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2h ago

Florida Senate Panel Advances Union Recertification Bill With Higher Voting Bar

Lawmakers must reconcile the Senate’s 60% with 25% turnout standard with a tougher House proposal before the March 13 deadline.

Orange County Classroom Teachers Association t-shirts cover the seats in the Orange County Schools board room public seating area during an impasse meeting in Orlando, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. A bill in the Florida Senate would raise the bar for teacher's union recertification, which could prove "fatal" to their existence, some leaders say. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel)

Overview

  • SB 1296 was amended by Sen. Corey Simon to require 60% approval from the bargaining unit with at least 25% turnout for union recertification.
  • The amended bill cleared its final Senate committee 10–8 with two Republicans in opposition, sending it to the floor.
  • The House companion, HB 995, remains unchanged and would impose stricter voting requirements than the Senate version.
  • Both measures exempt police and firefighter unions, a carveout noted by supporters and critics alike.
  • Teachers and faculty unions strongly opposed the bills, about 100 workers testified in the Senate, potential legal challenges were flagged, and the Freedom Foundation said it consulted on the language.