The Legislative Session has begun Tallahassee, which means 60 days of anything-can-happen lay ahead. But the greatest uncertainty right now may revolve around a tort reform package carried by state Rep. Tommy Gregory, R-Lakewood Ranch.

One of the most high-profile pieces of legislation in the state this year, the bill could rework the relationships Floridians hold with insurance companies, trial attorneys and even the medical field.

Gregory in press conferences has called the bill an attempt to “bring balance to the civil justice system.”

Indeed, it’s a bill that’s decades in the making, with the business and legal lobby long fighting over what truly has driven up the costs of insurance in the state. Executives and advocates for insurance companies say the litigious environment in Florida, one illustrated with attorney billboards and television ads promoting high damages won in court, has created uncertainty and expenses.

Attorneys, fully aware they make an easy political target, have tried to tell a different story. They view the legislation developed by lawmakers as an attack on consumers, one that will most hurt those plaintiffs with the strongest case against insurance companies and the parties who did them harm.

Who is truly to blame? There’s likely blame to go around, but it’s certainly worth asking if a litigious environment in Florida exists because it gives consumers the opportunity to bring legitimate action.

Politically, tort reform has always served as a bit of a political Rorschach test. Consider two statements: ‘Corporations are getting rich off exploiting poor people.’ ‘Moochers are constantly taking advantage of the system.’

You may think both statements are, to an extent, true. They are also certain oversimplifications of the complex economic and social issues facing the nation. But one of these probably resonates more deeply with you and may even prompt you to pump a fist in the air. That likely serves as a test of whether you identify, in more over-simplification, as a liberal or a conservative.

Complex issues, though, deserve more than bumper sticker logic. Fortunately, when it comes to this issue in Tallahassee, the matter seems to be deliberated in full, even as super-majorities in the House and Senate fast track a range of other conservative priorities from universal school vouchers to a six-week abortion ban.

That may be because there aren’t just two groups of people in Tallahassee. Sure there are Republicans and, rumor has it, Democrats. But lawmakers also band together in regional struggles. Sometimes you see school rivalries burst out, whether playfully or in the actual division of state resources.

And you have professional groups. The part-time Legislature has doctors, small business owners, accountants and insurance agents. But there’s one group more represented than any other— attorneys.

Of note, Gregory is both an attorney and a conservative economist. Expect him to hear from colleagues in and out of the Legislature. He agreed this week to some pretty significant concessions on claims of bad faith and allowing one-way attorneys’ fees in cases on denial claims.

Traditionally, the House in Tallahassee passes bills with more strident ideology, and indeed these changes occurred after even some Republican members of the state Senate voiced serious trepidation about the law.

This could be the bill to watch if you want a legislative process instead of passing ideological bills with little debate.

Jacob Ogles is contributing senior editor for SRQ MEDIA. 

At State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, we are dedicated to the mission of providing an engaging and accessible learning environment to all. We are an open-access institution where anyone willing to do the hard work it takes to pursue their academic goals is welcomed and supported as part of the SCF community.

SCF has a tradition of delivering on our promises responsibly and transparently, we boldly engage our partners to achieve the dynamic future we envision, and we define best practices and create opportunity with forethought. We serve our region with integrity, collaboration, innovation and inclusivity.

SCF serves more than 25,000 individuals annually, with an estimated 10,000 more coming to our campuses for events hosted by third-party collaborators. It has been my purpose since becoming President in 2013 to expand access to SCF through every avenue possible; partnerships, services, academic programming, multipurpose facilities and grants.

Our dual enrollment programs allow qualified high school students to enroll in select college courses satisfying requirements for high school graduation and an associate degree at no cost. Gator Engineering at State College of Florida is a collaboration between the University of Florida Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering and SCF. The program allows a cohort of students to begin their coursework at SCF and gain admission to UF as early as after their first spring semester. Our collaboration with FleetForce Truck Driving School is responsive to the national shortage of commercially licensed drivers and promotes high-wage employment.

SCF’s Collegiate Schools in Bradenton and Venice afford local students a unique dual enrollment program with an opportunity to complete an associate degree while receiving their high school diploma. Our summer and spring camps expose elementary, middle and high school children to the excitement of higher education. SCF’s Summer Bridge, Tampa Bay Bridge to Baccalaureate and College Reach-Out programs aim to increase the number of low-income, educationally disadvantaged students who enroll in postsecondary education and increase the likelihood of their success once in college. Go Live with SCF Online, SCF’s Weekend College and Flex Start courses allow individuals to take classes when convenient.

Responsive to emerging trends and growing demands in the local workforce, SCF has consistently expanded our academic programming to provide rapid credentialing, associate and baccalaureate degrees, certificates and training. Last year, we added three new associate in science degrees in music production, business analytics and hospitality and tourism, and two baccalaureate degrees in elementary education and exceptional student education. In total, SCF offers 31 associate in science degrees, 36 college credit certificates, and seven workforce-oriented baccalaureate degrees.

SCF Bradenton’s Library & Learning Center provides the region with a technology-driven, collaborative learning environment that mirrors private industry practices and provides us with an adaptable platform that can respond to future workforce needs. 

The 26 West Center hosts a suite of innovative services dedicated to making entrepreneurship, small business growth and careers in technology accessible to students and residents of the Suncoast region. For example, SCF’s Coding Academy teaches the skills needed to launch a career in a high-demand technology job in less than six months. Anyone can start training for coding, cloud computing, digital marketing and cybersecurity careers.

Our new Studio for the Performing Arts expands access to the fine and performing arts with a 150-seat recital hall, choir rehearsal room, percussion rehearsal suite, music library and individual practice rooms. 

Through grants such as TRIO Student Support Services, Title III and Child Care Access Means Parents in School, received from the Florida and U.S. Department of Education, SCF is “paving academic pathways for student success” by reducing the number of barriers that prevent many from pursuing higher education. These grants provide access to expanded student support services, financial assistance, free access to college-prep classes and tools for a guided degree pathway. 

The combination of these partnerships, services, academic programs, multipurpose facilities and grants allows us to serve credit or non-credit seeking students, individuals looking to continue their education or perhaps reinvent themselves, and those who need exposure to the possibilities of what higher education can offer – opportunity.  

When we say we’re open access, one needs only to apply. At SCF, we meet you where you are. We’re everyone’s college.

Dr. Carol Probstfeld is President at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. 

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