The Week Ahead in Florida Politics – October 27, 2014

THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, OCTOBER 24, 2014…..With early voting already started and Election Day fast approaching, candidates will spend the next week darting to campaign events across the state. The events will kick off Sunday with two big guns coming to Florida --- former President Bill Clinton on the Democratic side and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on the Republican side.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2014

CHRISTIE TO CAMPAIGN WITH SCOTT: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is chairman of the Republican Governors Association, will make campaign appearances with Gov. Rick Scott. The pair will start the day by attending church services at 9 a.m. in Boca Raton and 11 a.m. in Miami before making two campaign stops. (Sunday, 1 p.m., Jacaranda Italian Restaurant, 8283 West Broward Blvd., Plantation. Also, 2:45 p.m., 201 Plaza Real, Boca Raton.)

CLINTON TO CAMPAIGN FOR MURPHY, GRAHAM: Former President Bill Clinton will attend campaign rallies for U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., and Democratic candidate Gwen Graham, who is seeking to unseat U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland in a North Florida congressional district. (Sunday, Murphy event, 9:30 a.m., Palm Beach Gardens Marriott, 4000 RCA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens. Also, Graham event, doors open at noon, Florida A&M University Quad, Tallahassee.)

CLINTON TO RALLY VOTERS WITH CRIST: Former President Bill Clinton will appear at an early-voting rally to support Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist. (Sunday, 5 p.m., Cyrus Greene Park, 2101 East Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Tampa.)

WYLLIE TO HOLD TOWN-HALL MEETING: Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Adrian Wyllie will hold a town-hall meeting in Pinellas County. (Sunday, 7 p.m., Datex Business Center, 10300 49th St. North, Clearwater.)

MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2014

PROTESTERS TARGET PRISON ABUSE: Protesters will go to Gov. Rick Scott's office to raise issues about abuse of prison inmates and the treatment of mentally ill prisoners. (Monday, 9:30 a.m., protesters meet on the House side of the Capitol.)

SCOTT TO CAMPAIGN IN BREVARD COUNTY: Gov. Rick Scott is expected to make a campaign stop in Brevard County as part of a bus tour. (Monday, 11 a.m., Brevard Zoo, 8225 North Wickham Road, Melbourne.)

WATER USE DISCUSSED: The Florida Department of Environmental Protection will hold a workshop as it studies expansion of the use of reclaimed water, stormwater and excess surface water. The study was required as part of a bill that lawmakers passed this year. (Monday, 1 p.m., Gulf State College, Gibson Lecture Hall, Student Union East Building, 5230 West U.S. 98, Panama City.)

DEUTCH TO SPEAK IN DEERFIELD BEACH: U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., is expected to speak at the Forum at Deer Creek retirement community about issues in Washington. (Monday, 2:30 p.m., the Forum at Deer Creek, 3001 Deer Creek Country Club Blvd., Deerfield Beach.)

ATWATER SPEAKS TO SEMINOLE GOP: State Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater is slated to be the keynote speaker during the Seminole County Republican Party's annual Reagan Lincoln Dinner. (Monday, 7:30 p.m., The Westin Lake Mary, 2974 International Parkway, Lake Mary.)

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ TO DISCUSS ELECTION: U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who is chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, is expected to speak at a town-hall meeting hosted by the Weston Democratic Club. (Monday, 7:30 p.m., Bonaventure Town Center Club, 16690 Saddle Club Road, Weston.)

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2014

ATWATER TO CAMPAIGN IN BRADENTON: Republican state Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater will hold a meet-and-greet campaign event. (Tuesday, 8 a.m., Mixon's Fruit Farm, 2525 27th St., Bradenton.)

ELECTIONS COMMISSION TO MEET: The Florida Elections Commission will start two days of meetings in which it will consider cases involving candidates and political committees from across the state. (Tuesday, 8:30 a.m., 110 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

TOP NURSING HOMES CONSIDERED: The Governor's Panel on Excellence in Long-Term Care will hold a conference call to review applications for Gold Seal Award designations for nursing homes. (Tuesday, 9 a.m. Call-in number: 1-888-670-3525. Code: 8050334011)

ATTORNEYS FEES WEIGHED: The 4th District Court of Appeal will hear arguments in a challenge to the constitutionality of a 2012 law that limited fees for attorneys who represented a severely disabled child in a lawsuit against Lee Memorial Health System. The case stems from a "claim" bill that lawmakers passed to require Lee Memorial to pay $15 million because of a catastrophic brain injury suffered by Aaron Edwards. But the bill also said only $100,000 of the $15 million could go to attorneys' fees and related expenses, spurring the challenge from the West Palm Beach-based law firm of Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, P.A. (Tuesday, 9:30 a.m., 4th District Court of Appeal, 1525 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd., West Palm Beach.)

WATER BOARD TO MEET AT THE VILLAGES: The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board will meet in The Villages. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., The Villages Savannah Center, 1545 Buena Vista Blvd., The Villages.)

BONDI, ATWATER TO ATTEND COLLIER COUNTY EVENT: Republican Attorney General Pam Bondi and state Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater are expected to attend a Collier County "Politics in the Park" event. (Tuesday, 12:30 p.m., Cambier Park Bandshell, 755 Eighth Ave. South, Naples.)

IMPARTIAL JUDICIARY AT ISSUE: Former Florida Supreme Court chief justices Harry Lee Anstead and Major B. Harding are expected to be part of a panel discussing threats to an impartial judiciary. (Tuesday, 1 p.m., University of Florida Levin College of Law, Chesterfield Smith Memorial Classroom, Gainesville.)

DEUTCH TO DISCUSS WASHINGTON ISSUES: U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., is expected to provide an update about Washington issues to residents of the community of Palm Isles. (Tuesday, 4 p.m., Palm Isles Clubhouse, 9545 Palm Isles Dr., Boynton Beach.)

WILLIAMS TO HOST EBOLA DISCUSSION: State Rep. Alan Williams, D-Tallahassee, the Florida A&M University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and the FAMU Institute of Public Health will host a town-hall discussion about the Ebola virus. (Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Florida A&M University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Blue Cross/Blue Shield Auditorium, 1415 South Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Tallahassee.)

CANDIDATES FORUM SLATED IN BOCA RATON: Congressional and legislative candidates are expected to take part in a forum in Palm Beach County. Among those expected to attend are state Sen. Maria Sachs, D-Delray Beach, and her challenger, Republican Ellyn Bogdanoff. Also expected are state Rep. Bill Hager, R-Boca Raton, and his challenger, Democrat David Silvers. (Tuesday, 7 p.m., Temple Beth El of Boca Raton, Schaefer Family Campus, 333 S.W. Fourth Ave., Boca Raton.)

SPROWLS, LATVALA AT GOP CLUB: State House candidates Chris Sprowls and Chris Latvala are slated to speak to the Ronald Reagan Republican Club of Pinellas County. (Tuesday, 7 p.m., Kally K's Restaurant, 1600 Main St., Dunedin.)

WYLLIE TO HOLD MEET AND GREET: Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Adrian Wyllie is scheduled to hold a meet-and-greet event in Pinellas County. (Tuesday, 7 p.m., Flanagan's Irish Pub, 465 Main St., Dunedin.)

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

ATWATER TO CAMPAIGN IN PINELLAS, HILLSBOROUGH, POLK AND MARION: Republican state Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater is expected to make a series of campaign stops. (Wednesday, 8:30 a.m., Pinellas GOP Victory Center, 4500 140th Ave. North, Suite 1004, Clearwater. Also, noon, Hillsborough County Brandon Victory Headquarters, 1602 Oakfield Dr., Suite 207, Brandon. Also, 2:30 p.m., Winter Haven Victory Office, 3601 Cypress Garden Road, Winter Haven. Also, 5:30 p.m., Ocala Victory Center, 1315 East Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala.)

ELECTIONS COMMISSION TO MEET: The Florida Elections Commission will finish two days of meetings in which it will consider cases involving candidates and political committees from across the state. (Wednesday, 8:30 a.m., 110 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

COLLEGE SYSTEM HOLDS CONVENTION: The Association of Florida Colleges will hold a convention in Northwest Florida. (Wednesday, meetings start at 9 a.m., opening general session at 3 p.m., Hilton Sandestin, 4000 Sandestin Blvd. South, Destin.)

WATER USE DISCUSSED: The Florida Department of Environmental Protection will hold a workshop as it studies expansion of the use of reclaimed water, stormwater and excess surface water. The study was required as part of a bill that lawmakers passed this year. (Wednesday, 10 a.m., Southwest Florida Water Management District, Governing Board Room, 2379 Broad St., Brooksville.)

CENTRAL FLORIDA WATER ISSUES DISCUSSED: The Central Florida Water Initiative, which is part of an effort by water-management districts to meet the demand for freshwater, will hold a community meeting in Haines City. (Wednesday, 2 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 104 Scenic Highway, Haines City.)

BUFFETT TO GIVE BOOST TO GRAHAM: Singer Jimmy Buffett will give an acoustic performance as part of a campaign rally for Democratic congressional candidate Gwen Graham, who is running against U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland in a North Florida district. (Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., The Moon, 1105 East Lafayette St., Tallahassee.)

WYLLIE TO CAMPAIGN IN MANATEE COUNTY: Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Adrian Wyllie is slated to hold a meet-and-greet event. (Wednesday, 7 p.m., Swordfish Grill & Tiki Bar, 4528 119th St. West, Cortez.)