House authorizes Affiliated Party Committees, Democrats and Shakespeare's ghost weep

The House just passed legislation that allows the Senate president, House speaker and minority leaders to create Affiliated Party Committees, or "leadership funds" depending on who you ask.

And Democrats referenced the Bible and Shakespeare to try to convince lawmakers to vote down a bill they feel would re-enact funds that have been outlawed for more than 20 years.

Passing with a 73-42 vote, Rep. Seth McKeels elections finance bill, HB 1207, allows Senate and House presiding officers and minority leaders to create APCs that would campaign and fundraise for party candidates. It also transfers that right to the incoming speaker and president once they are elected by their party caucuses.

Leadership funds have been banned in the state for more than two decades, and opponents fear APCs would open election funding to abuse.

Democrats based their arguments against the bill on the opinion that it resurrected leadership funds by another name.

That which we call a rose; By any other name would smell as sweet, Rep. Richard Steinberg, D-. Miami Beach , quoted from Romeo and Juliet. Rep. Geraldine Thompson, D-Orlando, said the bill is akin to dressing up a Jezebel as a Mary. But despite the makeover, she said:

You cant change the behavior of the Jezebel."

The bill also resurrects regulations for Electioneering Communications Organizations, or issue advocacy groups. Much of the states ECO legislation was gutted last year, when a federal judge ruled it unconstitutional. The bill attempts to reenact that legislation.