The Week Ahead in Florida Politics – March 30, 2015

THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, MARCH 27, 2015…..The House and Senate are expected during the coming week to approve their proposed budgets for the fiscal year that starts July 1. But with the two chambers more than $4 billion apart, the real action likely will come in late April as they try to negotiate a final spending plan. Also during the coming week, legislative committees are expected to debate hot-button issues such as school choice and abortion.

MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2015

Legislature:

MUNICIPAL POWER AGENCY EYED: The Joint Legislative Auditing Committee will receive a presentation about an audit of the Florida Municipal Power Agency. (Monday, 9 a.m., 301 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

JUVENILE CITATIONS AT ISSUE: The House Justice Appropriations Subcommittee will consider a bill (HB 99), filed by Rep. Gwyn Clarke-Reed, D-Deerfield Beach, and Rep. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, that could lead to fewer juveniles being arrested for misdemeanors. The bill, in part, would allow police officers to issue warnings or inform parents when juveniles admit committing misdemeanor crimes. If officers do not issue warnings or inform parents, they would issue civil citations or require participation in diversion programs. (Monday, 12:30 p.m., Morris Hall, House Office Building, the Capitol.)

POWDERED ALCOHOL BAN DEBATED: The Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee will take up a proposal (SB 998), filed by Sen. Gwen Margolis, D-Miami, that would ban powdered forms of alcoholic beverages. (Monday, 4 p.m., 110 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

DRONES TARGETED: The Senate Criminal Justice Committee will consider a bill (SB 282), filed by Sen. Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange, that would bar the use of aerial drones to track people without their consent. (Monday, 4 p.m., 37 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

OTHER LEGISLATIVE MEETINGS:
--- House Rules, Calendar & Ethics Committee (Monday, 3 p.m., 404 House Office Building, the Capitol.)
--- Senate Finance and Tax Committee (Monday, 4 p.m., 401 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2015

Legislature:

PSC CHANGES SOUGHT: The House Government Operations Appropriations Subcommittee will consider a proposal (HB 7109), filed by Rep. Mike La Rosa, R-St. Cloud, that would make changes at the Florida Public Service Commission, including limiting new commissioners to three consecutive terms. (Tuesday, 9 a.m., Morris Hall, House Office Building, the Capitol.)

SENATORS LOOK AT 'BAD FAITH' LAW: The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee will take up a bill (SB 1088), filed by Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, that could help shield insurers from what are known as "bad faith" lawsuits. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., 110 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

ABORTION WAITING PERIOD AT ISSUE: The Senate Health Policy Committee will consider a proposal (SB 724), filed by Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, that would require a 24-hour waiting period before women could have abortions. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., 412 Knott Building, the Capitol.)

PANEL TO CONSIDER ADJUTANT GENERAL: The Senate Military and Veterans Affairs, Space and Domestic Security Committee is slated to hold a confirmation hearing for newly appointed Florida National Guard Adjutant Gen. Michael Calhoun. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., 37 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

LAWMAKERS LOOK AT SCHOOL CHOICE: The House Education Appropriations Subcommittee will consider a proposal (HB 1145), filed by Rep. Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, that would allow parents more freedom to choose where their children go to school. The measure would allow parents to transfer their children to any school that has not reached 90 percent of its capacity. (Tuesday, 12:30 p.m., Morris Hall, House Office Building, the Capitol.)

WRITE-IN RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT EYED: The House Transportation & Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee will take up a bill (HB 4043), filed by Rep. Joe Geller, D-Aventura, that would eliminate a residency requirement for write-in candidates. State law currently says write-in candidates must live at the time of qualification in the districts they seek to represent. The residency requirement touched off a court battle last year in House District 64 in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. (Tuesday, 12:30 p.m., Reed Hall, House Office Building, the Capitol.)

SCHOOL GUNS DEBATED: The Senate Education Pre-K-12 Committee will take up a bill (SB 180), filed by Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker, that would allow school superintendents to designate trained employees or volunteers to carry concealed weapons at public schools. (Tuesday, 1:30 p.m., 412 Knott Building, the Capitol.)

PRESCRIBING POWERS CONSIDERED: The Senate Regulated Industries Committee will consider a proposal (SB 614), filed by Sen. Denise Grimsley, R-Sebring, that would expand the drug-prescribing authority of physician assistants and advanced registered nurse practitioners. (Tuesday, 1:30 p.m., 110 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

EMPLOYEE HEALTH INSURANCE ON TAP: The House Appropriations Committee will take up a bill (HB 7097), filed by Rep. Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford, that would revamp the health insurance program for state employees. Under the plan, employees would ultimately be given choices of insurance plans with four different benefit levels. The state would contribute a certain amount for each employee. (Tuesday, 3 p.m., 212 Knott Building, the Capitol.)

PANEL TO CONSIDER TAX CUTS: The House Finance & Tax Committee will consider a wide-ranging tax cut package (PCB FTC 15-05) that includes reducing the state's communications-services tax on such things as cell-phone and cable-television bills and providing a sales-tax exemption for college textbooks. (Tuesday, 3 p.m., Morris Hall, House Office Building, the Capitol.)

TEXTING WHILE DRIVING TARGETED: The Senate Communications, Energy and Public Utilities Committee will take up a series of bills that deal with texting while driving. They include a bill (SB 192), filed by Sen. Thad Altman, R-Rockledge, and a bill (SB 246), filed by Sen. Maria Sachs, D-Delray Beach, that would make texting while driving a "primary" offense, which would allow police officer to pull over motorists for texting behind the wheel. Currently, motorists can only be cited for texting while driving if they are pulled over for other reasons. (Tuesday, 4 p.m., 301 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

UBER INSURANCE AT ISSUE: The Senate Judiciary Committee will consider a proposal (SB 1298), filed by Sen. David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, that would place new insurance requirements on "transportation network companies," such as Uber and Lyft. (Tuesday, 4 p.m., 110 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

OTHER SCHEDULED LEGISLATIVE MEETINGS:
--- House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee (Tuesday, 9 a.m., 212 Knott Building, the Capitol.)
--- Senate Community Affairs Committee (Tuesday, 10 a.m., 301 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)
--- Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee (Tuesday, 10:30 a.m., 401 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)
--- Senate Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee (Tuesday, 1:30 p.m., 37 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)
--- Senate Ethics and Elections Committee (Tuesday, 4 p.m., 412 Knott Building, the Capitol.)

Also:

SCOTT, CABINET TO DISCUSS LEGAL COUNSEL: Gov. Rick Scott and the Cabinet will meet by phone to discuss legal representation in a case about whether the Sunshine Law was broken in the ouster of former Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey. (Tuesday, 8 a.m. Cabinet meeting room will be open to the public.)

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WATER BOARD TO MEET: The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board will meet. (Tuesday, 9 a.m., district headquarters, 2379 Broad St., Brooksville.)

WEBSTER AT LEON COUNTY GOP EVENT: U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Fla., will take part in a Leon County Republican Party event known as the "Seer Sucker Soiree." (Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., the Old Capitol.)

FORMER FIRST LADY AT UF: Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter will speak at the University of Florida about her book, "Within Our Reach: Ending the Mental Health Crisis." (Tuesday, 8 p.m., Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 3201 Hull Road, Gainesville.)

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015

Legislature:

SENATE TO DISCUSS BUDGET: The Senate will hold a floor session and take up its proposed $80.4 billion budget for the fiscal year starting July 1. Also, the Senate could approve a bill (SB 7020), filed by Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker, that would increase oversight of the state's troubled prison system. (Wednesday, 10 a.m., Senate chamber, the Capitol.)

HOUSE TO TAKE UP SPENDING PLAN: The House will hold a floor session that will include taking up its proposed $76.2 billion budget for the fiscal year starting July 1. (Wednesday, 11 a.m., House chamber, the Capitol.)

OTHER SCHEDULED LEGISLATIVE MEETINGS:
--- House Education Committee (Wednesday, 8 a.m., Reed Hall, House Office Building, the Capitol.)
--- House Health & Human Services Committee (Wednesday, 8 a.m., Morris Hall, House Office Building, the Capitol.)
--- House Local & Federal Affairs Committee (Wednesday, 8 a.m., 212 Knott Building, the Capitol.)
--- House Regulatory Affairs Committee (Wednesday, 8 a.m., 404 House Office Building, the Capitol.)
--- Senate Democratic Caucus (Wednesday, 9 a.m., 228 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

Also:

SCOTT, CABINET TO DISCUSS LEGAL COUNSEL: Gov. Rick Scott and the Cabinet will meet by phone to discuss legal representation in a case about whether the Sunshine Law was broken in the ouster of former Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey. (Wednesday, 8 a.m. Cabinet meeting room will be open to the public.)

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.)

THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015

Legislature:

HOUSE TO APPROVE BUDGET: The House will hold a floor session and likely will finalize its proposed $76.2 billion budget for the fiscal year starting July 1. (Thursday, 11 a.m., House chamber, the Capitol.)

SENATE TO HOLD FLOOR SESSION: The Senate will hold a floor session and could vote to approve its proposed $80.4 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year. (Thursday, 2 p.m., Senate chamber, the Capitol.)

OTHER SCHEDULED LEGISLATIVE MEETINGS:
--- House Economic Affairs Committee (Thursday, 8 a.m., Reed Hall, House Office Building, the Capitol.)
--- House Judiciary Committee (Thursday, 8 a.m., 404 House Office Building, the Capitol.)
--- House State Affairs Committee (Thursday, 8 a.m., Morris Hall, House Office Building, the Capitol.)
--- Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Subcommittee (Thursday, 9 a.m., 37 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)
--- Senate Education Appropriations Subcommittee (Thursday, 9 a.m., 412 Knott Building, the Capitol.)
--- Senate Transportation, Tourism & Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee (Thursday, 9 a.m., 301 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)
--- Senate General Government Appropriations Subcommittee (Thursday, 9 a.m., 110 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)
--- Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee (Thursday, 9 a.m., 401 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)
--- Senate Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee (Thursday, 11:30 a.m., 301 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)
--- Senate Fiscal Policy Committee (Thursday, 11:30 a.m., 412 Knott Building, the Capitol.)
--- Senate Rules Committee (Thursday, 11:30 a.m., 110 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)
--- Senate Transportation Committee (Thursday, 11:30 a.m., 37 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

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

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

UF TRUSTEES TO MEET: The University of Florida Board of Trustees will meet, after holding committee meetings Thursday. (Friday, 9:30 a.m., University of Florida, Emerson Alumni Hall, Gainesville.)

FINANCE REPORTS DUE IN SPECIAL ELECTIONS: Campaign-finance reports are due Friday in the April 7 special elections in Senate District 6, House District 17 and House District 24. Senate District 6 includes St. Johns, Flagler, Putnam and part of Volusia counties. House District 17 includes part of St. Johns County, while House District 24 includes Flagler County and parts of St. Johns and Volusia counties. The special elections stem from the November resignation of Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, and the candidacies of Rep. Travis Hutson, R-Elkton, and Rep. Ronald "Doc" Renuart, R-Ponte Vedra Beach, for the Senate seat.

SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2015

EARLY VOTING ENDS IN LEGISLATIVE RACES: Early voting will end April 4 for voters in three legislative districts in Northeast Florida. Special elections will be held April 7 to fill seats in Senate District 6, House District 17 and House District 24. Senate District 6 includes St. Johns, Flagler, Putnam and part of Volusia counties. House District 17 includes part of St. Johns County, while House District 24 includes Flagler County and parts of St. Johns and Volusia counties.

GOOD DAY TO GO FISHING: Floridians will be able to go fishing without freshwater recreational licenses April 4 and April 5. Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission designated the dates as freshwater license-free fishing days.