The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Andrew Powell

State lawmakers wrap up session by passing school choice revision bill

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(The Center Square) — Florida wrapped up its legislative session on Friday, March 8, and, before leaving Tallahassee, lawmakers passed a revision of the state’s school choice programs.

The bill passed the House by a vote of 89-18 on Thursday, and if signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the legislation would go into effect on July 1.

House Bill 1403 is sponsored by state Rep. Josie Tomkow, R-Polk City. It would revise both contributions and provisions for the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program, the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program, the Hope Scholarship Program, virtual instruction program providers, private school requirements and students in personalized learning programs.

(CDC/Unsplash)

Last year, Florida lawmakers passed one of the largest expansions of school choice in the nation, HB 1, which enables more parents to choose the education that meets the needs of their children. However, feedback from constituents has revealed that there have been issues with providing funds within an expected timeframe.

Scholarship program funds are able to be used by parents on a range of educational tools, including private schools, tutors and educational materials for homeschooled students. Students were also able to enroll in a school outside of their district.

During the bill’s passage through committee, Tomkow said that this bill would remedy some of the funding issues by establishing separate application and renewal deadlines for the various programs so that renewals can be funded earlier.

Applications received after the deadline would be considered for the next school year. Payment for full-time tuition and fees must be made by the scholarship funding organization within seven business days of approval.

To address concerns about educational options available to students, Tomkow said that the bill would allow personalized education program students to use their funds for when instruction is provided away from the school under a student learning plan.

Tomkow added that because of the popularity of the Family Scholarship Program for students with unique abilities, overall funding would increase the annual growth of new FES-UA scholarships from 3% to 5%. If demand ever exceeds 95% of capacity again, the bill allows for an additional 1% increase the following year.

The bill would also remove an age limitation, allowing three and four-year-old students with disabilities to access scholarships and further increase transparency by requiring scholarship funding organizations to report on performance metrics related to applications and reimbursements.

Published March 13, 2024

Fantasy sports bill awaits floor vote in state Senate

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(The Center Square) — Daily fantasy sports operators are awaiting the passage of a new bill if they want to keep hopes alive of providing their services in the Sunshine State.

Senate Bill 1568 is sponsored by state Sen. Travis Hutson, R-Palm Coast, and would create the Fantasy Sports Contest Amusement Act, which authorizes the offering of fantasy sports contests.

The bill would require the Florida Gaming Control Commission to enforce and administer the act and it would also be authorized to take certain actions against an operator.

(Annie Spratt/Unsplash)

The bill is on the Senate’s special order calendar awaiting a floor vote. Time was not on the side of bill supporters with the session scheduled to end on Friday, March 8.

(Note: No action had been taken as of The Laker/Lutz News press deadline.)

Daily fantasy sports apps Betr, Underdog Fantasy and PrizePicks, were forced to cease operations on March 1 after the commission sent all three cease-and-desist letters in February to stop offering or accepting bets or wagers from Florida residents. Operators were previously sent cease-and-desist letters last year in September to end “pick’em” games in Florida.

According to the bill, only peer-to-peer games and traditional draft competitions will be allowed. At the same time, contest operators would be prohibited from participating in a fantasy sports contest that the operator offers.

Furthermore, any employees or agents of a contest operator would be prevented from sharing confidential information with a third party that could affect the outcome of fantasy sports play.

The bill states that the intent of the legislation is to ensure public confidence in the integrity of fantasy sports contests and their operators and to regulate participants and contest operators while enacting consumer protections related to fantasy sports contests.

The commission would be required to enforce and administer the act. It would be authorized to take certain actions, including revoking an operator’s license, conducting investigations and monitoring the operation and play of fantasy sports contests.

Winning outcomes cannot be based on the score, point spread, or any performance or performances of any single actual team or combination of teams or any single performance of an individual athlete or player in an actual sports event.

Fantasy sports operators would be required to apply with the commission for a license that would be effective for one year and would have to be renewed annually. The cost of the initial license would be $500,000, with a renewal cost of $250,000.

Published March 13, 2024

Florida bill would make it easier for dentists to be certified

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(The Center Square) — Florida’s dental students could soon have help gaining their qualifications a little easier after a bill was passed by the Legislature and is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk.

Senate Bill 938 is sponsored by state Sen. Clay Yarborough, R-Jacksonville, and would make changes to the dental industry in the Sunshine State. The bill passed unanimously in both chambers, most recently in the House on March 5.

(Quang Tri Nguyen/Unsplash)

Yarborough said during the bill’s passage through committee that the bill is agreed-upon language between the Florida Dental Association and the Florida Board of Dentistry to clean up the Dental Practice Act after various changes over recent years related to the dental license exam and the dental licensure process.

The bill updates the Dental Practice Act to reflect that Florida accepts the American Board of Dental Examiners exam, which is offered and accepted in 48 states. The bill creates uniformity and the dental exam process, regardless of whether the dental student takes their licensure exam in-state or out-of-state.

Dental students going through the curriculum in a graded format of the exam would be allowed to take different sections of the exam throughout their years at dental school, not just in their final year.

Furthermore, the bill adds language to take into consideration personal emergencies or special hardships when out-of-state applicants apply for dental licensure, which is currently not an option for the Board of Dentistry to consider. The bill would also delete outdated language throughout Florida laws.

The bill would require anyone who is applying for a dental license to meet certain criteria, including being older than age 18, a graduate of a dental school accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation or another entity recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and successfully passed the dental exam.

Other requirements to get a dental license in Florida include applicants providing sufficient evidence that they have never been convicted of or pled “nolo contendere” to a felony or misdemeanor related to the practice of a health care profession in any jurisdiction.

The board also would be able to excuse the mandatory 1,200-hour requirement in the event of a hardship. If the bill receives DeSantis’ signature, it will come into effect on July 1.

Published March 13, 2024

Spring cleaning: don’t toss that ‘junk,’ it may be valuable!

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From baseball cards and sports equipment to postcards and photographs, is that “junk” in your attic or basement dusty treasure or just dusty? We’ve all heard of families getting rich from the sale of rare memorabilia they found when spring cleaning.

A little time spent determining if items are valuable and where to sell them can pay off in the long run.

“The sale of older sports cards, postcards and photographs can yield thousands of dollars, even tens of thousands or more for the right ones,” says Al Crisafulli, auction director at Love of the Game Auctions, an internet sports auction house that helps families identify and sell valuable sports cards and memorabilia.

(c) Delpixart / iStock via Getty Images Plus

Crisafulli has assisted people in selling tens of millions of dollars of baseball card collections, autographs, sports equipment and more. Such sales can be life changing. In one instance, he researched a family’s old baseball bat and proved it was game used by Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig. His Love of the Game Auctions sold it for almost half a million dollars, a figure which would top a million dollars today.

Here are some of his tips to determine if your sports collectibles are valuable:

The Older, the Better with Cards
Vintage sports cards from the early periods of sports are collectible, especially Hall of Famers. Do you have stars from the 1960s, 1950s or earlier? Look for names like Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner or Ty Cobb. Even non-star cards can be valuable, especially in nice condition with sharp corners and no creases.

Really early cards from the 1880s through the 1930s are particularly desirable, such as those by tobacco, gum and candy brands, such as Old Judge, Piedmont, Sweet Caporal, American Caramel, Goudey or Diamond Stars.

When determining where to sell cards and memorabilia, focus on a specialty auction house, such as Love of the Game, which employs trained experts in researching sports ephemera, and maintains bidder lists of sports collectors. More information is available at loveofthegameauctions.com.

Don’t Overlook Memorabilia and Equipment
Cards aren’t the only potentially valuable things. Look for older promotional and advertising ephemera spotlighting sports stars, especially items that promote sporting goods, food or tobacco brands. Ads from magazines aren’t valuable, but store displays, signs and premiums can be pricey.

Old sporting goods and equipment, such as balls, bats, gloves and uniforms, can also be valuable, especially if you had a family member who played minor or major league sports. Note that items from before the 1960s are highly collected. Also look for equipment endorsed by star players. Condition matters, but game-used equipment from professionals can be valuable in almost any condition.

Save Postcards and Photographs
If you have old photographs, cabinet cards or postcards of sports stars or ballparks, they should be evaluated. Those from pre-1960 can be expensive. Look for early “real photo” postcards from the 1900s through the 1940s, which are photographs printed on postcard backs.

Popular stars are key, meaning original images like Babe Ruth or early ballparks can be valuable, as opposed to images of your family members playing sports or of popular vacation destinations. When examining photographs, look for markings on the back, such as photographer, publication and date stamps. Also set aside cabinet cards, which are photographs from the 1880s through the 1930s adhered to cardboard stock.

“A good rule of thumb is that the older a sports item is, the more valuable it might be, especially from before the 1950s going back to the 1880s,” says Crisafulli.

This spring cleaning season, don’t rush to haul “junk” to the curb. Examine it first.

Published March 13, 2024

7 reasons to upgrade to electric and induction cooking appliances

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Cooking with gas? Industry experts say there are many reasons to consider retiring your gas-powered appliances.

(c) Susan Serra

To help you understand what your kitchen may be missing, Melissa Haber, the vice president of EuroChef USA, offers seven reasons why your next home upgrade should include making the swap to electric or induction cooking.

  1. You’re health- and eco-conscious. Gas appliances at home are associated with an increased risk of asthma and other illnesses, particularly in children, as they emit harmful air pollutants like nitrogen dioxide and methane, even when they’re not in use. The same pollutants are also harmful to the environment, contributing to air quality issues and climate change. In fact, national annual emissions from gas cooktops are equivalent to the emissions transmitted from half a million cars.
  2. They’re easy to maintain. Compared to the metal grates of a conventional gas stove, the flat surface of an electric or induction cooktop is nearly effortless to clean. A damp dish rag and soap works for most cleanup sessions. For more involved messes, a little vinegar goes a long way.
  3. They offer safety benefits. With no open flame, electric appliances lower the risk of burns or fires, particularly those with safety features such as “power on” lights and residual heat warnings that inform users when the surface is still hot. Induction cooking also has safety benefits, since only the cooking vessel is directly heated and the surface of the cooktop itself does not retain or give off heat.
  4. You value precision. Induction cooking is faster and more efficient than cooking with gas. The high-end induction ranges offered by the Italian brand Lofra, which combine elegant design with modern cooking features, are a good example of how accurate temperature control allows you to prepare meals like a professional in the comfort of home.
  5. Making changes can be feasible. Installing a gas hookup can be costly, time-consuming and involve inspections. The installation process for electric appliances on the other hand is easier and less expensive. Not able to replace your gas appliances with electric? Investing in a range hood is a sensible solution that can cut your appliance’s air pollution by about half.
  6. You’ll be ahead of the curve. A growing number of cities and municipalities are banning new gas hookups for appliances to reduce air pollution and help fight climate change. Making the switch to electric or induction can help you get ahead of the regulatory curve.
  7. New options are being introduced. With sales of electric appliances on the rise, a few select manufacturers have taken note, and to meet customer demand, have recently introduced additional options offering style and sought-after features. For example, the Italian brand Verona offers electric ranges in its Prestige and Designer Collections that deliver an upgraded look, with single and double oven options to suit varying needs and tastes. All are equipped with five burners that accommodate pots of any size, and a multi-tasking dual element that ranges from simmer to boil with the simple turn of a knob.

“As more consumers have come to realize the value and advantages of electric and induction cooking, it became important to us to offer them the same versatility and style they might expect with traditional gas-powered cooking appliances,” says Haber.

Whether you want to prioritize your family’s health and safety, or you simply want to embrace the convenience of modern cooking technology, electric and induction appliances can be a game changer in your kitchen.

Published March 13, 2024

Early voting begins for March 19 Republican presidential primary

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Tampa Bay area voters are now able to make their picks for the March 19 primary election, with early voting sites open throughout the region.

Only registered Republicans will be able to vote in the Republican presidential primary, however, some counties are also holding municipal elections open to all voters.

(Element5 Digital/Unsplash)

To vote early, voters must go to an early voting site in the county in which they’re registered. Open dates, times and locations vary by county:

  • Pinellas County sites are open until March 17, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Saturday – Sunday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Voting sites are at the Supervisor of Elections Office at the Election Service Center in Largo, the County Building in St. Petersburg and the Pinellas County Courthouse in Clearwater. More information can be found at VotePinellas.gov.
  • Hernando County sites are open until March 16, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Voting sites are at the South Brooksville Community Center, Spring Hill Branch Library, Supervisor of Elections Branch Office/Forest Oaks Government Center, East Hernando Library, Hernando County Utilities Bldg./Community Room. More information can be found at HernandoVotes.gov.

For voting by mail, ballots must be received by the county Supervisor of Elections in which you’re registered by 7 p.m., March 19. Vote by mail ballots must be signed, and the signature must match the signature on file. Voters can drop their ballots at a secure ballot intake station found at local election offices and early voting locations. If you plan to mail your ballot, allow plenty of time for the ballot to be received.

Election day voting will take place March 19, 7 a.m – 7 p.m. Voting at the polling place assigned to a registered voter’s address is required. Visit your County Supervisor of Elections website to find your polling location.

Published March 13, 2024

State Senate committee advances bill to limit terms of county commissioners

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(The Center Square) — A bill that would put term limits on Florida county commissioners passed a key hurdle in the Senate Committee on Rules, on Monday.

Senate Bill 438 is sponsored by state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill. It would introduce term limits for county commissioners and would require certain counties to hold a referendum election to ask voters if they approve or disapprove of term limits in their county.

Florida Senate, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In the bill’s text, it says that a person is prohibited from being on a ballot for reelection to the office of county commissioner if they had served in that office for eight consecutive years. The person would also have a waiting time of at least two years before they could run for the county commissioner’s office in another county.

While introducing the bill to the Senate Committee on Rules Monday, Ingoglia introduced an amendment that would allow constitutional counties to put the question of term limits to voters this coming November, as they currently do not have the authority to do so.

Marion County Commissioner Kathy Bryant opposed the bill. She told the committee that not once in all her years as commissioner has she received a request from a constituent to introduce term limits.

“(The bill) is a solution looking for a problem that doesn’t exist,” Bryant said. “In my 14 years serving Marion County, out of nearly 8,000 emails that have come into my office, there has not been one asking for term limits for county commissioners… The thought that a county commissioner can’t be fired is just incorrect.”

Ingoglia previously stated during the bill’s passage through the Senate Committee on Ethics and Elections in January that the lack of term limits at local levels prevents communities from going out and finding the next generation of leaders.

“When you have somebody who is in office, she or he may be there for 26 years, there’s no end in sight for that term, so then people stop looking for people as potential replacements,” Ingoglia said. “The lack of term limits is a chilling factor to have the local communities find and recruit people to eventually take their place.”

Ingoglia said that term limits are very popular with voters because they do not want people to serve in government for an eternity and added that it helps society raise future policymakers.

Published March 06, 2024

Thrive Over 55 Senior Expo coming April 4

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Area seniors who attended last year’s Thrive Over 55 Expo were able to enjoy a free breakfast and lunch, as well as gather a variety of information geared toward their age group. (Courtesy of Adrian Garson)

Local residents over the age of 55 are invited to the third Thrive Over 55 Senior Expo on April 4 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at B&B Theatres Wesley Chapel – The Grove 16, 6333 Wesley Grove Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

The Laker/Lutz News will host the free event with more than 40 vendors and hundreds of seniors throughout the morning. Guests will be provided with a free breakfast and lunch, along with an informative morning filled with games and raffles.

Vendors range from medicare providers, home improvement specialists, retirement communities and travel agencies.

The title sponsors are Gulfside Healthcare Services and Vertos Medical, both of which will present a 30-minute breakout session during the expo.

Tickets are free, but are required. To register, visit http://tinyurl.com/thrive55expo.

There also are a few vendor opportunities left. Please email for more information.

Published March 06, 2024

State lawmakers move closer to changes with state’s insurer of last resort

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(The Center Square) — A bill that could prevent Florida’s part-time residents from using the state’s property insurer of last resort for their vacation homes could be headed to the Senate floor after passing a key committee vote unanimously on Tuesday.

Senate Bill 1716, sponsored by state Sen. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, passed the Fiscal Policy Committee with a 19-0 vote. It would make changes to Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Corporation’s eligibility requirements and would merge the corporation’s revenues, assets, liability, losses and expenses into one account.

Scott Graham/Unsplash

Bill sponsor Boyd said during a Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance meeting in late January that the bill was designed to limit the impact on Florida.

“The overall goal is to limit the overall exposure to Florida from the Citizens’ large policy count that we had up at a high level at one point, we lessened it at another point, and now it’s growing back again,” Boyd said.

Boyd stated that the bill does several things, including allowing additional carriers to enter the Florida market to provide policies for properties not eligible for coverage from Citizens.

“The bill permits an eligible lines insurer under certain conditions, to take second homes out of Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, and those conditions that they must follow is the insurer must be A-rated or higher by AM Best, and the insurer must use a Florida resident surplus lines broker,” Boyd explained.

The bill would mandate that an eligible surplus lines insurer who wants to participate in the Florida market after meeting those conditions has to file a plan with the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.

There are currently between 45,000 and 60,000 policies with Citizens that are considered second homes by the corporation. The bill would make these homes ineligible for coverage by Citizens.

“The bill would make a non-primary residence ineligible to return to Citizens,” Boyd said. “The bill also makes changes to facilitate the restructuring of Citizens into a single account later this year, which the Legislature authorized during the 2022 special session.”

The bill would make conforming changes to Citizens’ clearinghouse, needed because of new eligibility requirements for non-primary residences, while eliminating the prohibition that precluded Citizens from allowing a bond to be allowed during a bid process.

If the bill passes, Citizens would also be eligible to apply for patents and trademarks, which will provide protection for Citizens’ intellectual property that they may have developed in-house.

Published March 06, 2024