Florida Senate Watch

Senate Democratic Leader Al Lawson's Statement on Senate Republican Leadership Partisan Attack

2010-03-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

Senate Democratic Leader Al Lawson (D-Tallahassee) on Tuesday issued the following statement following the release of a Senate partisan attack on the President’s signing of landmark healthcare legislation:

“I am deeply concerned that the Republican leadership would actually mislead the public in order to gin up support for their frivolous lawsuit challenging the ability of tens of thousands of Floridians to finally have access to affordable health care.

“We know this is an election season, and desperate candidates often opt for desperate measures, but to suggest that the entire Senate Leadership is on board with opposition to the President’s plan is not only misleading, it’s dead wrong.

“In the Florida Senate, this member of leadership is not part of this expensive exercise in partisan legislative activism. This Democratic Leader is not part of the Republican chorus singing the anti-healthcare mantra.”

From the Blogs

2010-03-28T17:18:00.001-07:00

The latest stories from the Florida blogs about Republicans in the Florida Senate.

Sherman Dorn: The sugar-daddy amendment to SB 6

FLA Politics: SHAME ON YOU

Sunshine Statements: Florida Legislature Should Have No Ethics Conflicts

FLA Politics: Combative, But Not Confused

FLA Politics: A Message For Senator Mike

Smashed Frog: Florida Legislature: State Regulators

Florida Citizens for Science: Sen. Storms faces challenge

Progress Florida: 2010 Legislature: More of the Stuff That Doesn't Work

Haridopolos: This is the week that will decide

2010-03-28T13:04:00.001-07:00

From the Blogs

2009-09-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

The latest stories from the Florida blogs...

Progress Florida (Ray Seaman): A Government of the Wealthy

Why Now?: He Didn’t Get The Memo

Eye on Miami (Gimleteye): Former State Senate President Ken Pruitt to become a lobbyist

Video from the Session

2009-05-03T11:34:00.000-07:00

Dan Gelber:

Shorter version: We aren't done with the session until we do the people's business -- the budget.

Dave Murzin:

Shorter version: People hate taxes but love government services.

Jim Waldman:

Shorter version: At least we stopped the Republicans craziest stuff.

Carlos Lopez-Cantera:

Shorter version: I got mine.

Dave Aronberg:

Shorter version: The lack of money made everything tougher.

Ron Saunders:

Shorter version: The stimulus money saved us on education, Republicans refused open government.

Paula Dockery:

Shorter version: I hate saying I "killed" the CSX proposal, but I killed the CSX proposal.

Lee Constantine:

Shorter version: The bad economy killed the CSX proposal.

What's Going On: Legislative Round-up

2009-05-03T09:19:00.001-07:00

The Spencerian: A Horrible Legislative Session Part II: "Spicy"

The Spencerian: A Horrible Legislative Session: Elections

Rick Kriseman: In the last days of Florida’s legislative session, it’s ‘Government Gone Wild’

madfloridian: Texas oil execs in Florida to push 3 mile offshore drilling. Ain't it amazing?

FLA Politics (dantilson): Florida Republicans hold legislature hostage

Blast Off!: Republicans actively oppose education ... AGAIN

Progressive Pensacola: Double dipping loophole closed

Can't Keep Quiet: FL lawmakers marginally increase school funding

Pushing Rope: Steve Wise's Idea of Reform

Natch Greyes: And Check...The Florida Senate Makes A Move

Pushing Rope: Other Bloggers On Faith In Teaching

Florida Netroots: Legislative Update and other news

Eye on Miami (Gimleteye): Republicans in Florida Legislature: dumber than dirt

Progress Florida (Ray Seaman): Lending An Ear To Our Legislators

Natch Greyes: Florida's Inability to Seperate Church & State

Ybor City Stogie: Florida Republicans Turn Down Stimulus Money For Unemployment

Pushing Rope: Offshore Drilling Dead

Florida Netroots: Legislative Update and other news

Pushing Rope: Faith In Teaching is A Paper Nonprofit

Natch Greyes: Florida's Legislative Debacle Continues

Eye on Miami (Youbetcha): The State Legislature: By the Numbers

Avery Voice: Government in the Sunshine it's NOT!

Progressive Pensacola: Our Crazy Legislature, Week 8

Gelber's Latest Legislative Updates

2009-04-28T20:44:00.000-07:00

The latest news and views from State Senator Dan Gelber on Florida's legislative session, coming from tonight's conference call.

The call started out discussing the potential budget deal. Others will probably touch on that a lot, so I'll focus on the other top issues that Gelber discussed.

Other than the budget, one of the top laws up for debate right now is the property insurance bill that would allow Citizens, the state-run insurer of more than one million Floridians to raise rates for policyholders. The Senate has proposed moderate increases, but Gelber said that it is likely the final bill will contain increases in the range of 10-15%. As usual, Governor Charlie Crist is coy about the bill and his support or opposition to it.

Much less important is what Gelber calls the "license plate wars." As most readers know, Florida has an endless variety of specialty license plates for automobiles, the proceeds of which go to designated organizations. Two plates have come up this session that have explicitly Christian messages -- one with a cross, the other with a massive picture of Jesus. Gelber points out -- as is consistent with my understanding of the First Amendment -- that these plates would violate the federal establishment clause. Gelber adds that they would likely violate the state version as well. Similar plates in other states have been ruled unconstitutional and the same thing would likely happen here. Gelber thinks these two plates will eventually be left out of the final Senate bill, but he says the hours wasted debating these bills are silly when Florida is facing such serious issues. There is also some serious question as to where the money from these plates goes and who is behind the push for them.

Gelber said the card check bill, designed to kill the power of the national Employee Free Choice Act, has passed the House and is headed to the Senate. Florida is already one of the worst states in the union in terms of how we treat unions/workers, and this bill would attempt to keep Florida that way, regardless of what Congress does. Such a thing would likely be unconstitutional under the supremacy clause, but why test it. The current proposal would make it a constitutional amendment that would have to go before the voters, 60% of whom would have to approve. Gelber thinks that the misleading wording of the proposal would likely get the 60%, since it makes voters think they are protecting the secret ballot in all elections. The secret ballot is already protected, of course -- including in union elections -- and the EFCA wouldn't change this at all, but that doesn't stop Republicans from lying about it.

Unemployment modernization is another hot topic in the legislature right now. Under the stimulus plan, Florida is eligible for $450 million to modernize the system for citizens applying for unemployment benefits. Almost every other state has already done this modernization. Florida hasn't and is still working with the system put in place (including the technology) from the 1940s. This old-fashioned setup lessens the ability of people to get into the system. Republicans have effectively rejected this money, despite the fact that Florida needs it probably more than any other state because of our antiquated system and our extremely high unemployment rate.

Gelber tried to get at least $150 million of the unemployment modernization money by limiting the scope, since he knew the overall money wasn't going to be approved, but his proposal was rejected on a voice vote, almost certainly along party lines. Governor Crist says he'd like to have the money, but Gelber says Crist isn't doing anything to get the money. Big business lobbyists oppose the bill, despite the fact that it would benefit them by covering their payments to the unemployment compensation trust fund for a year. Gelber has been pushing for this for years, but the Republicans are stopping it.

Now that the end of the legislative session is near, Gelber says the last-minute vote-trading will begin. Logrolling will begin and we're entering a dangerous time, when bad bills and amendments could sneak through. Gelber suggested two such issues could revolve around oil drilling and the voter suppression bill, both of which were thought to be dead at this point.

The voter bill was pulled out of its last senate committee, so it could, theoretically, be brought to the floor, rather than dying in committee. Most experts think this bill would be overturned as unconstitutional, but that's a bit much to leave up to chance. People concerned about the voting bill should contact the Senate president, who may drop the bill if he's pressured enough.

It's possible, Gelber thinks, that the proposal to allow offshore drilling within three miles of Florida's coast could be trade bait as well. This proposal came up late in the session with a huge financial push. We really should look into finding out who is behind the proposal, something sofar unknown. Who is behind the push and what is their real agenda?

Gelber noted that, in all likelihood, the governor wasn't going to get involved in any of the hard decisions the legislature has to make this session.

State Senator Alex Villalobos is looking, once again, to pass his bill making witnesses before the legislature testify under oath, making lying while under oath a second or third degree felony. Gelber supports the bill and thinks it will pass the Senate, but that, once again, the House will kill it.

Gelber also noted that the education waiver for stimulus funds was finally submitted and he thinks we're likely to get it, particularly with the close relationship between Crist and Barack Obama.

Interesting Contrast

2009-04-26T10:22:00.000-07:00

From the Orlando Sentinel:

Rep. Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, sent us this message this weekend: "As President (Jeff) Atwater and Speaker (Larry) Cretul indicated, talks aren't over. Folks are continuing to run numbers this weekend and I anticipate that they'll continue talking on Monday.

"Right now all the discussions are at the presiding officer level, and I know they are both doing their best to come to a resolution."

From the indictment of Ray Sansom:

"Further, Your Grand Jurors find that the appropriation process that gives unbridled discretion to the President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Appropriation Chairman needs to be changed. This State should be guided in openness and transparency. The procedure currently in place requires that our elected Legislators vote on a final budget that they have no knowledge about because it is finalized in a meeting between only two legislators. This process allows taxpayers money to be budgeted for special purposes by those few legislators who happen to be in a position of power."

...

"Further, far too much power is given to The Legislative Leadership on these budget issues which led to this appropriation that was voted on basically hidden in a huge budget. Regular members has no idea that they voted to build an aircraft hanger for a college that owned no aircraft and funded a building on land that the State does not own. Your Grand Jurors recommend to The Legislature that it clean up this process and that the State of Florida become an example to the Nation as a State that works for the people and not the special interest of those who have money to influence The Legislature."

Good to see that Cannon, Cretul and Atwater have learned from the mistakes Sansom made.

(h/t FDP)

Republicans In Trouble

2009-04-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

The Miami Herald catches on to the fact that the Republicans in Tallahassee have no idea what they are doing and that it could hurt them electorally.

Republicans Crafted a A Bad Elections Bill That Would Stifle Voting

2009-04-24T13:57:00.000-07:00

From the House Dems:

Florida House Democrats say:

· The Legislature should make it easier for citizens to vote instead of stifling citizen activism and participation in elections.
· Shame on Republican legislators for trying to suppress the vote with a self-serving rewrite of elections law that failed to stand up under scrutiny!
· Embarrassed by the exposure of their self-serving power grab, Republicans now must accept a severe neutering of House Bill 7149 (formerly known as PCB EDCA 09-08).

Read what news organizations have written about the Republican voter-suppression legislation:

· Orlando Sentinel, April 23, 2009
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-editorial-voting-assault-042309,0,4626719.story
“The Republican majority has sucker-punched Floridians with a last-minute plan that would throw new obstacles in the path of citizens registering to vote, casting their ballots and amending the state constitution.”

· Ocala Star-Banner, April 22, 2009
http://www.ocala.com/article/20090422/OPINION/904221001/1008/OPINION?Title=-65279-65279-Embarrassed-on-elections-again
“The thinking behind this bill is inexplicable.”

· The New York Times, April 18, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/19/opinion/19sun2.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=elections,%20florida&st=Search
“Florida legislators should not need a court to tell them not to interfere with the right to vote.”

· St. Petersburg Times, April 19, 2009
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/article993149.ece
“Republican legislative leaders have lost all sense of shame with their 11th-hour bill to roll back voting rights in Florida.”

· The Miami Herald, April 21, 2009
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/1009469.html
“The sweeping rewrite of Florida's election laws by the Republican majority last week is a flagrant example of power politics at its worst. Here we have legislation authored in secrecy and haste, which has been bereft of meaningful public input or comment.”

· SUN Newspapers (Southwest Florida), April 24, 2009
http://www.sunnewspapers.net/articles/edStory.aspx?articleID=436162
“There is every reason to increase Florida’s efforts to extend the voting process and make it as accessible to as many people as possible.”

· The Gainesville Sun, April 23, 2009
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090423/OPINION01/904231015/1076/OPINION?Title=Editorial-A-bad-election-bill
“This legislation is shadowy and shameful.”

· Daytona Beach News-Journal, April 22, 2009
http://www.newsjournalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/Opinion/Editorials/opnOPN40042109.htm
“This legislation is especially puzzling because Florida, after a long history of troubled elections, had seemed to finally get it right. There were very few problems with the 2008 election -- and neither House nor Senate version of the legislation would solve 2008's biggest problem: Long lines at early-voting stations around the state, which forced many voters to wait for hours to cast their ballot.”

· (Sarasota) Herald Tribune, April 21, 2009
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090421/OPINION/904211031/2198/OPINION?Title=Why-rush-to-change-election-laws-Legislature-should-shelve-a-troubling-costly-bill
“Why? How did such relatively low-priority legislation manage to squeeze itself into a session that is already hard-pressed for time to grapple with such essential issues as tax reform and renewable energy policy? What is driving the ill-advised election measure?”

Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

2009-04-24T13:55:00.000-07:00

(Again several sources on this one, including Bill Nelson's office and the House Dems).

Map of oil platforms off the rest of the Gulf Coast and a preview of what would come to Florida if the drilling bill passed. The bill would allow drilling inside the green line.

Dan Gelber on the Legislative Session

2009-04-24T12:33:00.000-07:00

State Senator Dan Gelber says the 2009 legislative session is in absolute meltdown and it's unlikely that the Republicans in Tallahassee will be able to accomplish the only requirement of the annual session -- passing the budget.

After the downfall of corrupt Republican House leader Ray Sansom, Gelber said that the Republicans have no reliable leadership and that they don't really know what they are doing in terms of this year's session. At a time when Florida faces deep challenges, the majority party lacks the capacity to do much to meet those needs and it's likely the session will end next week with no budget deal in place.

Floridians are facing an economic crisis that is deeper than the national crisis -- and likely to last quite a bit longer -- and neither the Republicans in the legislature nor Governor Charlie Crist is providing us with the leadership we need to tackle the problems. Gelber said he remembers the big fight under Governor Jeb Bush was that Bush was too hands-on and it was difficult to keep him from doing damage. Under Crist, though, we have the opposite problem -- the governor doesn't want to come out and say what his plans are on any issue, leaving lawmakers without guidance as to how he'll react when legislation hits his desk. Gelber says Crist is like a movie critic -- he tells you how he feels about an issue without offering any solutions. The vacuum of leadership from the Republicans in Tallahassee means there is no good news from the session.

The primary purpose of the annual legislative session is to come up with the state's budget. Because of the national economic crisis and the more extreme state economic crisis, budget revenue has been in a freefall in recent months.

Gelber says that he's happy that the Senate budget plan has some significant increases in revenue. He's upset that the House isn't increasing revenue, but rather is relying on cuts that damage education, health care and other essential services. He hopes that the final budget deal doesn't strip out the revenue gains.

New revenue comes from several sources. The increase in the tobacco tax helps a lot, and is recurring, but diminishes over time. The stimulus money, while hugely important in the short term, only applies to a 25-month period and the revenue stream is gone. Without it, though, Gelber warns that the state could lose its bond rating and face even more serious cuts to basic services. In 2011, there will be a huge problem if more revenue isn't found, because the stimulus money will be gone. It could even lead to problems in 2010 if the economy doesn't rebound quick enough.

The real source for new revenue that should be pursued are the tax loopholes that have been widely discussed. Eliminating some of the more egregious loopholes could generate close to a billion in revenue each year.

Gelber had a lot to say about the importance of education and says that we need to be investing in the future, not cutting it. With the news yesterday that Jefferson County (immediately to the East of Tallahassee) has no money left in its education budget and will be taken over by the state, the issue is even more visible. The same crisis was almost faced by Dade schools. Dade avoided going under by cutting important programs and firing popular teachers in "nonessential" areas such as drama. Gelber stresses the importance of those other programs, saying they are essential to educating Florida's children. Florida is already a state that spends very little on education and in the last year or so, we've cut spending by about $500 per student. This is why the state is having trouble getting federal education stimulus funds and have had to ask for a waiver. Gelber thinks we'll get that waiver, though, which is good news since we're not sure what'll happen without it. He notes that, unlike himself, most of the legislature doesn't have children in public schools, so they don't see the direct effects their policies are having on our school system.

He also notes that while all of Florida's Republican representatives to Congress voted to reject stimulus funds, Republicans in the state legislature -- those who actually have to pass a budget and get things done -- are overwhelmingly for the stimulus plan and are asking for more. In Congress, he says, Republicans are a minority and have no responsibility and nothing to answer for. At the state level, they're actually in charge and have to show results, so they're doing the common sense thing and taking the money that Florida needs during this time of crisis.

Floridians can help spread the news on the budget cuts and other problems created by Republican policies by telling the personal stories of how government programs are affecting people's lives. Write letters to the editor, blog, tell your friends and neighbors how cuts hurt real people and maybe enough people will hear the story and can convince legislators to do the right thing.

Gelber condemned Dean Cannon's push for oil drilling and dismissed the recent talk of combining the drilling proposal with the "clean energy" bill being pushed for by Senator Jim King. Gelber doesn't think that compromise will go forward, although Gelber warns that every time he thinks something is too crazy for the Republicans to pursue, they do it anyway.

Luckily for Floridians, Gelber said he thinks the most extreme things floating around the legislature this year will die because of the dysfunction of the Republican leaders. It's unlikely that the elections bill, CSX bill, and offshore drilling proposals will make it to the governor's desk.

(Gelber recently reached out to bloggers by offering to do a series of conference calls with them to discuss the legislative session and provide us with the latest information on what's happening at the capitol. I, and several other bloggers, jumped at the opportunity. Our first conference call was last night.)

Pushback on Senator Wise's Efforts to Circumvent Florida's Legal Obligations

2009-04-22T07:38:00.001-07:00

From the Florida Sunshine State TESOL Advocacy E-Group:

Senator Wise has introduced CS/SB1680 to legislate an ambitious pilot program for reading teachers who serve ESOL students. The proposal reflects a concrete action plan and seems to reflect an understanding that data should be gathered upon which to base decisions. However, this hastily crafted bill falls far short of what is needed and asks for what is currently impossible.

1) According the staff analysis, the DOE would have to find resources within its budget to meet the legislative requirements. In other words, it is an unfunded mandate. The implementation requires data and documentation efforts from participating school districts that would also be unfunded. The analysis states that these should not result in "very much" fiscal impact.

In a time of extraordinary budgetary squeeze, the proposal is amazing. It supposes the DOE has funding and resources available to complete the requirements and cannot even estimate what the costs would be. The school districts all across the state are scrambling to operate with less and less. To ask them to divert a single penny and add even a single burden to already extended resources reflect a disconnect with the current state of affairs.

2) As the bill reads, a rapid timeline applies. Beginning 2009, the DOE would have to identify, find funds for, and convene a team of experts, complete a review of existing professional development standards, design courses, produce training materials, train trainers, incorporate input from the field, identify participating districts, flag students, train teachers, and begin implementation in the 2009-2010 school year. That means training begins in August 2009. How will a quality program be the outcome with such an unfunded supersonic timeline? This plan, as written, establishes a recipe for failure.

3) The proposed pilot is incomplete as it fails to evaluate all paths leading to authorization for assignments in reading and ESOL. Its narrow focus leaves much important work undone. The level of complexity is not fully addressed for the benefit of teachers and students. Let us get it done right the first time. We seem to have a lot of time to do things incorrectly, and no time to get it right.

4) The proposed pilot includes an important evaluation component. That's a good thing. However, the proposed evaluation plan is incomplete and far too narrow to provide meaningful quantitative and qualitative data to make meaningful recommendations. This plan does not meet the basic standards for professional development evaluation making it a waste of time and a waste of scarce education funds.

The bill requires that the DOE analyze the data and then make a recommendation. To ensure impartiality and objectivity, no state agency should be in charge of evaluating this program. The evaluation of data should be conducted by a non-governmental, independent and professionally recognized evaluator. In light of the controversy that has swirled over the issue for the last three years, an independent evaluator is needed to achieve a sense of fair accountability.

4) And finally, this is the third bill Senator Wise has sponsored on this issue. The first was vetoed and the second died. This bill represents a view that does not match Florida's legal obligations and according to the Staff Analysis, is not consistent with the Department of Education interpretation of the same.

I will join efforts to oppose yet another ill-conceived plan that brings Florida's ELLs no closer to highly qualified reading teachers. I am confident our state leaders will take these views into consideration and make short shrift of this third and equally misguided effort. The majority of our legislators, like Florida's voters, want all our children to learn to read in English and teachers prepared to teach all our students to read in English. To date, two county commissions and several municipalities have passed ESOL resolutions regarding professional development representing some four million constituents reflecting this same expectation.

What's Going On: Legislative Round-up

2009-04-20T17:59:00.001-07:00

Florida Netroots: Florida Budget Process a Petrie Dish for Corruption

Progress Florida (Doug Matthews): Florida Forever, Everglades Restoration Benefit from Closing Tax Loophole

Progress Florida (Ray Seaman): The People Be Damned: The Florida GOP Wants Their Majorities

Progressive Pensacola: Our Crazy Legislature, Week 7

Florida Netroots: Republicans: Changing the Voting Rules Again

Eye on Miami (Gimleteye): Miserable effort by Florida Republicans to wreck elections

What's Going On: Florida Republican Assault on Voters

2009-04-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

Avery Voice: MORE REPUBLICAN VOTING REGISTRATION SHENANIGANS

Why Now?: Fixing Florida’s Election Law

Eye on Miami (Gimleteye): Dismal Miami Herald coverage continues to lag on Florida Senate election rigging

Eye on Miami (Gimleteye): Florida Legislature: a 72 page bill that reads like a hit list on voters

Generation Miami (Alex Barreras): Who is afraid of Florida voters?

Eye on Miami (Gimleteye): Eyeonmiami scoops the Herald on voting rights disaster unfolding in Florida legislature

Eye on Miami (Gimleteye): How Florida Republicans plan to own Florida

Broward's Blog: Senate elections bill would shake up parties and 2010 races

What's Going On: Legislative Round-up

2009-04-19T09:16:00.001-07:00

madfloridian: Florida lawmakers will likely reject about $440 million in additional workers' compensation benefits

Re/Creating Tampa: More University Cuts in Florida

Dan Gelber: At least one bright spot

madfloridian: The CSX Sunrail deal still has the clause that would make Florida liable for CSX problems...

Eye on Miami (Genius of Despair): Rundown of Environmental Issues We Are Facing.

Florida Citizens for Science: Florida’s Greatest Menace VII: Causing the Nation to Fall!

2009-04-12T06:57:00.000-07:00

Based on analysis by Herald-Tribune writer Jeremy Wallace, here's what you've got, not including the unimportant details of what specific gambling would be allowed:

*Rep. Bill Galvano's plan would generate $100 million a year, keep the gambling age at 21, would allow unlimited random state inspections of the casinos and would allow people injured at the casinos to sue the tribe.

*Gov. Charlie Crist's plan would generate $150 million a year, keep the gambling age at 21, would limit state inspections to four per year and would allow lawsuits against the tribes only after "other remedies are exhausted."

*The Senate plan would generate $400 million a year, would change the gambling age to 18, would allow unlimited state inspections of the casinos and would allow lawsuits against the tribe.

Clearly, Crist's plan is the worst. Generates little money and explicitly attempts to avoid accountability. The Senate plan appears to be the best. It raises the most money for education -- something we sorely need right now -- and allows for accountability. It does lower the gambling age to 18, but that doesn't really mean much. Anyone that thinks 18-year-olds don't already gamble doesn't understand 18-year-olds. And if they are old enough to be sent overseas to die in pointless wars of aggression by an illegitimate president, then they should be old enough to gamble if they so choose.

What's Going On

2009-04-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

The latest news on Florida politics and politicians.

U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, D-New Smyrna Beach, vowed Friday that she would only submit earmark requests on behalf of "localities, non-profits, or government agencies."

Robert Wexler praises Crist on Chinese drywall issue

The space shuttle would continue flying until NASA builds its replacement vehicle or a U.S. company launches a private spacecraft capable of reaching the International Space Station, under a bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, R-Florida.

Legislation by Rep. Seth McKeel, R-Lakeland, requesting Congress withdraw a moratorium barring drilling for oil and gas in the eastern Gulf of Mexico is one step away from being voted on by the Florida House.

Sen. Charlie Dean says he should quit his post as Majority Whip if lawmakers move forward with a push to privatize a state-run mental hospital for the criminally insane in his district.

Miami Republican Rep. Juan Zapata just sent out an email to his colleagues all but daring House Speaker Larry Cretul to fire him as chair of the House Human Services Appropriations Committee.

The Florida House’s select tribal gaming committee advanced a no-frills Seminole compact Friday that would preclude the tribe from operating so-called banked table games at its seven casinos.

March 30-April 1 Mason Dixon poll for SayfieReview/PowerPlay (moe +/-4%) shows a dead heat between Bill McCollum and Alex Sink for governor: McCollum 36 percent, Sink 35 percent, undecided 29 percent.

Florida's heralded land-conservation program that has preserved millions of acres of green space during the past two decades is going away — at least for a year.

The SunRail commuter train proposed for Central Florida will not get any help from Sen. Gary Siplin, D- Orlando

U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, D-New Smyrna Beach, voted against a House budget bill today because the federal spending guidelines "does not give NASA the flexibility to fly the space shuttle past 2010."

In a letter to Gov. Charlie Crist, Mack says he will not run for Senate in 2010.

Senate Finance and Tax Committee Chairman Thad Altman said he thinks the temperature for a broad-based discussion of sales tax exemptions may not happen this session.

The Florida Senate voted Thursday to weaken the state's rigid growth laws that force developers to build roads around places where they choose to plant new shopping malls, factories or planned communities.

Florida senators signaled Wednesday that they want companies such as Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity to pay higher taxes.

One of the bill’s co-authors said the intention is to prevent a repeat of what happened at American International Group, where AIG executives initially received about $165 million in bonuses after getting more than $180 billion in bailout funds. “[The measure] is based on two simple concepts. One, no one has the right to get rich off taxpayer money. And two, no one should get rich off abject failure,” said U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, a freshman Democrat from Orlando.

U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Orlando, today urged President Obama to extend the space shuttle era, "preferably" until NASA is ready to fly a replacement vehicle that the agency hopes can one day return Americans to the moon.

Alcee Hastings commemorates legacy of AIDS activist Pedro Zamora

Sen. Don Gaetz has filled a bill with Sen. Mike Fasano that will stop public officials from collecting a paycheck and a pension, known as Double-dipping.

What's Going On: Legislative Roundup

2009-04-05T11:18:00.001-07:00

Progressive Homeschoolers of Florida: Parental Rights Amendment back as HJ Resolution 42

Sunshine Statements: How To Pay For Hiking Tuition In Florida?

Re/Creating Tampa: Corporate Welfare

Pushing Rope: Everglades Update

Progressive Pensacola: Cigarette tax hike clears Senate committee

ReidBlog: The GOP's April Fool's Day budget

Pushing Rope: Florida Cigarette Tax Update

Progress Florida (Ray Seaman): Why Are Republicans Standing In The Way of the Healthy Teens Act?

Pushing Rope: Shiny Happy Governor

Fried Gator: Ellyn Bogdanoff: Cigarette Tax Damages Slurpee Economy

From the Blogs

2009-03-29T18:57:00.000-07:00

The latest stories from the Florida blogs...

Fried Gator: Add another name to the list of corrupt Republicans in Tallahassee: Charlie Dean

madfloridian: As Florida economy crumbles the religious right files ultrasound bill again

madfloridian: Florida Republicans might reject stimulus cash for jobless

Call on Committee Chairs to Agenda the Prevention First Act in Florida!

2009-03-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

On March 18th, the House Health Regulation Committee heard HB 983, the mandatory ultrasound bill by Rep. Flores (R-114) and Rep. Burgin (R-56). HB 983 passed out of the Committee by a 5-2 vote. Representative Jimmy Patronis (R-6), chair of the Health Care Regulation Policy Committee, gave a hearing to HB 983, yet has not given a hearing to the Prevention First Act (HB 129)!

The Prevention First Act increases access to birth control and helps to reduce unintended pregnancies by guaranteeing access to emergency contraception for rape survivors, protecting the right to birth control for all women, and protecting the right to have lawful and valid prescriptions filled at the pharmacy.

TAKE ACTION:

Contact Chair of the House Health Regulation Committee, Representative Jimmy Patronis (R-6) at (850) 488-9696.

Simply say:

• I am disappointed that Rep. Patronis voted for HB 983, a bill that ties the hands of doctors and interferes with the doctor-patient relationship.
• I urge Rep. Patronis to support commonsense policies that will prevent unintended pregnancy and reduce the need for abortion and agenda HB 129 the Prevention First Act as soon as possible.
• During this economic crisis, the Florida legislature should be spending it’s time on the budget, not on divisive abortion bills.

Then, Call or email Chair Don Gaetz (R-4) at (850) 487-5009

When Calling Chair Gaetz, simply say: Please put prevention first and give SB 310, the Prevention First Act, a fair hearing.

Additional comments to include when calling Senator Gaetz:

• The Prevention First Act is a commonsense measure which reduces unintended pregnancy by increasing access to birth control.
• Expanding access to birth control is the best way to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and the need for abortion.
• Preventing unintended pregnancy and reducing the need for abortion is something we can all agree on.

Please contact us at info@floridachoice.org to tell us the results of your call. Thank you.

Storms Is A Liar

2009-03-13T07:01:00.000-07:00

There are widespread reports of the big blowout in the Senate yesterday, featuring the freakishly evil Ronda Storms and newcomer Chris Smith.

Smith, a Democrat, at one point went off on Storms, saying "don't piss on me and tell me it's raining." He was rebuked for the language by committee chair Mike Fasano and he apologized for the choice of words. Who cares? Why did Fasano even make an issue of it? Does anyone actually believe that legislators don't cuss or use colorful metaphors all the time? Does anyone actually think that such language could actually cause anyone any harm? Does anyone think that the problems Florida faces are so minor that we should be worrying about things so ridiculous? Anyone not see the hypocrisy on Fasano's part? What with the content of his brother Tim's blog?

The real problems in this meeting came from Storms. She made a sarcastic remark about President Barack Obama, referring to him as "the messiah," and whining that Obama supporters can't stand to see him questioned. Fasano reprimanded her for the remark, saying that the president should be respected, regardless of who is in the office. She failed to apologize. No surprise there, she's batshit crazy. And remarks like that are to be expected from her. That remark wasn't the problem and, again, we have bigger things to worry about.

But she also repeatedly lied before the committee. And that's a significant problem. Most media reports gloss over the rest of her remarks focusing on the dueling inappropriate comments. The problem is that while those are sexy, headline-grabbing remarks, the fact that Storms repeatedly referred to discredited smears of the president and used ridiculous logic while discussing actual public policies is the real story here and few (outside of NPR) are letting the public know about it.

Storms repeatedly made reference to the "fact" that Obama "promised" to take part in the public finance system for the general election last year, then "flip-flopped" and/or "lied" and opted out of the system. This argument has been widely rejected as not even remotely true, but you couldn't blame an average citizen for believing it, since the media repeats it. Storms, though, is held to a higher standard since she is an elected representative of the people. She is supposed to know better and is supposed to do her homework on behalf of her constituents, not just repeat Fox News talking points.

As anyone who has been paying attention knows, Obama said, quite clearly and repeatedly, that he would opt in to the public finance system if, and only if, John McCain would agree to stringent rules that would limit not only what the campaigns did, but 527s, political parties and other groups as well. Obama knew, based on Republican history, that the candidate would abide by any agreement, but would then outsource the dirty tricks to these other groups. Obama acted on that knowledge and said that things had to be done fair and honest or that he wouldn't handcuff himself and give McCain an unfair advantage. McCain and his people rejected these conditions, so Obama stayed out of the public finance system. Very straightforward concept. If...then. No if, no then.

If Storms didn't know this, she should've. It's really easy to find stuff like this out. Even worse, though, was the fact that she then twisted the results of the election to support her ridiculous position on publicly-financed elections. Her claim, and I'm not making this up, was that since Obama "lied" about public financing and he won the election, then the people don't support public financing. This is utterly ridiculous. Nobody, not one single voter, anywhere, ever, has voted for or against a candidate solely because of their stance on publicly-financed elections. People vote on other things for other reasons (rightfully so) and Storms is, in addition to her directly lying, being intellectually dishonest with this stupid, stupid claim. Shame on her, but this is business as usual for her and is a clear indictment of the voters of her district who supported her. She isn't qualified to be a dogcatcher, much less one of the people making decisions on our behalf.

Legislative Round-up

2009-03-11T07:57:00.000-07:00

Pushing Rope: Compassionate Conservatism: Making the Unemployed Pay to Be Drug Tested

Pushing Rope: The Impact Fees Tax Shift

Blast Off!: The obligatory blog post about bestiality

Blast Off!: Haridopolos panders again

Florida Citizens for Science: Letter in the Ledger

Progress Florida (Ray Seaman): Stop Trying To Undermine The People's Government

Lawson Calls Crist to Task on Stimulus

2009-03-10T11:06:00.000-07:00

Senate Democratic Leader Al Lawson (D-Tallahassee) on Tuesday called on the Chairman of the powerful Senate Policy and Steering Committee on Ways and Means to bypass a lengthy appropriations process and move instead to authorize immediate approval of stimulus funds for shovel ready transportation projects.

He also sharply criticized the apparent paralysis of the governor to create a federally-mandated website outlining the projects for both job seekers and job bidders, and the inability of the state transportation agency to move the proposed road projects from the draft stage to a final product.

“It has come to my attention that the federal stimulus money may be in jeopardy of speedily reaching those Floridians desperately in need of an economic life raft,” wrote Lawson in a letter to Chairman J. D. Alexander. “There appear to be three impediments to jumpstarting our economy via the stimulus package.”

According to Lawson, the first obstacle is the governor’s office, which has not followed the lead of Georgia or Alabama or any of the 26 states which have their websites up and running. “How are potential job seekers or potential job bidders supposed to know what’s available without the transparency the governor once promised? His office’s assertion that the website “is coming soon” is little consolation to those floundering in cyber silence,” Lawson noted.

The second is the perceived foot-dragging by the Florida Department of Transportation which, according to its own website, has not moved any of the proposed projects from the draft stage first outlined in early December. “Has nothing changed since then?” Lawson asked. “Is the agency prepared to explain why nothing more concrete has emerged to put tens of thousands of unemployed Floridians back to work?”

Lawson noted that while the Legislature may be unable to control the speed with which the governor and his agency move the stimulus plans forward, it does have the power to expedite approval of the road projects. It also has the power to remove potential political pitfalls.

“I don’t believe it is necessary to detail for you the concerns I have about legislative meddling in something so crucial to Florida’s recovery and her families’ survival. You and I are far too familiar with the political posturing and machinations that can occur when billions of dollars are at stake and individual lawmakers are deciding where that money is to go. Manipulation of those funds for political purposes is much too tempting, and I fear for the little guy when the big guys are calling the shots,” Lawson wrote.

“I respectfully request that rather than through a special spending bill, we authorize the Legislative Budget Commission, once the DOT submits a project request, to immediately release the necessary funds in order to get them moving.

“I think you will agree that with unemployment close to 9 percent, the last thing our job seekers want to hear is government bureaucracy impeding their ability to earn a living. AWI’s assertion that they’re ‘hoping it will be this year’ just doesn’t cut it.

“Floridians lining up for jobs are more than ready to don the shovels and get back to work. The power is in our hands to help them get there more quickly.”

FL-Sen: Dan Gelber is the Man

2009-03-02T10:28:00.000-08:00

The following post reflects the opinions of Kenneth Quinnell solely, and is not necessarily endorsed by other members of the Florida Progressive Coalition.

Florida currently is in the early stages of a U.S. Senate race to replace congressional waste of space Mel Martinez. Provided that Governor Charlie Crist doesn't jump in the race, the seat should be a solid pick-up opportunity for the Democrats. But we certainly don't want just any Democrat replacing Martinez, we want a progressive Democrat who will fight for our values and will work his or her ass off to make America a better place. That's why I'm personally endorsing Dan Gelber and will do what I can to help him win the primary.

Why Gelber? The reasons are many, but let's start with a big first one -- he's as progressive as legislators come. Dan is a thoughtful man who actually takes the time to understand the issues and how government actions affect people in the real world. And he's a big fan of things like logic, reason and evidence. Combining these things, he comes down on the right side of the issues about as often as anyone I can think of, particularly in the Florida legislature. Take a look at his voting record and you'll be pleased to see such a principled, liberal record from a member of the Florida legislature. And when people hit him with the same old, tired conservative Rush Limbaugh-style attacking points, he's prepared for them and can counter them as good, if not better, than the best pundits and bloggers out there.

We know how Dan thinks and feels on the issues because he doesn't shy away from taking a stand and he comes right to the people and tells us what he's doing and why. A simple look at his blog (http://www.dangelber.com/blog/blog_archive.php) will show you that he's not afraid to take his case to the people. And that use of the blog is another big reason why I support Gelber -- he's on the cutting edge of online technology. As I mentioned, he's a blogger, but he's not just any blogger. Take a look at the average blog from a politician and you'll quickly be asleep. Most of them tend to be boring -- lacking in any passion or anything that might give us some insight into what the politician is thinking or feeling. There isn't anything dangerous on the average politician's blog -- nothing that could get them in trouble. Gelber, on the other hand, is a real blogger. He writes like a blogger who happens to be a politician, not the other way around. We know what he thinks and he doesn't hold back when he goes after the other side. And he does it with a personal touch -- we actually get to know Dan. The Netroots activists of Florida recognized the quality of his blog last year at our statewide awards ceremony by voting him the winner in four categories in our Annual Netroots Awards. That made him the top winner. Bloggers and online activists recognized him as one of us.

With the legislative session that starts today, Gelber is going even further with the use of new media, by livetweeting the Florida legislative session that will meet over the next 60 days. This isn't unprecedented at the national level and I some legislators in other states have done similar things, but Dan is breaking new ground here in Florida. And with the decline of our state and local media, we'll actually know more about what's going on in the capitol by reading Gelber's tweets than we will from reading our newspapers or watching the local news. Gelber has also been a repeat guest on our Florida Progressive Radio show on BlogTalkRadio and has made public appearances at our Netroots events. The point is he's a big supporter of the Netroots and shows that by participating in the things we do even more than many of our bloggers.

Maybe the biggest reason I want Dan Gelber representing me in Washington, though, is that he is a fighter. I've alluded to this a couple of times in terms of his blogging and things like that, but he doesn't just sit behind a computer and throw darts at the opposition, he gets out in the real world and mixes it up with Republicans as often as he can. He knows the legislative rules better than they do and despite being in a steep minority in the House, he was able to slow down Republican activity with procedural moves when they decided to ignore even basic rules of decorum and professionalism and prevent Democrats from even exercising their rights to free speech on the legislative floor. Gelber outmaneuvered Republican "star" Marco Rubio and forced the Republicans to back down and do the right thing. And he has a long track record of fighting the excesses of Florida Republicans, something that will serve him well when fighting Washington Republicans, who are mild compared to the subspecies we face here in Tallahassee. And it isn't just on the floor of the legislature, either, when election time comes around, we know which side Gelber is on and we don't have to worry about him using his position to help Republicans get elected.

None of this is to say that I would have any problem working to make sure that Kendrick Meek or Kevin Burns (or a number of other Democrats if they jumped into the race) won in the general election. Meek has a great voting record and it would be great to have more African-Americans in the Senate. Similarly, Burns would be the first openly-gay member of the Senate and that would be a significant step forward for America. I do question Meek's priorities, though, and I'm unconvinced that Burns could win the general election at this point. I want a proven fighter representing me. I want someone who is on the right side of the issues, knows how the system works and who believes in expanding the tools we use to change our country. I think that candidate is Dan Gelber.

It's Official, the Special Session Budget Is A Failure for Florida

2009-01-11T15:19:00.000-08:00

The budget proposed by legislative Republicans is short-sighted, economically naive, immoral and the exact type of thinking that got us in the budget mess we are in now. Instead of doing the right thing and closing tax loopholes for the wealthy, Republicans are cutting essential services, mortgaging our future and raising fees (a.k.a. "taxes") on those less able to pay. They should be ashamed of themselves.

Overall, the "savings" in the new budget is $2.8 billion. The budget will be voted on Wednesday.

Among the key things on the chopping block:

$20 million from the Florida Forever program that buys up land for conservation purposes. This effectively shuts down the program for the year. I wonder how much of Florida's beauty will be destroyed in that year.

$480 million in education funding. This is shameful. We already have the lowest spending in the country on education and this will make it worse at a time when we also have the lowest graduation rate in the country. Like I said, mortgaging our future.

$321 million in construction projects, which could be good or bad, depending on what the projects are.

$437 million in other cuts. I'd like to see more details on these, although I have a feeling we aren't talking about good cuts here.

$1.5 million cut from the governor's office. Not a lot of money is saved here, but it's at least a good sign that the governor is going to face some of the same kinds of cuts everyone else is.

$100,000 by getting rid of a state aircraft. Okay, this one is definitely a good idea, too. It saves little money, but it is a good symbolic gesture.

One bright spot is nursing homes, which through a bit of budget creativity (why couldn't they have done this elsewhere?), will gain funding through cuts because they'll be able to qualify for more federal grants. I wonder how many other federal grants we didn't get because nobody tried to get them.

The other aspect of the "compromise" budget wherein there were really few compromises and few changes apart from what Republicans came to Tallahassee with is raids of various trust funds, some of which are permanent. Here's what they are taking:

$700 million from the Chiles fund, designed to pay for child welfare, child and elderly health care programs and anti-smoking efforts. The money is supposedly going to be paid back, unless there is an emergency. Who wants to bet that "emergency" has already been designated and this money won't be paid back? And since this fund pays for these programs based solely on the interest, this is a huge cut, taking out more than half the assets in the fund, meaning little is left to pay for these vital programs.

$190 million from a trust fund designed to provide low-income housing. I can't imagine that we'll have any need for low-income housing during a depression. At least we'll have good roads to drive on, thanks to Mike Fasano, who saved money for them (but not for any people, apparently).

$400 million from the Budget Stabilization Fund. This is a terrible idea considering the state of the economy and the almost universal projections of further economic decline. As Alex Sink said, this could leave us unable to meet our obligations down the road if things keep getting worse.

$381 million from other trust funds. Obviously, I'd have to know more about which trust funds to know if this is a good idea. Based on the rest of this crappy budget, I'm guessing these are bad things to be stealing money from.

And they propose increasing traffic fines, dropping the ability to get discounted fines for going to traffic school and taking away the power of judges to waive fines. Seems pretty clear that these increased taxes will disproportionately affect people at the bottom end of the economic spectrum -- increasing taxes on the poor.

Senate Democrats all voted against this proposed budget, except for waste of space Gary Siplin.

The problem looks to get worse, too, as the deficit for next year is projected to be over $4 billion. I can't imagine what they'll cut next time.

William March had this to add:

The legislation implementing the cuts is almost too difficult for a laymen, including reporters, to follow unaided.

Weren't Crist and the Republicans supposed to bringing "plain language" to the government? Another broken promise. Add it to the lists of promises our Republican leaders have broken to the Florida public since they came to office. There are so many of them, no one will even notice this new one.

From the Blogs

2009-01-11T13:23:00.000-08:00

Progress Florida (Ray Seaman): Haridopolos: Statewide Candidates Should Be Bought Off Like Everyone Else

Senate Democrats Attempts to Help Floridians Rejected by Republicans

2009-01-09T17:08:00.001-08:00

TALLAHASSEE – With hundreds of university professors, thousands of catastrophically ill Floridians, and scores of children’s programs on the line, Senate Democrats on Friday offered the Legislature for the second time in less than a year a billion dollar financial lifeline.

Senate Republicans threw it back - again.

“The money we found didn’t involve raising taxes a single penny,” said Senate Democratic Leader Al Lawson (D-Tallahassee). “It didn’t burden Floridians struggling to hold on to their jobs and their homes. And it didn’t attempt to raid teachers’ pay checks or toe the line of financial extortion on traffic tickets and court costs. All it did was wean some very wealthy special interests from the corporate welfare they’ve enjoyed for years. It’s time they joined the rest of us and paid their fair share.”

The money lifeline offered by Democrats came in the form of amendments sponsored by Senators Lawson and Dan Gelber (D-Miami) closing several tax loopholes tailored exclusively for high-end developers and non-Florida based corporations, and a review of certain exemptions. They were:

The real estate transfer tax loophole: Doc stamps most of us pay when property is sold are evaded by placing real estate into a trust, as one method, transferring the trust into a corporation, and then selling the stock in the corporation. For example, one company’s reported 2005 sale of six apartment complexes recorded the $300 million deal at only $60, and so avoided a $2.1 million tax bill. Estimates vary, but closing this escape hatch could fetch up to $200 million annually.

Combined Reporting: Closing this loophole could generate up to $400 million annually. Already eliminated by a growing number of states including New York and Texas, multi-state corporations such as some fast-food and toy store giants tap this loophole by setting up real estate rents or trademark fees through chains located in no-tax or very low-tax states, and so avoiding the tax due in Florida. This maneuver leaves those Florida-based and operating companies at a great financial disadvantage.

The third amendment involved sales tax exemptions – currently running in excess of $23 billion annually. The measure would have given the Legislature a process for review of all sales tax exemptions other than those for food, prescription drugs, health services, charitable and religious institutions, and certain others. The revenue generated from those exemptions eliminated would have been dedicated to education and the reduction of that portion of the property tax paying for local education budgets.

“We need to reexamine our priorities, especially when we face the severe damage we are levying on our social services programs and our kids’ education,” said Gelber. “It’s hard to justify a company using its toy logo to dodge Florida taxes when the very kids they’re selling to are about to lose their teachers.”

Friday’s efforts were not the first time Senate Democrats had attempted to stem the severity of the cuts to state services necessitated by the economic downturn. Similar efforts during the 2008 Legislative Session were also rebuffed by the Republican leadership.

“They can’t say they didn’t see this coming, and they can’t say they need more time to study these solutions,” said Lawson. “The longer the state waits for tax fairness, the faster the slide off the edge of the cliff.”

Senate Bill Update

2009-01-09T17:07:00.001-08:00

The following are the bills introduced and still active in the Senate during the current special session.

SB 6A, 8A, 10A, 12A, 14A, 16A, 18A, 20A, 22A, 24A, 26A, 28A, 30A, 32A, 34A, 36A, 38A, 40A, 42A, 44A, 46A, 48A, 50A, 52A: I don't get the intent of these bills, which do nothing more than state the intent of the Senate to do something else. Any legislative experts have an explanation?

SPB 800A, 8002A, 8004A, 8006A, 8008A, 8010A: This is a series of bills that appear to be designed to cut appropriations for various departments. The online version of each bill, however, is blank after the title. Not sure if that is an online hiccup or if these bills are something else? Again, do we have any legislative experts who can give us more info?

From the Blogs

2009-01-03T20:14:00.000-08:00

FLA Politics (mentelibre): Thank you Senator Alex Villalobos

From the Blogs

2009-01-02T13:21:00.000-08:00

Progress Florida (Ray Seaman) - An Irresponsible Budget

Florida Citizens for Science: The new legislative session

Progress Florida (Ray Seaman): The First of Many Bad Ideas from "Crisatsom"

ricksblog: Sansom not only lawmaker on the take

Our Top Priority Now

2008-11-05T21:01:00.000-08:00

Fair Districts Florida. Seriously.

Post-Election Message From State Sen. Al Lawson

2008-11-05T20:14:00.000-08:00

“I wish to extend my congratulations to my Republican colleague and our incoming Senate President, Jeff Atwater, on his re-election.

“These are historic times. By an overwhelming majority, the people of Florida played a pivotal role in delivering this state – for the first time in four presidential elections – to a candidate who not only broke the conventional stereotypes in every sense, but offered the first tangible ray of hope to so many of our citizens desperate for opportunities so elusive and so hard to come by.

“Last night, Floridians joined their countrymen in declaring that the old way of doing things has not worked. Their votes underscored the critical need for unity to solve the many problems we face as a nation and as a state and the people’s hunger for leadership dedicated to solutions rather than partisan scorecards.

“As we take the helm of our respective leadership positions here in the Florida Senate, I wish you and all of my colleagues God’s blessings and inspiration. It is our turn to continue the Senate’s legacy of rejecting divisiveness, and dedication to our constitutional mission to “perfect our government” in order to preserve our liberty and its benefits. I pledge my support and the support of our Democratic Caucus to that mission.

“In this new day, this new beginning, let us always remember that whatever our differences, we are all Floridians, all members of the Florida Senate, and all hopeful that your presidency mirrors the reflection of a state ready for change.”

HisNoseGrows.Com Launched Responding To Atwater's False Claims

2008-10-15T11:58:00.000-07:00

NEWS FROM THE FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC PARTY

The Florida Democratic Party has launched www.HisNoseGrows.com today, which highlights Jeff Atwater's attempts to run away from the truth as he tries to hide from his record of being puppet of the big insurance companies.

"Floridians are wondering why Jeff Atwater's nose keeps growing ever time his mouth is moving. In the Senate, Atwater has been a puppet for Big Insurance. He fought to make it easier for insurance companies to deny claims and then he allowed the same insurance companies to raise rates by 71.5%. Now Atwater's special interest friends are bankrolling his campaign to help him hide from his failed record. While Atwater tries to run from his party, and his record, we'll make certain voters know he can't run away from the truth," said Florida Democratic Party spokesman Eric Jotkoff.

The new website www.hisnosegrows.com, builds upon efforts to dispute the presumptive Senate President's false claims and expose his special interest ways. Earlier, the Florida Democratic Party launched Senatorjoke.com, awarding Atwater the "Best Insurance Hypocrite" award. Both website allows voters to click-through and find links to online records, news articles, and testimonials that will allow them to check the record for themselves.

Florida Gets a "D" on Choice Issues

2008-10-13T05:52:00.001-07:00

NARAL points out the following facts:

69 percent of Florida counties have no abortion provider.

Florida has unconstitutional and unenforceable criminal bans on abortion.
Details

Florida law subjects women seeking abortions to biased counseling requirements.
Details

Florida allows certain individuals or entities to refuse to provide women specific reproductive health services, information, or referrals.

Florida restricts low-income women's access to abortion.

Florida law restricts young women's access to abortion services by mandating parental notice.

Florida subjects abortion providers to burdensome restrictions not applied to other medical professionals.

Governor Charlie Crist (R) is anti-choice.

Lieutenant Governor Jeff Kottkamp (R) is anti-choice.

Attorney General Bill McCollum (R) is anti-choice.

The Florida House is anti-choice.

The Florida Senate is mixed-choice.

We can do better than this.

Atwater Hates the Truth, Loves Big Insurance

2008-09-25T17:42:00.000-07:00

NEWS FROM THE FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC PARTY

For Immediate Release: September 25, 2008
Contact: Eric Jotkoff, 850.222.3411

JEFF ATWATER LIES ABOUT INSURANCE TIES IN HIS NEW CAMPAIGN AD

Campaign Contributions Show He Hasn't Changed

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - In response to the website SenatorJoke.com which parodies his own campaign site, presumed incoming Senate President Jeff Atwater (R-North Palm Beach) has launched an advertisement where he apologizes for his past support of the big insurance industry's agenda, but claims that it was nothing more than a youthful indiscretion. Atwater claims that he's changed. Unfortunately, the facts don't support this claim. (See Atwater's ad at http://vimeo.com/1804802.)

Jeff Atwater does not dispute that he's accepted excessive amounts in campaign contributions from the insurance industry. In fact, the most recent reporting period which posted last Friday now puts Atwater's grand total of insurance money at $284,076. But Jeff Atwater implies that this money was for past campaigns. NOT TRUE.

A detailed review of Atwater's current contributions shows that he has accepted over $90,000 for his current campaign from insurance interests - $61,450 to his 2008 reelection account and $29,381 to his PAC, Preserve the American Dream.

"It's a lie, and he's a liar," said Linda Bird, reacting to Atwater's latest campaign commercial. "This is the kind of political doubletalk that prompted me to run for the Florida Senate. While Jeff Atwater has been taking thousands of dollars in contributions from insurance companies, Florida's homeowners are stuck in a financial crunch from higher insurance rates and higher property taxes. When I'm elected to the Florida Senate, I will succeed where Jeff Atwater has failed."

This past year, Jeff Atwater engaged in harsh rhetoric against the insurance industry, but his demagoguery can't hide his long record of supporting those same big insurance companies. In 2005, Atwater voted to make it easier for insurance companies to deny claims to homeowners. (SB 1486, 2005) But the most infamous example of towing the insurance line was Atwater's vote in 2006 to raise homeowner's insurance rates by 71.5%. (SB 1980, 2006)

"Jeff Atwater claims to have had an insurance epiphany and has renounced his sins, but voters aren't buying this mea culpa," said Linda Bird. "Families are paying two or three times what they paid a few years ago, while the insurance companies that are slipping thousands in Atwater's pockets are making huge profits. I will take on the big insurance companies, and not just in election years. We can, and we must, make a change for Florida's future."

"Florida deserves better than this," said Eric Jotkoff, Florida Democratic Party Communications Director. "Now that he is lying about his support from big insurance, Atwater is proving once again that he is the Best Insurance Hypocrite. The only place where Jeff Atwater deserves to be senate president is in the State of Denial."

New Site Tracking Atwater

2008-09-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

Senator Joke has a particular focus on incoming Senate President Jeff Atwater and his ties to the insurance industry.

Gaetz Hates History, Facts

2008-06-28T12:16:00.000-07:00

Kudos go to State Senator Don Gaetz for supporting the Equal Rights Amendment. Clearly it's the right thing to do. But in explaining his support for the Amendment, he ignores reality and history:

"I think it's historically inaccurate that liberals have tried to hijack equal rights. It's an improper characterization to label it a liberal issue."

This is complete nonsense and 100% historically wrong. It has always been liberals that support and fought for equal rights, in all definitions of that phrase. It is Gaetz that is trying to hijack the issue. It is true that we shouldn't have to label it as a liberal issue, but history and facts clearly say we do. Any look at the voting records of liberals and conservatives on equal rights issues clearly shows that, in general, liberals favor equal rights laws and conservatives oppose it. Even on this issue, if you look at the states that haven't ratified the ERA, you'll find some of the most conservative states and legislatures in America.

Gaetz is misleading, but a little more honest, when he goes on:

"Equal rights, in general, and the Equal Rights Amendment, specifically, started as a Republican principle," said Gaetz.

This is technically true. But it happened when the Republican party was the liberal party. Since then, things have changed.

Florida Senate Republicans Hate Gay People, Unmarried People, Common Decency

2008-05-22T12:35:00.000-07:00

Specifically:

Carey Baker
Rhonda Storms
Dan Webster
Stephen Wise

So says their endorsement of the Hate Amendment.

Atwater Hates Ethics

2008-04-30T20:27:00.000-07:00

Republican Jeff Atwater is paying a man, Robert "Budd" Kneip, to aid in his transition to Senate president six months in advance of taking office and prior to his strongly challenged re-election campaign is over. Traditionally, people like this are hired after the election. And usually, they have some experience with this type of thing. Kneip has no such experiences. He's getting paid $7,000 a month and the taxpayers are paying for it. In this time of budget shortfalls and a bad economy, it's good to see that Republicans can still give out sweetheart deals to their friends and stick the rest of us with the bill.

Republicans Hate Floridians

2008-04-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

SB 2860, the supposed fix to our insurance problems, is a red herring. "To be candid, this bill was not designed to reduce premiums," said Rep. Don Brown. What else are they lying about?

Webster Hates the Middle and Lower Classes, Loves Tax Increases

2008-04-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

Naked Politics reports that Sen. Majority Leader Daniel Webster wants to raise the cost of tolls in Florida. To the rest of us, tolls are nothing more than a tax on people who use a road. So much for "no tax increases."

Crazy Jim Greer Quote of the Day

2008-03-27T19:12:00.001-07:00

Aren't we currently in a budget crisis? Greer doesn't seem to know about it:

"When it comes time to get out and speak around the state, it's important that we have the ability to travel there and that we accomplish as much as we can in any given day... You will see that the party is much more engaged in traveling the state..."

They've spent more than $1 million in private charter jet flights in the last year. Greer wants you to think that these expenses are necessary, but the Sarasota Herald Tribune found otherwise, discovering that they lodged "high-flying expenses from last year with tens of thousands of dollars in ritzy New York hotels, thousands of dollars in limousine services and thousands of dollars more in regular air service."

This is while they are seeking to cut healthcare for more than 40,000 low-income senior, disabled and seriously ill Floridians. And it flies in the face of the rhetoric the members of Greer's party regularly spout off...

Charlie Crist: "We're asking local governments to tighten their belts, too. We are tightening ours. We can do no less... I feel for our students and I feel for their families... They are paying higher insurance rates. They are paying higher property taxes. They are paying higher gas prices."

Durell Peaden on the healthcare cuts: "If we don't get to print money, we're going to have to do with what we've got."

Charlie Crist: "If a family with two young boys can tighten their belts to live within their means certainly our cities and counties can also."

Alan Hays: "We cannot ask our state and local governments to tighten their belts if we continue to support frivolous spending."

Mike Haridopolos: "Experience also proves that government in Florida does not have a revenue problem -- it has a spending problem."

Apparently, it's the Republicans who have a spending problem and have pretty serious problems with hypocrisy. I wonder if any of them will call in their votes to cut healthcare for poor people while riding in a limo or if Crist will sign the bill flying in his a chartered jet?

Legislative Watch -- S2400

2008-03-14T07:20:00.000-07:00

S2400: Would require that an ultrasound be performed on any woman obtaining an abortion (Webster): This is a thinly-veiled assault on a woman's right to choose. We talked about this bill on the radio show yesterday and it really does two things. First, it tells women that they aren't wise enough to understand the decision they are making and that if they only saw a picture of the fetus, they'd change their mind. Second, it adds an expensive add-on to the cost of an abortion, pricing poor women out of making this particular choice. These type of laws are never equal. No matter hwo many restrictions you put on abortion, rich women will still be able to get them, but laws like this simply make it harder for por women to exercise their constitutional rights.

Crazy Republican Quote of the Day

2008-03-07T05:22:00.001-08:00

"You can put that in your peace pipe and smoke it." - Senator Ronda Storms (R-Brandon), March 06, 2008, erratically explaining why she will vote against a tax cut which would add nearly $300 million to the state's education system.

I'm sure you don't actually know this Ronda, but in addition to being dismissive of the horrible state of our education system, comments like this are racist.

Haridopolos Hates Honesty, Ethics, UF, Students, Taxpayers

2008-02-28T19:26:00.000-08:00

Mike Haridopolos paints himself as a person who hates waste and fights wasteful government spending. He's a liar.

A few years back, Haridopolos somehow "earned" himself a full-time salary at Brevard Community College to write a book he doesn't appear to have actually written. Over four years, he amassed $160k in salary for apparently doing nothing. $40k a year is a moderate salary at a school like that -- moderate if you are actually doing the job. When you aren't doing the job, it's government-funded waste.

Now Haridopolos has "earned" himself a full-time "lecturer" gig at the University of Florida. One he isn't qualified for and one he won't really have to do -- during the Spring semester he won't have to teach because of the session. During Summer semester, he won't have to teach. So for one semester a year, he'll teach a few classes and do no research and he'll get paid nearly $30k more than the professors there who are actually doing the job and have the credentials.

Haridopolos claimed he was working on a PhD at the University of Arkansas -- a PhD is usually one of the basic requirements to get a job like this -- but apparently that was a lie, too, since he hasn't been enrolled there since 2000.

At a time when Florida's colleges and universities are in financial crises and many are turning away students, t his kind of wasteful political spending should not just be unethical, it should illegal.

I wonder if he'd gotten this latest deal if he wasn't in line to be Senate president? Using your political position to enhance your own personal wealth at the expense of the taxpayers, while offering nothing in return is the height of unethical behavior. Haridopolos seems to have mastered it.

Good Saunders

2008-02-26T10:16:00.000-08:00

Following in the steps of Nancy Argenziano, Sen. Burt Saunders is doing the right thing. Tallahassee Democrat:

Sen. Burt Saunders, chairman of the Senate Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee, says he expects to file a bill to establish a pilot program requiring springs protection zones where advanced wastewater treatment and improved septic tanks are required.

This is a good bill, even if it isn't strong enough. Not suprisingly, it was killed last year by developers and ag interests, and they want to do the same this time. Their argument is nonsensical:

Frank Matthews, a lobbyist representing the Association of Florida Community Developers, said the bill would add to the cost of housing at a time when the real-estate market is in a slump.

As always, these people only care about their own short-term financial interests, and everything else be damned. The long-term health of our environment is more important than a minor blip on the economic cycle. Their arguments get worse:

Matthews said Saunders' draft legislation would duplicate the state's current process of establishing pollution limits on waterways.

"We think it's premature," Matthews said. "There is a lot of overlay regulation that already exists or is in place that should satisfactorily address springs."

Obviously, this isn't true. Otherwise we wouldn't have the problem. And Saunders wouldn't be proposing this bill. Let's hope he sticks to it and fights to push this through.

Campbell Hates Taxes, Honesty...Republicans?

2008-02-22T11:15:00.001-08:00

House District 32 Special Election Candidate Sean Campbell has been going on and on about his "top priority" -- property taxes. And he warns that his opponent, Tony Sasso, will raise taxes if elected. This ignores, of course, the fact that Sasso actually voted repeatedly to cut taxes as Cocoa Beach City Commissioner. While Sasso did vote to increase tax revenue, what this really means is that he voted to support real estate improvements and new growth, things that generate additional tax revenue while maintaining or even cutting tax rates.

So, while Campbell is dishonest in going after Sasso, he is on target in attacking people who say they favor lower taxes but actually vote to increase taxes. It's good to see that he's takign on the Republicans in the legislature, who love to talk about cutting taxes, but actually have done quite a bit to increase them. Like last year when they required local governments to increase their share of education funding -- something they could only do by raising taxes.

But lets not just talk about this in generalities, lets get some numbers, using the Republican way of looking at this, tax "revenue" increases:
*Will Weatherford (R-Land O' Lakes) - Voted to increase property tax revenues more than $550 million
*Dean Cannon (R-Winter Park) - Voted to increase annual property tax revenues more than $1.5 billion, for a total of nearly $3 billion
*Ray Sansom (R-Gulf Breeze) - Voted to increase annual property tax revenues by $2.7 billion for a total of nearly $7 billion
*Marco Rubio (R-Miami) - Voted to increase annual property tax revenues by $3.8 billion for a total of more than $40 billion
*Bill Posey (R-Rockledge) - Voted to increase tax revenues so many times that its hard to keep track, but the total is certainly more than Rubio's

This is the problem with so much of the Republican rhetoric, they create dishonest standards by which to judge their opponents, and don't apply these same standards to themselves.

Gaetz Hates Kids, Knowledge, Education, Common Sense

2008-02-02T19:47:00.000-08:00

We have an early front-runner for stupidest political quote of the year, from Sen. Don Gaetz:

Insiders are not bad. They’re good, because it’s a complicated world, and you have to be able to navigate that world. But education is too important to be left to educators.

The fact that non-educators are so heavily involved with education in Florida is the primary reason that the whole thing is so messed up. Education should be left up to educators. Parents and students should have a role as well. Politicians and businessmen really shouldn't. The purpose of education isn't simply to create good little worker bees for corporations to exploit for profit, which is exactly how Gaetz sees our school system.

Atwater Hates the People, Campaign Finance

2008-01-12T19:36:00.000-08:00

Sen. Jeff Atwater doesn't care about the spirit behind campaign finance laws and tells the people that they don't matter, only money matters to him:

State Sen. Jeff Atwater can't accept a free cup of coffee when he meets with a lobbyist because of a gift ban intended to lessen the influence of special interests on Florida's Legislature. But the North Palm Beach Republican rakes in donations of up to $25,000 for a political committee under his control.

Roughly a year before he is expected to assume the Senate presidency, Atwater sits atop a $521,000 fund raised from a few dozen donors in the past 11 months. Among the $25,000 contributors were AutoNation, political action committees for car dealers and Realtors, and Hartman & Tyner, a gambling company. Atwater is one of more than two dozen lawmakers who together have amassed millions of dollars under a continuing anomaly in Florida' political fundraising laws.

Lynn Hates Common Sense, Loves Wasting Time

2008-01-12T19:17:00.000-08:00

Sen. Evelyn Lynn wants to ban salvia divinorum, a plant that is similar to pot, is legal in most of the world, is not the subject of any particular medical or law enforcement officials and, because of its appearance and smell, is almost impossible to detect. Yep, that's a good use of government time and law enforcement resources.

Good Constantine

2008-01-07T19:00:00.001-08:00

I don't agree with Sen. Lee Constantine often, but I agree with him on this one:

Automated external defibrillators, like the hundreds Walt Disney World has deployed throughout its Central Florida property, could become more commonplace in Florida under a change in state law proposed by state Sen. Lee Constantine, R-Altamonte Springs.

Constantine wants to alter the wording in Florida law so that anyone who can lay hands on a portable heart defibrillator in an emergency can use it to try saving someone's life without worrying about a lawsuit later.

His Senate Bill 564, advocated by the American Heart Association, is intended to sweep away liability risks so that schools, businesses and other institutions, small and large, might feel more comfortable about buying portable defibrillators and placing them in handy locations -- as fire extinguishers are now -- without worrying about someone getting sued.

This is a good idea that will help save lives. Good job, senator.

Republicans Hate Florida, Poor People, the Future

2007-12-30T21:01:00.000-08:00

Orlando Sentinel:

Indeed, during the past nine years, lawmakers haven't raised a single tax and have approved a cumulative total of $20 billion in tax cuts, mostly benefiting corporations and wealthy Floridians.

In the process, they've made Florida even more reliant on the sales tax. Collections now total almost $20 billion -- or 75 percent of the state's recurring annual revenue.

So tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, tax increases for poor people and horrible fiscal stewardship that sets up the state to either destroy education and other services in the future, that's Republican economics for you. Shifting taxes from the rich to the poor is not only un-American, it's bad policy. What happens when the economy stalls and the middle and lower classes can't afford to buy big-ticket items? Oh yeah, you lose billions in revenue and everything gets worse.

Florida State Senate Part 2: The Swing Districts

2007-12-30T09:07:00.000-08:00

This is Part 2 on a series focusing on the Florida State Senate and our efforts to take back the chamber. In Part 1 of the series, the current state of the Florida Senate was discussed, districts were put in categories based on Democratic strength, and our chances of picking up seats in those various categories was discussed.

Part 2 will focus on the “swing” or Category 4 districts for which elections will be held in 2008. These are districts where Gore took between 47-53% of the vote in 2000. There are four of these such districts that will have elections in 2008. They include the 7th, 11th, 13th, and 25th districts. At this time, it looks like Republican incumbents will be running for re-election in all of them, but this could change, particularly if Bill Young (US FL-10) were to retire from Congress. Two Republicans on this list could conceivably run for that seat.

State Senate Map Above

There are a couple things to keep in mind. It's not necessarily true that these will be our best pickup opportunities in 2008. There is at least one race that I know of in Category 5 that surely will be a prime target for Democrats in 2008, probably moreso than at least a couple of these. Category 5 races and other possibilities will be discussed in Part 3.

Also keep in mind the Democratic performance is based on Gore's results from 2000. The categories do not reflect on Nader's vote, which could possibly add to our total. In many districts, demographics or voter trends have changed since 2000. In some cases like the 25th district, as I discuss below, the area has trended more Democratic. In other districts, like the 11th, the area may be trending more Republican, based on other recent elections.

Finally, one thing that all these Republican incumbents have in common is that they were first elected in 2002, a year that favored Republicans in the state and nationally. This was the year Jeb Bush went on to beat Democrat Bill McBride 56 - 43% in the Governor's race. This likely gave lower-tier candidates a boost by several points. Unfortunately for us, many of these districts were open that year.

But now on to the future, which is looking very bright for Democrats. For a quick reminder, the Senate currently has 26 Republicans and 14 Democrats. We would need to pick up 6 seats for a tie and seven seats for a majority. We have until 2010 to take back the chamber before redistricting and many more seats will be open or contested in 2010, since senate elections are rotational, with half contested every two years.

25th district
Incumbent: Jeff Atwater

2000 Democratic Performance
Gore: 50%
Bush: 48%

Past State Senate Elections and Expenditures

2002 (Open)
Atwater (R): 55%, $748,000
Butterworth (D): 45%, $401,000

HD-25 Wiki

This is a district we can win and it has turned increasingly blue over the past few years. Al Gore actually won this district in the 2000 election and on top of that 2% went for Nader. It takes in the 22nd Congressional district, which was won by Democrat Ron Klein in 2006. In addition, the 22nd district actually went for Kerry stronger than it did for Gore, with both winning it. The district consists of eastern Palm Beach and Broward counties, including West Palm Beach, Boynton and Pompano Beaches, as well as the eastern stretches of Ft. Lauderdale and Oakland Park. Atwater won the seat in 2002 in an open seat election against the popular former Attorney General, Bob Butterworth. Atwater outspent Butterworth $748,000 to $400,000 in that election, a likely cause of our election loss, as well as the Republican-favored sentiment that year. If Atwater were to win re-election in 2008, he would likely become the Republican Majority Leader for the 2008-2010 session. In 2004, he faced no opponent in his second election to the Senate. Previously, he had won one term in the State House.

Robert Ostrov, an attorney, has already stepped up to challenge Atwater and former State Senator Skip Campbell and 2006 Democratic Attorney General nominee is considering a run. If Campbell were to run, he would offer a strong challenge with financial resources. In 2006, he actually won the district in his campaign for attorney general. He has also hinted that polls show that he could beat Atwater. Out of all the Category 4 seats, I would put this seat as our best pickup opportunity, especially if Campbell runs. Our major problem would be facing the Atwater fundraising machine. He’s already raised $564,000, of which $96,000 has been spent. Any Democratic candidate would need to be able to raise a good amount of money to compete. Campbell would likely be able to meet that challenge, so he definitely would be a good recruit. Our candidate would also likely have national Democratic sentiment and a strong candidate leading our ticket that would benefit them in this Democratic-leaning district in a year with no statewide races. I really think we can win this district and I would put it at “tossup” with a Campbell candidacy.

13th district
Incumbent: Dennis Jones

2000 Democratic Performance
Bush: 48%
Gore: 48%

Past State Senate Elections and Expenditures

2002 (Open)
Jones (R): 60%, $436,000
Kennedy (D): 40%, $53,000

HD-13 Wiki

The district consists completely of western Pinellas County and takes in parts of the 9th (Clearwater) and 10th (Seminole, Largo, and Dunedin) Congressional districts. Jones won the seat in 2002 in an open seat election and subsequently served as Majority Leader from 2002-2004. In his election win, he benefitted from the coattails of the state ticket and outspent the Democrat more than 8:1, so he has never been given a strong challenge for the seat. He has yet to face re-election in the Senate, though he won 11 terms in the State House. Jones has reported raising $153,000, of which $17,000 has been spent.

As of yet, no Democrat has entered the race. Jones has a long history in the district, so from that perspective challenging him could be difficult. However, there are many unknowns in this district. Despite being heavily outspent in 2002, Kennedy was still able to pull in 40%, so I would put that as our cellar support. If we financed a challenge against Jones, we could do much better than that and maybe even pull out a surprise, as Jones hasn’t faced an election since 2002 and doesn’t have the biggest fundraising numbers right now. It has also been widely rumored that Bill Young in the 10th district may retire and DCCC is poised to field a strong challenge to Gus Bilirakis in the 9th district. Democratic runs in those Congressional seats and national Democratic sentiment in 2008 could help a challenge in the state senate seat. This is a race we might want to start looking at.

7th district
Incumbent: Evelyn Lynn

2000 Democratic Performance
Bush: 51%
Gore: 47%

Past State Senate Elections and Expenditures

2002 (Open)
Lynn (R): 57%, $274,000
Ward (D): 43%, $226,000

HD-07 Wiki

The district consists of parts of Clay, Marion, Putnam, and Volusia Counties. It takes in pieces of the 3rd, 6th, 7th, and 24th Congressional districts. Lynn won the seat in 2002 in an open seat election battle in a year that favored Republicans, statewide and nationally. She had also served in the State House for four previous terms before running for the Senate. In the 2002 election, both parties spent about the same amount of money, but it's likely Lynn received a boost of a few points for statewide Republican sentiment. So far she’s amassed nearly $195,000 in fundraising this time, $13,000 of which has been spent. She raised around $136,000 of that money in the third quarter this year.

At the moment, there is no challenger in the district. The seat leans Republican for 2008, assuming Lynn runs. However, given the nature of the district, if a strong Democrat were to step up that could raise a large amount of money, then we could make this race competitive, especially since the presidential ticket will likely favor a Democrat, which could boost us up a couple points over that 2002 result. Some other factors that could favor us are a strong challenge to Feeney in the 24th district (New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater) by Suzanne Kosmas and strong spending and a big grassroots presence by Democrat Corrine Brown in the 3rd congressional district, which encompasses most of the state senate district. This is definitely somewhere where we should be able to compete and since Lynn hasn’t faced a challenge since 2002 this is a district we might want to challenge in 2008, when national sentiment should favor us.

11th district
Incumbent: Mike Fasano

2000 Democratic Performance
Bush: 49%
Gore: 49%

Past State Senate Elections and Expenditures

2002 (Open)
Fasano (R): 63%, $422,000
Cannon (D): 37%, $104,000

2004 (I)
Fasano (R): 65%, $272,000
Mattingly (D): 36%, $4, 600

HD-11 Wiki

The bulk of the population resides in western Pasco and northern Pinellas counties, with some population in western Hernando and Citrus counties. The district is within the 5th, 9th, and 10th Congressional districts. Bush did win those districts by greater margins in 2004 than 2000, so it’s possible the area may be trending more for the Republicans. Fasano first won the seat in 2002 in an open seat election in a year that favored Republicans, statewide and nationally. In that election, Fasano outspent the Democratic candidate 4:1 and basically in 2004 the Democrat spent nothing. Fasano gained 2% on his performance in 2004, in another year that favored Republicans statewide and nationally. Before entering the Senate, he won four terms in the State House.

There are currently two Democratic challengers for 2008, Richard Skandera and Fred Taylor, a Vietnam veteran, who applied in December to run. Neither has reported raising any money yet, though Taylor just entered the race. Fasano has raised $183,000, $2,400 of which has been spent. I would put this seat as likely Republican, assuming Fasano runs. Like several of the others in this category though, we’ve never really given the Republican a real challenge and if 2008 favors Democrats, then we could have a chance if we field a strong challenger. Other factors that could help our nominee would be Bill Young retiring in the 10th congressional district, which consists of the population center of Palm Harbor. A strong performance in the 9th district against Republican Gus Bilirakis could also help us in this district.

The End

That's it for this edition. I think we should definitely compete in all of the above districts. In 2008, we are going to have a strong candidate, who I expect to win Florida, leading our national ticket and there will be no statewide elections. This by itself would give us an advantage over 2002, when Republicans were elected in open seats upon a Jeb Bush route in the Governor's race. Republicans will no longer have this luxury, so we should make sure we take advantage of it and give them the challenges of their lives. In 2006, now State Senator Charlie Justice won in one of these Category 4 "Swing" districts. It's clear sentiment and momentum are now favoring us and in 2008 we can win more of these seats.

If anyone has anything to add or comments, that would be greatly appreciated.

Florida Senate Wiki Pages
Florida Senate District Information
Florida Fundraising Numbers
Florida Election Results

Florida State Senate Part 1: Background Information

2007-12-30T08:59:00.000-08:00

This data is for the Florida Senate. Information on the Florida House Numbers can be found here.

The Florida Senate currently has a 26 – 14 Republican majority. This means we need to pick up 6 seats to reach 50% in the chamber and 7 seats to win back the majority. We have two election cycles to accomplish this, but we will only have an opportunity at each Senate seat once, since only about half of the districts are up for grabs in any given election (except for years ending in 2).

Something that should be noted is that winning Senate seats can be much more difficult than winning House seats. Open seat contests are less frequent. In some cases we are facing entrenched incumbents who have already served for many years. In other cases, the districts are served by high-ranking officials (President, Pro Tempore, Majority Leader, etc..) and finally often it is the case we must take on candidates who were very popular in their State House districts. For all these reasons, I think our chances at taking back the Senate are lower than the chances of taking back the House, though it's close because we only need six or seven more seats in the Senate. Nevertheless, it’s a good idea to take a look at the partisan appeal of the districts first to see where our best chances of potential victory could be. In part 2, I’ll take a look at individual districts in the swing categories, examining past performance by our candidates in the most recent elections, possible retirements, and our top likely targets.

Here's a district map of the Florida Senate.

2000 Democratic Performance (Presidential)
# x 2008 signifies the number of races that will be contested in 2008

Statewide Performance: 49 %
Category 1: 70 – 100, 3 districts (2 x 2008), 3 D, 0 R

Category 2: 60 – 69, 8 districts (5 x 2008), 8 D, 0 R
Category 3: 54 – 59, 2 districts (1 x 2008), 2 D, 0 R
Category 4: 47 – 53, 7 districts (4 x 2008, all R), 1 D, 6 R
Category 5: 41 – 46, 12 districts (6 x 2008), 0 D, 12 R
Category 6: 31 – 40, 5 districts (1 x 2008), 0 D, 5 R
Category 7: 0 – 30, 3 districts (1 x 2008), 0 D, 3 R

Due to gerrymandering, we already face a field of seats that is stacked against us despite the even split in the state. Democratic voters have mostly been thrown into the 11 districts that make up the first two categories, while Republicans have been spread out mostly into Category 5 districts, which favor the Republican Party. Democrats hold all 15 seats in the lean-Democratic districts and one seat (Charlie Justice in the 16th district) in Category 4. Republicans, likewise, hold all 20 seats that lean to their side. They also hold six of the seven swing districts in Category 4. Basically, if we want to win back the Senate we are going to have to win as many of these as possible and for every seat we don’t win in Cat. 4, we’ll have to win one in Cat. 5. Remember we need to take six seats from the Republicans.

Democrats have shown the ability to compete in some of the category 5 races, so certainly we could a have a shot at a few of these. In 2006, for example, the Democratic candidate lost by only four points 52 % - 48 % in an open seat contest in the 10th district (Gore – 41%). In this case, Democrats faced very controversial Republican Rhonda Storms. In 2010, I’m sure Democrats will also give her another strong challenge.

If seats open up on the Republican side our chances of winning seats will naturally increase. In the 25th district (Cat. 4) represented by Jeff Atwater, Democrats did not even bother to field a challenger in his most recent re-election battle in 2004. Several high-profile Democrats may be stepping up to take him on in 2008, however, and it looks like there is a good chance he could be taken down if former state Sen. Skip Campbell runs. If well-financed Democrats were to step up in any of the incumbent-held districts, then that would give us better chances of winning. More on this in Part 2.

That finishes this part of the analysis. Now we have some data on districts, so we can make better judgments on what districts we should be challenging in the future. In part 2, I’ll actually take a closer look at the individual districts that will have elections in 2008, particularly in categories 4 and 5.

Election results can be found here and FPC Wiki Pages are here.

Category 1: 18, 29 (x), 33 (x)
Category 2: 01 (x), 19 (x), 30, 31 (x), 32, 34, 35 (x), 39 (x)
Category 3: 06, 27 (x)
Category 4: 07 (x), 11 (x), 13 (x), 14, 16, 25 (x), 28
Category 5: 03 (x), 09 (x), 10, 12, 15 (x), 17 (x), 20, 21 (x), 22, 23 (x), 24, 26
Category 6: 02, 08, 36, 37 (x), 38
Category 7: 04, 05 (x), 40

Republicans Hate Rule of Law, the State Constitution

2007-12-28T19:19:00.001-08:00

Naked Politics:

Judge Kevin Davey on Thursday week struck down as unconstitutional a new system of public defenders to handle conflict cases that can't be handled by elected public defenders. The GOP-controlled Legislature during the 2007 session created a system of regional conflict counsels as a way to cut down on the costs of hiring private outside attorneys.

But the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers sued and Davey ruled that the Legislature exceeded its authority by requiring the new offices and that Gov. Charlie Crist exceeded his by appointing the five special public defenders. The court also quashed the appointments of the five attorneys who were tasked with setting up law offices.

Republicans don't have the power to do something like this. They don't care, they think that the rules don't apply to them, that they are allowed to do whatever it is they want to do. They're wrong.

Haridopolos Hates America, Reality

2007-12-26T17:56:00.000-08:00

The Buzz:

State Sen. Mike Haridopolos, R-Indialantic, is jumping aboard team Huck: "I support Mike Huckabee because of his positive, optimistic message," Senator Haridopolos said. "He, better than any candidate on either side, is listening to the voter and projecting a message that communicates with all Americans."

Huckabee, obviously, would be a terrible president and it's sad that Haridopolos wants to foist this brand of religious extremism on America. And the idea that Huckabee is "communicating" better with the American people than any other candidate is rejected by 100% of the available polling out there.

Gaetz Hates Kids, Voters, Rule of Law

2007-12-17T18:27:00.000-08:00

Instead of even attempting to comply with the will of the voters and the Florida Constitution, Gaetz wants to change the law without even trying to make it work:

Rep. David Simmons, R-Maitland, said he will push for changes during the Legislature's spring session, hoping to "smooth out the rough edges and the inflexibility" of the current law.

...

His solution likely will be to continue calculating class size as a school average rather than count children in each classroom. That should meet the intent of the amendment, he said, while injecting it with a dose of realism. He thinks it could be done without asking voters for their approval.

State Sen. Don Gaetz, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, has already suggested going back to the voters with a similar plan, but he said he would consider Simmons' idea, too.

Republicans Hate Fiscal Responsibility

2007-12-17T18:07:00.001-08:00

A great post at Florida Netroots details the legislature's horrible practice of screwing local governments:

What happens when the Florida Legislature, which is in charge of the state budget, can't afford to pay for everything? It shifts the burden to city and county budgets.

According to the Florida Association of Counties a number of unfunded mandates are passed down to our 67 counties:

Medicaid - $213 million

Department of Juvenile Justice - $100 million

Revenue Sharing Loss - $262 million - Since 1999, tax cuts by the Legislature have resulted in a series of revenue cuts to county budgets

Court Facilities - $83 million

Solid Waste Recycling Grants Loss - $17 million - Counties are mandated to do this and costs initially were picked up by grants – which were later cut from the state budget.

Special Risk Retirement, Disability and Workers Compensation - These costs cover the special needs of firefighters and law enforcement personnel

Mental Health Treatment in Jails - actual dollar amount unknown, but this is a significant recurring impact to county budgets.

Environmental and Growth Management Compliance - actual dollar amount unknown but this is a significant recurring impact to county budgets - Completion of each county’s comprehensive land use plan requires that the plan has built-in financial feasibility

Zero Tolerance - $100 million

The quantifiable total is close to $1 billion in unfunded mandates - yet the financial impact of three mandates highlighted above cannot be quantified.

In other words, each year local governments are covering $1 billion of expenses that were historically the responsibility of the state, with no state funding support attached.

And while the Legislature is currently debating the largest local government revenue cut in state history, they are at the same time discussing additional unfunded mandates.

Webster Hates Religious Freedom, the Constitution, Reality

2007-11-27T22:26:00.001-08:00

Otherwise, why would he "love" Mike Huckabee? The Buzz:

"I love Mike Huckabee...I haven't made anything public yet but it's pretty obvious why I'm here,'' said Webster. "...He's a breath of fresh air, and I think he's got the ability to build a coalition similar to what Ronald Reagan built."

Fasano Hates Ethics

2007-11-27T22:25:00.000-08:00

One ethics complaint is enough for Sen. Mike Fasano. He has two. Naked Politics:

Sen. Mike Fasano is being hit with two separate ethics complaints _ including one that was filed directly with the Florida Senate Rules Committee _ over his push to break the state's contract with National Safety Commission, which prints the Official Florida Driver's License Handbook for free. The contract has come under fire from rival traffic schools because NSC places large ads for its own traffic school in the handbook that is circulated widely throughout the state.

Good Posey? (Probably Not)

2007-11-14T18:48:00.000-08:00

This sounds like the right thing for Sen. Bill Posey to do:

Posey his bewildered as to why Allen hasn't stepped down. Posey has been in politics long enough to know that public humiliation does not equate into the decision-making process of politicians.

Posey rightly wants Bob Allen out of office because Allen is a convicted criminal and doesn't want Allen to follow him into the Senate (Posey is term-limited and can't seek his seat again). Is it because Allen is doing a bad job of representing the people of Brevard County and can't do the job in the Senate? Probably not:

“I don’t think there’s any chance that that’s going to happen,” Posey said Tuesday. “There’s probably only about 500,000 people in Brevard County (population 550,000) that would have a better chance of winning at this point.”

Ahhhh, it's all about Republicans retaining the seat. He doesn't want Allen to run because Allen would lose. The Republican Party -- Partisanship above all else!

Ken Pruitt Hates Personal Responsibility

2007-11-14T18:08:00.000-08:00

The Buzz:

Senate President Ken Pruitt: “Today's announcement just confirms the important fact that we cannot continue to rely on home sales and construction to fuel Florida's economy . It’s why we are working hard to diversify our revenue base and attract high tech businesses to Florida. We are in a painful transition period, and it's going to mean some tough fiscal decisions in the short term in order to keep our state fiscally sound."

Hmmm... I wonder who it is that is behind the diversification of our revenue base? I wonder who it was behind arbitrarily cutting our revenue base during a time of fiscal crisis? I wonder who undercut the education system in Florida so that we don't have enough workers qualified to work in the high tech industries that aren't coming to Florida? It wasn't Pruitt alone, but he certainly didn't help the situation.

Yeah, Right

2007-11-05T20:12:00.000-08:00

Sen. Lee Constantine is taking a free trip to "learn" about nuclear power:

State Sen. Lee Constantine, R-Altamonte Springs, is one of four lawmakers from Florida, Maryland, Maine and New Mexico leaving Saturday on a seven-day trip to see how the Melox and La Hague nuclear plants operate.

The legislators and nuclear experts will stay in the Hotel du Louvre in Paris near the famous museum, visit the U.S. Embassy and travel to the northern coast to visit the plants.

Sounds fishy to me.

The Nuclear Energy Institute, a trade group made up of companies that own nuclear plants in the United States, had planned to pay $60,000 toward the trip.

To make sure the trip didn't violate Florida's law banning gifts to legislators, the Senate's chief lawyer has worked out a deal with the National Conference of State Legislatures to cover Constantine's $6,000 expense.

Sure, but won't the NEI still be donating money to Constantine's next campaign for office? Also, couldn't the NEI just donate some of this money to the National Conference of State Legislatures? Complying with the letter of the law is not good enough, since there are always loopholes.

Constantine Takes Cue from Kottkamp

2007-09-05T17:35:00.000-07:00

Senator Lee Constantine has learned the art of wiki vandalism from Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp:

If you hadn't heard, there is a new tool called Wiki Scanner that shows the IP addresses of changes to Wikipedia entries. You can trace the IP address back to the location where the edit was made.

Anyhow, I was just playing around with it and did a search on "Florida Legislature" to see what edits were made. There wasn't anything of note really, except one thing: someone at a Florida Legislature computer removed an external link about Lee Constantine's DUI in 2004 from his Wikipedia page.

207.126.1.7 [wp] Lee Constantine [cur] 122345275 deleted negative press 2007-04-12 22:41:42

There is a common misunderstanding of Wikis that permeates on the right. They constantly talk about how "anyone can edit a Wiki," which actually isn't the way they work. The way Wikis work is that anyone can contribute valid information to a Wiki. Deleting unfavorable, but accurate, info about yourself is not a valid use of a Wiki.

Republicans Abandoning the "Kill Florida's Future" Amendment

2007-08-25T05:23:00.000-07:00

The horrible tax plan they've spawned now isn't good enough for some Florida Republicans:

Sen. Lisa Carlton, R-Osprey, on Thursday told a Sarasota audience that she is "leaning no" on the Jan. 29 constitutional amendment, concerned the proposal does not go far enough to fix Florida's property tax problems.

Other Republicans who are waffling on their own idiotic plan:

Mike Bennett
State Rep. Doug Holder

Their explanation? It doesn't go "far enough." It certainly goes far enough in destroying the future of the state. So, good for them, I guess, for doing the right thing, even if it is for the wrong reasons.

Sneak Attack

2007-08-23T11:23:00.000-07:00

We really need to keep an eye on this guy:

Sen. Don Gaetz,a Niceville Republican and chairman of the Senate Education Committee, this morning asked a committee of the Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission to put a constitutional amendment on the 2008 ballot to overturn the state Supreme Court decision that outlawed one of Florida's voucher programs. Gaetz also suggested offering voters a swap: Freeze class size reduction efforts at their current levels to offset the projected loss of money for schools that may occur if voters approve next year's supersized homestead exemption. That exemption goes before voters next Jan. 29.

Gaetz also railed against the Board of Governors, which has just recently asserted that it has the power to set university tuition rates. He said the Board of Governors should not have the power to "tax students and parents" while also forcing the Legislature to spend more money on Bright Futures scholarship programs. "They become the automatic pilot on appropriations," said Gaetz, who urged an amendment to make it clear that lawmakers should control tuition.

Gaetz really does appear to be a bad guy. I really am tired of these Republican "double jeopardy" attacks on progressive policies. We need to enact at least a 10-year moratorium on making the public re-vote on an Amendment. And maybe we should actually put a stipulation in there that the government has to actually try to achieve the amendment before we repeal it.

Welcome

2007-08-03T12:53:00.000-07:00

This is a new state blog for Florida's Senate, designed to keep an eye on the activities of the Republicans who misrepresent us in Tallahassee.

If you are interested in posting at Florida Senate Watch, drop me a line at quinnelk@hotmail.com with some idea of your Democratic and/or progressive credentials and I'll add you as a blogger.