The Week Ahead in Florida Politics – August 24, 2015

BY THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, AUGUST 21, 2015…..Florida lawmakers will start the 2016 legislative session Jan. 12, nearly two months earlier than usual. And though it's still August, local legislative delegations across the state are poised to begin holding hearings to prepare for the session. Also during the coming week, the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. will make its case to regulators for changes in customers' rates.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 2015

GRAHAM SPEAKS TO NEW FSU STUDENTS: U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, D-Fla., will speak during a convocation ceremony for new students at Florida State University. FSU President John Thrasher will lead the ceremony. (Sunday, 1:30 p.m., Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, 505 West Pensacola St., Tallahassee.

MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2015

MANATEE COUNTY DELEGATION MEETS: The Manatee County legislative delegation will meet as it prepares for the 2016 session. (Monday, 8:30 a.m., State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch Campus, 7131 Professional Parkway East, Sarasota.)

RUBIO STAFF HOLDS OFFICE HOURS: U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio's staff will hold "mobile office hours" in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. (Monday, 10 a.m., St. Petersburg Public Library, South Library Branch, 2300 Roy Hanna Dr. South, St. Petersburg. Also, 2 p.m., Sun City Center Library, 1011 North Pebble Beach Blvd., Sun City Center.)

LAWMAKER SEEKS FRACKING BAN: Sen. Darren Soto, D-Orlando, will hold a news conference to announce legislation aimed at banning the method of oil and gas drilling known as "fracking." (Monday, 2 p.m., outside the Orange County Commission building, 201 South Rosalind Ave., Orlando.)

ORANGE COUNTY DELEGATION MEETS: The Orange County legislative delegation will meet as it prepares for the 2016 legislative session. (Monday, 3 p.m., Orange County Administration Center, 201 South Rosalind Ave., Orlando.)

DESANTIS SPEAKS TO BROWARD GOP: Republican Congressman Ron DeSantis, who is running for the U.S. Senate in 2016, is slated to speak during a meeting of the Broward County Republican Executive Committee. (Monday, 7 p.m., Deicke Auditorium, 5701 Cypress Road, Plantation.)

TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2015

CITIZENS RATES AT ISSUE: The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation will hold a public hearing about a rate proposal from the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. The proposal includes higher rates for many of Citizens' coastal customers. (Tuesday, 9 a.m., 401 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WATER BOARD MEETS: The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board will meet. (Tuesday, 9 a.m., Tampa Service Office, 7601 U.S. 301, Tampa.)

FORESTRY PANEL DISCUSSES LEGISLATIVE, FIRE ISSUES: The Florida Forestry Council will take up a series of topics, including issues for the 2016 legislative session and a summary of the 2014-2015 wildfire season. (Tuesday, 3 p.m., Edgewater Beach & Golf Resort, 11212 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach.)

CONGRESSMAN, LEGISLATORS HOLD TOWN HALL: U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., state Sen. Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, and state Rep. Danny Burgess, R-San Antonio, are slated to hold a town-hall meeting in Pasco County. (Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Dade City Historic Courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave., Dade City.)

RODMAN RESERVOIR AT ISSUE: The Florida Department of Environmental Protection will hold a meeting about a planned drawdown of the Rodman Reservoir along the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway. (Tuesday, 7 p.m., Ravine Gardens State Park, 1600 Twigg St., Palatka.)

TAYLOR SPEAKS TO HISPANIC DEMOCRATS: State Rep. Dwayne Taylor, D-Daytona Beach, is expected to speak to the Democratic Hispanic Caucus of Florida, Volusia County chapter. (Tuesday, 7 p.m., Gateway Center for the Arts, 880 North U.S. 17-92, DeBary.)

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2015

ELECTIONS COMMISSION MEETS: The Florida Elections Commission is scheduled to start two days of meetings and take up cases involving elected officials and political groups from across the state. (Wednesday, 8:30 a.m., 110 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AT ISSUE: The state Agency for Health Care Administration will host a pair of meetings in Jacksonville to discuss behavioral-health issues. The meetings will include representatives of groups such as managed-care plans and behavioral-health providers. (Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., The Schultz Center for Teaching and Leadership, 4019 Boulevard Center Dr., Jacksonville.)

BOARD OF EDUCATION GOES TO GAINESVILLE: The State Board of Education will consider issues such as a 2016-17 budget request and proposals for new bachelor's degree programs at Tallahassee Community College, Polk State College, Seminole State College of Florida and Santa Fe College. (Wednesday, 9 a.m., Santa Fe College, Northwest Campus, Fine Arts Hall, 3000 N.W. 83rd St., Gainesville.)

LEGISLATIVE LEADERS, PUTNAM SPEAK AT AIF CONFERENCE: Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam are expected to speak during an Associated Industries of Florida annual conference. Other scheduled speakers include Republican Congressmen Ron DeSantis, who is running for U.S. Senate. (Wednesday, 9 a.m., JW Marriott Orlando, 4040 Central Florida Parkway, Orlando.)

CABINET AIDES PREPARE FOR MEETING: Aides to Gov. Rick Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater will discuss issues in advances of a Sept. 1 Cabinet meeting. (Wednesday, 9 a.m., Cabinet meeting room, the Capitol.)

GULF CONSORTIUM BOARD MEETS: The Gulf Consortium Board of Directors will meet and discuss issues related to the use of money from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. (Wednesday, 9 a.m., Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront, 333 First St. South, St. Petersburg.)

CONGRESSWOMEN SPEAK AT FIU: Florida Congresswomen Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Debbie Wasserman Schultz will speak at Florida International University about their legislative experiences and women in leadership. (Wednesday, 10 a.m., Florida International University, Biscayne Bay Campus, Hospitality Management building, 3000 N.E. 151st St., North Miami.)

RUBIO STAFF HOLDS OFFICE HOURS: U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio's staff will hold "mobile office hours" in Orange and Osceola counties. (Wednesday, 10 a.m., Renaissance Senior Community Center, 3800 South Econlockhatchee Trail, Orlando. Also, 10 a.m., St. Cloud Branch Library, 810 13th St., St. Cloud. Also, 4 p.m., Poinciana Community Center, 395 Marigold Ave., Kissimmee.)

BUSH CAMPAIGNS IN PENSACOLA: Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush, who served two terms as Florida governor, will hold a town-hall meeting in Escambia County. (Wednesday, 12:30 p.m. Central time, Pensacola Bay Center, 201 East Gregory St., Pensacola.)

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015

FITZENHAGEN SPEAKS TO BUSINESS GROUP: State Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen, R-Fort Myers, is scheduled to speak during a meeting of Businesspeople United for Political Action Committee, or BUPAC. (Thursday, 7:30 a.m., Florida SouthWestern State College, 8099 College Parkway, Building AA, Fort Myers.)

ELECTIONS COMMISSION MEETS: The Florida Elections Commission is scheduled to continue two days of meetings. (Thursday, 8:30 a.m., 110 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

LOPEZ-CANTERA, JOLLY SPEAK AT AIF CONFERENCE: Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera and Republican Congressman David Jolly are expected to speak during an Associated Industries of Florida annual conference. Lopez-Cantera and Jolly are running for U.S. Senate in 2016. (Thursday, 9 a.m., JW Marriott Orlando, 4040 Central Florida Parkway, Orlando.)

TOBACCO PREVENTION EFFORTS DISCUSSED: The Tobacco Education and Use Prevention Advisory Council will meet. (Thursday, 9 a.m., 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Tallahassee. Also, call-in number: 1-888-670-3525. Conference Code: 700 265 0509.)

JACKSONVILLE POWER PLANT DEBATED: The Florida Power Service Commission is scheduled to hold a series of three meetings and take up issues such as a proposal by Florida Power & Light to buy and, ultimately, shut down the coal-fired Cedar Bay power plant in Jacksonville. (Thursday, meetings start at 9:30 a.m., Betty Easley Conference Center, 4075 Esplanade Way, Tallahassee.)

ATWATER SPEAKS TO COUNTY OFFICIALS: State Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater is expected to speak during a policy-committee conference of the Florida Association of Counties. Earlier in the day, Dick Batchelor, of Consumers for Smart Solar, and Stephen Smith, of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, are expected to discuss competing solar-energy ballot initiatives. (Thursday, solar discussion at 1:15 p.m., Atwater at 6:30 p.m., Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront, 333 First St. South, St. Petersburg.)

RUBIO STAFF HOLDS OFFICE HOURS: U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio's staff will hold "mobile office hours" in Broward County. (Thursday, 3 p.m., Northwest Regional Library, 3151 North University Dr., Coral Springs.)

LIBERTY, CALHOUN DELEGATIONS MEET: The Liberty County and Calhoun County legislative delegations, both of which are made up of Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, and Rep. Halsey Beshears, R-Monticello, will meet in preparation for the 2016 session. (Thursday, 5:30 p.m., Eastern time, Liberty County Courthouse, Bristol. Also, 6 p.m. Central time, Calhoun County Commission chamber, the Extension Office, 20859 Central Ave. East, Blountstown.)

FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2015

CENTRAL FLORIDA WATER AT ISSUE: The Central Florida Water Initiative Steering Committee will meet in Kissimmee. The committee includes representatives of the St. Johns River Water Management District, the South Florida Water Management District, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Tohopekaliga Water Authority. (Friday, 9:30 a.m., TOHO Water Authority, 951 Martin Luther King Blvd., Kissimmee.)

RUBIO STAFF HOLDS OFFICE HOURS: U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio's staff will hold "mobile office hours" in Manatee and Sarasota counties. (Friday, 10 a.m., Island Library, 5701 Marina Dr., Holmes Beach. Also, 2 p.m., North Port Public Library, 13800 Tamiami Trail, North Port.)

FLORIDA COMMUNITIES TRUST MEETS: The Florida Communities Trust Governing Board will meet and discuss the program that helps local communities protect natural resources and preserve working waterfronts. (Friday, 2 p.m., Marjory Stoneman Douglas Building, 3900 Commonwealth Blvd., Tallahassee.)