Drew Wilson
State Rep. Jayer Williamson is sponsoring a bill that would provide for some exceptions in the state’s lobbying gift ban.
Current law prohibits state employees from accepting gifts or services valued at more than $100 from any lobbyists, as well as employees at companies that have a lobbyist working for them in the Capitol.
Disallowing the practice has caused problems for some employees when they face extreme financial circumstances, such as being diagnosed with a serious illness.
HB 1435 would suspend the ban for if a state employee or their child is diagnosed with such an illness, or if they are in a severe accident that causes them to incur substantial medical bills.
The legislation is similar to a bill filed by Senate Budget Chief Rob Bradley last week.
Bradley’s bill (SB 1490) would open the door for state employees to accept outside help if they are diagnosed with any condition which “causes significant functional impairment requiring care and treatment for an extended period of time.”
Acute medical emergencies are also included via a “serious bodily injury” clause, which opens the door for employees to accept help after car accidents or other physical trauma.
Bradley’s bill has been referred to the Senate Ethics and Elections, Governmental Oversight and Accountability and Rules committees.
Williamson’s bill, filed Tuesday, has not yet received any committee references.
3 comments
Cogent Observer
January 14, 2020 at 5:32 pm
This is truly idiotic. It evidences Rep. Williamson’s lack of understanding of the reason for the limitation, not compassion as I’m sure he characterizes it.
Many members of the public and their families–state employees included–incur medical expenses. It is unfortunate but far from unusual. One of the benefits of state employment in Florida is access to very affordable health coverage of many varieties. The availability of insurance, if one chooses to buy it, is a benefit of state employment that attracts and retains many in lieu of higher salaries or jobs in the private sector.
What this “exception” will do is merely engrave into law permission to buy State employees’ influence and loyalty for the accomplishment of the lobbyist’s (client’s) goals. The limitation was instituted to keep lobbyists (and state employees) on the straight and narrow. It’s unfortunate that a “no bribes” policy had to be inserted into the law of lobbying, but it did. It would be equally unfortunate, and dangerous, for it to be removed.
Lee
January 15, 2020 at 10:24 am
Agreed Cogent Observer. Furthermore, why isn’t State Rep. Jayer Williamson putting his efforts into expanding Medicaid. In expansion states that have adopted traditional Medicaid, as well as in most waiver states, premiums and cost-sharing may total to no more than 5 percent of income. Consequently, enrollment in Medicaid might be expected to reduce beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket spending to nearly zero. There would be no need to to bend the rules to benefit lobbyists. Florida legislators need to wake up to the reality of the benefits of Medicaid Expansion and stop ignoring the massive harm not expanding it is causing our citizens including State employees.
Frank
January 15, 2020 at 11:33 am
So……. you have a health insurance system that allows families to be financially destroyed by a single major medical problem and you have a gift ban law that prevents legislators from taking bribes and this legislator thinks the best fix here is to change the anti-bribery law? Wow! That’s really crazy!
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