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The 60-day legislative session kicks off Tuesday, and while whats known as the process has evolved over the years, some things remain the same.Lawmakers, lobbyists and aides will scoop up shrimp and swill cocktails at Associated Industries of Floridas Monday evening gala.Flowers will festoon the House and Senate chambers, as part of Tuesdays opening-day pageantry.The governor will deliver the State of the State address, as a rapt audience looks on.Keeping with tradition, a cast of thousands over the next two months will flood the Capitol and its courtyard in an attempt to curry favor with the 120 House members, 40 senators, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet --- all before the session wraps up on March 13.The Florida Education Association is ushering in the session with a march and rally on Monday, with the crowd including parents, teachers, students and national leaders, including the Rev. Al Sharpton.People searching for sustenance will encounter some transformations inside the hallowed halls of state government.After a decade, Sharkeys Capitol Cafs on the 10th floor and the lower level of the Capitol are no longer.Lobbyist Jeff Sharkey last month announced on Twitter that he was shuttering his eateries because the state had chosen a new vendor --- Earleys Kitchen, a local soul-food spot.In his tweet, Sharkey thanked his great customers and workers.Proud of our great staff and honored to have met, fed and caffeinated the fabulous capitol employees and visitors from every corner of Florida, he said.LAWYERS, GUNS AND MONEYLegislators technically only have one job to complete during the 60-day session: passing a state spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1.Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed a $91.4 billion budget, touting plans to set minimum teacher salaries at $47,500 a year and to continue addressing environmental issues.The governors proposal is a starting point for the House and Senate, which will make changes as they negotiate a final version. Lawmakers also will consider potential election-year tax cuts, with DeSantis proposing sales-tax holidays for back-to-school shoppers and for hurricane preparations.But the Republican-dominated Legislature will also debate myriad other issues.For example, lawmakers are considering a controversial proposal that would require parental consent before minors could get abortions.The state already requires parents to be notified if their daughters plan to have abortions, but a consent requirement would be more far-reaching. The full House could vote early in the session to approve the proposal, which also is moving forward in Senate committees.Education will also be a major focus --- DeSantis has dubbed 2020 the year of the teacher.The governor is pushing the $602 million plan to set minimum teacher salaries at $47,500, and he wants to establish a new $300 million bonus program for teachers and principals.But legislative leaders have expressed concerns about the costs of the proposals and what Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, has described as practical issues. Those issues include the longstanding practice of teacher salaries being set at the local level rather than at the direction of the Legislature.Meanwhile, House Speaker Jos Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, will continue his drive to revamp the states health-care industry. As an example, the House this year will pursue a measure that would allow advanced practice registered nurses to provide care independently of physicians, though the Senate has opposed such proposals in the past.And the always-thorny issue of guns is also on the horizon, along with immigration, insurance and Visit Florida, the states tourism agency that Oliva and other GOP House leaders continue to target.

The 60-day legislative session kicks off Tuesday, and while whats known as the process has evolved over the years, some things remain the same.

Lawmakers, lobbyists and aides will scoop up shrimp and swill cocktails at Associated Industries of Floridas Monday evening gala.

Flowers will festoon the House and Senate chambers, as part of Tuesdays opening-day pageantry.

The governor will deliver the State of the State address, as a rapt audience looks on.

Keeping with tradition, a cast of thousands over the next two months will flood the Capitol and its courtyard in an attempt to curry favor with the 120 House members, 40 senators, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet --- all before the session wraps up on March 13.

The Florida Education Association is ushering in the session with a march and rally on Monday, with the crowd including parents, teachers, students and national leaders, including the Rev. Al Sharpton.

People searching for sustenance will encounter some transformations inside the hallowed halls of state government.

After a decade, Sharkeys Capitol Cafs on the 10th floor and the lower level of the Capitol are no longer.

Lobbyist Jeff Sharkey last month announced on Twitter that he was shuttering his eateries because the state had chosen a new vendor --- Earleys Kitchen, a local soul-food spot.

In his tweet, Sharkey thanked his great customers and workers.

Proud of our great staff and honored to have met, fed and caffeinated the fabulous capitol employees and visitors from every corner of Florida, he said.

LAWYERS, GUNS AND MONEY

Legislators technically only have one job to complete during the 60-day session: passing a state spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed a $91.4 billion budget, touting plans to set minimum teacher salaries at $47,500 a year and to continue addressing environmental issues.

The governors proposal is a starting point for the House and Senate, which will make changes as they negotiate a final version. Lawmakers also will consider potential election-year tax cuts, with DeSantis proposing sales-tax holidays for back-to-school shoppers and for hurricane preparations.

But the Republican-dominated Legislature will also debate myriad other issues.

For example, lawmakers are considering a controversial proposal that would require parental consent before minors could get abortions.

The state already requires parents to be notified if their daughters plan to have abortions, but a consent requirement would be more far-reaching. The full House could vote early in the session to approve the proposal, which also is moving forward in Senate committees.

Education will also be a major focus --- DeSantis has dubbed 2020 the year of the teacher.

The governor is pushing the $602 million plan to set minimum teacher salaries at $47,500, and he wants to establish a new $300 million bonus program for teachers and principals.

But legislative leaders have expressed concerns about the costs of the proposals and what Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, has described as practical issues. Those issues include the longstanding practice of teacher salaries being set at the local level rather than at the direction of the Legislature.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Jos Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, will continue his drive to revamp the states health-care industry. As an example, the House this year will pursue a measure that would allow advanced practice registered nurses to provide care independently of physicians, though the Senate has opposed such proposals in the past.

And the always-thorny issue of guns is also on the horizon, along with immigration, insurance and Visit Florida, the states tourism agency that Oliva and other GOP House leaders continue to target.

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Education, abortion, sports betting on 2020 Florida legislative agenda - WESH 2 Orlando

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. In a move designed to elevate public education into a major issue this session and campaign season, a Florida teachers union has issued a call to action with a protest planned for Monday, the eve of the start of the state Legislatures 2020 session.

The Florida Education Association said it will bus thousands of teachers, parents and public education supporters to Tallahassee for a Take on Tallahassee march on the Capitol while a state Senate Education Committee discusses how to boost pay for classroom instructors.

The teachers union and its allies say a decade of inadequate funding has decimated Florida's public education system. It cites state statistics that indicate more than 300,000 students started classes last fall without a full-time permanent teacher.

When the new school year began, districts scrambled to fill more than 3,500 teaching vacancies statewide.

It is time to speak truth to power, said Fedrick Ingram, president of the FEA. We have seen more than a decade of disinvestment in public education in this state, and that has to stop."

Fedrick Ingram, president of the FEA, says we have seen more than a decade of disinvestment in public education in this state."(Photo: James Call)

Florida ranks among the bottom 10 states in teacher pay with many school staff earning a wage below the federal poverty line and in funding for students with per-pupil spending in constant dollars about $300 less than it was in 2007 ($8,490 to $8,817 when adjusted for inflation).

And while Gov. Ron DeSantis has proclaimed this the Year of the Teacher with a $600 million proposal to boost starting pay for classroom instructors to $47,500, which would be the second most in the nation, and another $300 million in bonuses educators want lawmakers to commit to a decade of progress" by spending an additional $2 billion a year in each of the next 10 years.

'Historic': Chicago teachers approve contract that ended 11-day strike

Lets not pretend theres not politics involved with this, DeSantis said of the unions criticism of his proposal.

Im a Republican. Theyre not. What Im doing is never going to be enough, DeSantis said when he rolled out his budget proposal.

My job is not to do what the union wants, its what I think is best for education and particularly for individual teachers, DeSantis said.

The Florida Education Association said it will bus thousands of teachers, parents and public education supporters to Tallahassee for a Take on Tallahassee march on the Capitol.(Photo: Joe Rondone/Democrat files)

Allison Tant, the former state Democratic Party chair, candidate for statehouse, and mother of two high school students, said she plans to join the demonstration.

We need a strong public education system for our economy, the health of the state and for peace of mind, said Tant, who has wrestled with an education bureaucracy to provide services for a special needs child.

It is the underpinning of our society. How can someone go to work when they are worried about their child? How can a policeman do his job, or anyone for that matter, if they are worried about their child at school? Tant said.

Speakers at the rally will include Lily Eskelsen Garcia, president of the National Education Association, and Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.

Posts on Facebook promote activist and television personality Al Sharpton as a speaker for the event, but as of Thursday morning Sharpton's appearance had not been confirmed.

The NEA and AFT are the nation's largest unions. They are on something of a roll with teachers in the past year pressuring lawmakers in West Virginia, Kentucky and Arizona to increase spending on schools.

Follow James Call on Twitter: @CallTallahassee.

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Florida teachers plan to march on Capitol demanding more money for schools - USA TODAY

TallahasseeThe Reverend Al Sharpton will join leading educators from across the nation to rally for public schools at the Florida Capitol January 13, 2020. Sharpton, a renowned civil rights advocate, MSNBC commentator and President of the National Action Network will keynote the event according to Florida Education Association President Fedrick Ingram. We are pleased to announce Reverend Sharptons participation in our fight. When you go to battle you need warriors. He joins other educators who know this effort is important to the future of this great state, according to Ingram.

Florida has a severe and ongoing shortage of teachers, and as many as 300,000 students started school in August 2019 without a full-time, permanent teacher. Every student in Florida deserves to attend a fully staffed, fully funded school. Ingram has conducted a series of town halls and a bus tour to hear public concerns, garner support and received positive feedback.

We want Florida lawmakers to know that we are serious about providing a quality education to our children in public schools. To do anything less would be to surrender them to failure. Thats not an option Ingram said.

The Republican-controlled Legislature has drained 1.3 billion tax dollars from public schools and funneled the revenue into a host of voucher programs and private schools.

Thousands of supporters are expected to attend the march that begins at the Leon County Civic Center at 1:00 pm and proceeds to the rally on the steps of the Old Capitol at 1:30 pm. For more information go to FEAWeb.org/jan13.

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Sharpton to Join Take on Tallahassee Rally Free Press of Jacksonville - Jacksonville Free Press

On January 9, Tom Cotton of Arkansas made a speech on the floor of the United States Senate about the shocking rise of anti-Semitic crimes in and around New York City. Everyone should read it. Here it is:

This holiday season, the ancient hatred of anti-Semitism cast a shadow over New York City during Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. The New York Police Department recorded at least nine separate attacks against Jewsmore than one attack for each day of Hanukkah. New attacks are reported seemingly on a daily basis.

In Crown Heights, site of the deadly anti-Semitic riots incited by Al Sharpton in 1991, a group of men beat up an Orthodox Jew and attacked another with a chair.

In Williamsburg, another group terrorized an elderly Jewish man on the street. Jew, Hitler burned you, one of the criminals reportedly said. Ill shoot you.

And just outside the city, in Rockland County, a man with a machete stormed a Hanukkah celebration in a rabbis home and injured five worshippers, leaving two in critical condition. The family of one victim, Josef Neumann, says he may never wake up from his coma.

These heinous attacks are part of a growing storm of anti-Semitism that has made Jewish Americans fearful to worship and walk the streets in their own communities. They come in the wake of the deadly rampage at a kosher market in Jersey City that left four innocent people dead, including a police detective. And of course, they come in the wake of the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in our nations history: the massacre of 11 Jews at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh by a white supremacist.

According to the FBI, our country suffered a 37 percent increase in anti-Semitic crimes between 2014 and 2018. According to the New York Police Department, the city suffered a 26 percent increase in anti-Semitic crimes in the past year alone. That increase is alarming enough. So is the fact that most hate crimes reported in New York are crimes against Jews. And while some of the increase is due to better reporting, much of it is not. Jewish Americans bear witness to this harsh reality.

Anti-Semitism is the ancient hatred, but today it can appear in new disguises. It festers on Internet message boards and social media. It festers in so-called Washington think tanks like the Quincy Institute, an isolationist blame-America-first money pit for so-called scholars whove written that American foreign policy could be fixed if only it were rid of the malign influence of Jewish money. It festers even on elite college campuses, which incubate the radical Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movementa movement to wage economic warfare against the Jewish state. These forms of anti-Semitism may be less bloody than street crime in New York, but they channel the same ancient hatred, the same conspiratorial and obsessive focus on the Jewish people.

Anti-Semitic attacks are a symptom of a larger breakdown of public order in our nations cities caused by politicians who are letting dangerous criminals roam our streets.

While Jews were being attacked in New York City, a law went into effect eliminating pretrial detention and bail for most crimesincluding serious crimes like stalking, arson, robberyeven manslaughter and negligent homicide.

This law was a gift to criminals just in time for the holidays. In some cases, it came with an actual gift: New York Citys criminal-justice system gives goodies like taxpayer-funded movie tickets to criminal suspects just for showing up to court. Movie ticketsfor criminals. I wish I were joking, but the joke is on law-abiding citizens in this nation. These soft-on-crime politicians are doing their best to make crime pay in New York.

Releasing criminals is the logical next step for the criminal-leniency movement. Thanks to the new bail law, an estimated 3,800 criminal suspects were released from New York jails before New Years Day. Many of those suspects were arrested for new offenses within hourswithin hoursof their release.

Case in point: On the sixth day of Hanukkah, December 27, Tiffany Harris was arrested for attacking three Jewish women in Crown Heights. She shouted F-U Jews as she slapped them in a rage. Despite the violent nature of her crime, Harris, amazingly, was released without bail the very next day, December 28th, the seventh day of Hanukkah. And on the eighth day of Hanukkah, Harris was arrested yet again for assault. She was released for a second time the day after that, and is only in custody now because she was arrested a third time for failing to comply with a court order.

I can only imagine how demoralizing must it be for New Yorks police officers to arrest a violent criminalonly to risk their safety arresting them the next day for harming somebody else, and the next day, and the next day. How terrifying must it be for witnesses of those crimes to contemplate giving evidence while the criminals they witnessed stalk the streets the very next day. And how enraging must it be for New Yorks Jews to suffer constant anti-Semitic attacks and know that the perpetrators will slide through a revolving door from the lockup back into their communities to spread more of their virulent, anti-Semitic hatred.

Soft-on-crime politicians claim that cash bail and strong policing punish the poor. But is there a worse punishment for poor communities than flooding them with dangerous criminals? Making them unlivable for many law-abiding Americans who call those neighborhoods home? Because guess what, those dangerous criminals arent going back to live in fancy penthouses on the Upper East Side. They arent living in gated communities in Bethesda and Arlington. Theyre living in the very communities that most need policing. Thats why the consequences of criminal leniency never fall on rich elites who praise it the most. Instead the consequences fall on the less fortunate, and on the brave officers who are duty-bound to uphold the law, even as they receive less and less support from the political class.

The real solution to disorder in our cities is the same as it always has been: More and better policing. New Yorks finestand police officers all across the countryhave broken crime waves in the past, using steely resolve and superior force. They can do it again, if only we give them the freedom and support they need.

Thankfully, most Americans know whose side were on in the fight against crime. We stand with cops, not criminals. And we stand with the Jewish people against the ancient hatred that stalks them even to this day.

America liberated Nazi death camps in World War II, and weve served as a haven for persecuted Jews for longer than that. We must not allow the bigotry so common in Europe and the Middle East to spread here, to our free shores. And we must not allow our city streets to be plunged into the lawlessness of the not-so-distant past.

You can also watch the speech by clicking on this link.

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Tom Cotton on the New Wave of Anti-Semitism and Violence - Commentary Magazine

WASHINGTON. Last week, a federal judge approved warrants allowing Special Prosecutor Dan Webb access to Empire actor Jussie Smolletts Google account with its photos, private messages, and location data. The probe seeks to discover if the actor/singer violated the law by claiming he was a victim of a vicious hate crime in January 2019.

Jussie Smollett speaks with ABCs Robin Roberts on Good Morning America. ABC screen capture.

You may recall the fake-news frenzy that followed Smolletts explosive charge that two MAGA-hatted thugs hurled racial and homophobic slurs his way, beat him, doused him in bleach, placed a rope around his neck, and ended the assault with the ultimate coup de gras: they yelled,

The Washington Posts Karen Attiah expressed her outrage.

California Rep. Maxine Waters added her own measured and thoughtful opinion to the mix during an interview with The Grio:

Fellow Empire star Lee Daniels posted an emotional video to Instagram, saying the outrage over the Smollett attack,

But there were aspects to Smolletts story that struck skeptical observers as odd.

Tyrus. Fox News screen capture.

Chicago police, unlike fake-news outlets, took Smolletts statement, followed the evidence, and smelled a rat. They reported Smollett paid two men, both from Nigeria, $3,500 to stage the attack. According to Chicagos CBS 2,

Chicago Police Department Superintendent Eddie Johnson. Fox News screen capture.

Chicago Police Department Superintendent Eddie Johnson later told reporters,

As if this story could not get any stranger, the Rev. Al Sharpton weighed in as well. During an episode of his MSNBC show Politics Nation, Sharpton said,

Tawana Brawley speaks to reporters as advisor Al Sharpton looks on. CBS News screen capture.

This from the man who was at the center of the racially-charged Tawana Brawley sexual-assault hoax of the late 1980s (HERE). But Sharpton, ever the race-baiting scoundrel, sought to hide behind President Trumps coattails.

According to Chicago police, no less than 20 murders and 134 sexual assaults saw their investigations impeded by the inquiry into Smolletts bogus, racially-charged claims. As Superintendent Johnson told reporters,

Judge Michael Toomins sanctioned warrants ordering Google to hand special prosecutor Dan Webb Smolletts digital footprint may force the actor, in the words of Rev. Al Sharpton, to face accountability to the maximum.

MAGA hat image from https://shop.donaldjtrump.com/.

Recently, CNN was forced to pay millions of dollars in punitive damages for recklessly accusing high-schooler Nickolas Sandmann of racism and physical intimidation.

Smolletts phantom attackers, like Sandmann, supposedly wore Make America Great Again hats. And Smollett instinctively knew the mere mention of MAGA hats would inspire fake-news outlets to begin manufacturing narratives to attack President Trump and his army of deplorables as violent racists.

What Trump asked of Jussie Smollett could just as easily be directed at fake-news scribblers:

I suspect the loud and clear answer will come election day, November 2020.

Top Images: Empire actor Jussie Smollett. CBS News screen capture.(Inset) Special Prosecutor Dan Webb. WGN News screen capture.

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Jussie Smollett and the brotherhood of the traveling MAGA... - Communities Digital News