A crisp January start to the Florida legislative session sounded good to senators Monday, so the Ethics and Elections Committee voted favorably to move forward a bill changing the date.
SB 1356, sponsored by Sen. Anitere Flores, takes advantage of a loophole provided in the Florida Constitution regarding when the Florida Legislature must be in session. While the Constitution mandates the regular session convene in March during odd-numbered years, it allows for the start date to be changed on even-numbered years through legislation.
Flores proposes beginning on the first Tuesday after the second Monday on those open, even-numbered years. Meaning, the effective start date in 2014 would be Jan. 14, and ending on March 16, a Sunday.
Is this an April Fools joke? ribbed Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater.
Its not an April Fools joke; I really think its a great idea, Flores answered the committees chairman.
The Miami Republican said she crafted the legislation because it makes more sense from a budgeting standpoint because it allows state agencies more time with their budgets. Flores also said that by starting in January, lawmakers wont run against the issue of a compressed time schedule due to days off for the Easter and Passover holidays.
Sen. Tom Lee, R-Brandon, took the idea even further, saying he thinks theres an opportunity to take a look at the way the legislative process works and perhaps suggest alternatives to the 60-day session.
One of the few dissenting voices came from Sen. Darren Soto, D-Kissimmee, who worried about going straight from the December holiday season right into regular session with no time for committee weeks to ramp up.
But, Flores noted the time schedule worked during the recent reapportionment session, when committee meetings were held during September through November. An unintended benefit, according to the sponsor, is that the new schedule could make committee chairmen more thoughtful about how the committees time is used.
As support for the idea ignited, Latvala pointed out the bills drawback could be its lack of a House companion. Admitting that the measure was mostly only getting a hearing at the committee because Flores is a member, Latvala said the bill would need to find a friend in the House.
Sen. Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, hoped it would be introduced as a proposed committee bill in the lower chamber, because having a January start time would allow cities and counties to be better prepared, and it would not run into holidays or spring break. The head of the Gardiner agency supports it back home, he joked.
Notwithstanding the fact that it would mean a colder session (weather-wise, of course), the committee reported the bill favorably, and Flores made a last-minute plea to committee members who serve as chairmen on other committees to take up her bill.
Anne Smith writes special to Sunshine State News.
