Welcome to "The Dean's List" -- an Ed Dean-style look at who Florida's political achievers were (and weren't) in the last seven days. What you see here is strictly my opinion, not necessarily the editor's or the rest of the staff at Sunshine State News.
THOSE WHO MADE THE LIST
Florida Rep. Charles Van Zant. The Palatka Republican introduced a bill wanting to help create a level playing field when it comes to bidding on certain taxpayer-funded construction contracts offered by local governments. This bill pits union contractors against nonunion ones. Van Zants bill ensures local governments cant require contractors to agree to predetermined wages, staffing levels or employee benefits.
The proposal has drawn the opposition of organized labor, and the Florida AFL-CIO is against the bill, insisting it will help keep them out of lucrative local construction markets. But the Associated Builders and Contractors points out that contracts involving project labor agreements are almost always awarded to unions.
This bill would make it more competitive for the bid process where the unions just might have to adopt free-market policies without all the union rules that increase the cost of construction projects.
Florida Sen. Alan Hays and Florida Rep. Ben Albritton. Hays, R-Umatilla, and Albritton, R-Wauchula, both of whom chair subcommittees that deal with Florida lands and its environment, have been criticized for not spending enough on Amendment 1. Groups like Audubon Florida say the two Republicans arent doing what the voters wanted after they passed Amendment 1 last year.
But Albritton, who chairs the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee, wants to focus more on managing land the state already owns. Hays, over on the Senate side, agrees with that. Note to environmentalists: Amendment 1 money is being spent. But before we allocate spending on new lands lets spend it on the lands the state already owns and maintain those first.
Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto. The Fort Myers Republican has a bill (SB 1552) that gives Florida parents the choice to send their children to any public school in the state no matter which neighborhood or district they live in. The bill would also make it easier for the expansion of charter schools in some cases. On the down side, the bill is 62 pages long and crosses the line in some areas when it comes to local school control. But Benacquistos bill is overall a good one, especially on school accountability and transparency.
DEAN'S LIST MISSES
The Osceola County Commission. After winning a 4-1 majority of the County Commission seats in 2014, newly elected Democrats on the Osceola County Commission havent wasted any time in raising local taxes. Described as reversing years of local Republican policies, the County Commission voted to raise the local gas tax by 5 cents a gallon. A few days later, the County Commission voted to bring back transportation tax (fee) on new construction that was repealed by the Republicans when they controlled it.
And they arent through. County Commissioner Cheryl Grieb, a Democrat, said the county is also looking at other additional measures to raise money, including the possibility of a sales-tax increase. Of course they arent really talking about the details of any possible spending cuts.
Florida House Majority Leader Dana Young. Tucked in a proposed spending plan by the House Transportation and Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee is the Tampa Republicans $1 million earmark for the Tampa Theater. Young thinks the 88-year-old building needs to be restored including the electrical system, parts of which date back to the 1920s.
Tampa Theater is such a gem for our city, Young said. You cannot replace that building. Whatever the historical significance of the building, this is a bailout for the arts -- not exactly what fiscal conservatives want to see from the state budget.
The Miami International Boat Show. The Miami International Boat Show has been sold as a huge economic boost for South Florida for years now. If thats the case, then why are they asking the state government for more than $1 million in public funds? This is after the city of Miami,sent $16 million to accommodate the boat show. Despite all this cash, representatives for the show say the event will generate $30 million in sales taxes, but no profit.
Florida Sen. Nancy Detert. While the Venice Republican reluctantly voted in favor of a school choice bill, she was against a certain provision in the bill. Detert said she was vehemently opposed to a measure that would let high-performing charter-school providers open an unlimited number of schools in an area where a traditional public school is struggling. She also voiced concerns about a pilot program that would give charter schools in designated areas more autonomy.
But more charter schools mean more competition which gives more choices to parents. As the years go by, charter-school enrollment continues to rise and so does student success. School choice is a bedrock of the GOPs policies on education but Detert sounds like a teachers' union clone here.
Ed Dean, a senior editor with SSN whose talk show can be heard on radio stations across Florida, can be reached at ed@sunshinestatenews.com. Follow him on Twitter: @eddeanradio.
