The Week Ahead in Florida Politics – July 6, 2015

BY THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, JULY 3, 2015…..Each summer, the Florida Supreme Court takes a break from its weekly routine of releasing opinions. This year, that break will start after the court releases opinions Thursday. And with major decisions pending about issues such as congressional redistricting and workers-compensation insurance, the final batch of opinions likely will draw heavy attention. Justices, however, have broad discretion about when they rule on issues, so it is difficult to predict what cases will be decided Thursday --- and what cases will remain to be resolved when the break ends Aug. 27.

MONDAY, JULY 6, 2015

CONGRESSWOMAN SPEAKS AT STATUE UNVEILING: U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., is expected to be among the speakers during an unveiling of a Statue of Liberty replica at Florida International University. The unveiling will take place during a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization ceremony. (Monday, 10:30 a.m., Florida International University, Modesto Maidique Campus, 11200 S.W. Eighth St., Miami.)

FPL PLANT PURCHASE AT ISSUE: The state Public Service Commission will hold a pre-hearing about a Florida Power & Light proposal to buy a coal-fired power plant in Jacksonville and later shut it down. FPL has a long-term contract to purchase power from the Cedar Bay Generating Plant. If regulators approve the purchase, FPL would end the purchased-power contract and ultimately shut down the plant. A full hearing on the purchase is scheduled to start July 28. (Monday, 1:30 p.m., Betty Easley Conference Center, 4075 Esplanade Way, Tallahassee.)

VETERANS INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME: Gov. Rick Scott will host an induction ceremony for the 2014 class of the Florida Veterans' Hall of Fame. The inductees are the late LeRoy Collins Jr., who served as a rear admiral in the U.S. Navy Reserve; retired Army Maj. Gen. James Lee Dozier; retired Col. Harry Frank Farmer Jr., a physician who served in the U.S. Army, Florida Army National Guard and U.S. Air Force Reserve; retired Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Eugene Cecil Johnson; and retired Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Lawrence F. Snowden. (Monday, 3 p.m., Cabinet meeting room, the Capitol.)

COSTELLO HOLDS TOWN HALL: State Rep. Fred Costello, R-Ormond Beach, is scheduled to start a series of town-hall meetings. (Monday, 6:30 p.m., Port Orange City Hall, 1000 City Center Circle, Port Orange.)

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

RUBIO STAFF HOLDS OFFICE HOURS: U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio's staff will hold "mobile office hours" in Osceola County. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., Robert Guevara Community Center, 501 Florida Parkway, Kissimmee.)

SPACE FLORIDA PRESIDENT ADDRESSES ECONOMIC CLUB: Space Florida President and Chief Executive Officer Frank DiBello will speak to the Economic Club of Florida. (Tuesday, noon, FSU Alumni Center, 1030 West Tennessee St., Tallahassee.)

GREENWAYS AND TRAILS PROJECTS CONSIDERED: The Florida Greenways and Trails Council will start two days of meetings and consider numerous projects for designation as parts of the Florida Greenways and Trails System. (Tuesday, 1 p.m., Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, 6131 Commercial Way, Weeki Wachee.)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS AT ISSUE: The state Public Service Commission will hold a pre-hearing about a proposal by Wal-Mart and the Florida Industrial Power Users Group that would allow eligible customers to "opt out" of utility energy-efficiency programs. Those customers would have their own energy-efficiency programs. A full hearing on the issue is scheduled to start July 22. (Tuesday, 1:30 p.m., Betty Easley Conference Center, 4075 Esplanade Way, Tallahassee.)

COSTELLO HOLDS TOWN HALL: State Rep. Fred Costello, R-Ormond Beach, is scheduled to continue a series of town-hall meetings. (Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., New Smyrna Beach City Hall, 210 Sams Ave., New Smyrna Beach.)

WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2015

GREENWAYS AND TRAILS PROJECTS CONSIDERED: The Florida Greenways and Trails Council is scheduled to continue a meeting to consider numerous projects for designation as parts of the Florida Greenways and Trails System. (Wednesday, 8 a.m., Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, 6131 Commercial Way, Weeki Wachee.)

PAROLE CASES HEARD: The Florida Commission on Offender Review will consider numerous parole cases involving crimes committed in the 1970s and 1980s. (Wednesday, 9 a.m., 4070 Esplanade Way, Tallahassee.)

STEVERSON TO SPEAK AT PERMITTING EVENT: Department of Environmental Protection Interim Secretary Jon Steverson is scheduled to speak during a luncheon at the Florida Chamber's annual Environmental Permitting Summer School. (Wednesday, 12:10 p.m., Marriott World Center Resort, 8701 World Center Dr., Orlando.)

RUBIO STAFF HOLDS OFFICE HOURS: U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio's staff will hold "mobile office hours" in Orange County. (Wednesday, 6 p.m., Eagles Nest Park, 5165 Metrowest Blvd., Orlando.)

COSTELLO HOLDS TOWN HALL: State Rep. Fred Costello, R-Ormond Beach, is scheduled to continue a series of town-hall meetings. (Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., Ormond Beach City Hall, 22 South Beach St., Ormond Beach.)

THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2015

EAGLE SPEAKS TO BUSINESS GROUP: State Rep. Dane Eagle, R-Cape Coral, is scheduled to speak during a breakfast 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.)

POST-SESSION REVENUE ISSUES DISCUSSED: The Revenue Estimating Conference will discuss a series of issues after the legislative session, including general revenue. (Thursday, 9 a.m., 117 Knott Building, the Capitol.)

NATIONAL ECONOMY ANALYZED: The Economic Estimating Conference will look at the national economy. (Thursday, 10 a.m., 117 Knott Building, the Capitol.)

VETERANS HALL OF FAME AT ISSUE: The Florida Veterans' Hall of Fame Council will meet and vote on nominees for the 2015 class of the Florida Veterans' Hall of Fame. (Thursday, 10 a.m., 28 House Office Building, the Capitol.)

SUPREME COURT TO RELEASE OPINIONS: The Florida Supreme Court is scheduled to release its weekly opinions. This will be the court's last regular release of opinions before a summer break. The regular weekly releases will resume Aug. 27. (Thursday, 11 a.m.)

ARMY CORPS LEADER TO SPEAK AT PERMITTING EVENT: Col. Alan M. Dodd, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Jacksonville District, is scheduled to speak during a luncheon at the Florida Chamber's annual Environmental Permitting Summer School. (Thursday, 12:10 p.m., Marriott World Center Resort, 8701 World Center Dr., Orlando.)

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WATER BOARD TO MEET: The Northwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board will take up a series of issues, including a tentative 2015-16 budget. (Thursday, 1 p.m., district headquarters, 81 Water Management Dr., Havana.)

FLORIDA POPULATION TALLIED: The Demographic Estimating Conference will take up Florida population numbers. (Thursday, 1:30 p.m., 117 Knott Building, the Capitol.)

COSTELLO HOLDS TOWN HALL: State Rep. Fred Costello, R-Ormond Beach, is scheduled to continue a series of town-hall meetings. (Thursday, 6:30 p.m., Daytona Beach Shores City Hall, 3048 South Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach Shores.)

FRIDAY, JULY 10, 2015

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS DUE: Candidates, political committees and political parties face a Friday deadline for filing reports showing their campaign-finance activity through June 30.