Florida State Representative Ben Diamond (D-St. Pete) was a guest on Tuesday Cafe. Diamond is also running for the Congressional seat currently held by Charlie Crist.
Diamond has filed a number of bills in the Florida Legislature. One would ensure access to vote-by-mail ballots for all Floridians. Another would prevent environmental disasters from phosphogypsum stacks.
Listen to the full show here:
Voting bill HB 1217
The companion to HB 1217 in the Senate was filed by Senator Tina Polsky. It’s SB 1586. According to Diamond’s office, one thing it will do is “improve the state’s framework for filling legislative vacancies.” Another thing the bill would do is “simplify the process by which Floridians may request vote-by-mail ballots.”
Phosphogypsum stack pollution bill HB 1339
The Senate companion to HB 1339 is SB 1744. It deals with the pollution from phosphogypsum stacks.
If there is an imminent hazard for a phosphogypsum stack, the FL DEP would have to “notify the Florida Division of Emergency Management, county emergency management offices, and the board of county commissioners” within 24 hours.
