Community Affairs Committee Advances Four Bills in 9 Mins.

It may not be record breaking time, but it was significant enough to get a reaction from Senate Community Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton.

"That was painless," Bennett said as the committee concluded their 9-minute meeting Tuesday morning where they voted in favor on four bills.

Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, started things off with his joint resolution, SJR 210, to change the state's constitution and get rid of the rule that requires property appraisers to increase the prior year's assessed value no matter the market value of the house. That requirement is also known as the recapture rule.

"Simply put, Chairman, what we're asking here is to allow the people to make a decision of doing away with the recapture rule," said Fasano. "And I don't think it's fair, and my colleagues don't think it's fair that someone's value goes down but their taxes go up."

Another bill getting some attention is SB 232, which would make changes to the Century Commission for Sustainable Florida's approach to long-term growth. The bill, sponsored by Bennett, would assure the commission has a strategic plan for addressing the state's growth management system. The state is expected to double in population in 100 years from now, and Bennett's bill would give the commission 10 years and a million dollars to figure it out.

All bills, including SJR 210 and SB 232, sailed through with no questions and no discussion from committee members.

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