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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’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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Becker Assists in Public-Private Partnership Creation of New Pickleball Venue The Fort in Fort Lauderdale

January 3, 2024 – Becker, a leading multi-practice commercial law firm with attorneys, lobbyists, and other professionals throughout the United States, is pleased to have been a part of the team that obtained approval of The Fort, an innovative public-private partnership with the City of Fort Lauderdale providing world-class pickleball facilities plus social and culinary offerings. Specifically, […]

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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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The Becker Insider | February 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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Hurricane Ian Webinar Series: Fort Myers Beach

 For those of you recovering from Ian, our hearts are with you, and our team is here to help your community in any way we can. That is why we are bringing you as much information as possible to help guide you through the process in the aftermath of Ian. Different locales face different […]

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Ellyn S. Bogdanoff and Yolanda Cash Jackson Named to “The Florida Women Power 100” by City and State Florida

Attorneys Yolanda Cash Jackson and Ellyn S. Bogdanoff have considerable clout in Tallahassee, Washington and elsewhere as members of Becker’s marquee government law and lobbying practice. Jackson made history this year as the first Black chair of the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, the county’s public-private partnership for economic development. At Becker, where she serves on 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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“In Its Quest for Government Funding, Lighthouse Point hires Becker” – New Pelican

Becker was hired last week to represent Lighthouse Point at all governmental levels in the hope that future budget line items for grants will no longer be zero dollars. Mayor Kyle Van Buskirk initiated the move to “improve our chances for grant funding at federal, state and local levels.” The firm will be paid $5,000 […]

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Ellyn S. Bogdanoff Scores Big Win for HOAs Blocking New Development on Hendricks Isle

Becker Shareholder Ellyn S. Bogdanoff successfully represented a large group of homeowners’ associations and residents against a condominium development on a neighboring lot. “This is a high profile win in Fort Lauderdale,” said Becker Government Law & Lobbying Practice Chair, Bernie Friedman. At issue was a plan from developer Lumiere to build a five-story condominium […]

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Ellyn Setnor Bogdanoff Named a 2022 Influential Business Woman

Becker is proud to celebrate Shareholder Ellyn Setnor Bogdanoff’s inclusion in South Florida Business Journal’s 2022 Influential Business Women, a list of the 25 most innovative, inspiring, and influential businesswomen in South Florida. A former senator and shareholder in Becker’s government practice, Bogdanoff co-leads the firm’s early learning advisory group. She is also chair of […]

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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 Announces Florida Relocation Advisory Team

An influx of individuals and businesses have flocked to Florida since the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Lured by the lack of income and capital gains taxes, along with year round summer-like weather, a reported 1,000 individuals per day move to the Sunshine State. Boasting a favorable tax climate, business incentives, and a growing multicultural […]

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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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“Opinion: A Legislative Forecast for Florida in 2022” – South Florida Business Journal

An incredible amount of policy passed in the 2021 legislative session. Policy that took years in the making moved quickly through the Florida House and the Florida Senate, in part because of the pandemic. The legislative members were not distracted with the usual Tallahassee traditions of interest groups and their local communities flowing in and […]

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Community Update – December 2021

Before heading into the New Year, we look back at the year’s most popular reads. This month’s featured articles highlight the topics you found most interesting in 2021 – from fining committees to questions about remote meetings. From all of us at Becker, we wish you a happy holiday and a joyous, healthy, and prosperous […]

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Becker Launches Interdisciplinary Sea Level Rise Advisory Team to Serve Florida’s Coastal Residents

As one of the first law firms in Florida to address the legal issues stemming from sea level rise, Becker is excited to announce its interdisciplinary Sea Level Rise Advisory Team which includes experienced and knowledgeable lawyers ready to assist our clients in preparing for the future. Our multifaceted team is comprised of specialists at […]

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“Rising Sea Levels Bring a Wave of Risk — Even in Unexpected Locales,” Community Association Management Insider

For some time now, many community association managers realized that rising sea levels can put their clients at risk. Sea walls are no panacea. “When Hurricane Irma hit Marco Island,” says David Muller, a shareholder and board-certified specialist in condominium and planned development law with the Naples, Fla., office of Becker & Poliakoff, “there were […]

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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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Ellyn Bogdanoff Introduces Power Panel of Florida’s Landmark Resiliency Law Roundtable

Becker Shareholder and former Senator Ellyn Bogdanoff kicked off the Florida’s Landmark “Always Ready” Resiliency Law Explained roundtable with introductions of Rep. Christine Hunschofsky, Rep. Demi Busatta Cabrera, and DEP Director of the Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection Alex Reed. The event, hosted by the American Flood Coalition and moderated by AFC Florida Director […]

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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 Scores Victory for Client RAINN in Passage of Bill Establishing Sexual Assault Response Teams

Becker, a multi-practice commercial law firm with attorneys, lobbyists, and other professionals at offices throughout the East Coast, is pleased to announce it helped secure the passage of HB 1189 on behalf of our client, Rape Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). The bill establishes Sexual Assault Response Teams that provide a coordinated response to […]

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Becker Helps Navigate Critical Bills that Empower Local Communities to Combat Rising Sea Level

Becker, a multi-practice commercial law firm with attorneys, lobbyists, and other professionals at offices throughout the East Coast, helped secure the passage of legislation that will provide more than $100 million every year to help communities combat the effects of rising sea levels across Florida. Action items included in the bills are: creating a Resilient […]

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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 & Client AFCA Work With State Leaders to Establish Statewide Resiliency Program to Address Flooding & Sea Level Rise

Becker congratulates the Florida Legislature on passing – without reservation – Senate Bill 1954, Statewide Flooding and Sea-level Rise Resilience, introduced by Rep. Demi Busatta Cabrera (R-Coral Gables) and Sen. Ray Rodrigues (R-Ft. Myers). The bipartisan bill establishes statewide resiliency programs that assess and address inland and coastal flooding and sea level rise. “Florida’s coastlines […]

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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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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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Coronavirus Special Edition “Federal Dollars: How the CARES Act is Affecting Florida”

It has been over a month since the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump on March 27, 2020.  This over $2 trillion economic relief package provides fast and direct economic assistance for American workers, families, small businesses, and preserves jobs for American […]

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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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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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Ellyn Bogdanoff to Moderate Panel at the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association’s Annual Conference

Senator Ellyn S. Bogdanoff, local and state government attorney and lobbyist at Becker and former Member of the Florida House of Representatives and Florida State Senate, will moderate a panel on resiliency planning and policy at the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association’s (APA) annual conference. The conference will be held September 10-13 at […]

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“Ellyn Bogdanoff Named to Human Trafficking Panel’s DSO,” Florida Politics

Ellyn Bogdanoff, a former state lawmaker, has been named to the board of directors of the direct-support organization (DSO) for the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking. Senate President Bill Galvano appointed her last week, according to a news advisory from the Becker firm, where she is a shareholder. Her term of office runs through July 1, 2021. DSOs are nonprofits that […]

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2019 Florida Legislative Session Wrap Up Event Video

Recently, Becker hosted a Session Wrap-Up event featuring a discussion on the hot and not-so-hot issues covered during the recent Florida Legislative Session. Moderated by Becker Shareholders Ellyn S. Bogdanoff and Yolanda Cash Jackson, the event featured special guests Senator Oscar Braynon II, Representative Shevrin Jones, and Representative Chip LaMarca. The conversation explored key issues […]

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“Attorneys Joining Governor on Trade Mission to Israel,” Daily Business Review

Attorneys will be part of a group of 90 political, business and academic leaders traveling Saturday to Israel with Gov. Ron DeSantis to spread a message of friendship and economic development. Becker shareholder Ellyn Bogdanoff, a state lawmaker for eight years, is looking for opportunities “to bring unique business to Florida that can flourish here and […]

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Ellyn S. Bogdanoff Appointed by Governor DeSantis as Co-Chair of 2019 Business Development Mission to Israel

Ellyn S. Bogdanoff has been appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis to lead the 2019 Business Development Mission to Israel. Ellyn serves as Co-Chair of the initiative, which will take place Saturday, May 25th through Friday, May 31st. Organized in conjunction with Enterprise Florida, Inc., the mission includes more than 90 delegation members and serves to […]

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Legislative Update: Legislative Session Summary – Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County

One day after its scheduled close, the legislature adjourned after passing a $91.1 billion budget which fell slightly short of Governor Desantis’ recommended budget. Of the 1,861 bills (excluding local appropriation requests) that were filed, 195 passed and will be sent to the Governor’s desk for approval. Some of the major topics discussed were disposable […]

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Legislative Update: 2019 Post-Legislative Session Report

One day after its scheduled close, the legislature adjourned after passing a $91.1 billion budget which fell slightly short of Governor Desantis’ recommended budget. $682 million was appropriated for water-quality efforts related to red tides, algae blooms, and Everglades restoration, and over $220 million was directed to the panhandle area for Hurricane Michael recovery efforts. […]

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Legislative Update: 2019 Session – Week 9

Week 9: April 29 – May 3, 2019 Emergency Services: The Governor approved SB 426, Firefighters, sponsored by Senator Flores. The bill grants certain benefits to a firefighter upon receiving a diagnosis of cancer if certain conditions are met, and requires an employer to make certain disability payments to a firefighter in the event of […]

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Legislative Update: 2019 Session – Week 8

Week 8: April 22 – 26, 2019 Elections: The Senate Rules Committee, the Senate, and the House heard SB 7066/ HB 7101, Election Administration, sponsored by the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee and the House State Affairs Committee. The bill requires the Secretary of State to provide signature matching training to certain persons, and revises […]

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Legislative Update: 2019 Session – Week 7

Week 7: April 15 – 19, 2019 Proposed 2019-2020 Budget The House and Senate Chambers have also released the first drafts of their proposed 2019-2020 budget. Here is a generalized breakdown of the current draft budget compared to last year’s budget, and the draft budget broken down by section. Source Senate PCB 2500 House PCB […]

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Legislative Update: 2019 Session – Week 6

Week 6: April 8 – 12, 2019 Proposed 2019-2020 Budget The House and Senate Chambers have also released the first drafts of their proposed 2019-2020 budget. Here is a generalized breakdown of the current draft budget compared to last year’s budget, and the draft budget broken down by section. Source Senate PCB 2500 House PCB […]

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Ellyn Bogdanoff Appointed Co-Chair of Business Development Mission to Israel

Ellyn S. Bogdanoff has been appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis as Co-Chair of the Business Development Mission to Israel. The Mission’s goal is to foster strategic business partnerships to strengthen the economic bonds between Israel and Florida as well as connect Israeli and Florida academic institutions to help facilitate scientific solutions for Florida’s environmental challenges. […]

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Legislative Update: 2019 Session – Week 5

Week 5: April 1 – 5, 2019 Proposed 2019-2020 Budget The House and Senate Chambers have also released the first drafts of their proposed 2019-2020 budget. Here is a generalized breakdown of the current draft budget compared to last year’s budget, and the draft budget broken down by section. Source Senate PCB 2500 House PCB […]

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Legislative Update: 2019 Session – Week 4

Week 4: March 25 – 29, 2019 Proposed 2019-2020 Budget The House and Senate Chambers have also released the first drafts of their proposed 2019-2020 budget. Here is a generalized breakdown of the current draft budget compared to last year’s budget, and the draft budget broken down by section. Source Senate PCB 2500 House PCB […]

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Legislative Update: 2019 Session – Week 3

Week 3: March 18 – 22, 2019 Elections: The House State Affairs Committee heard SAC 1, Elections, sponsored by the House State Affairs Committee. The bill was passed unanimously and will move on to a second committee. The PCB bill makes the following changes to the Florida Election Code: Extends the deadline for curing defective […]

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Legislative Update: 2019 Session – Week 2

Week 2: March 11 – 15, 2019 Elections: The House Oversight, Transparency & Public Management Subcommittee heard HB 613/ (SB 270), Repeal of Public Campaign Financing Requirement, sponsored by Representative Roth. The bill proposes the repeal of s. 7, Art. VI of State Constitution to eliminate the requirement for public financing of campaigns of candidates […]

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Legislative Update: 2019 Session – Week 1

Week 1, March 4 – 8, 2019 Elections: The Senate Ethics and Elections Committee heard SB 272/ (HB 613), Campaign Finance, sponsored by Senator Baxley. The bill repeals provisions relating to the Florida Election Campaign Financing Act; specifically deleting provisions governing the public funding of campaigns for candidates for statewide office who agree to certain […]

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“Florida Must Take the Lead When It Comes to Sea Level Rise” – Florida Politics

There’s a joke about South Florida – there are two things you can see from space. The first is the Great Wall of China and the second is the divide between Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. Neither is really true, and more and more each day our region and our state are becoming increasingly unified. South […]

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Becker Launches “Florida Opportunity Zone” Website and Multidisciplinary Practice Group

Realizing the immense potential for communities and investors throughout Florida, Becker has launched a multidisciplinary Opportunity Zone Practice. The Becker team provides a full spectrum of cross-practice services to assist public entities, developers and investors in understanding what is involved in the investment process and how to implement strategies for participation in the program. 8,761 […]

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Science Offers Scrutiny

Ellyn S. Bogdanoff, Shareholder in Becker’s Government Law & Lobbying Group and former Senator, has supported efforts to allow for post-conviction DNA testing in Florida. In a Tampa Bay Times article discussing how today’s DNA technology can be used to scrutinize old cases, Ms. Bogdanoff commented, “When we allow government to prosecute people and put […]

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A Stellar 2017 for Tallahassee Lobbying Team

As reported in today’s FloridaPolitics and to paraphrase Frank Sinatra, they had a very good year. Read the full article here: http://floridapolitics.com/archives/256624-becker-poliakoff-brings-530k-q4-2-75m-2017

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Florida Legislature Approves Landmark Bill Allowing High Rises to Opt-Out of Installing Fire Sprinkler and Engineered Life Safety Systems

Becker & Poliakoff Lobbying Team Scores Win for Condo Associations FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – May 16, 2017 – In a major victory for Florida’s condominium owners, the Florida Legislature last week approved a bill allowing a key opt-out provision for installing fire sprinkler and engineered life safety systems in older high-rise buildings. Becker & Poliakoff shareholder […]

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Why the Florida Legislature Needs to Fix Condo Sprinkler-System Problem

For more than a decade older high-rise condominiums throughout Florida have been discussing, debating, and exercising their legal rights with regard to sprinkler system retrofitting requirements. In 2003, the Florida Legislature responded by allowing each community to vote to opt out of sprinklers inside their units and the right to opt out of installing an […]

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Becker & Poliakoff Bolsters Government Law and Lobbying Practice with Addition of Former Palm Beach-Broward State Senator Ellyn S. Bogdanoff

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Oct. 4, 2016 – Becker & Poliakoff today announced the second major expansion of its Government Law and Lobbying Practice Group in less than two weeks with the addition of former Florida State Sen. Ellyn S. Bogdanoff as a shareholder. Bogdanoff will conduct her practice at the firm’s Florida offices in Palm Beach, Fort […]

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