Legislators hit the road on state's dime

Seeking to cut costs in hard times, the Legislature banned most out-of-state travel by state employees. But the travel restriction doesn't apply to lawmakers themselves, dozens of whom are headed to national conferences this week and next at public expense.

The Senate will spend $24,000 to send six senators to this week's American Legislative Exchange Council conference in Atlanta and six others and a staff member to next week's gathering in Philadelphia of the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The House is spending up to $31,000 to send 27 representatives to the ALEC or NCSL conferences. The House limits each lawmaker to $1,150 for one conference at state expense, and the Senate will pay $2,000 for each member.

Legislators clamped down on state money used for agency travel by requiring that it get approval as a mission-critical expense. But lawmakers put no such restrictions on their own travel. The $55,000 cost for their conference travel is the equivalent of funding 21 children in prekindergarten classes, reinstating bonuses for seven teachers who become nationally certified, or paying for $117 vaccines for 470 underprivileged children. Full story here.

Steve Bousquet

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Hispanic caucus gone fishin' for lobbyist money

The Florida Hispanic Legislative Caucus has gone fishin' this weekend and hopes to reel in some big bucks to pay for its operations. The deep-sea fishing excursion, which offered "title sponsorships" at $15,000 a pop, was originally planned for late May (see flyer), but was pushed back. The fishing tournament has revived a long-running discussion about whether lawmaker-controlled charities are simply a way to sidestep the 2006 gift ban. The full story is here. 

Dockery has more juice in Orlando than Buddy Dyer, Dean Cannon?

She's not even from there, but Orlando magazine ranks state Sen. Paula Dockery as the fourth most powerful figure for Orlando, ahead of Mayor Buddy Dyer and incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon. (Story here)

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Galvano defends legislature on Sansom grand jury

State Rep. Bill Galvano weighed in on the Ray Sansom controversy on Sunday's Political Connections show on Bay News 9. Here's a clip. The full interview is on Ch. 342, Bay News 9 on Demand.

Marco Rubio on the Ray Sansom indictment

  Marco Rubio is running for the Senate on the heels of his hand-picked budget chief, Ray Sansom, getting indicted on a charge of official misconduct. Today Rubio gave his most extensive interview to date about the indictment. Here's an edited transcript:

You were in charge. Do you bear some responsibility for this happening under your watch?

As speaker, if anyone wants to put responsibility for anything on you, you have to accept that. But I would just say the Legislature is not run by a single person. The job of the speaker is to run the process, but ultimately you empower members to do a job. Traditionally...the chairman of the budget, along with the rules chair and other key members of your leadership team, are empowered with a tremendous amount of discretion...We delegated a lot of responsibility, and I think that's how you run an organization, and unfortunately in this case it led to some unfortunate decisions that were made.

After the first round of indictments, there was a fair amount of talk that the grand jury didn't understand the process, that this is just the way things worked in the Legislature. Do you think that's true?

There may have been instances in the past where the budget process was used to accomplish goals like this, but that doesn't make it right.... I don't think there's any doubt that perhaps this case raises the specter of re-examining the way the budget process has traditionally functioned in Florida...It points out maybe some of the weaknesses in the system.

Winner and loser of the week

Winner of the week: Marion Hammer. Just when it seems the National Rifle Association has achieved every conceivable victory in Tallahassee, its veteran Florida lobbyist pulls off another one. Gov. Crist last week axed the Legislature's plan to pull money out of a concealed weapons trust fund. The moral? It's okay to raid trust funds for affordable housing or children's health care, but don't mess with concealed weapons.

Loser of the week: Kevin Ambler. The Tampa Republican, mulling a campaign for attorney general or state Senate, last week accused State Attorney Willie Meggs of trying to convict an innocent man — his old housemate, former House Speaker Ray Sansom — because maybe Meggs wants to run for higher office. (He doesn't). Ambler named a bunch of key witnesses Meggs should have called to the grand jury (most of whom had been called). Days later, the same grand jury further indicted Sansom for perjury.

Gayle Harrell can't stand being away from the House

Former state Rep. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, is trying to win back her old seat, which Democrat Adam Fetterman took in 2008.

"It is important during times like these that the people of House District 81 have a representative who will fight for their families, their jobs, and their pocket books," she said in a statement at the Port St. Lucie GOP headquarters. Speaker designate Dean Cannon attended.

Harrell, who failed in a bid for Congress, is one of several former lawmakers trying to come back in 2010. They include Jack Latvala, Joe Negron and John Thrasher.

Ambler: Sansom innocent, Meggs has agenda

State Rep Kevin Ambler, a potential Republican candidate for attorney general, gave a full-throated defense of indicted former House Speaker Ray Sansom at a Tampa Tiger Bay lunch today. "Ray Sansom did nothing wrong," Ambler declared, saying state attorney Willie Meggs appeared to be willing to raiload an innocent man for political gain and that Times/Herald reporter Alex Leary "left out a great deal" in the reports that led to the grand jury investigation. The newspapers acted as "a lynch mob" because "they have papers to sell," he said.

Top GOPer: Sink's bank background no liability

While the state GOP already is pounding gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink for her long career as a bank executive, one top Republican thinks it won't hurt her: Senate President Jeff Atwater, a likely candidate for chief financial officer and a longtime bank executive himself.

"Let's hope not,'' he laughed, when asked if banking experience is a liability in this election cycle. "I don't see that, I really don''t. People are going to be focusing on the issues out in front of Florida, not the issues behind, and what may be in a candidate's past."

State Rep. Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, was more in tune with the GOP talking points: "Her business background is in banking, certainly a sector that has had tremendous problems and some would say has contributed to the the problems both statewide, nationally and globally that we've experienced,'' he said of Sink, while banker Atwater stood just a few feet away.

Rick Kriseman, Mainstream God

The centrist Florida Mainstream Democrats has selected state Rep. Rick Kriseman, D-St. Petersburg, as its new chairman and Rep. Ronald Brise, D-Miami, vice chairman.
 
"The 2010 election cycle will be one of the most dynamic in our recent history, and Rick Kriseman is the kind of leader who will ensure the mainstream Democratic candidates are successful at the ballot box," said outgoing chairwoman Loranne Ausley, who plans to remain active as chair emeritus. "Our organization supported Rick in his first race for the state House, and he has been an integral member since his first election."

"Loranne leaves big shoes to fill," said Kriseman, who in 2003 was named one of the Democratic Leadership Council's national rising stars. "She has both grown the Mainstream Democrats and extended our mission beyond winning elections to where we can now serve as a network for Democrats and community leaders and as an incubator for local officials considering campaigns for higher office."

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