Peter Schorsch
Sixty Days — A prime-time look at the 2019 Legislative Session
The Last 24
Good Monday evening. After a grueling question and answer session, followed by a seemingly endless stream of failed Democratic amendments, the House teed up a bill to expand private school vouchers for a final vote. Our favorite comment came from Orlando Rep. Carlos G. Smith on the bill’s allowance for scholarship money to go toward religious schools. “So many people keep talking about, ‘The Constitution. The Constitution. The Constitution.’ My goodness.” He then quoted the Blaine Amendment, which was added to the state constitution and bars treasury money from going toward sectarian institutions. “This bill overtly says that ‘a private school receiving funds may be sectarian or nonsectarian.’ Boom, unconstitutional.” Here’s your nightly rundown.
Lucy pulled the football again: Sources late Monday said a 2019 gambling bill’s chances were pretty much none, or “99% dead.”
Criminal justice redo: The House passed a criminal-justice package reducing punishment for some nonviolent crimes.
Siding with survivors: A justice reform package would expand the state’s victim compensation program.
Bring in the drugs: The Senate passed a controversial plan to import prescription drugs from Canada, other countries.
Doc, you there? The Senate OK’d legislation to expand telehealth services in the state.
Funding alarm: Nicklaus Children’s Health System CEO Narendra Kini says proposed cuts to hospitals will hurt the most vulnerable.
The seamy side of strip clubs: The House unanimously approved a bill to combat human trafficking.
Fight against hate: Lawmakers united behind measures to address anti-Semitism in Florida’s schools, colleges and universities.
On sunscreen and straws: A measure blocking local governments from banning sunscreen, single-use plastic straws got the nod from the House.
Hurricane fallout: Panama City officials are calling on both state lawmakers and Congress to adequately fund disaster relief.
Opening the vault: The House unanimously approved giving Attorney General Ashley Moody access to the state’s prescription-drug database for her lawsuit over the opioid epidemic.
DeSantis’ pen gets workout: The Governor signed several bills, including a vaping ban, and one that protects police dogs.
Shut out: House Democrats are getting increasingly frustrated with their leader, South Florida’s Kionne McGhee.
Quote of the Day
“The Orlando ‘Slantinel.’” — Republican state Rep. Jennifer Mae Sullivan speaking on her “private educational choice options” bill, slamming the newspaper’s reporting that highlighted problems with private schools that receive vouchers.
Your Metz Husband Daughton-sponsored question of the day is:
Who was the first governor to wear a business suit in lieu of the traditional frock coat and top hat during his inauguration?
As always, click here to tweet your answer to @MHDFirm. The first person with the correct answer will get a shout-out in tomorrow’s 60 Days!
Last time, we asked: In what special district is Disney World located?
Answer: “The Reedy Creek Improvement District, created in 1967 by a special act of the Florida Legislature.”
Congrats to Marco Paredes (@MP0L0) who was the first to tweet the correct answer!
Bill Day’s Latest
3 Questions
After a career that included private sector lobbying for transportation, professional associations, charities, as well as within state government for 10-plus years, it appears lobbyist/negotiator Rivers Buford III is really going to hang it up this time. We spoke this weekend with the man who also was a policy adviser to a Senate President as well as staff director to two committees concurrently.
Florida Politics: Congratulations on your impending retirement (again) after about 30 years of lobbying. We know you retired once before after your mother passed away, but you came back. What brought you back?
Buford: I really didn’t think I was coming back, but a bill that I had personal knowledge of from my days at the Department of State was coming up and it flew in the face of the good public policy we had crafted. I came back and testified as a private citizen with in-depth knowledge on the subject. The bill was TP’ed and never heard from again. I received calls and inquiries from lobbying firms about coming back but turned them down. I decided if I was going to come back, it wasn’t going to be for the money, it was going to be where I could make a positive impact for Florida.
The American Heart Association (AHA) reached out to me, and having two stents in my heart, and my father receiving a heart valve replacement, I felt this was an organization that could make that difference. It has been my pleasure to be on that team for three years now. We have made a difference.
FP: Your lobbying career put you in the spotlight on several issues. Which ones would you say have made the most difference?
Buford: Not all will agree with me on this. I was invited to join the Department of State after the close Bush-Gore presidential election to lead legislative affairs and create leading (if not bleeding) edge election reform policies. I felt it was important for the voters to realize it is a right to vote on Election Day, however, early voting was a convenience for them, not a right. I wanted to make sure all could vote but avoid millions and millions of dollars in litigation in the future from those who said they couldn’t early vote, for whatever reason. That’s why the first sentence of F.S. 101.657 says, “As a convenience to the voter …”
The other one I am currently working on with the AHA to raise the age of purchase for all tobacco and vaping products to 21. This will have a huge impact on the health of our younger citizens, ensure healthier candidates for military service and have huge savings on fiscal expenditure for health care, both public and private in the future.
FP: What advice do you have for the next generation of lobbyists and legislators?
Buford: To my colleagues in the lobby corps, be truthful at all times. If you find you misinformed someone, go back and correct your statement immediately! Set up a savings account or deferred compensation accounts and put money in them every pay period. That way you too can retire and not be as worried about money. Start now and build your nest egg. To my legislator friends, be open-minded when hearing from your constituents and the lobbyists that represent the interests they have called about. You can’t please everyone, but your constituents elected you to represent them.
Lobby Up
The Florida Legislature wants to make it easier for some professionals to get set up and start collecting paychecks. GOP Sen. Ben Albritton’s SB 1640 and GOP Rep. Blaise Ingoglia’s HB 27 would cut some of the red tape engineers, veterinarians, barbers and other skilled workers must wade through before they can open up shop.
The bills would get rid of a statute blocking felons from getting business licenses and would allow any barber with an out-of-state license to immediately qualify for licensure in Florida. Other salon professionals, such as hair braiders, hair wrappers and makeup artists, would be able to work without getting the Department of Business and Professional Regulation involved.
But the Florida Barbers Association isn’t on board with sweeping changes to their profession, especially a change that would slash barber training requirements from 1,200 hours to 900 hours. To help in the final hours, the Florida Barber Association has inked a deal with Southern Strategy Group’s Erin Rock and Clark Smith.
The training change is only included in the Senate bill, but so far that’s the one with legs. It’s on the special order calendar awaiting a final vote, while the House bill was last in the Commerce Committee — and committees are done meeting for Session.
Breakthrough Insights
The Next 24
The Senate will take up numerous issues, including a closely watched proposal that would carry out a constitutional amendment on restoring felons’ voting rights. That’s at 10 a.m., Senate Chamber.
The House is scheduled to hold a floor Session at 10:30 a.m., House Chamber.
The Senate Special Order Calendar Group will set a special-order calendar, which lists bills that will be heard on the Senate floor. That’s 15 minutes after floor Session, 401 Senate Office Building.
