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| May 9, 2008 |
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 End of session means mixed bag of wins, defeatsPosted: 05.06.08 TALLAHASSEE | The Florida Legislature finished up business on time May 2, leaving a trail of disappointment, satisfaction and relief for Catholic Church lobbyists. Beset by a flagging economy in an election year, lawmakers tried to assuage the pain of nearly $5 billion in budget cuts by dipping into trust funds and raising user fees on a variety of government services from driver’s licenses to court fees. Read the full story HERE… — Jacquelyn Horkan Abortion amendment failsPosted: 05.02.08 According to the Florida Catholic Conference, an action alert generated by the FCC Advocacy Network urged senators to vote “yes” on proposed legislation that requires a first trimester ultrasound be reviewed with and explained to a woman seeking an abortion, unless she signs a form declining that right. The bill, SB 2400, was sponsored by State Sen. Daniel Webster. After debate April 30 in the Senate, the bill failed on a tie vote (20-20). Proponents of the legislation indicated that the bill would ensure a pregnant woman receives all information available in order to make an informed decision prior to an abortion, that the woman does not have to view the ultrasound if she chooses, and ultrasounds are already required by most abortion clinics to determine the gestational age of the child. Read the full story HERE… — Jean Gonzalez Budget woes and shaky pro–life coalition in SenatePosted: 04.16.08 TALLAHASSEE | Florida Catholic Conference officials say there’s lots of legislative news on the health-care front, but little of it is good. Michael Sheedy, the conference’s associate director for health, told The Florida Catholic that dropping state revenues mean cuts in spending for programs that serve sick and needy Floridians, as well as the facilities that care for them. Catholic hospitals could receive a $28 million decrease in the reimbursement rates they receive for treating Medicaid patients, while Catholic nursing homes would see a $7 million to $10 million drop. The care provided to Medicaid patients at Catholic hospitals and nursing homes now costs $72 million more than the state pays the facilities. That deficit would jump to more than $100 million under current spending plans. Add to that the $53 million in charity care provided by Catholic health care facilities, and the deficit could rise to more than $160 million, threatening the ability of these institutions to continue their historic mission of providing care to the needy. Read the full story HERE… — Jacquelyn Horkan Immigration, ultrasounds, wrongful incarceration fill legislative agendaPosted: 04.09.08 TALLAHASSEE | A bill that would allow abortion-minded mothers to view ultrasounds of their unborn babies narrowly passed a Senate committee on Tuesday, April 8, setting up a legislative showdown that will clearly demark which lawmakers support the right to life. SB 2400 would require abortion clinics to perform ultrasounds on all pregnant women seeking abortions. Current law requires ultrasounds in the second and third trimester. Abortion clinics are not required to show mothers the ultrasound images; SB 2400 would require clinic personnel to offer their patients the opportunity to see what their unborn babies look like on the ultrasound monitor. Read the full story HERE… — Jacquelyn Horkan Senate ultrasound bill to be heard in committeePosted: 04.04.08 TALLAHASSEE | The Florida Senate has scheduled a key committee hearing on SB 2400, which requires abortion clinics to ask pregnant mothers if they would like to view ultrasound images of their unborn children. The bill will be taken up on Tuesday, April 8 during an afternoon meeting of the Senate Health Regulation Committee. Earlier this week, the Florida House of Representative passed three pro-life bills, including HB 257, a comprehensive abortion regulation bill that includes SB 2400’s ultrasound requirement. With the fifth week of the nine-week session coming to an end today, the scheduling of the bill is heartening news to pro-life advocates. Read the full story HERE… — Jacquelyn Horkan House fast tracks three life bills; future uncertain in senatePosted: 04.03.08 TALLAHASSEE | On Wednesday, April 2, the Florida House of Representatives made a surprise decision to pass three pro–life bills. Earlier in the day, the three bills had been up for debate and were expected to come up for a vote on Friday at the earliest. Instead the House leadership used a parliamentary procedure to send the three bills on to the Senate. Read the full story HERE… — Jacquelyn Horkan Voters to Decide on “No Aid” Constitutional ProvisionPosted: 03.28.08 TALLAHASSEE | The state’s Taxation and Budget Reform Commission voted March 26 to place on November’s ballot a proposal that would strike from Florida’s Constitution a 140-year-old provision prohibiting the state from spending state money in aid of any church or religious institution. The so-called “no-aid” provision, written into the 1868 state constitution, was motivated in part by a nationwide wave of anti-Catholic bias. — Jacquelyn Horkan
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