The Florida League of Cities argues municipalities across Florida could save hundreds of millions of dollars by revamping pension and disabilities benefits that the state requires for law enforcement officers and firefighters.
The league, as a top priority for the 2012 session, wants Florida legislators to overturn state mandates that have been in place since 1999.
Disability and retirement benefits, along with how the municipality invests and uses the insurance premium tax revenue, should be given more public oversight and be subject to collective bargaining, the league says.
League officials say the mandates have grown to cost municipal taxpayers $460 million.
While representatives from the Florida Police Benevolent Association and the Florida State Firefighters Association were not immediately available for comment Monday, a battle in the Capitol is expected.
It will be no different than the level of influence they bring to bear on the process each and every day, said John Thomas, league director of communications and political initiatives. Weve been fighting this issue the last couple of years.
In nearly identical bills, HB 365 and SB 910, the pension benefits would be set through collective bargaining between the union and municipality; pension boards that are frequently made up of firefighters and police officers would be subject to the Sunshine Law as are other rule-making bodies in Florida; and certain disabilities, such as heart disease and hypertension, would no longer be automatically awarded.
Disabilities presumptions are effective regardless if the police officer or firefighter smokes, has a long history of smoking, said Kraig Conn, league legislative counsel.
We all know from various sources that smoking is the No. 1 cause of heart disease, and even if one of our firefighters or police officers is a lifetime smoker and suffers a heart attack, that heart attack will be presumed to be job-related and that officer will get lifetime pension and lifetime workers comp benefits.
He added that genetics, weight and diet also are not currently required to be factored into any approval for disability.
The league touted pension reform, calling it their key priority for the 2012 session, during a media conference Monday at the leagues office in Tallahassee.
Legislators last year created a task force to consider presumptive health-care standards for pensions.
Recommendations from the eight-member Disability Presumption Task Force -- made up of three appointments by House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, and Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, along with one each by Gov. Rick Scott and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater -- will be made prior to the start of the 2012 session.
A Dec. 12 draft report from the task force notes that since 1999 presumption claims have increased 330 times, while workers compensation costs have increased by approximately 1.54 times.
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or (772) 215-9889.
