A coalition of 86 tea party groups around Florida is calling on Gov. Rick Scott to veto four bills passed by the 2012 Legislature, including one authorizing the creation of a freestanding Polytechnic University.
Saying the bills "violate our principles of limited government and fiscal responsibility," the Tea Party Network, in a letter to Scott, targeted:
House Bill 7117: The energy bill took heat from the group, which declared, "We do not believe the government should be determining the marketplace for renewable energy projects. This bill extends $16 million in renewable energy tax credits, creates separate rules for electric vehicle recharging stations and mandates studies of the resources available to produce biomass energy."
HB 599: The bill mandates a $100,000 study to merge Hillsborough and Pinellas transit agencies. "The state of Florida should not be dictating to counties what they should and should not do for solving local transit issues," the Tea Party Network said.
HB 5301: The controversial bill adjusting state and local Medicaid funding "is clearly an unfunded mandate to the counties," the Network said. "The state should either find the funding sources or reduce the service burden to the counties."
SB 1994: Blasting the creation of a separate Polytechnic University in Lakeland, divorced from the University of South Florida, the tea party group said, "Our higher education schools are already under funding pressures, and splitting the pot further is counterproductive to the quality of the institutions.
"Further, private universities are filling the marketplace to service student needs, and we should encourage private-sector growth."
On the positive side, TPN Chairwoman Patricia Sullivan and legislative affairs chairman Henry Kelley requested that Scott sign HB 1263, one of the group's top agenda items this year in Tallahassee.
"This bill repeals 2010s SB 550, the costly and burdensome statewide septic system inspection mandate forced on 2.5 million residents in the state of Florida. It also contains a fair and affordable new septic inspection program that does not impose any cost on the state."
The Network, in a related request, also asked the governor to approve a budget line item to fund the completion of the Department of Health's nitrogen reduction strategy study.
"This study is nearly completed, and results will ensure that septic system owners throughout the state can keep their conventional systems, but have the science and the products necessary to further protect our water resources," the tea party group said.
Scott Press Secretary Lane Wright said the governor is "still reviewing" the Medicaid legislation, and has not made a decision on the others.
Scott said last week that HB 5301 has some provisions that are important for improving the state's Medicaid program, but it also has billing issues.
"Governor Scott wants to make sure that counties arent paying bills they dont owe. Even if the decision is made to sign the bill, [he] has made assurances that the Agency for Health Care Administration will not certify a bill thats due unless theyre certain that it is owed," Wright said, adding that AHCA will work with counties to make sure counties "understand what they owe and what they dont."
"He understands that Medicaid is not just a large burden on the state budget but on county budgets, as well," Wright said. "Were looking for a fair solution on both sides."
"As for the rest of the bills mentioned in this letter, Governor Scott will be looking at each one carefully before making his decision," Wright said.
Two Tea Party Network priorities that did not win legislative approval were the repeal of the Real ID Act and passage of the Motorist Rights Restoration Act.
Sullivan said Rep. Brad Drake, chairman of the Transportation and Highway Safety Committee, sideswiped both bills by not setting a hearing for the Driver's License Citizens Protection Act (HB 109) and "gutting" the MRRA (HB 343).
"By the time he was done with MRRA it was called the Motorists Rights Crucifixion Act," Sullivan said.
Sullivan said the Tea Party Network will advocate for passage of both measures next session, along with other legislation to be determined.
Drake, whose district was reapportioned into the one held by Rep. Marti Coley, R-Marianna, has opted not to run for re-election.
Contact Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 801-5341.
