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2009 STATE LEGISLATIVE ISSUES
Top Priority
CAREER SERVICE REFORM — SUPPORT
HB 1441 by Rep. Marti Coley,
R-Marianna
Last year, AFSCME was successful in
advocating legislation that made noneconomic changes to
the Career Service laws on layoffs, transfers and
promotions of state employees. This bill continues
tweaking the Career Service laws by restoring the Public
Employee Relations Commission to its traditional role in
reviewing agency actions against state employees,
including mitigating disciplinary decisions. The bill
also would spell out the objective criteria to be used
by the state in choosing which employees to lay off.
Top Priority
WORKPLACE SAFETY — SUPPORT
SB 1878 by Sen. Evelyn Lynn, R-Daytona Beach
SB 1029 by Rep. Audrey Gibson,
D-Jacksonville
In 1999, Gov. Jeb Bush and the Florida
Legislature eliminated the Division of Safety in the
Florida Department of Labor and Employment Security and
repealed all of the safety laws covering public sector
employees. Florida law currently contains no provisions
regarding the general health and safety of public sector
workers at any level. Public employees are not covered
by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act
(OSHA). This has had tragic consequences. On January 11,
2006, a methanol explosion and fire occurred at the
Bethune Point Wastewater Treatment Plant in Daytona
Beach, killing two employees and severely burning a
third. The US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) investigated
and determined that the lack of federal, state, and
local safety oversight and programs was a significant
factor causing the fatal accident. The CSB recommended
that the state enact safety laws and rules for public
employees that at least meet the federal OSHA minimum.
Last year, Senator Lynn and
Representative Gibson sponsored and passed legislation
creating a 15-member task force to study and make
recommendations on bringing back safety laws for Florida
public employees. The task force recommended that all
public employers (cities, counties, school districts and
the state) be required to meet OSHA minimum standards
within three years.
Cities and counties are fighting
against the proposals, saying that they are not needed
and will cost governments money at a time when funds are
severely limited. We argue that safety is a cost of
doing business for employers who operate dangerous
worksites such as sewer plants. The private sector meets
these standards, and government employers should be no
different.
EXTENDING KIDCARE ELIGIBILITY TO
PUBLC EMPLOYEES — SUPPORT
HB 1329 by Rep. Jimmy Patronis,
D-Tallahassee
SB 918 by Sen.
Nan
Rich, D-Sunrise
Currently, public employees are barred
from eligibility in the children’s’ health program known
as KidCare, because federal funds do not match state
dollars used to cover these employees and because the
state offers its employees Group Health Insurance.
However, many public employees have salaries below 200
percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), and their
health insurance premiums cost more than 5 percent of
their salaries. Currently, premiums for State Group
Health Insurance Family coverage are $180 per month and
$2,160 annually, not including deductibles and
co-payments. Sponsors of the bills have assured us that
reinstating public employee eligibility for KidCare will
be included this year. We are requesting a $15 million
to cover public employee eligible for KidCare.
The
following shows that state employees at 200% of the
poverty level would be paying more than 5% for health
insurance for their children.
Income and
State Employee Health Insurance
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Family Size
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100% Of Federal Poverty Level
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Health Insurance Premium Percentage of Income
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200% Of Federal Poverty Level
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Health Insurance Premium Percentage of Income
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2
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$13,200
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16%
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$26,400
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8%
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3
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$16,600
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13%
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$33,200
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7%
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4
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$20,000
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11%
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$40,000
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5%
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State
STATE CONTRACTING/PROCUREMENT OF
SERVICES — OPPOSE
HB 1207 by Rep. Ellen Bogdanoff,
R-Fort Lauderdale
SB 900 by Sen. Mike Bennett,
R-Bradenton
These bills would force the state to
pay contractors of outsourced human services related to
mental health, substance abuse, child welfare, or
juvenile justice if the state increases oversight of the
contracts by adopting a statutory requirement,
administrative rule, regulation, assessment, executive
order, judicial order, or other governmental
requirement, or an agency policy. Florida’s contract
oversight is a national laughingstock, and this bill
would inhibit any future attempts to reign in the
privateers.
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