Sayfie Review Roundup - May 2, 2015
Florida's top headlines that attracted the most
readers on Sayfie Review this week
Steve Bousquet - Tampa Bay Times - April 28, 2015
...House Speaker Steve Crisafulli has spoken frequently this session about his commitment to a members-first style of leadership. But rank and file House members say Crisafulli didn't forewarn them that he was about to shut down the House on Tuesday. As a result, they realize they look like lemmings in a top-down driven House, and they're turning on him.
"We were given no notice ahead of time. No indication it was coming. We figured maybe it was the next day, or the following day," said Rep. Ray Pilon, a blindsided Sarasota Republican who saw a few of his bills fall victim to the shutdown. "I was very surprised and very disappointed that it was handled that way."
John Kennedy - Palm Beach Post - April 28, 2015
...The Florida House abruptly adjourned Tuesday afternoon - ending its work in a 2015 regular session deadlocked over the Senate's push for expanding health coverage. House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, brought the House to a close shortly after 1:15 p.m. - three days before Friday's scheduled adjournment.
House Democratic Leader Mark Pafford of West Palm Beach said that his minority caucus got word of the move about "10 seconds before" it happened.
Crisafulli, though, said the House's exit made sense.
"I don't think it's healthy for the process (for us) to stay here and continue to talk about something that neither side is changing their view on," Crisafulli said. "Hopefully, the Senate president and I can sit down and figure out how to determine when we're going to come back and hold a (special) session," he added.
Former Senate President Gaetz takes jabs at House leaders after early sine die
Michael Auslen - Tampa Bay Times - April 29, 2015
...The day after House Republicans unexpectedly ended session early, Sen. Don Gaetz said lawmakers need to start working together or risk looking like they can't get anything done.
"We ought to wave a copy of the Constitution under everybody's nose and say we have a constitutional obligation to pass a budget and we've got to pass it by June 30," Gaetz, R-Niceville, said. "If not, we're Washington. We look like Washington."
Coming from a Florida Republican, that's like saying lawmakers look completely incompetent. Yet he is confident state lawmakers will get to a point of compromise. It just may take a little bit of a cooling-down period.
