After hearing from private prison operators and correctional officials Thursday, the House Appropriations Committee is considering a bill to readdress a plan to privatize 26 correctional facilities in Central and South Florida.
But the committee may not include a companion effort, as has been introduced in the Senate, that changes how future privatization efforts are handled by the state.
Committee Chairwoman Rep. Denise Grimsley, R-Sebring, said if a bill moves forward in the House, she expects a single bill aimed at reauthorizing the action approved last year.
The Senate Rules Committee on Wednesday gave initial support to a pair of bills -- SB 2036 and SB 2038 -- that are aimed at privatizing the facilities in 18 counties and could keep other privatization efforts out of public view until the contracts are signed.
Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, has already referred the bills back to the Rules Committee, which will be their only stop before a full floor vote in the Senate.
In the House, the proposal that got its first public review Thursday, which appeared to get a favorable review from the majority party that approved the effort last year, is still under review.
Committee Vice Chairman Rep. Chris Dorworth, R-Lake Mary, said if the state continues to pursue privatization the focus needs to be on savings, but also public safety and ensuring that impacted state employees are given a chance to land employment with the new management company.
It is important we dont debilitate certain towns and regions that have the impact, Dorworth said.
The prison privatization effort, opposed by Democrats on the committee and by corrections officers, follows steps outlined last year by a circuit court judge.
Rules Committee member Sen. J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, who is the chairman of the Budget Committee, estimated the privatization effort could save the state $22 million to $45 million a year.
These are real dollars and they are difficult decisions, Alexander said. But if we dont save them here, then those are dollars we dont have, to meet the needs of our state from K-12 to folks with disabilities.
Under the dual outsourcing effort, the state is seeking at least 7 percent savings by having the facilities run privately. The bills also would change the process for future state privatization efforts by keeping any such effort out of public view until the contract is signed.
Sens. Gwen Margolis, D-Miami, and Chris Smith, D-Oakland Park, voiced concerns about the bills on Wednesday.
The language is pretty broad, Margolis said. It's very disturbing.
The proposal on how to handle future privatization efforts also found some opposition among Republicans.
After the meeting, Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, tweeted, "Some in GOP will be fighting it."
Rules Committee Chairman Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, said the bills will be sent to Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, who will schedule them for committee review before the proposal goes before the full Senate.
Legislators approved the proposal last year as part of the overall budget.
However, before the bid process could be completed, Leon County Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford in September sided with Florida Police Benevolent Association attorneys who argued that lawmakers should have put the potential privatization effort into a separate bill, rather than as a proviso to the budget.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has contested the ruling to the 1st District Court of Appeal.
Correctional officers claim the proposal, topped by an announcement last week by the Department of Corrections to close seven prisons, will endanger local communities, put thousands out of work, and hinder productivity and time.
Approximately 3,800 state employees work at the correctional facilities targeted for privatization.
The facilities are located in: Manatee, Hardee, Indian River, Okeechobee, Highlands, St. Lucie, DeSoto, Sarasota, Charlotte, Glades, Martin, Palm Beach, Hendry, Lee, Collier, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties.
We spend a lot of our nights worrying about how we might deal with this situation, said Rashae Cherry, a corrections officer from Charlotte County. There are countless families whose both incomes depend upon the Department of Corrections.
As part of the bid process the state would require that corrections officers who lose their state job would be given preference in hiring by the private firm.
Gov. Rick Scott said Wednesday the issue appears to be solved by going the proviso route -- assuming they go through and pass that issue.
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.
