Gov. Charlie Crist angered his former fellow Republicans with high-profile -- and highly politicized -- vetoes of an ultrasound abortion bill and teacher performance pay.
But eight other Crist vetoes jilted businesses or agriculture, or just contradicted previously stated positions, with potentially damaging impacts to Floridians and the state's economy.
"He really hurt the state," said Rep. Ralph Poppell, who sponsored two of the nixed bills.
LANDFILLS: Poppell's House Bill 569 would have promoted the collection of methane gas at local landfills, requiring the state Department of Environmental Protection to establish a system of awarding recycling credits for such use.
Lifting the ban on yard-waste disposal, Poppell's bill sought to expand Florida's "green econony" by fostering systems to capture methane gas and use it to generate electricity.
Responding to an environmental campaign dubbed "Mulch, Not Methane," Crist vetoed the measure, saying that "maintaining a ban on yard trash disposal in a Class 1 landfill means it will extend the life of these costly and difficult-to-site facilities."
Poppell characterized opposition to HB 569 as a "turf war" in the waste industry. "I think the governor was sold out," Poppell said.
INSURANCE: Crist's veto of Senate Bill 2044 was widely assailed by the state's property insurance industry, Florida Tax Watch, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Associated Industries of Florida and state Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty.
SB 2044, introduced by Sen. Garrett Richter, R-Naples, would have blocked reenactment of the "use and file" law, which allows insurance companies to raise rates without approval of the Office of Insurance Regulation. It increased surplus and capital requirements for shaky insurers and cracked down on shady insurance adjusters' handling of storm-mitigation discounts.
While the property insurance companies said the law was needed to reform and financially strengthen the industry, Crist sided with Realtors, vowing to veto any measure that could increase rates.
"By vetoing SB 2044, Crist not only secured his place as one of the least consistent politicians in Florida's history, he established himself as one of the most selfish," said Jeffrey Grady, president and CEO of the Florida Association of Insurance Agents.
"Ironically, he did this on June 1, the opening day of hurricane season," Grady said. "Sadly, Crist put the interests of trial lawyers and public adjusters over the people of Florida."
RULE MAKING: HB 1565 would have required government agencies -- before adopting, amending or repealing certain rules -- to prepare a statement of estimated regulatory costs of the proposed rule if that rule had adverse impacts on small business or increased regulatory costs.
Crist vetoed the bill, alleging that it violated the separation of powers.
But Adam Babington, vice president for government affairs at the Florida Chamber of Commerce, responded, "This isnt a new concept or at odds with the authority of the executive branch of government.The Florida Legislature grants state agencies the authority to propose and adopt rules, and can put any conditions it sees fit on that grant of authority."
Babington said HB 1565, sponsored by Rep. Chris Dorworth, R-Heathrow, and passed unanimously by both houses,sought to "increase accountability and transparency in the creation of new government rules."
"If a proposed rule has a negative impact on private investment, job creation or regulatory costs in excess of $1 million over five years, the rule would have to be sent back to the Legislature for its approval," he said.
ROADS: Senate Bill 1842 directed the state Department of Transportation to notify property owners and local governmental entities of certain proposed projects before finalizing the design of certain transportation projects. The bill required the department to hold a public hearing and receive public input regarding the effects of the project on local business.
Vetoing the measure, Crist said additional local hearings would unnecessarily delay state road projects, but sponsor Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, said FDOT was insensitive to the needs of commerce.
"They're killing businesses," Bennett complained, citing protracted road projects along U.S. 301 in Sarasota. He said more public hearings on construction schedules and median construction would ease the strain on business.
AGRICULTURE I: Crist took the opposite tack on House Bill 7103, vetoing a bill that he said would impinge on local authority.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Trudy Williams, R-Fort Myers, would have prohibited counties from imposing stormwater fees on properties that already are regulated by National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits, water management districts or best-management practices.
"There is not adequate justification for the state to interject it's (sic) authority over local decision making," Crist wrote in his veto message.
But calling for the Legislature to override Crist's veto, a group of 24 state agricultural organizations said it is "unjust for counties to impose stormwater ordinance fees on landowners who have already collectively invested hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up their storm water."
HB 7103 would also have required new developments that abut or envelop existing agricultural land to affirmatively acknowledge the fact that the development is moving in next to a farm.
AGRICULTURE II: HB 981 would have protected green-belt classifications by stipulating that the mere act of offering agricultural land for sale neither constitutes a primary use of the land nor serves as the basis for denying an agricultural classification so long as the land remains in agricultural activity while up for sale.
Crist, in his veto message, theorized that the measure "could subsidize private real-estate speculation at the expense of the taxpayer."
Rep. Denise Grimsley, R-Sebring, said her bill was needed to clarify the law in the wake of a court ruling that upheld a property appraiser who denied an ag tax break for a landowner who continued to grow timber on property after listing it for sale.
SITE RECOVERY: HB 1385 would have allowed the owners of 4,985 contamination sites to remove them from the state cleanup list if they do not pose a threat to drinking water supplies.
Crist vetoed the legislation, saying it "ties the hands" of cities and counties while directing the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to set less protective standards for cleaning up sites. He claimed the bill also directs $10 million from dangerous sites toward the cleanup of less dangerous parcels.
But Rep. Poppell, chairman of the House Natural Resources Appropriations Committee, countered that the bill didn't require any money to be spent on low-risk sites and said the bill was supported by cities, counties and the DEP.
"The goal is to improve the overall effectiveness of the program by implementing measures that will reduce costs and increase efficiency," Poppell said. "The person who recommended this (veto) to the governor should be fired."
UF SHANDS: Going into the 2010 session, Crist recommended continued state funding for University of Florida's Shands Medical Center. When the Legislature followed his recommendation, Crist vetoed the $9.7 million allocation.
The governor attempted to explain his veto by critiquing the legislative process. "I didn't want things that came late and didn't have the complete committee vetting opportunity," he said at the time. Left unsaid was the fact that Shands lies within district of House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, who crossed swords with Crist at the end of the session.
While axing funds for a public hospital wasn't necessarily a blow to "business," Crist's action could hurt indigent health care. The funds were targeted to serve 18,000 uninsured Floridians.
Shands CEO Tim Goldfarb said the veto meant his facility could lose $12 million or more in federal matching funds.
Lawmakers have until the end of the 2011 legislative session to override Crist's 2010 vetoes.
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Contact Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 801-5341.
