This e-mail is a behind the scenes look at the Legislature written by Lois Frankel, Democratic Leader of the Florida House of Representatives.  The views expressed are her views and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of all Democrats in the Florida House.  Readers may take quotes from or otherwise reproduce this message without further permission.

If there are any questions, Representative Frankel can be reached at (850) 488-4791 during business hours (Monday through Friday 8:30 AM to 8 PM). Or readers may respond by e-mail to riordan.mark@leg.state.fl.us

(see also 2002 Legislature, Lois Frankel on 2001 legislature)

WEEK 3 

ending February 8, 2001

Governor Bush Dismisses Florida Senate Tax Reform

Fifteen days after telling Floridians that he pledged to facilitate full, honest and transparent dialogue on the Senate tax plan, Governor Bush abruptly rejected Sen. John McKay’s tax proposal calling it a government-spending plan. While critical of the proposal, the Governor offered no new ideas on how to meet the financial challenges of a growing state.

To no one’s surprise the Governor focused on what he perceived to be the impact on business. In his seven-page letter rebutting the premises of the McKay plan, no mention was made of the looming Florida Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Cornerstone Report that has alarmingly suggested that Florida has failed to invest adequately in its intellectual infrastructure.

The McKay plan passed the Florida Senate last week but has not yet been heard by the House. Expect a report from Speaker Tom Feeney’s Select Committee on Florida's Economic Future, to be released on Tuesday, to be critical of the proposal.

DEMOCRATS OBJECT TO DIVERSION OF LAND BUYING FUNDS

Over objections of most Democrats, House Republican lawmakers voted for a proposal that environmentalists say would allow water management districts to take money from a program that is suppose to conserve land and use the money to subsidize new development. In jeopardy is the $300 million-dollar-a-year Florida Forever land conservation program. Word is that the amendment sponsor may pull the measure from consideration. With budget money scarce, state land buying programs have been targets of trust fund raids.

PUBLIC SILENCED ON CONTROVERSIAL HEALTH CARE BILL

A bill that some say will deprive employees of important health care benefits such as maternity care, inpatient hospitalization care, and handicap children coverage is moving swiftly through the House. Ignoring House Rules, the chair of the House Health Regulation Committee refused to hear public testimony from a dozen or more irate citizens. Bill sponsor and committee Chairman Frank Farkas, R-St. Petersburg, took a quick vote over the objection of Democrats Eleanor Sobel and Stacy Ritter. Farkas wants all employers to be allowed to offer bare bones insurance plans to employees in order to make the cost of coverage cheaper. Opponents fear many workers will lose current benefits that their families depend on for quality of life.

In his state of the state address, Governor Bush announced a multi-million dollar reading initiative for school children. At the same time, his proposed 2002 budget cuts the state library budgets by one-third, a loss of $11 million for local libraries. According to members of the Florida Library Association, this will have a devastating impact on library literacy programs and efforts to bring new technology to the community. Public libraries have become a free link to the Internet for thousands of Floridians.

REDISTRICTING PLANS PASS FIRST COMMITTEES;

Republicans in the House rolled out and rolled over Democrats with redistricting plans that clearly violate established standards of preserving community of interests and compactness. The plans are clearly designed to super-pack Democrats into districts so that more Republican lawmakers are elected at the state and congressional level. Democrat members offered proposed fairness maps at each of the redistricting meetings. Not unexpectedly, the Republican majorities on the committees rejected those plans.

Word from Washington is that Republicans have been disappointed with redistricting efforts around the county and are looking to Florida with their 25 seats (two new ones) as one of their last opportunities to pick up seats in order to keep a Republican majority in Congress. High on the extinction list is five-term Democrat Congresswoman Karen Thurman. Speaker Tom Feeney, Representative Mario Diaz Balart, and Senator Ginny Brown Waite all have their eyes on a congressional seat.

Although Democrats have justification to feel concern about the redistricting process, most experienced observers believe that the final maps are far from being drawn. Democratic leaders will negotiate with the Republican leadership for equity but will stay on track for a legal battle that is likely.

Frankel’s thoughts: Is it too much to ask legislators to remember that the districts belong to the people and not individual lawmakers or their parties?

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The weather has been unseasonably balmy in Tallahassee, but warm is not the reception the McKay tax reform received from the Republican leadership in the Florida House. Even as senators articulately laid out the case for tax reform during hours of friendly debate on Thursday morning, Speaker Tom Feeney called a press conference to bash the Senate proposal.

Senate President McKay came to town this session with his own polling that showed Floridians ready for a fairer tax code only to see those numbers blow up in the face of hard hitting, sometimes misleading, commercials branding his reform as another effort by legislators to raise taxes.

Although there were rumors that McKay twisted arms in the senate to pass his proposal, anyone listening to the debate would have to admit that the comments of Republicans and Democrats in support of the proposal were heartfelt and eloquent. Whether one agrees with the proposal or not, the effort showed great courage and bipartisan spirit.

As for tax reform in the House, Speaker Feeney has indicated that the McKay bill would have trouble getting out of committee. Does that mean he will take the bill directly to the floor? Will House negotiators offer a review of exemptions as a saving face alternative?

Watch for reports to be filed by an assortment of interested parties including Speaker Feeney’s Select Committee on Florida's Economic Future.

The Florida Chamber Foundation, an arm of the Florida Chamber of Commerce has delayed the release of a 10-year look at Florida’s education system and economy. In essence the report stated that Florida ranks in the bottom tier of states in most measures of educational performance and in many cases lost ground nationally during the 1990’s educationally and economically. For example Florida ranked 21st in K-12 spending ten years ago compared to 38^th today. High school graduation diplomas fell from 27^th to 34^th. Average annual earnings climbed to $28,100 in 1998 but failed to keep pace with the rest of the nation and fell 12 percent below the national average.

Why the delay of the Chamber’s Cornerstone II report? According to news media, Governor Bush staffers proofread the document and told Chamber representatives to remove negative sections. This created ire among Republican Senators supporting the McKay proposal. Those senators criticized censorship efforts as depriving Floridians of valuable information that would help them determine whether tax reformers were moving in the correct direction.

Don’t Floridians have a right to know the state of their state?

On the calendar in the House for week three: Three strikes, school prayer, and more state employee union bashing. In committee, expect three reapportionment plans to role out.

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WEEK 1

January 28, 2002

Governor Bush State of State long on spin and short on facts.

Bush Spin: Education should be a top priority.

Fact: State budget cuts have caused schools to freeze the hiring of teachers, stop buying supplies, and end summer school.  Gov. Bush is now proposing capping incentives for teaching certification.

Bush Spin:  He is proposing $1 billion more in education funding.

Fact:  After the budget cuts of December's special session and adding in 72,000 new students, state school spending in Gov. Bush's K-12 funding proposal effectively leaves public schools $189 million in the hole. And most of the proposed money will come from a hike in property taxes and siphoning teacher pension funds.

Bush Spin:  There are no more "F" schools.

Fact:  Governor Bush's school grading system has changed every year. Under the ever-changing F-CAT grading scheme, one-fifth of Florida's 2,400 schools - 502 - have fallen behind in their letter grade while more than half our public schools - 1,261 - have shown no improvement.

Governor Bush's health care budget includes sick tax

Reacting to Florida's budget woes, Governor Bush proposed a 5 percent income tax on Floridians who want to participate in Florida's medically needy program.  This federally subsidized program allows states to pay for health care for those persons who suffer serious illnesses and injuries and whose income is less than their medical bills.  The governor wants to charge participants 5 percent of their income to participate.

Bush budget eliminates eyeglasses and hearing aids for Medicaid patients.

Under Gov. Bush's budget proposal, Florida's poorest citizens will no longer have their eyeglasses or hearing aids paid for by Federal and state dollars.  Isn't this a bit short sighted!  Do we really want people who can't afford eyeglasses driving on Florida's roads or unable to perform daily acts of living because they can't see or hear?

Democrats unveil economic stimulus proposals for working men and women

Economic development is more than just providing tax breaks for corporations.  It should also be about getting money into the hands of people who will spend it. 

Democratic lawmakers and labor leaders called for the legislature to strengthen job-training programs, make it easier for workers who lose their jobs to qualify for unemployment, and raise benefits to those who qualify.

In a recent Washington Post article, Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz said that expanding unemployment insurance provides a big "bang for the buck."

Stiglitz said to give money to people who have lost their jobs in this recession, and it would be quickly spent.

Florida's yearlong economic slowdown has led to a jump in the state's unemployment rate. Claims for jobless benefits remain near their highest level in ten years. There were 451,000 unemployed Floridians in December, an increase of 42,000 over the month and 175,000 over the year.

In addition, loss of childcare benefits and health care benefits has the potential of putting thousands of more Floridians out of work.

Democrats' mantra: Ask us about school districts, not new legislative districts

While Republicans are working to carve up the political landscape in Florida to their liking, Democrats are focusing on raising the quality of Florida's public schools.  This session, Democrats promise to continue their efforts to raise the caliber of public education in our state, and will persist in their call for better compensation and training for teachers, smaller classes sizes, technology and vocational training.  The Republican rewrite of Florida's education code promises to be a perilous task.  Democrats will be vigilant and ready with constructive ideas.

McKay v. Feeney

The battle over tax reform kicked off into high gear.  Tallahassee lobbyists have declared war on Senate President John McKay, who wants to make Florida's revenue base fairer and more responsive to economic reality.  In a bit of game playing, Speaker Feeney has dispatched an ad hoc committee to consider McKay's proposal.  Unless McKay plays big time hardball, his plan is DOA in the House of Representatives.  This will be a real test of statesmanship and politics and should be the best drama in town this session.

More next week

Readers may reach me at (850) 488-4791 during business hours Monday through Friday or you can e-mail me with comments at riordan.mark@leg.state.fl.us 

Sincerely,

Lois J. Frankel

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