A spirit of cooperation between the House and Senate worked to produce an overachieving Legislature in 2013, so why not stick with a winner in 2014, Florida Senate President Don Gaetz told the staff of Sunshine State News Tuesday.
The history of House-Senate relationships in Florida has been rocky at times, Gaetz said before giving kudos to House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel. I've found with Will Weatherford, we can work through issues and find common ground.
In an interview with SSN, Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, pointed to the Workplan 2014 agenda that he and Weatherford are championing. It includes promoting economic opportunity through education, becoming more military friendly, defending the most vulnerable Floridians, supporting Gov. Rick Scotts proposed tax cuts and improving government efficiency."
We intend to hit the gas, Gaetz said, promising a more aggressive agenda than we had last year. He added that his and Weatherfords agenda would require completion of more than 20 pieces of legislation. Wed rather go out with a bang than with a whimper.
Gambling
Asked about the expansion of gaming in Florida, including destination casinos, Gaetz insisted that it was low on his agenda. Expansion of gaming was not a priority for the speaker or for me, and is not, he said. "But we've beenrelying on the legislative gaming committees to create a framework for a holistic approach on the issue instead of relying on a patchwork of issues. If the committees work leads to a substantial expansion of gaming, Gaetz said he will probably vote against it.
Noting the compact with the Seminole Tribe comes up again in 2015, Gaetz said Scott is in the drivers seat on the issue. The gaming issue is in the governors hands, he said. The governor ... holds all the cards.We've teed the issue up, Gaetz added. If the governor wants to pursue it this year, he can.
While noting the committees could forward to voters a proposed state constitutional amendment, Gaetz promised to avoid crowding the ballot with political issues du jour which often are motivated by efforts to ramp up voter turnout.
Medical marijuana
A proposed state constitutional amendment to legalize medical marijuana was on Gaetzs mind Tuesday. The amendments chief sponsor is trial lawyer John Morgan whose employee, former Gov. Charlie Crist, is the favorite for the Democratic nomination to challenge Scott in November despite spending most of his political life in the GOP.
Gaetz said he thinks Morgans proposed amendment would produce a broad based legalization of marijuana and gave less of a role to doctors than medical marijuana legislation currently working through the Legislature, including bills filed by his son, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Shalimar, and Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Orange Park. The Senate president praised both bills for relying on doctors and state universities to distribute medical marijuana and for being limited in scope. Gaetz said his own views have changed on the issue.
My view has changed as a result of families whose stories I have listened to and whose stories are compelling, Gaetz said, especially when other medical procedures and treatments do not produce effective results. Gaetz did not hazard a guess as to how the legislation will impact the vote on the proposed constitutional amendment. What effect that will have on John Morgans and Charlie Crists proposal, I dont know.
Common Core/Florida Standards
Asked about efforts to implement Common Core standards in Florida schools, Gaetz said he backed improving standards in the Sunshine State no matter what program they were included under.
If the standards are high standards, then Ill back them, Gaetz said before adding this remains a complex issue. The Common Core debate should not be reduced to a bumper-sticker issue.
Besides higher standards, Gaetz said Florida needs to rely on brand name tests which are trusted, like the SAT and ACT and which also provide data security. Gaetz cited his experience at the school board level and as a county school superintendent to insist instructional materials be controlled at the local level instead of at the federal or state level. The Senate president praised a bill from Sen. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, which will leave instructional material under local control.
He also said he had problems with the PARCC test, often associated with Common Core, insisting it is too large and takes too long. We dont need tests that are larger than FCAT.
Data security also remains a prime concern of Gaetz's with the new Florida Standards, but Gaetz seemed upbeat about the direction of Florida's education.
"The Common Core issue, you have to take it apart into these pieces and evaluate where we're going," he said. "I think, for the most part, Commissioner Stewart has done the right thing in adjusting and raising standards ... my hope is that the Legislature won't have to do very much about this matter."
Tuition for children of undocumented workers
The one point of disagreement Gaetz said he has with Weatherford is over giving the children of undocumented immigrants state tuition.
Noting he represents military families in the Panhandle, Gaetz said service members often marry citizens of other nations who move back to the United States. These families stand in line, wait their turn and obey the law, Gaetz insisted. He said the children of undocumented aliens should not be moved ahead of military families and other immigrants who play by the rules when it comes to in-state tuition.
Still, he praised Weatherfords sincere position, and noted the speaker and his brother are very involved in helping alien families whose children need education.
We respect each others positions, Gaetz said. Its a very respectful debate.
State employee pension reform
Turning to state employee pension reform, Gaetz said he backs Weatherfords efforts for reform despite the Senate rejecting it last year.The Senate was very narrowly divided on this issue, he said about Weatherfords efforts in 2013.
Gaetz pointed to what he called a compromise bill supported by Weatherford and Sen. Wilton Simpson, R-New Port Richey, which differs from previous legislation by leaving first responders out of the reforms. The Senate president also stressed the bill would not impact current state employees or retired employees. This bill will not be the same bill the speaker introduced last year, Gaetz said.
He noted that the debate's bottom line is money, and much of the pension bills fate will rest on an actuarial study from the Department of Management Services. That analysis will drive the debate, Gaetz insisted.
The Legacy Amendment
Noting his respect for former Gov. and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., Gaetz said he nevertheless strongly disagrees with the Legacy Amendment, a proposed state constitutional amendment which would designate state funds be used to preserve the Everglades on an annual basis for the next 20 years.
Gaetz said he opposes sending hundreds of millions of dollars that are to be spent on a predetermined purpose, noting it ties the Legislatures hands when it comes to funding other priorities. The Senate president added he thinks there is enough state-owned land in Florida. Government owns so much land in the state of Florida, he said. In fact, government owns too much land in the state of Florida.
Technology, more ethics reform, good government
Efforts to streamline the state governments IT and create a chief information officer for the state are moving along very well, Gaetz said, adding this legislation has a very good chance of passing this year.
Gaetz also vowed to continue ethics reforms, calling for more transparency especially when it comes to lobbying special districts, including the states water management districts. We need full disclosure of whos lobbying whom in special districts, Gaetz said.
The Senate president closed by insisting the House and Senate will be above partisan politics and tensions between the two chambers, adding that Congress could learn something from Tallahassee.
I hope we can end this session the way we started last session -- as being the un-Washington, Gaetz said.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com. Allison Nielsen (allison@sunshinestatenews.com) and Nancy Smith (nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com 228-282-2423) contributed to this story.
