FLORIDA LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

POF encourages all licensed opticians to join us to stand together in support of your profession as advocates of protecting the health and welfare of the public.

If you are already a POF member, thank you for your continued support. If you are not a member, please JOIN NOW and help support our efforts in protecting your license. Please reach out to your fellow opticians, students, and apprentices. Ask them to become a member of POF as membership is more important now than ever.

Professional Opticians of Florida has the only representation in the House and Senate working on behalf of you and all Florida Opticians.

See well,

Dee

Dee Pace

Executive Director

Professional Opticians of Florida

2021 Legislative Update

A Message From Your Lobbyist...

I am honored to represent the Professional Opticians of Florida as your lobbyist in Tallahassee. I’ve been involved in the Legislative process now for over 33 years. I served for nine years in the Florida House of Representatives and then 11 years in the Florida Senate, and, after the required two years of retirement from the Legislature, I’ve been back up in Tallahassee lobbying.

Working the Legislature is a year-round task. It’s easier to find time to meet with legislators before Session and Committee Meetings than during it. Members and Officers of the POF make contributions to our Political Committee, and we participate in fundraisers for the Legislative Leadership of both chambers and both parties... I believe that the POF has had better direct contact with Legislative Leadership recently than in the past. They may not always agree with us, but at least they know who we are.

In the 2020 Legislative Session, bills were filed that would have “sunsetted” (deregulated) many professions, including opticianry. We were able to get promises from the bill sponsors that the language about opticians would be removed if they pursued the bills. When legislatures refiled the bills for the 2021 Session, they were refiled without sunsetting opticianry at all.

I hope that POF members will continue to make political contributions to the Opticians for Better Vision Political Committee and will be available to write and email your legislators when we need your voices. I look forward to working with you again next year.

Steve Geller, Esq.

POF Lobbyist

Mayor, Broward County, FL

Former FL Senator

Geller Law Firm, PA

If you are not a member of the Professional Opticians of Florida, please join today. POF, membership with a purpose!! https://pof.org/Join-POF