U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is once again pushing legislation giving the U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC)  more of a role in stopping school shootings, this time with the help of new U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla.

Last year, Rubio paired up with U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, then U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and then U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., to bring out the “Eagles Act,” named after the mascot of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Supporters say the proposal could prevent shady insurance claims. Opponents say it would hurt small businesses.

But after a lengthy debate Wednesday, a House panel approved a bill (HB 323) that would prevent auto-glass shops from offering cash, gift cards and other incentives to motorists to attract windshield-repair work.

House Insurance & Banking Chairwoman Cyndi Stevenson, R-Saint Johns, pointed to concerns about “bad behavior” that can result from such incentives. That includes unnecessary insurance claims that could lead to higher premiums for motorists.

In a series of press conferences Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis brought forward changes with a specific focus of safety in Florida schools. 

Keeping his rapid pace of changes and policy enforcement since his inaugural going strong, the governor visited a pair of law enforcement departments to announce his plans to raise the safety levels on state campuses.

One of the cochairs of the Florida delegation in the U.S. House will be taking on a leadership role with the House Democracy Partnership (HDP) for the next two years in Congress. 

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., announced on Wednesday that he will pair up with U.S. Rep. David Price, D-NC, in leading HDP, a group of 20 members of the House who work with “partner countries around the world to support the development of effective, independent, and responsive legislative institutions.” 

This week, freshman U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., announced his subcommittee assignments on both the U.S. House Armed Services and the House Science, Space and Technology Committees.

On the Armed Services Committee, Waltz, who served as a Green Beret and as an aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, will sit on the House Seapower and Projection Forces and the Intelligence, Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittees. From his perch on the  Science, Space and Technology Committee, Waltz will sit on the Space and the Investigations and Oversight Subcommittees. 

A Florida Senate panel tasked with shaping statewide education policies advanced a sweeping school-security package on Tuesday that would make it easier for school districts to participate in a controversial “guardian” program and would allow classroom teachers to be armed.

Noting that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued five Incidental Harassment Authorizations (IHAs) advancing applications for seismic air gun blasting off the Atlantic Coast, U.S. Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla., is pushing for legislation banning seismic testing.

In a closely watched case, a restoration firm asked the Florida Supreme Court on Monday to overturn a ruling that allowed restrictions on the controversial insurance practice known as “assignment of benefits.”

Attorneys for Restoration 1 of Port St. Lucie filed a 45-page brief at the Supreme Court arguing that the 4th District Court of Appeal improperly backed restrictions placed on a policy by Ark Royal Insurance Co. in a St. Lucie County dispute involving water damage to a home.

As part of his commitment to advocate on behalf of Florida’s environment and water quality, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday joined Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott in requesting President Donald Trump to include a sustained annual commitment of $200 million in the federal budget for construction funding for South Florida Ecosystem Restoration (SFER). 

A PDF copy of the signed letter is available HERE. The full text of the letter is provided below.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced it was sending more funds to the Sunshine State to help battle homelessness. 

U.S. HUD Sec. Ben Carson announced at the end of last week his department was sending an additional $6.7 million to back 47 new programs across the state in addition to the almost $79 million going to 250 other programs in Florida that he announced last month. 

“Combined, this funding represents a record investment to support state and local efforts across the nation to reduce and end homelessness,” HUD noted on Friday.