Republican leaders in both House and Senate set the table for conservative legislation due to come to a votewhen both convene Thursday.
The House pushed through the following:
ameasure capping legal fees for private attorneys representing the state Attorney Generals Office;
legislation moving the burden of proof from retailers to injured plaintiffs in slip-and-fall cases;
a bill restoring affiliated political-committee funds; and,
The House measure on legal fees restricts the percentage of recovery funds attorneys can pocket when working on behalf of the state. During debate, House members said that while Florida gained $13 billion from the tobacco settlement case in 1997, $3 billion of that went to pay the lawyers. The measure is being sponsored by Rep. Eric Eisnaugle, R-Orlando.
Rep. Gary Aubuchon, R-Cape Coral, is the main sponsor of the slip-and-fall legislation that would move the burden of proof from retailers to the plaintiffs in tort cases where someone is injured in a retail environment.
When asked by Rep. Yolly Roberson, D-Miami, what has changed since 2002 when Florida enacted the slip-and-fall law that Aubuchon hopes to replace, he said, "We have found our national retailers in the state of Florida have slip-and fall-cases which have cost twice as much as the national average."
Rep. Elaine Schwartz, D-Hollywood, said, "This bill makes all of us vulnerable and is not good public policy."
Aubuchon dismissed Schwartz's comments by saying that 35 other states have similar measures to what he is proposing.
The bill to restore affiliated leadership committees allows the leaders of both parties in the House and Senate to raise money for members of their caucus. This led to sharp debate between the measures sponsor, Rep. Seth McKeel, R-Lakeland, and incoming Democratic leader Rep. Ron Saunders, D-Key West. While McKeel argued that the measure would allow more transparency, Saunders believes the bill was the Republicans response to recent problems in the Republican Party of Florida.
The issue of same-sex adoption emerged during a debate on whether adoption agencies should ignore if potential parents own guns.
Senators began a discussion of a bill that would allow owners of firearms to adopt children with no questions asked. The bill from Sen. Thad Altman, R-Melbourne, would outlaw requiring gun owners to register their firearms when applying for adoption. A similar proposal is in the House, sponsored by Rep. Mike Horner. R-Kissimmee.
The bill was discussed long enough for Sen. Charlie Justice, D-St. Petersburg, to withdraw an amendment prohibiting discrimination against potential adopters based on sexual orientation, a move heavily supported by Democrats. In the House, Rep. Scott Randolph, D-Orlando, withdrew a similar amendment.
Democrats will continue to push to allow same-sex couples to adopt in Florida. Rep. Mary Brandenburg, D-Lake Worth, will be holding a press conference on Wednesday to garner attention for her bill, which would repeal the ban on same-sex couples and individuals from adopting.
The House will also take up some less controversial measures on Thursday, including one giving more funds for Space Florida to improve launch pads and other facilities.
Otheritems sailing toward passage include a measure for the Department of Health to govern domestic violence centers as group homes instead of as food establishments; a bill requiring middle school students to take civics; and a bill repealing a decades-old statute prohibiting gambling and plays within a mile of a religious camp meeting.
Sunshine State News Reporter Alex Tiegen contributed to this story.
Kevin Derby can be reached at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com.
