HARIDOPOLOS: PRISON GUARDS, POLICE ARE DIFFERENT
Responding Wednesday to a question about how privatization of prisons might be perceived, Senate President Mike Haridopolos said most people believe there is a difference between cops on the street and corrections officers in prisons and that many newer prisons dont need as many guards. The Senate has suggested privatizing much of Floridas prison system, potentially saving $70 million. A prison guard is doing a very important job, but is not a police officer, said Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, adding he would rather make cuts in areas like prisons than education. Asked by a reporter whether he meant that corrections officers werent law enforcement officers, Haridopolos clarified: Prison guards are law enforcement, he said. They both serve the public very well. Police Benevolent Assocation lobbyist Jim Baiardi said later that corrections officers go through similar training as police. Prison guards have to deal with convicted felons, and people on Death Row, Baiardi said.
HOUSE TABOR BILL ADVANCES
A proposed constitutional amendment that ties state revenue collections to growth easily passed its first House committee on Wednesday, despite concerns from some Republican members who supported it but questioned whether the proposal was necessary. By a 16-7 vote, the House Finance and Tax Committee passed a measure (PCB FTC 11-02), commonly referred to as a Taxpayers Bill of Rights. If approved by voters, it would limit state revenue growth to inflation and population growth following a phase-in period. The proposal is similar to a Colorado initiative that has been temporarily mothballed as that state deals with budget shortfalls. Backers of the Florida proposal say it will ensure fiscal constraint from lawmakers who, regardless of party affiliation, cant seem to control themselves. Critics call the proposal a simplistic and shortsighted initiative that will degrade spending on schools and services that bring potential businesses into the state. The Senate version (SJR 958) passed the Senate and is awaiting action in the House. The Legislature is already constrained by a constitutional spending cap, but backers of the new way of calculating a cap say the current one isnt stringent enough.
MORE OVERSIGHT, ACCOUNTABILITY FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS
In a wide-ranging bill (CS/SB 1696) passed by the Senate Education PreK-12 Committee on Wednesday, the state would require more oversight of school districts that are found by a grand jury to be financially mismanaged and would mandate greater disclosure of district budgets. That portion of the bill, sponsored by committee chairman Sen. Stephen Wise, R-Jacksonville, is a response to the Broward County School District, which is in disarray after a grand jury report cited corruption and financial irregularities. The bill requires an oversight board that could recommend corrective action. The measure also requires school districts to post each proposed budget and official budget on their school websites. The measure has no identical companion in the House.
ONLINE BOOKING BILL CRASHES, REBOOTS
A measure exempting online booking companies from paying local taxes on the full price of the rooms they rent apparently went up in flames in a House committee on Wednesday before being resurrected to fight another day. Following more than an hour of debate, the House Finance and Tax Committee on a 12-11 vote defeated a measure (HB 493) that has pitted local governments, online booking agents and hotel owners against each other for years. Local government officials say theyre being shorted on their bed taxes because online companies like Expedia and Orbitz pay local tourist development taxes on the rate they pay hotels and not on the full price they charge customers. Rep. Debbie Mayfield, R-Vero Beach, who voted against the bill, asked to reconsider the vote as the meeting came to a close. The motion passed and the bill was put on the shelf. A similar Senate bill (SB 376) is traveling in that chamber.
HOLD ON TAX BREAK FOR DARDEN
The House Finance and Tax Committee will wait at least a week before taking a vote on a tax credit bill (HB 1069) that a newspaper reported Wednesday would benefit only one company. The measure, by Rep. Chris Dorworth, R-Lake Mary, would give expanded tax credits to restaurant company Darden, the Orlando Sentinel reported Wednesday. The company owns Olive Garden, Red Lobster and other chains. The bill was intended to provide a tax break of up to $5 million for eligible companies, but the Sentinel reported Darden would be the only company that would meet the requirements. Dorworth told the paper he intends to expand the legislation, and told the House Finance and Tax Committee Wednesday to wait before taking a vote because there had been some revelations about the bill.
HOUSE PANEL APPROVES $44.5 MILLION FOR ECON DEVELOPMENT
A House panel on Wednesday gave Gov. Rick Scott some of what he wanted by earmarking $44.5 million in nonrecurring funds that could be used by his office to attract targeted business. Speaking on a proposed committee bill (PCB FTC 11-03), Rep. Chris Dorworth, R-Lake Mary, offered an amendment to transfer the funds from general revenue through the state economic development trust fund and to the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development for use on a handful of efforts, including quick-response training, defense and space flight endeavors, and the governors quick-action closing fund.
NEW STATE BOARDING SCHOOL CLEARS FIRST HURDLE
A proposed new state college preparatory boarding school that would only admit at-risk kids passed the Senate Education PreK-12 Committee on Wednesday. The state school would be run as a charter and is designed to target poor students in the fifth and sixth grade who are considered at-risk. Some of the criteria for being considered at-risk include having a single parent, being in foster care, or having an immediate family member in prison. The idea for the school stems from the SEED schools in Maryland and Washington, D.C. Both are college prep boarding schools that keep students Monday through Friday and have a good success rate at sending kids to college. The proposal for the school is tucked into a bill (SB 1546) that would allow charter schools to more easily add new grades and grow enrollment. The House version of the bill contains no proposal to start a new state boarding school.
