Rumors of a growing rift between the Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott are wildly exaggerated, says Senate President Mike Haridopolos.
The Merritt Island Republican dismissed as "pure hogwash" press speculation that leading GOP lawmakers are distancing themselves from Scott.
"On all the issues that matter, we're all together," Haridopolos said of Scott, House Speaker Dean Cannon and himself. "Leadership without equivocation supports [Scott]. We see eye to eye on every major policy front."
In an interview with Sunshine State News hours after the 2011 Legislature convened on Tuesday, Haridopolos said GOP leaders and Scott are united in a push for education, Medicaid, tort and regulatory reform.
And, he added, "No new taxes, no new fees."
Acknowledging "there have been nitpicking issues, like the state plane [sale] and the high-speed train, by a small minority of members," Haridopolos affirmed that the legislative majority is firmly intact.
"We're in lockstep on issues that affect most Floridians," the senator said, noting that he speaks regularly with Scott, as does Cannon.
But tax cuts loom as one exception. While Scott wants to cut corporate and property taxes, neither legislative leader has signed on.
"I want to cut taxes -- perhaps the property tax before the corporate tax -- but, first and foremost, we need to cut spending," Haridopolos said.
Though House and Senate Republicans hold veto-proof majorities, Haridopolos suggested that's a moot point. "It's a give and take process -- we're on equal ground.
"Stability is key," the Senate president said of Florida's economic agenda. "We can offer a sharp contrast to other mega-states across the country to show Florida is a good place to start a business and raise a family."
Among the stabilizers is a proposed "smart cap" that would set prescribed limits on state spending. The measure, sponsored by state Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale, sets any future reserves aside and would pump money back into the economy.
"You save corn so you don't have to eat sand in the bad times," Haridopolos explained.
Addressing other subjects, the Senate president commented on:
SEN. BILL NELSON AND HIGH-SPEED RAIL: "I wish he worked as hard to help NASA. ... We're in the middle of an economic crisis and he's more concerned about trains and talking about snakes in the Everglades."
TRANSPORTATION: "Florida voters already said no to high-speed rail. Tampa voters said no to taxes. [U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray] LaHood said if the private rail venture fails, taxpayers would be on the hook. If Nelson cared, he would fight for block grants for our needs. We are a donor state [into the federal highway fund]."
EDUCATION: "We see savings that can be wrenched out of the system. We share the belief [with Scott] that the classroom is the last place we want to cut."
ENERGY: "I did not support the president's absolute ban on drilling. We want to look at an all-energy solution. [State Agriculture Commissioner] Adam Putnam is taking the lead on biofuels. We want to offer incentives to make the marketplace work."
TEA PARTIES: "They've done a magnificent job of elevating financial issues to the forefront. Their agenda on financial issues is our agenda."
PILL MILLS: "I am passionate about the pill mill issue," Haridopolos said. Departing from both Scott and Cannon, who have raised concerns about privacy, Haridopolos, whose wife is a doctor, said, "Databases are effective in taking on pill mills. We will try to get a private company to pay for the database to stop doctor shopping."
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Contact Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or (772) 801-5341.
