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Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 9

Becker’s End of Session Spotlight Welcome to Becker’s End of Session Spotlight! As your trusted lobbyists we are proud to provide you with the latest developments in politics and policy in Tallahassee. As the 2024 Legislative Session comes to a close, here is what happened in Tallahassee during Week 9 (March 4 – March 8). Headliners […]

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Becker Celebrates Women’s History Month: Meet LaToya Sheals

In celebration of Women’s History Month, Becker is showcasing the inspiration, philosophies, and expertise of the women attorneys and lobbyists who help elevate our firm and client service. LaToya Sheals is a Senior Government Relations Consultant in Becker’s Government and Lobbying Practice. She has extensive experience in investigating and analyzing legislation and developing public policy […]

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Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 8, February 26 – March 1, 2024

50th Day Rule and Budget Conferences Tuesday, February 26, marked the 50th day of the 2024 Legislative Session.  With 1,954 bills filed, 30 bills have passed and are awaiting presentation to the Governor.  Currently, two bills have been presented to the Governor and six total bills have been signed into law.  Tuesday, February 26, also […]

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Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 7, February 19 – February 23, 2024

“Where Are We in the Process?” As the legislative session approaches its conclusion, it’s a critical time for many bills that are still in the pipeline. The 50th Day, a significant milestone in the legislative calendar, is on Tuesday, February 27th. This day marks a period when the focus sharpens on advancing bills through the […]

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Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 6, February 12 – February 16, 2024

40-Day Count Down We have now completed 40 days of the 60-day 2024 Legislative Session. The focus is now shifting to bills being heard on the floor as opposed to committee meetings. For those bills that have been assigned to committees but have not been heard, the likelihood of them passing this session is minimal. […]

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Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 5, February 5 – February 9, 2024

Halfway Mark The legislative session reached its “halfway” mark, Day 30, on Wednesday, February 7th.  Legislators are now heading into the second half of the 2024 session with both chambers having passed only 12 bills thus far.  Many of those bills are technical statutory revision bills required each year to make updates and delete provisions […]

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Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 4, January 29 – February 2, 2024

Budget HB 5001- General Appropriations Act by House Appropriations Committee and Chair Leek SB 2500- Appropriations by Senate Appropriations Committee The budgets proposed by the House and Senate were heard in the Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, January 31. Lawmakers discussed the spending plan for the upcoming year with the House proposing a spending package of […]

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Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 3, January 22 – January 26, 2024

Healthcare SB 248 – Medical Negligence by Senator Yarborough SB 248 by Senator Yarborough proposes changes to the Florida Wrongful Death Act. The act currently allows families to seek compensation for non-economic damages if the Department of Health (DOH) or the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) concludes that a facility or practitioner violated the […]

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Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 2, January 16 – January 19, 2024

Healthcare “Live Healthy” SB 7016 – Health Care by Health Policy by Senator Burton SB 7018 – Health Care Innovation by Health Policy by Senator Harrell SB 7016 and SB 7018, collectively known as “Live Healthy and a top priority of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo unanimously passed the Senate floor on Thursday, January 18th. The initiative […]

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Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 1, January 9 – January 12, 2024

Opening Day The 2024 Legislative Session commenced on Tuesday, January 9 with legislators gathering in Tallahassee to pass legislation and a balanced state budget. In her opening remarks, President Passidomo outlined her commitment to expanding the healthcare workforce but was emphatic in her refusal to relitigate Medicaid expansion. The Live Healthy package, a Senate priority, […]

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LaToya Sheals Recognized in INFLUENCE Magazine for Advocacy on Behalf of Florida’s Private Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

Becker’s LaToya Sheals has earned a featured spot in INFLUENCE Magazine, highlighting her efforts supporting Florida’s Private Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The article is part of the magazine’s “Fourth Floor Files” section. LaToya played an instrumental role in securing a record $30 million in recurring funding for Florida’s Private HBCUs, namely Edward Waters […]

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LaToya Sheals Named in Inaugural Florida Above & Beyond List

City & State Florida and the News Service of Florida announce the Above & Beyond list, which recognizes women trailblazers who have distinguished themselves in government, business, nonprofits, media, health care and other high-profile fields. Becker is proud to announce that our very own LaToya Sheals was named in the inaugural class! LaToya has secured […]

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The Becker Insider | June 2023

The Becker Insider provides recent news and unique perspectives into the Florida policy issues that matter most to you. At Becker, we believe that our strengths truly lie in our differences. Our local, state, and federal lobbying teams have deep and longstanding relationships across the political spectrum, allowing us to better champion the interests of […]

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“Lobbying Compensation: Becker Scores $775K in Q1”- Florida Politics

Becker lobbyists Bernie Friedman, Ellyn Bogdanoff, José K. Fuentes, Yolanda Cash Jackson, Max Losner, Nicholas G. Matthews, Cody Rogers, and LaToya Sheals represented about 90 clients in Q1 and brought in an estimated $775,000 last quarter. Florida Politics estimated the lobbying pay based on the middle number of the per-client ranges firms list on their compensation reports. Contracts are reported […]

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Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 9, May 1-5, 2023

Headliners Sine Die Congratulations!!  We’ve made it to the end of the 2023 Legislative Session where both Chambers adjourned sine die on Friday, May 5. This year, the following business was conducted: 1,873 Bills and Proposed Committee Bills (PCBs) filed 2,674 Amendments filed 3,229 Votes Taken 52 Floor Sessions 356 Bills passed both chambers Budget […]

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Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 8, April 24-28, 2023

Headliners 50th Day Rule and Budget Conferences Tuesday, April 25 marked the 50th day of the 2023 Legislative Session. With over 2,000 bills filed by legislators, committee hearings have come to an end per the rules of the Legislature; all bills that have not made it past their committee references have died. As we continue […]

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Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 7, April 17-21, 2023

Headliners Budget On Friday, April 21, House Speaker, Paul Renner, and Senate President, Kathleen Passidomo, announced that conferencing between the two chambers is likely to start Monday, April 24.  The House and Senate passed separate budgets earlier this month and the two chambers are now working on allocating the dollars toward each section of the […]

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Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 6, April 10-14, 2023

Headliners CS/HB 7 – Pregnancy and Parenting Support by Representative Persons-Mulicka SB 300 – Pregnancy and Parenting Support by Senator Grall On Thursday, April 13, after more than seven hours of discourse and more than 50 amendments filed on the House floor, all of which were not adopted, SB 300, passed with a vote of […]

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Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 5, April 3-7, 2023

“Heartbeat Protection Act” SB 300 – Pregnancy and Parent Support by Senator Grall HB 7 – Pregnancy and Parent Support by Representatives Persons-Mulicka Both chambers debated SB 300/HB 7 regarding the expansion of the 15-week ban for the termination of pregnancy and other healthcare services this week. SB 300/HB 7 will prohibit a physician from […]

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Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 4, March 27-31, 2023

Universal Voucher Bill HB 1 – Education- Representative Kaylee Tuck SB 202 – Education- Senator Corey Simon Week 4 of the 2023 Legislative Session began with the signing of HB 1 by Representative Tuck, a comprehensive education bill expanding the eligibility for school choice. On Monday, March 27th Governor DeSantis approved the bill, formally making […]

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Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 3, March 20-24, 2023

Budget On Thursday, the Senate released their proposed General Appropriations Act (SB 2500) for the 2023-24 fiscal year with the House releasing their version (HB 5001) on Friday. The House proposes a $112.9 billion budget where the Senate proposes a $113.6 billion budget.  Each chamber’s budget is less than the proposed $114.8 budget presented by […]

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Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 2, March 13-17, 2023

Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee Substitute for House Bill 111 Flooding and Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Studies by Representative Hunschofsky Senate Bill 1170 Flooding and Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Studies by Senator Calatayud CS/HB 111 by Representative Hunschofsky will expand the current provisions set forth by the legislature’s passage of SB 178 during the 202 […]

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Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 1, March 7-10, 2023

Opening Day The Florida Legislature convened in Tallahassee for the commencement of the state’s 125th Legislative Session on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. President Kathleen Passidomo delivered an impassioned opening statement thanking the entire legislature for their commitment to serving their constituents, outlaying the achievements of the legislature during Special Session, and the goals of the […]

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Special Session 2022A

On Monday, December 12, 2022, the Florida Legislature convened for 2022 Special Session A, with the goal of providing much needed disaster relief, addressing Florida’s fragile homeowners’ insurance environment and toll relief for traveling public. The Special Session lasted three days and concluded Wednesday afternoon. This was the third Special Session of 2022. Three pieces […]

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LaToya Sheals Elected to the Board of Directors of the Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists

Becker is thrilled to announce that LaToya Sheals was elected to the Board of Directors of the Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists! The Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists (FAPL) is a broad-based organization committed to establishing and maintaining high standards for professional advocates. FAPL members adhere to explicit standards of conduct in dealing with public […]

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Becker End of Session Spotlight, 2022

Welcome to Becker’s End of Session Spotlight! As your trusted lobbyists we are proud to provide you with the latest developments in politics and policy in Tallahassee. As the 2022 Legislative Session comes to a close, here is what happened in Tallahassee during Week 9 (March 7 – March 11) and Monday, March 14. SINE DIE […]

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Becker’s Weekly Spotlight Week 8, February 28-March 4, 2022

Welcome to Becker’s Weekly Spotlight! As your trusted lobbyists, we are proud to provide you with the latest developments in politics and policy in Tallahassee. Here is what happened in Tallahassee during Week 8 (February 28 – March 4) of the 2022 Legislative Session. LOCAL GOVERNMENT Additional Homestead Property Tax Exemption for Specified Critical Public […]

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Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 7, February 21-25, 2022

Becker Weekly Spotlight Week 7 February 21 – February 25 Welcome to Becker’s Weekly Spotlight! As your trusted lobbyists we are proud to provide you with the latest developments in politics and policy in Tallahassee. Here is what happened in Tallahassee during Week 7 (February 21 – February 25) of the 2022 Legislative Session. HEADLINES General Appropriations Act. […]

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Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 6, February 14-18, 2022

Becker Weekly Spotlight Week 6 February 14 – February 18 Welcome to Becker’s Weekly Spotlight! As your trusted lobbyists, we are proud to provide you with the latest developments in politics and policy in Tallahassee. Here is what happened in Tallahassee during Week 6 (February 14 – February 18) of the 2022 Legislative Session. HEADLINES […]

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Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 5, February 7-11, 2022

Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 5, February 7-11 Welcome to Becker’s Weekly Spotlight! As your trusted lobbyists, we are proud to provide you with the latest developments in politics and policy in Tallahassee. Here is what happened in Tallahassee during Week 5 (February 7 – February 11) of the 2022 Legislative Session. HEADLINES Budget. The House and […]

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Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 4, January 31- February 4, 2022

Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 4, January 31-February 4 Welcome to Becker’s Weekly Spotlight! As your trusted lobbyists, we are proud to provide you with the latest developments in politics and policy in Tallahassee. Here is what happened in Tallahassee during Week 4 (January 31- February 4) of the 2022 Legislative Session. HEADLINES The budget for […]

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Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 3, January 24-28, 2022

Becker Weekly Spotlight: Week 3, January 24-28 Welcome to Becker’s Weekly Spotlight! As your trusted lobbyists we are proud to provide you with the latest developments in politics and policy in Tallahassee. Here is what happened in Tallahassee during Week 3 (January 24-28) of the 2022 Legislative Session. HEADLINES Local Ordinances. SB 280 by Senator […]

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Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 2, January 17-21, 2022

HEADLINES SB 102 by Sen. Ray Rodrigues passed on Thursday, January 20, 2022 and created new political maps for congressional districts and state Senate. The congressional map proposal passed with a vote of 31-4 and the state Senate district map (SB 100 by Sen. Ray Rodrigues) passed 34-3. This vote comes two days after State Senator Shevrin […]

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Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 1, January 10-14, 2022

HEADLINES Opening Day – Tuesday, January 11, 2022, marked the opening day of the 2022 Legislative Session. President Wilton Simpson and House Speaker Chris Sprowls addressed both chambers with a common theme: Keep Florida free. This theme aligns with Governor DeSantis who also presented his State of the State address to both chambers. While he […]

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Keep Florida Free Legislative Agenda

This week, the legislature convened for Special Session 2021B to address multiple COVID-19 mandate related issues. The brief Special Session concluded with four bills passing. Each bill, summarized below, was signed by Governor DeSantis yesterday, November 18, 2021. As always, if you have any questions, please contact us. HB 1B – COVID-19 Mandates HB 1B has […]

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Becker & Enterprise Florida Discuss Benefits of $74M Job Growth Grant Fund

Becker Shareholder Yolanda Cash Jackson recently welcomed Florida Secretary of Commerce and Enterprise Florida President & CEO Jamal Sowell for an in-depth conversation about the purpose and impact of the state’s Job Growth Grant Fund. This economic development program, administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, is designed to promote public infrastructure projects and […]

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Becker Signs The Diversity in Government Relations Coalition Industry Pledge

Becker is proud to announce that the firm has signed The Diversity in Government Relations Coalition Industry Pledge. The DGR Coalition aspires to foster and strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion among entities that influence local, state, and federal policy through data collection, strategic communications, and stakeholder engagement. This pledge is part of its greater non-partisan […]

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BECKER UPDATE: 2021 Florida Legislative Session Wrap Up, Week #9

HEADLINES Sine Die. The Florida Legislature adjourned on Friday, April 30th around 2:40 pm. The 2021 regular session presented some extraordinary challenges to all who participated in the legislative process. As this COVID-19 Session comes to an end, the following business was conducted: 3,140 Bills and Proposed Committee Bills (PCBs) filed 2,632 Amendments filed 3,788 […]

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BECKER UPDATE: 2021 Florida Legislative Session, Week #7 & Week #8

HEADLINES Budget. After a week of budget conferencing, the House and Senate appear to be nearing agreement on the state budget for the fiscal year. On Friday night, House and Senate budget chiefs publicly accepted compromises regarding health care, education and prisons expenditures. Some of the key decisions included backing off proposed Medicaid cuts for […]

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BECKER UPDATE: 2021 Florida Legislative Session, Week #6

HEADLINES Budget. The House and Senate took votes last week on their chambers’ ‘proposed respective budgets for the 2021-2022 fiscal year. The House voted on Thursday to approve their $97B proposed budget by a vote of 104-14, while the Senate unanimously passed their $95B spending plan. Senate President Wilton Simpson signaled that he did not think […]

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BECKER UPDATE: 2021 Florida Legislative Session, Week #5

HEADLINES Budget. The Revenue Estimating Conference will meet on April 6th. It is anticipated that revenue projections will be higher than expected, resulting in an increase in the amount of cash available going into budget negotiations. With respect to the expected $10B in relief money coming to the state from the federal government, Senate President […]

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BECKER UPDATE: 2021 Florida Legislative Session, Week #4

HEADLINES Budget. This week, the House and Senate released their respective budget proposals for the 2021-2022 fiscal year. Both houses of the legislature prioritized resiliency, flood mitigation, and sea level rise-focused projects this year. The House set aside $29.1M for water projects; the Senate set aside $37.5M. Additionally, the House’s proposal included $100M for land […]

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BECKER UPDATE: 2021 Florida Legislative Session, Week #3

COVID-19. Governor DeSantis announced on Friday that Floridians aged 50 and older will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine beginning March 22nd, due to the now modest demand for vaccines. The Governor estimates that the state will be on track to open vaccines to all Floridians before May 1st. At this juncture, more than 3 million […]

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BECKER UPDATE: 2021 Florida Legislative Session, Week #2

WASHINGTON, D.C. UPDATES COVID-19 On Thursday, March 11, 2021, President Biden signed a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus bill known as the American Rescue Plan. This packaged bill contains a wide range of benefits to help Americans still suffering from the pandemic-related collapse of the economy. The measure includes direct payments of up to $1,400 for […]

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SPOTLIGHT: LaToya Sheals, Government & Lobbying

In celebration of Women’s History Month, Becker showcases the inspiration, philosophies, and expertise of the women attorneys and lobbyists who help elevate our firm and client service.  LaToya Sheals is an experienced Government Relations Consultant, regularly investigating and analyzing legislation and developing public policy on issues such as healthcare, education, transportation, economic development, taxes and […]

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BECKER UPDATE: 2021 Florida Legislative Session, Week #1

OPENING DAY Tuesday, March 2, 2021 marked the opening day for the 2021 Legislative Session for the House and the Senate. Senate President Wilton Simpson, House Speaker Chris Sprowls, and Gov. Ron DeSantis addressed both chambers with a level of hope and optimism as the state is doing its best to function in what is […]

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Florida House Moves Forward With Legislation to Preempt Local Governments From Regulating Vacation Rentals

Vote of the Regulatory Reform Subcommittee Fell Mostly Along Party Lines As our many local government clients know, the Becker Team has been intimately involved in lobbying against the many attempts to limit their ability to manage the vacation rental crisis. The issue continues to severely impact cities of all sizes. We continue to be […]

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The Becker Insider | March 2020

The Becker Insider provides recent news and unique perspectives into the Florida policy issues that matter most to you. At Becker, we believe that our strengths truly lie in our differences. Our local, state, and federal lobbying teams have deep and longstanding relationships across the political spectrum, allowing us to better champion the interests of […]

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Legislative Update: Week 8-9 (March 3 – March 10)

Headlines Governor declares state of emergency: A news conference was held Monday afternoon at the Capitol, where the Governor urged Floridians to take common-sense precautions and stressed that normally healthy individuals remain at low risk of contracting the coronavirus.  This press conference comes after five lawmakers were forced to self-quarantine due to their attendance at a […]

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Becker Kicks off Women’s History Month by Celebrating Women of Color in Florida Politics

Tallahassee, FL – March 2, 2020 – Becker hosted its inaugural “Celebrating Women of Color in Florida Politics” event February 19, 2020 at restaurant Table 23 in Tallahassee. Shareholder Yolanda Cash Jackson led the event, which served as a celebratory kickoff to Women’s History Month taking place in March. The networking event was attended by women […]

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Legislative Update: Week 7 (February 24-28)

Headlines E-Verify: This week a House committee decides to advance legislation that requires Florida businesses to verify employment eligibility for workers.  HB 1265 by Representative Cord Byrd passed favorably in the Commerce Committee in a 15-8 vote.  This bill would require either use of the federal E-Verify database or, in some cases, use of the […]

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Legislative Update: Week 6 (February 17-21)

Headlines Abortion: This week, after two days of grueling and heated debate, parental consent for minors’ abortions was voted to become law by the Florida House. SB 404 by Senator Kelli Stargel is now headed to Governor DeSantis’ desk for review and signature. Florida law currently requires that parents or guardians are notified if a […]

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Legislative Update: Week 5 (February 10-14)

Below you will find a summary of legislation that moved during week five of Session. Each issue discussed has the potential to impact your municipality and organization. In the weeks ahead, we will continue to monitor these bills and others while advocating on your behalf. Ready to Sign: This week, Governor Ron DeSantis received four […]

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Legislative Update: Week 4 (February 3-7)

Appropriations: This week both the House and Senate passed their respective budgets out of the Appropriations Committee.  The Senate proposed a $92.8 billion budget that includes a 3% pay raise for state workers, the first in years.  The House proposed a $91.3 billion that is $1.3 billion lighter than the Senate.  Both chambers included $500 […]

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Becker’s Government Law and Lobbying Team Expands in D.C. and Florida: Alfonso Lopez and LaToya Sheals Join

Washington, D.C. and Florida – September 9, 2019 – Becker, a multi-practice commercial law firm with attorneys, lobbyists, and other professionals at offices throughout the East Coast, announced today that Alfonso Lopez and LaToya Sheals have joined the firm as lobbyists in the Government Law and Lobbying practice. Mr. Lopez joins as a Senior Corporate […]

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