Rochelle Koff, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Rochelle Koff is a reporter in the Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee bureau. She previously worked at the Miami Herald as a business, news and features editor, reporter and Broward restaurant critic. Rochelle was also a reporter at the Sun-Sentinel and earned a bachelor's degree from Temple University.
Phone: (850) 224-7263.
Email: rkoff@tampabay.com
Twitter: @RKoff
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Senator means what she says, and gets results
05/25/13 State RoundupTALLAHASSEE
Senate President Don Gaetz calls her the Margaret Thatcher of the Florida Senate — "tough, principled, independent and absolutely fearless." Valerie Guenther, chairman of the Charlotte County Democratic Party, notes she's a "tough target" because she doesn't just vote the party line. And Sen. Tom Lee says, "She looks you in the eye and tells you what she needs. What you see is what you get with Nancy Detert."...
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Gov. Scott to sign texting while driving bill on Tuesday
05/24/13 BlogGov. Rick Scott is signing the texting while driving bill (SB 52) at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Alonzo and Tracy Mourning High School in Miami, but the state law doesn't take effect until Oct. 1.
The bill prohibits drivers from manually typing or entering multiple letters, numbers, symbols or other characters into a wireless communications device, which includes text messaging, emailing and instant messaging through smart phones. Texting would be allowed in hands-off, high-tech cars and when a car is stopped at a red light or in a traffic jam....
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Scott ready to give green light to texting bill?
05/17/13 BlogA signing ceremony for the texting while driving bill (SB 52) has been set for 2-3 p.m. May 28th in Miami, according to an email listed on Project Sunburst, a website that displays executive staff emails in the Governor’s office, but Jackie Schutz, a spokesman for Gov. Rick Scott, wouldn't confirm the information.
She said the governor hasn’t yet received the bill and he is still "reviewing the legislation....
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DCF announces new initiatives to crack down on fraud
05/14/13 BlogFighting fraud that costs the state millions of dollars and impacts poor residents who rely on public assistance payments,The Department of Children & Families on Tuesday announced a new system to crack down on cheaters.
“Florida has the highest per capita rate of reported identity theft nationally,” with more than 70 percent of ID theft tied to government-related services, said DCF Secretary David Wilkins, speaking at a a press conference with Deputy CFO Jay Etheridge and Tallahassee Police Chief Dennis Jones....
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Movers & Shakers
05/13/13 BlogNew executive editor at News Service
Jim Saunders has been named the new executive editor of the News Service of Florida. Saunders replaces founding executive editor David Royse, who will become the News Service’s associate editor of special projects....
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Bondi enlists Florida businesses to help fight human trafficking
05/07/13 BlogAttorney General Pam Bondi is turning to Florida businesses to expand her “zero tolerance” campaign to crack down on human trafficking in the state, which has seen an increase of teen runaways, the homeless and immigrants as prime victims.
Bondi met with a handful of business leaders who joined her at a press conference Tuesday to discuss a public-private partnership, with a “tool kit” to help train employees at all levels to recognize signs of human trafficking....
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Movers & Shakers
05/06/13 BlogIt's been a busy session for movers and shakers.
Capitol TV reporter becomes new DCF press secretaryWhitney Ray, a reporter for the Capitol News Service, has been named the new press secretary for the Department of Children and Families. Ray, a graduate of the University of Arkansas, has had 12 years experience in the TV news business. He's replaced by Matt Horn, previously with KSNW-TV in Wichita, Kansas....
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Session ends without passing ALF reforms
05/03/13 BlogBill to ban 'unconstitutional' foreign law in Florida courts dead
05/03/13 BlogA controversial bill that critics say is rooted in anti-Sharia legislation and proponents say ensures U.S. and Florida rights are guaranteed in court has definitely been killed this session. It's the third year the bill failed -- it called for American law to trump foreign law that isn't constitutional in family courts in Florida.
The bill was scheduled for a third reading Friday, but it would have taken a unanimous vote to advance the bill in the Senate. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, decided not to try for a unanimous vote because on Thursday, the bill (SB 58) failed to get the two-thirds vote needed to bring it to the Senate floor and the vote was 25-14, one vote short. The bill passed the House April 18th by a vote of 79-39....
Bill to ban use of foreign law in courts stalls in Senate
05/02/13 BlogA controversial bill that backers say aims to keep foreign law from being used over Florida law in family courts is “effectively dead,” Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, chairman of the Senate’s Rules Committee, said after that body's meeting Thursday.
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Texting-while-driving ban headed to Gov. Rick Scott
05/02/13 BlogAfter two days of drama and four years of trying, a texting-while-driving ban is headed to Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s desk for consideration.
The Senate on Thursday accepted a House-amended version of SB 52/HB 13 and voted 39-1 to approve the ban. Supporters concede it’s not the ideal bill they want, but called it a “first step” in a path filled with road blocks, even to the 11th hour....
Texting-while-driving ban approved by Florida lawmakers, headed to Gov. Rick Scott
05/02/13GubernatorialTALLAHASSEE — After two days of drama and five years of trying, a texting-while-driving ban is headed to Gov. Rick Scott's desk.
The Senate on Thursday accepted a House-amended version of HB 13 and voted 39-1 to approve the ban. Supporters concede it's not the ideal bill they want but called it a "first step" in a path filled with roadblocks.
"It sends a clear message that too many people have been killed on the road because of texting and distracted driving," said Karen Morgan, manager of public policy for AAA. ...
After nail-biter of a day in the House, foster care bill passes
05/01/13 BlogFor Sen. Nancy Detert and the backers of a bill extending foster care from age 18 to 21, Wednesday’s House session was a nail biter.
Named the Nancy C. Detert Common Sense and Compassion Independent Living Act, House Bill 1036, which is co-sponsored by the entire Senate, was temporarily postponed Wednesday morning as Democrats, protesting inaction on health insurance reform, demanded that all bills be read in their entirety. The House is using a robotic auto reader to speed-read bills....
Bill to limit punitive damage suits against nursing homes likely finished
05/01/13 BlogA controversial bill that would raise the standards for suing a nursing home for punitive damages appears to be finished for this session.
Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, said the bill (SB 1384) “hasn’t moved at all in the House, so unless some movement in the House” it looks like time has run out. Galvano also said the bill is off the Special Order calendar in the Senate....
House passes amended texting while driving bill
05/01/13 BlogThe House on Wednesday voted 110-6 to pass a bill to restrict texting while driving, but it still faces an uphill battle if it’s going to become law.
On Tuesday, the House approved an amendment sponsored by Rep. Jose Oliva, R-Miami, which would allow cell phone records to be used as evidence only in the "event of a crash resulting in death or personal injury."
The question now is whether the Senate will approve the amended version. If the Senate rejects this amended version and makes changes, the bill (SB 52) would have to go back to the House to be approved and its chances of being heard again in the House and approved by the time session is over looks unlikely. Complicating the matter, the Democrats, angered over inaction on health insurance reform, have demanded that all bills be read in their entirety, which has slowed the process....
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