds of legislation that appears to prevent problems that may not be problems in the first place, " Kirtley said of the legislation critics have called the "Don't Say Gay" bill. "Where did we gather the evidence that this was happening in kindergarten and third grades in Florida?"

Gregory described an example of a middle schooler "James" in north Florida, who developed a transition plan with teachers and officials at his school that intentionally left his parents out of the loop.

"That was the genesis for the bill," Gregory said.

Robinson, who voted against the bill, said, "There were some issues I think could have been addressed in a different way."

"I agreed with about 80% of the bill; I just didn't agree with four lines of the bill," he added. "For instance, there's no definition in the bill of what classroom instruction is, there's no definition in the bill of what a major decision is."

"The bill sponsor admitted that a school district's family would have to be notified if a student changed their dietary habits – which would be a bit strange."

Gruters stressed that parents have a fundamental right to raise their children.

"At the end of the day we're talking about kindergarteners, first-graders, second-graders and third-graders and having appropriate information taught to them," Gruters said. "It is the rights of parents to teach them and basically, regardless if its' gender identity or gay or straight it shouldn't be taught in these grades."

"You want to start in fourth grade, by all means, school board members have the ability to do that," he added. "But these younger grades, the parent should have the ultimate say in what gets taught."

The four-member panel covered a variety of other topics, including legislation that slashes payments made by power companies to those with solar panels on their roof. Gregory argued that people with rooftop solar panels were being subsidized when companies bought the power back from them at the same rate they charge consumers.

McFarland defended her decision to vote to cut funding for schools that had mask ordinances in defiance of the governor's order, which included Sarasota County.

Mary Dailey, president of the Democratic Women's Club of Sarasota County, asked her, "How could you vote to withhold $12 million from the school district?"

McFarland, who admitted to having a thin skin, noted, "Some people have been very upset about an early version of our education budget," then added that while it was an unpalatable choice, she anticipated other cracks at the legislation.

"I believe we ended up in the right place," McFarland said. "That money you're talking about was restored to the budget and Sarasota will not be losing that $12 million."

The final state budget allows districts that did not mandate masks to access additional funding, but doesn't cut existing funding from districts that required masks.

Changes for next session

While McFarland, Gruters and Rep. James Buchanan will remain part of the Sarasota state delegation, redistricting will see the district lines shift for both Robinson and Gregory.

Robinson's seat was redrawn to remove Sarasota County, while Gregory and Buchanan were both in a reconstituted District 74.

Gregory said earlier that he will move to run in a reconstituted District 72 that would cover eastern Manatee County.

Gruters addressed that jokingly, as part of a response to a question by Tracy Jackson, vice chair of Save Siesta Key – the group interested in incorporating a portion of the key as its own municipality, an issue that would require support from the Legislature and governor.

"Two no votes on that bill are gone," Gruters said after referencing the redistricting.

The bill failed to get out of the local delegation on a 3-3 vote, with Buchanan, Gregory and Robinson in opposition.

Earle Kimel primarily covers south Sarasota County for the Herald-Tribune and can be reached at [email protected].