Guest AuthorThe gavel is down and the race is on. The annual session of the Florida Legislature has begun; it ends May 2.
As Gov. Rick Scott delivered his fourth State of the State message, he was hoping it would not be his last. The press gallery was overflowing with members of the capitol press corps salivating like Pavlov’s dog. So much to write about and so little time to write about it.
It represents a turn for the press corps to focus on something other than following Charlie (I want my job back) Crist from city to city promoting his new book about how the right-wing hijacked the Republican Party.
It must not be getting much traction, as it is already on the discount rack at Sam’s Club, offered at 40 percent off. Charlie has now done book tours in every Florida city except Sopchoppy and Otter Creek.
Yikes, what will Charlie do to stay relevant in competition with the legislative session?
In less than 60 days the session will adjourn and attention will turn to the fall elections in earnest. But for now all attention is focused on the House and Senate chambers and what happens there.
In the words of Robert T. Mann, my former law professor (revered legislator and later judge), “Neither life nor limb are safe when the Florida legislature is in session.”
Once during a debate about an ethics bill he supported, another legislator angrily denounced Mann for implying that lawmakers could be bribed.
“Gentlemen,” he replied, “we’re all agreed that no member of this chamber can be bought. The purpose of these rules, however, is to also assure the public that a legislator can’t be rented for a few months.”
Campaigning is officially on hold and legislators cannot collect campaign contributions during the session. They can, however, collect IOU’s redeemable after the session has concluded.
While the business at hand should be the primary focus, all eyes will be trained on the fall. After all, this is an election year.
What happens in the chambers is often staged for show, as most of the decisions are made before bills ever hit the floor for debate.
In the words of President Woodrow Wilson, “Congress in session is Congress on public exhibition, whilst Congress in its committee rooms is Congress at work.” The Florida Legislature is no different. Wilson forgot to mention the member lounges, where the public is excluded.
The budget process will be an interesting one to watch. State government is recovering from the recession, which forced officials to cut billions of dollars over the past four years. Now there will be more money left over… very little, but watch everyone clamor for it.
Watch a battle between cutting taxes and putting in more pork than you would find at a Memorial Day barbecue. After all, nearly $70 billion is a lot of money to spend in 60 days.
When there is some loose change jingling in the state’s pockets, suddenly everyone is thirsty for a soda. Preliminary numbers indicate a surplus of about $1.2 billion. Legislators are like kids in a candy store. “Me, mine, my district.” You know the drill. Remember that “pork” is defined as the meat on someone else’s grill.
Watch for much ado over tax cuts, tougher sex offender laws, expanding school vouchers and the like. They make good sound bites in an election year. Scott’s speech was all about jobs and tax cuts, a whole $25 per person statewide.
So far, more than 7,000 bills have been filed, with more to come. Some are mundane, some making a political point, some dealing with major policy changes and some could affect Floridians’ everyday lives. Some are just plain bad.
Most, thankfully, will never make it to the governor’s. As so aptly said by Charles De Montesquieu: “Useless laws weaken the necessary laws.“
Most lobbyists are hired to maintain the status quo. Killing a bill is much easier than passing one. The best way to the bill graveyard is to simply run out the clock.
Sit back and stay tuned. Anything can change in Tallahassee on a moment’s notice.
In the words of Mark Twain: “Those who respect the law and love sausage should watch neither being made.” Some things never change.
That’s My Opinion and I am sticking to it.
John Grant is a political columnist who served 21 years in the Florida Legislature and now practices estate-planning law in Tampa. He can be reached at [email protected]
