Every week, Sunshine State News offers a glimpse of the important business legislation and pivotal state issues being addressed in the Florida Legislature in the coming days.
This week: the Senate takes up the fight over whether to allow presiding officers and minority leaders in the House and Senate to create committees to promote and fundraise for party candidates; lean, mean budget proposals work their wayto the House floor and through Senate committees; and a hefty jobs bill with a $187 million price tag might make its way to the Senate floor.
Affiliated Party Committee
A bill that allows the Senate president, House speaker and minority leaders to create Affiliated Party Committees (AFCs) heads to the Senate floor as early as Tuesday. AFCs would be able to fundraise for their political parties' candidates.
It transfers the right to organize such committees to future incoming speakers, presidents and minority leaders once they are elected by their party caucuses.
The bill, HB 1207, passed the House Thursday with a vote of 73-42 along party lines.
Republicans say the bill, sponsored by Lakeland Republican Rep. Seth McKeel, will increase election transparency.
Democrats fear it will resurrect leadership funds banned in the state for more than 20 years, although they say they would make use of those funds.
Class Size Amendment
A state constitutional amendment that would loosen class-size restrictions could hit the Senate floor as early as Tuesday.
The bill, SB 2, amends class-size requirements passed in 2002 to allow schools to calculate class sizes at a schoolwide average, instead of on a class-by-class basis.
The proposal, sponsored by Don Gaetz, R-Destin, will need to pass both the House and Senate with a 60 percent majority before being added to the November ballot.
House and Senate Budgets
The House and Senate are buckling down to provide their counterparts to Gov. Charlie Crists proposed $69.2 billion budget. And theyre faced with a $3.2 billion deficit as they attempt to make Florida spend within its means.
House committees finished appropriations meetings last week, and their suggestions will be heard on the floor for second reading as early as Tuesday.
The Senates Policy and Steering Committee on Ways and Means is scheduled Thursday to accept and vote on budget and appropriations bills Thursday.
Jobs Bill
An expensive and expansive job creation bill that could cost the state $187 million over three years could come to the Senate Floor Thursday for at least a reading.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Destin, proposes $1,000 per person tax credits to businesses hiring the unemployed, appropriates $20 million to fund space flight programs and retrain Space Coast employees, adds flexibility to $14.5 million in earmarked funds given to Space Florida and provides the film and entertainment industry with $20 million in tax credits annually for as much as five years.
The bill, SB 1752, was fast-tracked last Thursday by Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, after it passed the Senates Policy and Steering Committee on Ways and Means.
Alex Tiegen can be reached at atiegen@sunshinestatenews.com or called at (561) 329-5389
