New Technical Assistance Document for ADA – Pool lifts

5/27/2012 – The Justice Department today released a new technical assistance document, “Questions & Answers: Accessibility Requirements for Existing Pools at Hotels and Other Public Accommodations” regarding the application of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to swimming pools. The Department also released an updated version of its “ADA 2010 Revised Requirements: Accessible Pools—Accessible Means of Entry and Exit.” The documents are also available in PDF format at ADA.gov.

Both documents were issued as part of the Department’s ongoing technical assistance efforts to assist businesses in understanding their obligations under the ADA. These documents address common questions about accessibility requirements for existing pools. The documents also explain that, for existing pools, the Department will not enforce the fixed elements provisions in the 2010 Standards against those owners of existing pools who purchased otherwise-compliant portable lifts prior to March 15, 2012, as long as those owners keep the lifts in position for use at the pool and operational during all times that the pool is open to guests.

Relatedly, the Department recently extended the compliance date for existing pools to Jan. 31, 2013.

Those interested in finding out more about these documents or the obligations of public accommodations under the ADA may call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD), or access the ADA Website at www.ada.gov.

Campaign Roundup: Qualifying Week edition

8 June 2012, (Written by Florida Current Staff). Before this week, the Senate District 4 GOP primary battle looked set for a grudge match between Rep. Mike Weinstein and former Rep. Aaron Bean, with Jacksonville lawyer Wyman Duggan playing a spoiler role. The grudge match is still on, but with Duggan on the sidelines. He dropped out of the race and endorsed Weinstein this week.

National Restaurant Association: Swipe Fee Reforms Have Been Critical for Small Businesses, Consumers

June 8, 2012, (Written by Sue Hensley – National Restaurant Association). (Washington, D.C.) A year after a bipartisan majority of Senators stood up to protect debit swipe fee reforms, the National Restaurant Association today noted those reforms have provided important benefits to restaurateurs and their customers. America’s restaurant industry is the nation’s second-largest private sector employer, and more than 90 percent of restaurants are small businesses.

Romney, in Florida, calls Obama out-of-touch; Obama ads respond in kind

June 12, 2012, (Written By George Bennett – The Palm Beach Post). Orlando — In case you missed President Obama’s remark Friday that “the private sector is doing fine,” Mitt Romney’s campaign is doing everything it can to make sure you don’t forget it. Much as Obama’s campaign lashed John McCain four years ago for declaring in bleak times that “the fundamentals of our economy are strong,” Romney and his surrogates at a campaign stop here Tuesday repeatedly used Obama’s remark to brand the president as “out of touch” with the struggles of ordinary people.

Scott defends voter purge on national media

June 12, 2012, (Written by James Call – The Florida Current). Governor Rick Scott remained on the offensive Tuesday in his effort to purge noncitizens from Florida’s voter registration rolls. Scott appeared on six morning news programs, including cable news networks, national radio programs and a Tampa morning television program. “We have almost 100 individuals that are registered to vote that are non-U.S. citizens,” he told Fox viewers. “Over 50 of them have voted in our elections. I have an obligation to enforce the laws of our land. You don’t get to vote in Florida if you are a non-U.S. citizen.”

Sen. Norman ends his re-election bid

June 12, 2102, (Written by Gary Rohrer – The Florida Current). Sen. Jim Norman, R-Tampa, qualified for the Senate District 17 ballot last week but withdrew his name from consideration Tuesday. He did not give a reason for his departure from the race. Norman faced remaining ethics questions surrounding his failure to timely disclose a $500,000 home — purchased for his wife by a campaign contributor — on his financial disclosure forms in a previous election.

John Thrasher officially out of Senate presidency race

June 15, 2012, (Written by Matt Dixon – Florida Times Union). State Sen. John Thrasher, R – St. Augustine, is officially out of the race to become Senate president in 2016. Thrasher is putting his support behind ally state Sen. Joe Negron, R – Stuart, who is in what has already become a bruising race for the Senate’s top spot. “Not much is going to change. I just think we need a solid direction,” he said. “I mean, I still think I’ll be a player [in the Senate].”

Social media scoring big as campaign tool

June 14, 2012, (Written by Bill Cottrell – The Florida Current). As Gov. Rick Scott began a statewide campaign blitz this week to explain the purge of Florida voter rolls in the face of a federal lawsuit and sagging poll numbers, a large red rectangle popped up on Facebook pages with the message “I stand with Gov. Scott, stop voter fraud.” Within a few hours, the image got more than 700 “shares” and 247 “likes” on the vast social network. The new-media mavens at GOP headquarters were calculating potential voter contacts like Las Vegas oddsmakers, knowing that just under 20 percent of their Facebook friends are in the 45-54 age group and another 11 percent are in the 55-64 age demographic. That’s exactly the segment of Florida’s electorate that the GOP figures will relay the message ultimately to incalculable tens of thousands of friends.

Unemployment rate dips to 8.6 percent in May

June 16, 2012, (Written by Gray Rohrer – The Florida Current). Florida added 5,300 nonagricultural jobs in May as the unemployment rate dropped by 0.1 percent to 8.6 percent, according to numbers released Friday by the Department of Economic Opportunity. The rate is the lowest in Florida since December 2008 when it stood at 8.2 percent, but the recent decline in the jobless rate has been aided by a shrinking workforce.

Latvala says he has votes for Senate presidency in 2016

June 15, 2012, (Written by The News Service of Florida, Herald Tribune). On the same day Sen. John Thrasher made it official that he will not run for the Senate presidency in 2016, Sen. Jack Latvala said he believes he has rounded up enough support to claim the office barring too many losses in this year’s elections. Latvala, R-Clearwater, did not specify how many pledge cards he had collected from members of the Senate’s GOP caucus, which will decide who will serve as president unless Democrats seize control of the chamber in this year’s elections, 2014 or 2016.