Letter: Ready for Legislative Session to convene

Senator John Thrasher
St Augustine, FL

Dear Editor:

We completed the last committee week before we convene for the 2014 Legislative Session on March 4. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate, and the House, to pass commonsense reforms for the State of Florida.

This week, the Senate Appropriations Committee took another step toward strengthening our laws against sex offenders by unanimously passing a bi-partisan legislative package that will give our local communities the tools and resources to crack down on sex offenders and prevent them from reoffending. These bills are part of the priorities outlined in the joint 2014 Work Plan announced by Senate President Don Gaetz and House Speaker Will Weatherford last month. This was the final Senate committee stop for these good bills before they are heard on the Senate floor during the legislative session.

During the Senate Ethics and Elections committee, we reviewed and passed Senate Bill 846, which will expand upon the ethics laws passed last session. These reforms will continue to raise the standard of ethics across the state.

The Senate Rules Committee passed SCR 954, a concurrent resolution to clarify the residency requirements for state legislators. This joint rule provides specific criteria for determining if a member lives in a particular district. The rule is expected to be adopted by both chambers on the first day of the legislative session.

As always, I invite you to continue to stay informed by visiting my Florida Senate webpage at www.flsenate.gov/Senators/s6. Also, if you have a constituent question or concern, or you would like to request an appointment regarding a legislative issue, please contact my district office at (904) 287-4222; or, during the legislative session, please contact my legislative office in Tallahassee at (850) 487-5006.