Mitch Perry
Associated Industries of Florida, considered a powerhouse lobbyist group for the business establishment in Tallahassee, has produced their annual scorecard on how often state lawmakers have maintained the AFI line, and the discrepancy isn’t that large between Democrats and Republicans in the state Senate, at least.
AIF’s 2015 Voting Records contains each of the state’s 120 legislators voting records on what the group considers “key business issues.” Senate Republicans voted AIF’s way 95 percent of the time, Senate Democrats, 92 percent.
There was a much bigger gap in the House: Republicans received a 95 percent score from AIF, Democrats just 69 percent.
Environmentalists around the state would undoubtedly dispute Feeney’s comment about the Legislature’s efforts to sufficiently fund Amendment 1, since in fact they are suing them for what they say was its failure to fulfill the funding mandate that the constitutional amendment calls for. Amendment 1 is the water and land conservation measure overwhelmingly approved by voters last November.
In terms of individual lawmakers scores, six senators received 100 percent scores: Republicans Andy Gardiner from Orlando, Rob Bradley from Orange Park, Charlie Dean from Inverness, and Pasco County’s John Legg. The two Democrats are Jeremy Ring from Margate and Joseph Abruzzo from Palm Beach County.
The lowest ranking senator with a score of 79 percent was Fort Lauderdale Democrat Chris Smith.
On the House side, all seven representatives garnering 100 percent scores are all Republicans: Tampa’s Dana Young and Shawn Harrison are two of them. Ray Pilon from Sarasota County, Holly Raschein from Key Largo and Miami’s Jose Felix Diaz. St. Augustine’s Travis Hutson and veteran Rep. Doc Renuart only voted two and three times, respectively, in the 2015 House, because of running in other elections. They both had 100 percent totals from those minimal votes.
House Minority leader Mark Pafford received the lowest score from AIF, receiving a 35 percent score. AIF said he had 7 votes for their agenda, and 13 against.
