TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) – State Senator Kristen Arrington (D-Kissimmee) and State Representative Rita Harris (D-Orlando), who represent legislative districts with Florida’s largest Puerto Rican population after defeating prominent Puerto Rican candidates—Senate candidate Carmen Torres and former State Representative Daisy Morales—in 2024, have filed groundbreaking legislation aimed at making standardized testing more accessible to English Language Learners (ELLs) in public schools. Senate Bill 260 and House Bill 159 would allow students to take statewide standardized assessments in their primary language, providing a path toward equitable academic success for students of diverse linguistic backgrounds.

If passed, SB 260/HB 159 would break down language barriers in Florida’s education system, enabling a fair assessment of students’ knowledge regardless of their proficiency in English. This initiative seeks to reflect the true academic potential of the 350,000+ students learning English across the state.

“It is an honor to serve as the Senate sponsor for this bill alongside Representative Harris. Standardized tests are tools that help track the academic progress and success for our students. It is important that these tests accurately reflect the educational outcomes of all our students, including those who have English as a second language,” Senator Arrington emphasized. “Our students deserve equitable access to standardized tests, so they can perform at their very best. The success of our students is vital to our community, and I am proud to support this bill.”

With over 243 languages spoken by students in Florida, the proposed legislation would significantly impact the state’s educational landscape. Advocates believe the bill will send a strong message: language proficiency does not equate to intelligence.

Representative Harris stated, “With this bill, we have an opportunity to make Florida’s public schools more accessible to students with a native language other than English. Language proficiency is not a reflection of these students’ intelligence, and we can send that message with this bill. Instead, the state can offer pathways of success for each individual student, giving them the option to take standardized tests in the language they’re most comfortable with.”

Advocacy groups are rallying behind the bill, including the Florida Association for Bilingual Education (FABE) and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). FABE President Susanne Peña, who endorsed Harris over Morales in the 2024 election, noted. “The linguistic fabric of our state is reflected in the fact that over 243 languages are spoken by our students. Providing tools that allow all students to demonstrate their knowledge is essential for fostering an effective learning environment.”

LULAC Florida also offered strong support: “Educational policies should support students’ abilities to complete academic work, including the use of languages other than English.”

However, the proposed bills face significant challenges in the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature. Critics argue that implementing multilingual testing may impose logistical and financial hurdles. Despite these potential roadblocks, proponents of SB 260/HB 159 are optimistic about its long-term benefits for Florida’s diverse student population.

If enacted, the bills would take effect for the 2027-2028 school year. Florida’s legislative session begins March 4, 2025.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Senator Tina Polsky filed the four bills listed below addressing the continuous problem of gun violence and the need for common sense gun safety within the state of Florida.

Jaime’s Law, also known as the Sale or Transfer of Ammunition, was filed once again as Senate Bill 256 by Senator Polsky and filed by Representative Dan Daley as House Bill 53. The legislation, named in honor of 14-year-old Jaime Guttenberg who tragically lost her life in the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, aims to address the pressing issue of gun violence. Specifically, ‘Jaime’s Law’ seeks to close the background check loophole by mandating background checks on all individuals purchasing ammunition. In the current Florida law, those prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm are also restricted from purchasing ammunition. However, a critical loophole exists, allowing vendors to skip conducting background checks on ammunition purchases. This proposed bill strives to close this loophole, ensuring that ammunition does not, once again, fall into the wrong hands.

The Responsible Gun Ownership Act, also known as Weapons and Firearms, was filed by Senator Polsky as Senate Bill 252, and filed by Representative Hunschofsky as House Bill 65. The Responsible Gun Ownership Act introduces essential measures to enhance gun safety, including universal background checks for firearm sales and transfers, as well as reinforced safe storage requirements to prevent unauthorized access. Additionally, it ensures trigger locks or gun cases are provided with firearm purchases and requires educational materials to encourage responsible ownership. The legislation makes it illegal to possess or manufacture unfinished firearms without serial numbers, including “ghost guns” made with a 3D printer, due to ghost guns currently being virtually impossible to trace if used in a crime.

Senate Bill 254, Firearms, filed by Senator Polsky, expands the definition of a machine gun to include any gun modified to fire at a faster rate, effectively addressing the growing use of bump stocks. The legislation also classifies prohibited usage of bump stocks as a third-degree felony.

Preemption of Firearms and Ammunition, filed by Senator Polsky as Senate Bill 238 and Representative Daley as House Bill 6003, would remove the preemption preventing county, city, town, or municipal ordinances from regulating anything to do with the purchase, sale, transfer, taxation, manufacture, ownership, possession, storage, and transportation of firearms and ammunition. This will allow communities to adopt the desired gun control measures that are best for their communities.

“I am committed to doing the work to protect, expand, and promote gun safety within our state, even as efforts continue to move the needle backwards. As the Senator representing Parkland, I will always fight to honor the lives lost on February 14, 2018, and protect the work done by the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Safety Act. I will continue to propose legislation to make Floridians safer, and uphold the responsibility entrusted to me by the people of Florida.” said Senator Tina Polsky (D- Boca Raton).

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy presented Cabana with the award during a ceremony at NASA Headquarters in Washington on Jan. 10. Cabana most recently served as NASA’s associate administrator, which is the agency’s highest ranking civil servant, from 2021 until he retired from the agency at the end of 2023.

“A true public servant, Bob has spent his entire career in service to his country. I can think of no one more deserving of this rare honor than Bob,” said Nelson. “From his time as a naval aviator to his role as associate administrator of NASA, Bob has dedicated his life to improving his country. I join with President Biden in thanking Bob for his dedication and commitment.”

The award recognized Cabana for his roles as a Marine aviator, test pilot, astronaut and becoming the first American to enter the International Space Station. He was further recognized for continuing to push for the bounds of the possible, launching the James Webb Space Telescope, the Artemis I mission and the Orion spacecraft which will send humans back to the Moon for the first time in decades.

As a NASA astronaut, Cabana flew in space four times, including twice as commander. His final space shuttle flight in 1998 was the first International Space Station assembly mission. Cabana also was the director of the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for more than a decade. There he led its transition from retirement of the space shuttle to a multi-user spaceport once again launching NASA astronauts to low Earth orbit, and for the first time, doing so with commercial partners.

As NASA associate administrator, Cabana led the agency’s 10 center directors, as well as the mission directorate associate administrators at NASA Headquarters. He was the agency’s chief operating officer for more than 18,000 employees and oversaw an annual budget of more than $25 billion.

Cabana was selected as an astronaut candidate in June 1985 and completed training in July 1986. He logged 38 days in space during four shuttle missions. Cabana was a pilot aboard space shuttle Discovery on both the STS-41 mission in October 1990 that deployed the Ulysses spacecraft and the STS-53 mission in December 1992. He was the mission commander aboard space shuttle Columbia for the STS-65 mission in July 1994 that conducted experiments as part of the second International Microgravity Laboratory mission. He commanded space shuttle Endeavour for the STS-88 mission in December 1998.

Cabana was appointed a member of the Federal Senior Executive Service in 2000 and served in numerous senior management positions at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, ultimately becoming deputy director. He was named director of NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi in October 2007 and a year later was selected as NASA Kennedy director.

Born in Minneapolis, Cabana graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. He became a naval aviator and graduated with distinction from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 1981. In his career, Cabana logged over 7,000 hours in more than 50 different kinds of aircraft. He retired as a colonel from the U.S. Marine Corps in September 2000.

In addition to receiving the President’s Award for Distinguished Federal Service, Cabana’s accomplishments have been recognized with induction into the Astronaut Hall of Fame and being named an Associate Fellow in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a Fellow in the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. He has received numerous personal awards and decorations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Presidential Distinguished Rank Award. He also is a recipient of the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement’s National Space Trophy.

For Cabana’s full bio, visit:

https://go.nasa.gov/3u9hGB2