Jim Rosica
Call it the House of Representatives’ Greatest Hits – so far.
House Speaker Richard Corcoran took to YouTube Monday to highlight his chamber’s work in last week’s first legislative committee week.
An enthusiastic Corcoran, sporting a blue blazer-no tie look, sat in front of a bookcase stuffed with Florida Statute books, a miniature Liberty Bell, and an “It CAN Be Done” sign.
“We hit the ground running,” he said, jabbing his finger in the air. He’s also considering a 2018 run for governor, to be decided after the Legislative Session that runs Jan. 8-March 9. Corcoran is term-limited in the House next year.
The Land O’Lakes Republican’s highlights, mostly populist favorites, included:
— The Public Integrity and Ethics Committee‘s approving subpoenas to Tallahassee-based MAT Media and its owner, Pat Roberts. VISIT FLORIDA, the state’s tourism marketing agency, signed a contract with the company to produce a fishing show and a cooking show with celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse.
“We had a contractor who took $14 million of taxpayer money and he refuses to let us know what he did with it,” Corcoran said. “If he misspent one single penny … we’re going to hold him to account.”
— The Government Accountability Committee‘s clearing of a bill to shut down any possibility of public money for privately-owned stadiums.
That’s “corporate welfare, so the billionaire owners can have you pay for their stadiums,” Corcoran said. “We’ll have that bill ready for the floor in January.”
— The Commerce Committee‘s approval of a occupational deregulation bill so “everybody can get their qualifications, pay minimal fees, and get out there in the workforce … We say, ‘enough is enough.’ ”
Other bills he mentioned include killing red-light cameras “just so some people can make money,” and his priority ‘Hope Scholarships’ measure.
“Principled conservatives … talk less, and we get more done,” he added.
