Finding joie de vivre in a Winnebago

Sen. Mike Bennett climbed into Rep. Ron Reagan's living room, which is not that much different from the kitchen or the bedroom, took a look around and laughed.

"I just came out to see the trash," Bennett said.

It was a term of affection, of course, Monday night being the 6th annual "trailer trash" gathering in the piney woods outside Tallahassee. The RV Caucus, which convenes here every March and April, hosted 50 or so guests for an evening of barbecue, drink and good-natured stereotyping.

"There's so little fellowship because of that lobbyist bill," said Rep. Stan Jordan, an 8-year resident of Tallahassee RV Park, 8 miles east of the Capitol. Everyone paid $5 for food and alcohol was extra, Jordon explained, washing down dinner with unsweet tea and lemon.

"They dip them in French onion soup," he said of the hot dog. "They're so moist.

Waylon Jennings and Charlie Daniels sang on the PA. A white-bearded Elvis impersonator walked out to serenade the ladies. Bennett grabbed his wife by the hand and spun her around to Can't Help Falling In Love.

Jeb warns Crist about 'narcotic' of gambling

In a rare interview, Jeb Bush tells Florida Baptist Witness that he isn't trying to criticize Gov. Charlie Crist, but makes clear his repulsion to gambling and warns state leaders to resist the "narcotic" of easy money.

“I think gambling is a vivid example of a culture that demands immediate gratification," giving an “impression that you can achieve things without work" and "that luck matters," the former governor said. As such, gambling is a “deterrence for true economic development."

Bush also praised House Speaker Marco Rubio's effort to stymie the gambling expansion and said he agreed that the Legislature should have some oversight of any compact with the Seminole Tribe. Several times, however, Bush says he is not aware of all that went into the accord struck by Crist. "So, I don’t want to pass judgment on his efforts."

House leaders plan for a bleaker future

House Speaker Marco Rubio and budget chair Ray Sansom said Monday they will propose giving Gov. Charlie Crist new power to tap two reserve funds that, until now, have been off limits in keeping the state's budget out of the red. The announcement Monday was in part a concession to Democrats, who have repeatedly urged use of the billions in reserve, and partly an acknowledgement that the economy likely will get worse before it gets better.

Under an amendment to be proposed by Sansom, Crist could tap up to half of the money in the state's Budget Stabilization Fund (about $700-million) and another $1-billion in the Lawton Chiles Endowment, which uses tobacco settlement money to fund a variety of human service programs. Technically, Crist would have to ask permission from a panel known as the Legislative Budget Commission, which approves mid-year budget adjustments. The BSF is in the state Constitution (Article 3, Sec. 19), but gives the Legislature power to set criteria for withdrawals from the fund.

House sees the light on a Medicaid cut

It was a grim scene last Thursday as the House Health Care Council voted out a package of budget cuts that included elimination of eyeglasses, dentures and hearing aids for about 146,000 seniors who are Medicaid recipients. But public reaction to those cuts may have had an impact: In the House budget released Sunday evening, the cut had disappared completely after the Republican leadership used an unallocated $14-million to plug that hole.

"Dentures are a big deal if you don't have teeth, and eyeglasses are a big deal if you can't see," said Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, who said he was grateful to House leaders for eliminating the reduction. (The Senate's proposed budget eliminates coverage for hearing and dental care, but keeps eyeglasses).   

Democrats: 'What is Marco Rubio hiding?'

A Miami Herald story raising questions about a home equity loan House Speaker Marco Rubio obtained has prompted an attack by the Florida Democratic Party. "What is Marco Rubio hiding and why does he think he can get away with it? This doesn't pass the smell test," spokesman Alejandro Miyar said in a news release.

Rubio, in a statement provided to the Buzz, writes: "Home equity loans are public documents, recorded with the county clerk. Failure to list them as a liability on my 2005 and 2006 financial disclosures was a oversight which has since been corrected."

House looks at outsourcing state air pool

Here's a bit of House budget language (p. 307) that's sure to attract the Senate's attention. Speaker Marco Rubio & Company think it's time that the state looked at ways to save money by curtailing use of the state airplanes by "second and third scheduling priority users" (that would include legislators). Budget language directs the Department of Management Services to "conduct a business case study ... that analyzes the cost effectiveness of outsourcing the executive aircraft pool." Can you recall who were some of the aircrafts' biggest users in 2007? They happened to be state senators. More here.   

Storm brewing: Raiding Citizens for start-ups?

The House is proposing moving $250 million out of Citizens' surplus funds to pay for an incentive program that gives low-interest loans to small insurance start-ups, according to the newest House budget proposal.

Citizens surplus is a pot of money that comes from premiums paid by its policyholders (like yours truly) set aside to pay claims. The proposal will be controversial, since Citizens has long said that they're not charging enough to pay potential claims that could arise from a major storm season. That means, there's a good chance a major hurricane could trigger assessments, without taking any money out of that pot.

Count George LeMieux among the critics, as he bashes the House's plan in his latest edition of the LeMieux report. Check out a House bill analysis.

Budget cut proposal du jour: cut officials' pay

With legislators cutting some state programs by 10 percent across the board, there's beginning to be some editorial page chatter along this line: Why don't Gov. Charlie Crist and other top state officials take a 10 percent pay cut as well? "Sounds like something to explore," Crist said last week when asked about the decision by Escambia County commissioners to take such a pay cut. It would be more symbolic than substantive, but the proposed new state budget sets these salaries as of July 1:

Governor: $132,932

Lieutenant Governor: $127,399

Other Cabinet members: $131,604

Supreme Court justices: $161,200

DCA judges: $153,140

Circuit judges: $145,080

Public Service Commissioners: $128,825

 

Boo, hiss for tax reform panel

Times columnist Howard Troxler argues that the Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission has not lived up to its once-in-20-years job of looking in-depth at Florida's tax structure. Beyond one sizable but questionable idea -- trading school property taxes for higher sales taxes -- the commission has preferred small-bore items and ideological pursuits (tax dollars to religious institutions), he contends, and is little better than having a "second Legislature." Read his column here.

Controversial corruption investigation

In 23 years in office, Charlie Wells became the most powerful figure in Manatee County as it bloomed into a popular bedroom community for many who work in Tampa and St. Petersburg. By the time he retired a year ago this week, Wells was among the most influential of the state's 67 sheriffs. And by far the richest.

His 2007 financial disclosure statement showed a net worth of $8-million — a long way from his days as a $425-a-month trooper with the Florida Highway Patrol.

The story on the feds' investigation of the politically connected Wells is here.

FL GOP money going slow to McCain

John McCain should be sitting pretty — catching his breath, building his campaign organization and filling up his campaign account — while Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton rip each other to shreds.Except that in the must-win state of Florida, many of the top Republican money-raisers have yet to step up for their presidential nominee.

Consider that of Florida's 66 so-called Pioneers or Rangers who raised at least $100,000 for Bush-Cheney in 2000 or 2004, only nine have contributed to McCain, a St. Petersburg Times analysis finds. While losing election after election throughout February, Clinton raised more than twice as much money from Florida — $1.25-million — as McCain, who drew $489,000. So did Obama, taking in more than $1-million from Florida.

Conservatives show they still matter

The election of Gov. Charlie Crist in 2006, and his sustained popularity while pursing a moderate agenda ever since, is often cited as evidence that the decadelong reign of social conservatives in Florida is over.

But now, as voters prepare for a November election to pick a new president, the movement has returned from the shadows of Florida's malleable political landscape.

Voters will be asked to insert a gay marriage ban into the state Constitution and remove a century-old limitation on state funding for religious organizations.

Republicans hope advancing the two causes will serve as a "market correction" to the party under Crist, nourish soft support for presidential nominee John McCain and combat recent Democratic gains in state elections.

"There has been no shortage of stories that the Christian right is dead. But family values voters are surging right now," said John Stemberger, the Orlando activist behind the gay marriage ban. (story here)

Marley and Me (and Charlie, too)

A peppy campaign slogan, but then what?

UPDATE: Will Pruitt, another Republican in the race and brother of Senate President Ken Pruitt, tells us: "I signed that two months ago."

We just got a news release from Marlene O'Toole, a Republican candidate for House District 42, saying she had signed the Americans for Tax Reform Pledge to never vote for a tax increase.

"At a time when Florida's economy is struggling, I cannot believe how many elected officials are mentioning tax increases as a possibility," O'Toole said, seen here in a campaign photo with Gov. Charlie Crist (who has also signed the pledge*)

Oh really? Will the hopeful legislator buck House Republican leadership if voters approve the "sales tax" swap? The plan would require legislators to replace $9-billion in property tax revenue for schools with other funding sources, including a penny or more sales tax increase. Any comment, Speaker Sansom?

Tax swap skirts disaster, but questions abound

A style and drafting committee of the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission just finished discussing the tax swap proposal, and while subject to many questions, the plan was spared heavy blows some critics were hoping would keep it off the November ballot.

The plan, which would eliminate the required local effort for schools and replace with other revenue sources, including a sales tax, is certainly complex and that still poses a problem.

The committee wrangled with implementation language and how to make it read that school budgets will be held completely harmless, when the provisions (including a 5 percent assessment cap for non-homestead property) would go into effect and other concerns. It also adopted bill language from a nearly identical proposal sponsored by Patricia Levesque.

Commissioner John McKay, who first had the idea, summed up the worry: "I don't want to see us put ourselves in a position where we're changing so many words that someone could challenge our product in court and on that basis, invalidate it."

A GOP voice for counting FL's votes

Interesting op-ed by a Republican economist: "...The first question is whether Florida and Michigan voters acted like these primaries mattered, even though they knew the delegates they chose were not recognized by the national party. This can be discerned from turnout, and in the case of Florida the answer is yes."

""Discussion among Democrats on how to deal with Florida and Michigan centers on three options. The first is not to seat them at all. Legally appropriate, but it would doubtless hurt the Democrats in both states in November... The second option would be to seat delegations that were evenly split between Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama. This would make the votes of 2.3 million Democrats irrelevant, while creating artificial representation for the states… The third option would be to let the early primary votes stand, and select delegates according to the outcome. On a statistical basis, this is clearly the right result for Florida…"

Senate moves to end 'double dipping' by police

With support from police unions, a bill that would ban "double dipping" by police officers in a popular state retirement program was approved unanimously Thursday by a Senate committee. (story here)

Obama should pick Bill Nelson as VP

So says some guy in Massachusetts: "...Nelson has shown his electoral prowess in Florida, having been re-elected in 2006 with 60 percent of the vote. In addition, he won five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from a district that includes Brevard County, not known as a citadel of liberalism, and where President Bush garnered 57 percent of the vote in 2004..."

Dean: FL and MI will be seated

AP: "...Dean also said the Michigan and Florida delegates will be seated at the convention. But he won't force a resolution because he said there's nothing the Obama and Clinton campaigns can support at this point.  You bring both sides together and say, 'Don't you think it's time that the two campaigns made a deal on how we're going to do this?'" Dean said. "Let me just say that the campaigns believe that kind of a deal is premature right now."

UPDATE: But on MSNBC Dean implied Florida and Michigan would likely remain unresolved until later in the summer after superdelegates crown a nominee: "I'd like to see the superdelegates make their wishes known early on an individual basis. I don't think we can have a convention of superdelegates, but I do think it's a good idea to have the superdelegates -- they're going to have to decide by August, and they'll do their party and their country a service by deciding
publicly beforehand. And then we'll know who the nominee is and then we'll be able to deal with the Florida and Michigan problem."

More trouble for Orlando commuter rail project

With costs going up and some lawmakers cringing over liability risks, the $650-million commuter rail project for Orlando faces another complaint over its handling by state officials. An attorney running to be a Leon County Circuit Judge, Mark E. Walker, sued the Florida Department of Transportation this week over a confidentiality agreement it struck with CSX in 2006.

"My visceral reaction is it doesn't smell good," said Walker, whose case says the information isn't exempt from public records laws.

Haridopolos to TBRC: Show me the money

Sen. Mike Haridopolos, a skeptic of the McKay tax swap, has asked the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission to do a little homework.

The proposal to greatly eliminate school property taxes would require the Legislature to replace the estimated $9-billion or more in revenue. (Haridopolos says it's more like $11-billion.) But raising the sales tax by a penny will generate less than $4-billion, leaving lawmakers to raise additional revenue through eliminating sales tax exemptions, taxing services, creating new revenue streams or cutting the budget.

In a letter to the TBRC, Haridopolos asks commissioners who backed the plan to give "specific recommendations on how we offset the revenue lost from the elimination of the RLE," or required local effort. "I understand that the list you will provide will be nonbinding; nevertheless I believe your suggestions are a vital component of having an open discussion on this issue."

His deadline: April 10.

Tough talk during tough times

House Democrats held a news conference Thursday to criticize Republican-sponsored budget cuts that might have been avoided or minimized if the GOP was open to some other ideas, like raising taxes or borrowing from a reserve known as the Budget Stabilization Fund.

Rep. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, the House Democratic leader, was in rare form. "Their policy is tethered to a sound bite: 'We all need to live within our means,'^" Gelber thundered. "I wonder if any of them has a grandparent in a nursing home ... I don't understand what these folks are up here to fight for." Later, Gelber decried "the inhumanity that's flowing from this place," adding: "These are not things a civilized society does. It isn't fair, it isn't right, it isn't fair."

Rep. Ray Sansom, R-Destin, the House budget chairman, didn't hear Gelber's comments directly. Told of them, he said: "It's very disappointing that the minority leader who preached bipartisanship as a hallmark has turned into the most partisan and divisive minority leader I've experienced in 20 years ... He's creating animosity and divisiveness ... I've offered a hand to them. That's not like Dan. He's a great guy, personally. I think he's letting partisan politics override common sense."

JAX bucks for McCain

Among the bold-faced names helping John McCain in Jacksonville 4/3 catch up to Barack and Hillary in FL money-raising: former Bush-Cheney Rangers Tom Petway, Marty Fiorentino and John Rood are event chairmen, along with Ed Burr, JB Coxwell, Daniel Davis, John Falconetti, Michael Munz, John Peyton. Rood was a Mitt guy in the primary, Petway uncommitted, and Fiorentino with McCain.

The $2,300 per person luncheon reception is at the Hyatt. See here  for the full host committee.

Harrison eyes Homan's House seat in 2010

Shawn Harrison, who represented north Tampa on the Tampa City Council for eight years, says he's considering running two years from now for the Florida House seat held by Ed Homan.

Homan has filed to run this year for re-election. He would serve a fourth, and final, two-year term in the House, thanks to term limits.

Posey's daylight savings bill moves

There is no House companion, and still two more committee stops in the Senate, but Sen. Bill Posey got a small victory this afternoon when his bill to end Florida's participation in daylight savings time passed its first stop by a 4-1 vote, with Sen. Jim King opposed.

"The body just gets out of equilibrium," Posey said of the annual fall forward fall back tradition. "Our state would be better off not participating."

But King said in a state like Florida where the sunny days draw tourists, banning the practice makes no sense.

"For people who like the summer and the long days, daylight savings is a plus," King said. "For me, it's enough of a plus to live with the inconvenience of changing my clocks twice a year."

Pinellas' Stewart won't seek re-election

UPDATE: Democrat Darden Rice has committed to running for Stewart's seat, saying she believes she has a strong chance to snatch a victory from the GOP. Nancy Bostock has filed. Republican Jim Sebesta said he plans to make a decision Monday.

Pinellas County Commissioner Bob Stewart said today he will not seek another term. Stewart, a veteran Pinellas politico who served on the St. Petersburg City Council before being elected to the commission in 1994, said he had anguished over the decision for months.

"I will enormously miss the life of an elected official," said Stewart, 70. "I have been blessed and honored."

Stewart, the commission's current chairman, said he planned to spend more time with his family in Colorado, where his three sons and grandchildren live. Expect Pinellas School Board member Nancy Bostock, like Stewart a Republican, to soon enter the race. Former state Sen. Jim Sebesta, a Republican, and Darden Rice, a Democrat, have also expressed interest in the countywide seat.

2 ways to solve FL Dem debacle

David Broder's column today includes one proposal from former Poynter Institute chief Jim Naughton and U.S. News alum John Mashek: "Because Florida and Michigan both knowingly violated the party rules, they must be punished by having the size of their delegations cut in half. But he would let the 183 remaining delegates chosen in the disputed primaries take their seats and vote on the platform or almost any other issue -- except those that impact directly on the presidential nomination."

Broder's own idea: "When the Florida and Michigan delegates arrive in Denver, they should present their credentials to the convention and, assuming Obama leads in the results from the other primaries and caucuses, prepare to be turned down. Then they walk out, "rump" in a nearby hall and do their business, including casting mock votes for president. "

Senate OKs ed overhaul proposal

Now it's up to the House. The Senate just voted 32-4, with Sens. Arthenia Joyner, Nan Rich, Charlie Justice and Stephen Oelrich opposed, for a proposed constitutional amendment that will ask voters to overhaul education governance in Florida.

The education commissioner would be elected, the governor and Cabinet would serve as the state Board of Education, community colleges would become the Florida College System offering 2- and 4-year degrees, and the Board of Governors would shrink.

More significantly, the BOG also would see its authority over state universities "revised...as prescribed by law." Translation: The Legislature would squelch once and for all the BOG's contention that the BOG has the power to set tuition. As lawmakers have since the BOG's 2002 creation, the Legislature would continue to set college tuition every year as part of its budget-making authority.

Bill Nelson talks elex reform to FL Senate

As the debate over seating Florida's delegates continues, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson just spoke to the Florida Senate about election reforms already implemented in Tallahassee and D.C. - and about further changes he will propose.

"The blessing of liberty cannot wait, the time for reform is now," Nelson said.

He said he will propose legislation to establish early voting in every state, and to "eliminate machines that don't produce a paper trail." He wants every qualified voter to be able to vote absentee, and he wants to offer grants for some states to try out mail-in voting like in the state of Oregon.

TABOR seems kaput

UPDATE: Adam Guillette, Florida director for Americans for Prosperity, says speculation about the proposal going down is bunk. "We think we're looking a lot better now than we were a few days ago." He said the strong public showing resonated with the commission and that the mixed feelings -- too strong, too weak -- are a good sign. "It seems like Commissioner (Mike) Hogan is doing a good job to the find the middle."

If the delayed vote on the revenue and spending cap was not evidence enough, Wednesday's Taxation and Budget Reform Commission workshop on the proposal seemed to shout: TABOR IS DEAD.

One by one, audience members (like the ones above) stepped up to the microphone and expressed support for the provision. But most of these proponents also said the plan (bureaucratically known as CP 45 and informally as a taxpayers' bill of rights) has been so weakened by exclusion-laden amendments that it has no pop left. Give it some teeth, they said.

Sanchez's national leadership post w/Obama

Frank Sanchez, the Tampa businessman, former mayoral candidate and former Clinton administration official, has been tapped to be Barack Obama's national chairman for Latino and Hispanic fundraising.

"I am proud to have the support of such an influential pioneer in the Latino community," Senator Obama said. "Frank will play a key role in reaching out to Latinos about our campaign’s vision to unite our country and expand our growing enthusiasm in the Latino community."

Troutman proposes on House floor

Buzz wonders what Rep. Baxter Troutman would have done had she said "no" and whether cousin and sometimes opponent Sen. J.D. Alexander will be invited to the wedding. But oh, the theater!

From the Associated Press:

Rep. Baxter Troutman surprised his girlfriend, Rebecca Carney, with a marriage proposal on the floor of the House on Wednesday. Carney, clearly caught off guard, said yes in front of the entire House and a gallery of onlookers.

Nelson: Abolish Electoral College

Choosing the president of the United States by the popular vote, rather than by the Electoral College, is chief among the election reform proposals that U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is scheduled to outline tomorrow morning in Tallahassee.

In a speech scheduled for 9:30 a.m. before the Florida Senate, Nelson, the state's top elected Democrat, also will call for expanding early voting, Internet voting and voting by mail. He'll also tout his idea to hold regional, rotating presidential primaries so that every state gets a turn in choosing the presidential nominees. He and Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., filed a bill to do that last year, but it hasn't moved.

Counting the human toll of budget cuts

Senators who oversee health and human services spending slogged through dozens of proposed budget cuts Wednesday, including eliminating the Medically Needy program to about 16,000 people, most of them transplant recipients or victims of catastrophic illnesses as of Nov. 1. (As of that date, only children and pregnant women would be eligible under the program).

"This will eliminate pharmaceutical care for some people, and if they don't have that, they could die," said Tony Carvalho, a lobbyist for Florida's 14 so-called safety net hospitals that provide the highest levels of care to poor people.

Another cut would save $25-million by ending dental and hearing services for adult Medicaid recipients (an estimated 600,000 Florida adults are on Medicaid).

Obama camp talks to Thurman

The Hillary Clinton campaign has yet to express any interest in negotiating a solution to Florida's delegate mess, but a couple key Barack Obama staffers - delegate operations director Jeff Berman and political director Matt Nugen called state Democratic chairwoman Karen Thurman to talk about possible ways to give Florida a voice in the nomination.

"We're just looking for solutions," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton.

Sink, Korge disagree with Pelosi

CFO Alex Sink - who hopes to be tapped as a unpledged delegate at the convention - has been pretty quiet on this FL Democratic delegate mess. So Buzz asked whether she thinks uncommited superdelegates ultimately have an obligation to back whoever is leading in pledged delegates and popular votes. Nope. "The rules are the rules,'' said Sink, who is officially neutral though husband Bill McBride is backing Clinton.

Meanwhile, TPM has Chris Korge of Miami among 20 top Clinton fundraisers chastising Speaker Nancy Pelosi for suggesting the supers must support the pledged delegate leader.

Gay marriage ban unncessary, leader says

A Constitutional Amendment to ban gay and lesbian marriage was compared today with amendments prohibiting pregnant pigs and creating high-speed rail.

Patricia Ireland, former president of the National Organization for Women, told  Tallahassee’s Capital Tiger Bay Club that the amendment is yet another example of something that should not be in the Florida Constitution.

"There are more important things that belong in our Constitution,'' Ireland said, noting that passage of the amendment would result in dozens of lawsuits against governmental agencies that now provide benefits for unmarried Floridians.

Orlando lawyer John Stemberger said the amendment is needed to protect marriage from the possibility of future court decisions that might recognize gay marriages. The amendment would put existing law into the state Constitution and guard against polygamy and group marriage, he insisted.

Tax panel sends church-state fight to ballot

Delving into the weighty issue of church and state, the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission voted 17-7 for a proposal to remove language from the state Constitution that limits financial aid to religious organizations.

It was in many ways a victory for former Gov. Jeb Bush, a staunch champion of school vouchers that provided the backdrop for Wednesday's protracted debate.

Patricia Levesque's plan, now headed to the November 2008 ballot, would remove the long-held "no-aid" Blaine Amendment and replace it with the following: "Individuals or entities may not be barred from participating in public programs because of their religion."

Critics blasted the move it as unnecessary, outside the bounds of the commission, and accused proponents of using "scare tactics" that religious programs other than vouchers are under legal assault.

Storms' evolution measure OK'd

The Senate's committee on K-12 education voted 4-1 Wednesday to approve Sen. Ronda Storms' bill to protect teachers who offer alternative theories to evolution and students who offer other theories. Only Sen. Ted. Deutch opposed it, despite criticism from some science instructors and the ACLU.

Read more on our sister blog, The Gradebook.

House passes 'guns at work' bill

The Florida House Wednesday passed the so-called guns-at-work bill by a 72-42 vote and sent it to the Senate. Approval came after three years of debate and discussion, over the strong opposition of much of the state's business community. The bill (HB 503), which allows concealed weapons permit holders to keep their guns locked in their cars at work and visitors who do not have such permits, was amended to exclude nuclear plants, and now goes to the Senate. Three Democrats voted for the bill and five Republicans voted against it, including two from Pinellas County: Reps. Jim Frishe and Ed Hooper.

"Law abiding people have a right to have a firearm in their vehicle to protect themselves and their families," said National Rifle Association lobbyist Marion Hammer. Senate passage is considered likely, but Gov. Charlie Crist has not said whether he will sign the bill, citing the tussle between gun rights and property rights. "I think there are some real competing issues with that piece of legislation," Crist said recently.

Last-ditch effort to stop guns-to-work

Florida's top business organizations have made a final, direct appeal to House members who are slated to take up the guns-to-work bill today.

"Attempts to water down constitutional property rights and employer – employee contract negotiations in favor of gun owner rights can only be viewed as an attack on the business community and the jobs it creates and sustains," reads a letter signed by Mark Wilson, Rick McAllister, Barney Bishop and Carol Dover.

"We have seen no egregious examples of gun rights being denied. No problem currently exists in Florida worthy of the proposed big government solution mandating less freedom, less property rights and more regulation. We respectfully ask that you vote “no” on this bill and invite the rifle association to stand with those of us who want smaller government, less red tape, fewer lawsuits and more personal freedom. Please vote no on this over reaching legislation."

Education overhaul close to Senate vote

A few Senate Democrats including Ted Deutch questioned the need for a proposed constitutional amendment overhauling K-20 education governance, but SB 2308 - a priority of Senate President Ken Pruitt - appears headed for passage in his chamber, based on the lack of spirited debate on the floor just now. It rolled over and is headed to a f