CALENDAR PREVIEW: WEEK OF OCTOBER 31, 2011

By the News Service of Florida

THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, Oct. 28, 2011….. Lawmakers return to Tallahassee this week and things start to heat up with several bills starting to move through committees, though many of the biggest, most controversial measures are yet to get committee assignments. Still, substantive pieces of legislation begin to get hearings, from an effort to require car booster seats for children, to a school prayer measure, to a bill dealing with accountability for those who educate children in juvenile lockups. 

MONDAY, OCT. 31, 2011

LIST OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES SET: Monday is the deadline for major political parties to submit the list of presidential candidates to the secretary of state for the Presidential Preference Primary ballot. 

TUESDAY, NOV. 1, 2011

STATE SENATE REDISTRICTING: The House subcommittee looking at ways to redraw state Senate boundaries will meet to look at redistricting data and website updates. (Tuesday, 8 a.m., 404 House Office Building, The Capitol.)

WATER CHOICES CONFERENCE AT USF: The University of South Florida's Patel School of Global Sustainability and the Florida Earth Foundation host Water Choices IV on Tuesday, where panelists will discuss public-private partnerships aimed at solving water shortage problems. Participants include Florida Next Foundation chair Alex Sink ; Steve Seibert, former Senior Vice President for the Collins Center for Public Policy; Florida Trend journalist Cynthia Barnett,  author of  Mirage and Blue Revolution;, representatives from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, Tampa Bay Water and The Mosaic Company. The registration fee is $95, though it's free for students. (Tuesday, 8:30 a.m., the Patel Center, University of South Florida, Tampa.)

CABINET HEARS ABOUT PIP, CITIZENS: The governor and Cabinet will hear the results of a working group's effort to get a grip on what's causing such dramatic rate hikes to personal injury protection auto insurance coverage in Florida. Robin Westcott, the state's insurance consumer advocate, will release the findings of the PIP Working Group, a cross section of interested parties that met throughout the fall to address an issue that is likely to be among the session's top issues. Scott Wallace, CEO of Citizens Property Insurance Corp. will update the panel on the state-backed insurer. (Tuesday, 9 a.m., Cabinet Chambers, The Capitol.

FUELING UTILITY BILLS: The Public Service Commission will start a hearing about fuel costs for the investor owned electric utilities, a critical part of customers' monthly bills. The commission will evaluate what customers are paying for fuel to Florida Power & Light Company, Progress Energy Florida, Tampa Electric Company, Gulf Power Company, and Florida Public Utilities Company.  Utilities will present their projected 2012 fuel and purchased power costs and also true-up previous estimates for costs incurred in 2011 to actual costs.  Recovery of capacity, conservation, and environmental costs will also be considered.  The Office of Public Counsel will represent the interests of consumers. The hearings go through Thursday. (Tuesday, 9:30 a.m., Betty Easley Conference Center, 4075 Esplanade Way, Tallahassee.)

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE: The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee will be receiving a deluge of information concerning Florida's water supply and use issues. The committee is expected to hear presentations by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Agriculture and the Everglades Foundation will look at the state's water needs from a variety of perspectives. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., 102 House Office Building, The Capitol.)

DEPT. OF HEALTH TOUR: The House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee will tour the state Department of Health as part of a series of information gathering endeavors. Buses will leave from the House parking garage at 10 a.m., (Tuesday 10 a.m., 2585 Merchants Row, Blvd, Southwood Complex, Tallahassee.)

K-20 EDUCATION INNOVATION SUBCOMMITTEE: The committee will hear presentations on strategies to provide students more options to accelerate their progress through public school. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., 17 House Office Building, The Capitol.)

SENATE COMMERCE AND TOURISM: The Senate Commerce Committee spends the day talking about getting people back to work. Monster.com will tell lawmakers how it connects employers and job seekers, with lawmakers hoping for some inspiration or ideas from the company. Another private job organization, CareerEdge, gives a presentation too. The panel also hears a presentation by Chris Hart, President and CEO of Workforce Florida, Inc., on Florida's workforce system and hears from Mary Helen Kress, president and CEO of Suncoast Workforce, the Region 18 regional workforce board, who will provide an update on the regional workforce boards. The panel does have some bills, including proposed public records exemptions for info held by economic development agencies (SPB 7014) and by the organization that deals with commercialization of research paid for by tax dollars (SBP 7020). (Tuesday, 10:30 a.m., 401 Senate Office Building, The Capitol.)

SENATE TRANS TO TAKE LOOK AT CHILD RESTRAINTS FOR OLDER KIDS: The Senate Transportation Committee on Tuesday will consider a bill (SB 196) that would require a restraining seat for many children up to age 7, most of whom currently are allowed to ride in a car unrestrained. Studies show seat belts don't adequately protect most of them, though and most states now require the booster seats or some type of restraints for older kids. The issue is a top priority for federal highway safety officials, who have singled out Florida as being one of the few states that doesn't require them for children over age 4. Current state law requires car seats for children under 4, and seat belts for everyone else. The National Transportation Safety Board has for several years pushed for states to require that children under 7 also be required to sit in a booster seat that makes the seat belt actually work better for children that size, unless the child is 4'9" or taller. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Thad Altman, R-Viera. (Tuesday, 10:30 a.m., 37 Senate Office Building, The Capitol.)

DISABLED PARKING, ROAD RAGE ALSO IN SENATE TRANS: The Senate Transportation Committee also takes up a bill (SB 226) to get tough on able-bodied motorists who take advantage of disabled parking permits. Sen. Gwen Margolis, D-Miami, sponsors the bill to require local officials to more frequently check the rolls of permit holders to make sure they are still among the living and in need of the free parking pass. The bills require motorists to renew their permits in person. The bills also require random audits -including a search of county death records -- every six months and bolster penalties for drivers who abuse the privilege. Also before the panel is Sen. Mike Bennett's ongoing effort to get the slow drivers out of the left lane (SB 244), a bill (SB 334) dealing with criteria for required bicycle helmets for young riders, and one (SB 286) increasing penalties for people who leave the scene of an injury accident, among others. (Tuesday, 10:30 a.m., 37 Senate Office Building, The Capitol.)

REG INDUSTRIES VISITS DBPR: The Senate Regulated Industries Committee goes on a field trip Tuesday to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. (Tuesday, 10:30 a.m.)

CERTIFICATE OF NEED: The House Health and Human Services Quality Subcommittee will hear a panel discussion on the certificate of need process in long term care and licensure of nursing homes. (Tuesday 1:30 p.m., 306 House Office Building, The Capitol.)

EDUCATION BUDGET REQUESTS: The House PreK -12 Appropriations Subcommittee will discuss budget requests from the Department of Education as part of an overview of education finances for the upcoming fiscal year. The panel will also be briefed on estimated local property tax collections , district budget balances and school grades and recognition programs. (Tuesday 1:30 p.m., 404 House Office Building, The Capitol.)

MORE WATER: WATER: The House State Affairs Committee will be briefed on Florida's water supply and use issues by affected parties. The committee is expected to hear presentations by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Agriculture and the Everglades Foundation. The panel will look at the state's water needs from a variety of perspectives. (Tuesday, 1:30 p.m., 102 House Office Building, The Capitol.)

PRISON TRENDS: The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee will hear from state economists on admission trends for Florida prisons. The Office of Economic and Demographic Research will update the committee on issues that will affect prison budgets for the coming year. The panel discusses HB 173, which would allow officials to place juveniles adjudicated delinquent in mother-infant programs designed to serve needs of juvenile mothers or expectant juvenile mothers. (Tuesday, 2 p.m., 404 House Office Building, The Capitol.)

SENATE BUDGET COMMITTEE: The Senate Budget Committee on Tuesday hears presentations, including one by the Government Efficiency Task Force, one on state courts and clerks revenue and one on the effort to consolidate the email and data center. (Tuesday, 2 p.m., 412 Knott Building, The Capitol.)

AWAKE THE STATE: Progressive activists Awake the State hold events around the state on Nov. 1, focusing on voting rights, primarily. Some of the events are in coordination with Occupy movement events.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 2, 2011

CITIZENS INSURANCE DEPOPULATION: The House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee will consider legislation dealing with property insurance as it delves into efforts to depopulate Citizens Property Insurance Corp., which is now the state's largest property insurer. HB 245 would allow and set parameters for surplus lines insurers to offer take out coverage for Citizens recipients. The panel will also consider the repeal of a couple of measures requiring the Financial Services Commission to submit annual reports (HB 4059, HB 4061). Members will hear updates on recently concluded studies on personal injury protections and workers' compensation. (Wednesday, 8:30 a.m., 404 House Office Building, The Capitol.)

MAGNET LAB FUNDING: The House Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee will be briefed on funding issues surrounding the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State University in Tallahassee. The panel will also hear presentations on injured workers programs and blind services. (Wednesday, 8:30 a.m., 103 House Office Building, the Capitol.)

SCHOOL PRAYER: The ever-controversial issue of school prayer comes up Tuesday in Senate Ed Pre-K-12 Committee, which takes up a bill (SB 98) allowing district school boards to adopt resolutions that allow prayers of invocation or benediction at secondary school events. (Wednesday, 8:30 a.m., 301 Senate Office Building, The Capitol.)

GRADING EDUCATION IN JUVENILE DETENTION: A proposed bill (SPB 7016) before the Senate Education Committee Wednesday would require rating of the school district programs and private companies educating youth in the state's detention centers, residential treatment facilities and prevention programs. If a district or company involved in educating youth at Department of Juvenile Justice facility receives two failing performance ratings in a three-year period, the department could sanction them or even prevent them educating DJJ youth under the proposal, by Sen. Steve Wise, R-Jacksonville. (Wednesday, 8:30 a.m., 301 Senate Office Building, The Capitol.)SENATE ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION: The Senate Environmental Preservation Committee has a bill (SB 188) repealing the Urban Infill and Redevelopment Assistance Grant, and confirmation votes on several members of various boards and commissions. (Wednesday, 8:30 am, 110 Senate Office Building, The Capitol.)

FUELING UTILITY BILLS: The Public Service Commission will continue a hearing about fuel costs for electric utilities. (Wednesday, 9:30 a.m., Betty Easley Conference Center, 4075 Esplanade Way, Tallahassee.)

ASSOCIATED PRESS LEGISLATIVE PLANNING DAY: The annual meeting of newspaper editors from around the state sponsored by the Associated Press takes place Wednesday. Taking the opportunity to speak to the group will be House Speaker Dean Cannon, Senate President Mike Haridopolos, Gov. Rick Scott, U.S. Senate candidates Craig Miller and Mike McCallister, and Democratic legislative leaders Sen. Nan Rich and Rep. Ron Saunders. The meeting goes on most of the first half of the day. (Wednesday, 9:30 a.m., 22nd floor, The Capitol.)

DRAINING ETHANOL: The Senate Communications, Energy and Public Utilities Committee will consider a bill (SB 238) that would eliminate a requirement that gasoline sold in Florida include ethanol. (Wednesday, 11 a.m., 110 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

LOTTERY TOUR: The House Government Operations Appropriations Subcommittee will tour the Florida Lottery headquarters. Buses for the tour, which will also include members of the House Government Operations Subcommittee, will leave the House Office Building parking garage at 11:30 a.m. (Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. 250 Marriott Drive, Tallahassee.) 

SENATE REAPPORTIONMENT: The Senate Reapportionment committee actually begins discussion of statewide plans, including those submitted by senators, those put forth by civil rights organizations, and some offered by the public. The panel also continues discussion of scenarios for drawing congressional districts, focusing Wednesday on the southeast part of the state. It also discusses southeast Florida state House districts. (Wednesday, 2 p.m., 412 Knott Building, The Capitol.)

HOUSE COMMUNITY & MILITARY AFFAIRS SUBCOMMITTEE: The committee will consider legislation repealing an urban infill program that hasn't been funded for a decade (HB 4003) and another dealing with community-based development organizations. (HB 4027). (Wednesday 3 p.m., 212 Knott Building, The Capitol.)

SCHOOL GRADES: The House K-20 Competitiveness Subcommittee will hear a presentation on the state's school grading process. (Wednesday, 3 p.m., 17 House Office Building, The Capitol.) 

REPUBLICAN CAUCUS MEETING: The Republican Caucus meets Wednesday evening. Party officials (Wednesday, 5 p.m., Senate President's Conference Room, Senate Office Building, The Capitol.)

GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY TASK FORCE: The Government Efficiency Task Force on Wednesday evening discusses the work of an expressway work group, talks about design procurement and the Consultants' Competitive Negotiations Act. (Wednesday, 6:15 p.m., 401 Senate Office Building, The Capitol.)

THURSDAY, NOV. 3, 2011

CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING: The House committee charged with redrawing congressional boundaries will take a look at website updates and other redistricting data as the chamber tries to submit its vision of political districts for the next decade. (Thursday, 8 a.m., 17 House Office Building, The Capitol.)

HOUSE REDISTRICTING SUBCOMMITTEE: The committee continues its review of state House districts as it prepares for the once-a-decade redrawing of political boundaries. (Thursday 8 a.m., 404 House Office Building, The Capitol.)

SENATE MILITARY AFFAIRS: The Senate Military Affairs Committee hears a presentation on the Florida Fusion Center, and FDLE center that processes and coordinates dissemination of information on terrorism, law enforcement and homeland security when it needs to be shared by multiple agencies. (Thursday, 8:30 a.m., 37 Senate Office Building, The Capitol.)

FRS CONTRIBUTIONS: The Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee will be briefed on the status of SB 2100. Passed earlier this year, the law requires employees participating in the Florida Retirement System to contribute 3 percent of their salaries toward their pensions. The law is being challenged in court. (Thursday, 9 a.ml, 110 Senate Office Building, The Capitol.)

FUELING UTILITY BILLS: The Public Service Commission is scheduled to continue a hearing about fuel costs for electric utilities. (Thursday, 9:30 a.m., Betty Easley Conference Center, 4075 Esplanade Way, Tallahassee.)

ELECTRONIC COURT FILING: The Supreme Court hears a proposal to update rules of court to accommodate the advent of electronic court records. The changes were recommended by the various Florida Bar rules committees. The proposed changes include a statement of the general requirement that documents shall be filed via e-mail or other internet-based transmission methods. Some exceptions to electronic filing would be provided, such as large trial exhibits. (Thursday, 9:40 a.m., Florida Supreme Court, 500 S. Duval St., Tallahassee.)

MERIT PAY UPDATE: The House Education Committee will get an update on the state's newly enacted merit pay system as it transitions from a seniority only perspective to basing compensation, in part on student performance. Committee members will also be briefed on student acceleration programs and an overview of the school grading system. (Thursday, 10:30 a.m., 102 House Office Building, The Capitol.) 

SENATE CRIM JUSTICE: The Senate Criminal Justice Committee considers a bill dealing with parole for juveniles (SB 92), a measure (SB 210) allowing the withholding of unpaid costs of prosecution and representation from the return of a cash bond posted on behalf of a criminal defendant. The panel also hears a presentation on school district "zero tolerance policies" from the Florida Association of District School Superintendents. (Thursday, 10:30 a.m., 37 Senate Office Building, The Capitol.)

EYEING I-BUDGETS AND ALFS: The Senate Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee will get an update about the Agency for Persons with Disabilities' iBudget plans and will discuss assisted-living facilities. (Thursday, 10:30 a.m., 401 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

BLOOD WORK: The Senate Health Regulation Committee will consider a series of changes to laws dealing with blood banks (SB 364). The panel also considers a measure (SB 80) to increase regulations of massage establishments, aimed at reducing human trafficking. (Thursday, 10:30 a.m., 412 Knott Building, the Capitol.)

PRIORITY COURSE REGISTRATION FOR VETS: The Senate Higher Education Committee will consider a bill that allows eligible military veterans, their spouses or children to be prioritized first in registering for courses. Essentially, veterans and their dependents would receive “priority registration” when picking classes at public colleges and universities. The committee will also hear a report on university athletics. (Thursday, 10:30 a.m., 301 Senate Office Building, The Capitol, Tallahassee.)


SUPREME COURT OPINIONS: The Florida Supreme Court releases its regular opinions. (Thursday, 11 a.m.)

SIPLIN DISCUSSES LEGISLATION: Sen. Gary Siplin, D-Orlando, meets with reporters to discuss legislation that he will be sponsoring during the 2012 legislative session. That includes a bill to allow undocumented immigrant students to pay in-state tuition, (Thursday, 12:30 p.m., 205 Senate Office Building, The Capitol.)

CONSUMPTIVE USE ISSUES: The House Select Committee on Water Policy will look at the status of the Department of Environmental Protection's consumptive use permit project. Florida's five water management districts require permits to withdraw and use large amounts of ground or surface water. Additionally, in the St. Johns River Water Management District, a permit may also be required to obtain large amounts of water from a wholesale water supplier. (Thursday, 1 p.m., 404 House Office Building, The Capitol.)

UNEMPLOYMENT COSTS WEIGHED: The Revenue Estimating Conference will analyze unemployment compensation taxes, an important issue for businesses, which have complained for a couple years that they're paying too much. As the state's unemployment rate went up, the state drained the fund from which the benefits are paid, leading Florida to borrow from the federal government and also to raise the rate. (Thursday, 1:30 p.m., 117 Knott Building, the Capitol.)

PALIN SPEAKS AT RPOF VICTORY DINNER: Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is the main speaker at the Republican Party's main fundraising dinner, the Victory Dinner Thursday evening in Orlando. There's a 6 p.m. VIP reception, followed by a reception and then the dinner at 7 p.m. Gov. Rick Scott is also expected to attend. (Thursday, 6 p.m., Disney's Grand Floridian Resort, 4401 Floridian Way, Lake Buena Vista.)