While some Florida school districts report few or no cases of bullying, other districts show a high number of cases two years after a law to protect Florida’s students took effect. The law, also known as “Jeffrey’s Law,” was named for Jeffrey Johnston — a Cape Coral student who committed suicide in 2005 after being the victim of bullying by a classmate.
Last week, Gov. Rick Scott cut close to $2 million in health services for at-risk women and children in line-item vetoes to the state budget. Among the projects cut was $200,000 for a pilot program to be carried out by the Healthy Start Coalition of Orange County that would have provided specialized care for high-risk first-time mothers throughout the county.
People Engaged in Active Community Efforts — aka P.E.A.C.E., a coalition of religious congregations from Palm Beach county — this week delivered a letter urging members of the state Senate Judiciary committee to vote against a bill that would curtail local municipalities’ freedom to crack down on wage theft. The vote happens Monday.
Supporters of local anti-wage theft ordinances who also reject a state bill that would block those ordinances are working to make sure communities and local and state officials hear what they have to say.
The Republican majority on the state House Judiciary committee voted Thursday to support House Bill 241, which would render useless local wage theft ordinances that help workers who have been stiffed of their earned wages by dishonest employers.
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