The Week Ahead in Florida Politics – January 30, 2017

BY THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, JANUARY 27, 2017....... Gov. Rick Scott and other state leaders will appear Tuesday at an annual Associated Press gathering of reporters and editors from across the state. Scott is expected to detail his 2017-2018 budget proposal. Later in the week, Scott will head to Orlando for a "jobs summit."

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2017

Legislature:

LEGISLATIVE SESSION DISCUSSED: Manatee and Sarasota County lawmakers are expected to talk about the upcoming legislative session during a Manatee Chamber of Commerce "politics and pancakes" breakfast event. (Monday, 8 a.m., IMG Academy Golf Club, 4350 El Conquistador Parkway, Bradenton.)

HOLMES COUNTY DELEGATION MEETS: The Holmes County legislative delegation, made up of Sen. George Gainer, R-Panama City, and Rep. Brad Drake, R-Eucheeanna, will meet in preparation for the 2017 session. (Monday, 10 a.m. Central time, Holmes County Commission board room, 107 East Virginia Ave., Bonifay.)

WASHINGTON COUNTY DELEGATION MEETS: The Washington County legislative delegation, made up of Sen. George Gainer, R-Panama City, and Rep. Brad Drake, R-Eucheeanna, will meet. (Monday, 11:15 a.m., Central time, Washington County Commission board room, 1331 South Blvd., Chipley.)

JACKSON COUNTY DELEGATION MEETS: The Jackson County legislative delegation, made up of Sen. George Gainer, R-Panama City, and Rep. Brad Drake, R-Eucheeanna, will meet. (Monday, 1:30 p.m. Central time, 2864 Madison St., Marianna.)

CLAY COUNTY DELEGATION MEETS: The Clay County legislative delegation, made up of Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, Rep. Travis Cummings, R-Orange Park, and Rep. Bobby Payne, R-Palatka, will meet. (Monday, 4 p.m., Clay County Commission chamber, 477 Houston St., Green Cove Springs.)

BEAN GETS BOYS & GIRLS CLUB AWARD: Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, is expected to receive a Boys & Girls Club "legislative champion" award. (Monday, 5 p.m., Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Florida, 555 West 25th St., Jacksonville.)

Also:

OPTICIANRY BOARD MEETS: The Florida Board of Opticianry will meet in Tallahassee. (Monday, 8 a.m., Capital Circle Office Complex, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Tallahassee.)

VETERANS HONORED: Florida veterans will be honored during a Governor's Veterans Service Award ceremony. (Monday, 9 a.m., Ronald O. Harrison Readiness Center, 4799 N.W. 67th Ave., Miramar.)

UF TRUSTEES HOLD MEETINGS: The University of Florida Board of Trustees will meet after a meeting of its Committee on Governance. (Monday, committee meeting starts at 1 p.m., with full board immediately following, University of Florida, 123 Tigert Hall, Gainesville.)

TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2017

Legislature:

STATE LEADERS AT AP PRE-SESSION EVENT: The Associated Press will hold its annual legislative planning session, which draws reporters and editors from across the state. Speakers are expected to include Gov. Rick Scott, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, Senate President Joe Negron, House Speaker Richard Corcoran, Senate Minority Leader Oscar Braynon and House Minority Leader Janet Cruz. Scott plans to release his 2017-2018 budget proposal at the event. (Tuesday, 8:45 a.m., 22nd floor, the Capitol.)

PINELLAS DELEGATION MEETS: The Pinellas County legislative delegation, which includes three senators and seven House members, will meet as it prepares for the 2017 session. (Tuesday, 9 a.m., Largo Public Library, 120 Central Park Dr., Largo.)

BROWARD DELEGATION HOLDS WORKSHOPS: The Broward County legislative delegation, made up of five senators and 14 House members, will hold workshops with the School Board, the County Commission and the League of Cities. (Tuesday, workshops begin at 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., Broward County Governmental Center, 115 South Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale.)

MIAMI-DADE DELEGATION MEETS: The Miami-Dade County legislative delegation, which includes six senators and 18 House members, will hold a public hearing. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., Florida International University, Modesto A. Maidique Campus, Rafael Diaz-Balart Hall, 11200 S.W. Eighth St., Miami.)

DUVAL DELEGATION MEETS: The Duval County legislative delegation, made up of two senators and six House members, will hold a public hearing on local bills. (Tuesday, 2 p.m., Jacksonville City Hall, 117 West Duval St., Jacksonville.)

PUTNAM COUNTY DELEGATION MEETS: The Putnam County legislative delegation, made up of Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, and Rep. Bobby Payne, R-Palatka, will meet. (Tuesday 2 p.m., Putnam County Commission meeting room, 2509 Crill Ave., Palatka.)

HAMILTON COUNTY DELEGATION MEETS: The Hamilton County legislative delegation, made up of Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, and Rep. Elizabeth Porter, R-Lake City, will meet. (Tuesday, 5 p.m., Hamilton County Courthouse, 207 N.E. First St., Jasper.)

POWELL HOLDS TOWN HALL: State Sen. Bobby Powell, D-West Palm Beach, is slated to hold a town-hall meeting. (Tuesday, 6 p.m., Palm Beach Shores Community Center, 90 Edwards Lane, Palm Beach Shores.)

Also:

ALTMAIER SPEAKS IN VOLUSIA COUNTY: State Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier is slated to speak at a lunch meeting of the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce. (11:30 a.m., Holiday Inn LPGA, 137 Automall Circle, Daytona Beach.)

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2017

Legislature:

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA LAWMAKERS DISCUSS SESSION: The Chamber of Southwest Florida is scheduled to host a panel discussion about the upcoming legislative session. Participants are expected to include Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Fort Myers; Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples; Rep. Matt Caldwell, R-North Fort Myers; Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Naples; Rep. Dane Eagle, R-Cape Coral; Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen, R-Fort Myers; and Rep. Bob Rommel, R-Naples. (Wednesday, 11:30 a.m., The Crowne Plaza at Bell Tower Shops, 13051 Bell Tower Dr., Fort Myers.)

PALM BEACH LAWMAKERS, SCHOOL BOARD MEET: The Palm Beach County legislative delegation is slated to hold a workshop with the county School Board. (Wednesday, 2 p.m., Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center, 3300 Forest Hill Blvd., West Palm Beach.)

BEAN SPEAKS AT BEACHES EVENT: State Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, is slated to speak at the Beaches Watch "State of the Beaches" meeting. (Wednesday, 7 p.m., Beaches Library, 600 Third St., Neptune Beach.)

Also:

ENTERPRISE FLORIDA COMMITTEES MEET: The Enterprise Florida Board of Directors will hold a series of committee meetings in advance of a full board meeting Thursday. (Wednesday, committee meetings start at 8 a.m., Caribe Royale Orlando, 8101 World Center Dr., Orlando

CABINET AIDES MEET: Aides to Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet will meet to prepare for a Feb. 7 Cabinet meeting. (Wednesday, 9 a.m., Cabinet meeting room, the Capitol.)

CHILDREN'S MEDICAL SERVICES DISCUSSED: The Florida Department of Health will hold the first in a series of meetings about the "service delivery model" in the Children's Medical Services Managed Care Plan. (Wednesday, 9 a.m., Ansin Building, 1300 South Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale.)

WATER RATES AT ISSUE: The Florida Public Service Commission will hold customer hearings on a proposal by Utilities Inc. of Florida to raise water and wastewater rates. (Wednesday, 9:30 a.m., Grand Hall of Pennbrooke Fairways, 33825 Pennbrooke Parkway, Leesburg. Also, 6 p.m., Clermont Arts & Recreation Center, 3700 South Highway 27, Clermont.)

MEDICAID ISSUES ON THE TABLE: The Medical Care Advisory Committee, which reviews issues in the Medicaid program, will meet after holding subcommittee meetings. (Wednesday, subcommittees at 1 p.m., followed by full committee, Agency for Health Care Administration, 2727 Mahan Dr., Tallahassee.)

SPACE INDUSTRY ISSUES DISCUSSED: The Space Florida Board of Directors is scheduled to meet. (Wednesday, 2:30 p.m., Caribe Royale Orlando, 8101 World Center Dr., Orlando.)

SCOTT, CABINET TALK ABOUT DEP SECRETARY: Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet will consider the appointment of Ryan Matthews as interim secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection and discuss the process of picking a replacement for outgoing Secretary Jon Steverson. (Wednesday, 4 p.m., Cabinet meeting room, the Capitol.)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2017

Legislature:

EAGLE ADDRESSES BUSINESS GROUP: State Rep. Dane Eagle, R-Cape Coral, is scheduled to speak to the Businesspeople United for Political Action Committee, or BUPAC. (Thursday, 7:30 a.m., Florida SouthWestern State College, 8099 College Parkway, Building AA, Fort Myers.)

BEAN SPEAKS TO CIVICS STUDENTS: State Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, is expected to speak to civics students at Fernandina Beach Middle School. (Thursday, 2 p.m., Fernandina Beach Middle School, 315 Citrona Dr., Fernandina Beach.)

Also:

ENTERPRISE FLORIDA BOARD MEETS: The Enterprise Florida Board of Directors will meet. (Thursday, 8:30 a.m., Caribe Royale Orlando, 8101 World Center Dr., Orlando.)

CHAMBER HOLDS 'SUMMIT' ON INSURANCE ISSUES: The Florida Chamber of Commerce will hold an insurance "summit," with speakers expected to include state Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier, Division of Emergency Management Director Bryan Koon and Citizens Property Insurance CEO Barry Gilway. (Thursday, 8:30 a.m., JW Marriott Miami, 1109 Brickell Ave., Miami.)

CHILDREN'S MEDICAL SERVICES DISCUSSED: The Florida Department of Health will continue a series of meetings about the "service delivery model" in the Children's Medical Services Managed Care Plan. (Thursday, 9 a.m., Florida Department of Health in Orange County, 6101 Lake Ellenor Dr., Orlando.)

WATER AND SEWER RATES AT ISSUE: The Florida Public Service Commission will hold customer hearings on a proposal by Utilities Inc. of Florida to raise water and wastewater rates. (Thursday, 9:30 a.m., Eastmonte Civic Center, 830 Magnolia Dr., Altamonte Springs. Also, 6 p.m., Cypress Lakes Clubhouse, 10000 U.S. 98 North, Lakeland.)

SUPREME COURT RELEASES OPINIONS: The Florida Supreme Court is expected to release its weekly opinions. (Thursday, 11 a.m.)

MORGAN SPEAKS AT TIGER BAY: Orlando attorney John Morgan, who led efforts to pass a constitutional amendment broadly legalizing medical marijuana and is a potential 2018 candidate for governor, will speak to the Capital Tiger Bay Club. (Thursday, 11:30 a.m., Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, 505 West Pensacola St., Tallahassee.)

JOBS 'SUMMIT' STARTS: Gov. Rick Scott will host the 2017 "Jobs Summit" in Central Florida. (Thursday, 1 p.m., Caribe Royale Orlando, 8101 World Center Dr., Orlando.)

BOARD OF NURSING MEETS: The Florida Board of Nursing will meet. (Thursday, 1:30 p.m., Tampa Marriott Westshore, 1001 North Westshore Blvd., Tampa.)

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2017

Legislature:

LAWMAKERS AT INSURANCE EVENT: Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, and other members of the House and Senate are expected to take part in a Florida Chamber of Commerce insurance "summit." (Friday, 8:45 a.m., JW Marriott Miami, 1109 Brickell Ave., Miami.)

Also:

BOARD OF MEDICINE MEETS: The Florida Board of Medicine will meet, with its agenda including a rule hearing on standards for telemedicine practice and an update from Christian Bax, director of the state Office of Compassionate Use, which is in charge of carrying out medical-marijuana laws. (Friday, 8 a.m., Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate, 1500 Masters Blvd., ChampionsGate.)

BOARD OF NURSING MEETS: The Florida Board of Nursing will meet. (Friday, 8:30 a.m., Tampa Marriott Westshore, 1001 North Westshore Blvd., Tampa.)

HOUSING ISSUES DISCUSSED: The Florida Housing Finance Corp. Board of Directors will meet in Tampa. (Friday, 8:30 a.m., Marriott Tampa Airport, 4200 George J. Bean Parkway, Tampa.)

JOBS 'SUMMIT' CONTINUES: Gov. Rick Scott will host the 2017 "Jobs Summit" in Central Florida. (Friday, 8:45 a.m., Caribe Royale Orlando, 8101 World Center Dr., Orlando.)

CHILDREN'S MEDICAL SERVICES DISCUSSED: The Florida Department of Health will continue a series of meetings about the "service delivery model" in the Children's Medical Services Managed Care Plan. (Friday, 9 a.m., Capital Circle Office Complex, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Tallahassee.)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2017

Legislature:

BEAN ATTENDS AMELIA ISLAND MEETING: State Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, is expected to attend the Amelia Island Plantation Community Association's annual meeting. (Saturday, 9 a.m., Omni Amelia Island Plantation Conference Center, 39 Beach Lagoon Road, Fernandina Beach.)

MEDICAL MARIJUANA AT ISSUE: The Florida Association of Counties will hold a "summit" to discuss a wide range of issues related to medical marijuana. Speakers are expected to include Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, House Majority Leader Ray Rodrigues, R-Estero, and Christian Bax, director of the Florida Department of Health's Office of Compassionate Use. (Saturday, 9:30 a.m., Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista South, 4955 Kyngs Heath Road, Kissimmee.)