On Feb. 11, with the utterance of three words, “Guilty, Your Honor,” Jim Greer prematurely ended an ugly and convoluted chapter in the Republican Party of Florida’s history. The disgraced former party chair also dashed the hopes of many who wanted to see the fireworks of a full-blown trial and accountability for all who participated in illegal or unethical behavior.
The story was years in the making....
One idea floating around the current legislative session is to turn Florida’s part-time Legislature into a full-time job. To be fair, in reality, most of those serving in the Florida House and Senate are working full-time and then some.
The Florida Legislature meets each year for a 60-day session, generally in March and April. Historically, in nonelection years legislators are also in the state...
Much has been written since Gov. Rick Scott released his budget – that’s right, the $74.2 billion budget. You got it, the budget that includes more than $4 billion in spending above the prior year. Yes, you heard right, that would be the largest budget in state history.
And there’s something in there for virtually everyone!
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The last few years have been tough on Florida’s court system. While the judicial branch is to be separate but equal to the other two branches of government, its budget is at the whim of the Legislature and its judicial vacancies are filled by the governor.
This is above and beyond the system of checks and balances that the framers of our Constitution intended to ensure a fair system of justice. It is imperative that no branch of government garners the ability to exert undue influence over another, thus tipping the scales of power.
In the 2010 legislative session, the courts...
Florida’s legislature has started its committee meetings in advance of the 2013 legislative session. The big news out of Tallahassee so far has been the Senate’s desire for ethics reform.
I am cautiously optimistic that lawmakers will enact some reforms, and I am particularly pleased about the House’s desire for campaign finance reform, which I find intriguing.
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Some of the state’s strongest protectors of our natural resources were recently expelled from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Fifty-eight of the most knowledgeable and long-serving employees were let go in order to fulfill the governor’s promise/threat of less regulation.
While I believe that the executive branch of government has the responsibility of managing state agencies...
It seems to take a tragedy for lawmakers, the news media and the public to show an interest in addressing the growing national crisis in untreated mental illness. The recent calamity at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., caused millions of Americans to question, how does something like this happen? Weren’t there warning signs?
Of course there were warning signs. The sad truth is, in...
To fix a problem, you first need to understand it.
After the November election, Florida was the last state to tally votes and certify results. Embarrassed, the governor, secretary of state and legislative leaders vowed to fix the problem. Both House Speaker Will Weatherford and Senate President Don Gaetz committed to identify what went wrong and to remedy the situation.
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For the Florida Legislature to function fairly, efficiently, and transparently, there are rules and procedures in place for lawmakers to follow when conducting the people's business.
The Legislature is expected to make policy decisions through legislative bills that are introduced and debated through the committee process and voted on by both the full House and Senate. Likewise, funding decisions are...
The election is over, new legislators convened in Tallahassee and the incoming leadership of the Florida House and Senate are making ethics reform a top priority. Hooray, yippee, Hallelujah!
Since leaving the Florida Senate three weeks ago, I assumed phone calls from reporters would be a thing of the past. But during a two-day period, I received five messages relating to legislative leaders talking...
