Preview of Florida's Political Events: November 28 - December 2

By the News Service of Florida

MONDAY, NOV. 28, 2011

SENATE COMMITTEE SET TO PUBLISH REDISTRICTING DRAFT: The staff of the Senate Reapportionment Committee is set to publish a rough draft of its redistricting plan for state Senate and congressional districts, the first time an official legislative proposal for the once-a-decade process will be revealed. The committee is scheduled to decide the following week whether to file the measure as a committee bill. (Monday)

NEW EVERGLADES CAUCUS: A new bipartisan Everglades Legislative Caucus in the Florida Legislature will hold a news conference to announce its formation discuss its priorities. The leaders of the group include a House Democrat, Rep. Steven Perman, D-Boca Raton, and a Senate Republican, Sen. Thad Altman, R-Viera. Expected participants also include representatives from the Everglades Coalition, Everglades Foundation, Arthur R. Marshall Foundation, Friends of the Marshall Refuge, and others who support restoration of the Everglades ecosystem. (Monday, 1 p.m., Bedner's Farm, 12033 U.S. Hwy 441, Boynton Beach.)

IMPACT CONFERENCE: The revenue estimating conference meets to look at financial impacts of a number of bills. Included in the review are the fiscal impact of changes to tax assessments on distressed property (HB 251, SB 928); property tax exemptions for spouses of deceased emergency responders (HJR 93); business tax repealers (HB 4025, SB 760) and oil and gas severance taxes on mature oil fields (HB 87)(Monday, 1:30 p.m., 117 Knott Building, The Capitol.)

TUESDAY, NOV. 29, 2011

GAMBLING FORUM: Several local chambers of commerce are co-hosting a debate-style forum on the proposal to expand casino gambling in Florida, with Orlando attorney John Stemberger, the President of the Florida Family Policy Council as the anti-gambling voice on the five person panel and four people in favor of the proposal. The advocates for more gambling who will participate are Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale, the sponsor of the casino bill; Dan Adkins, president of the Marti Gras Casino; Bob Wyre, general manager of Isle Casino and Racing; and Nick Iarossi, lobbyist for Los Vegas Sands. The main sponsor of the debate is the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, and it will be moderated by Antonio Fins, editor of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Questions from the audience will be part of the forum. (Tuesday, 7:30 a.m., Westin Cypress Creek Hotel, 400 Corporate Dr., Fort Lauderdale.)

AQUA HEARING STARTS TO FLOW: The Florida Public Service Commission will start a multi-day hearing about Aqua Utilities Florida's request for a $4.1 million rate increase for water and wastewater services. (Tuesday, 9: 30 a.m., Betty Easley Conference Center, 4075 Esplanade Way, Tallahassee.)

MORE TALK ABOUT LIP: The Low Income Pool Council will discuss the $1 billion program that funnels money to hospitals and other health providers that serve low-income and uninsured patients. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., Agency for Health Care Administration, 2727 Mahan Drive, Tallahassee.)

DRAFT BEAR MANAGEMENT PLAN DISCUSSED: State wildlife officials are seeking input on a proposed new management plans for Florida's Black Bears. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has scheduled several public hearings on the draft plan, including Tuesday evening's meeting in Naples. The draft plan can be found at http://share2.myfwc.com/BearMP/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx (Tuesday, 6 p.m., Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, 300 Tower Rd., Naples.)

INCOME AND POVERTY ESTIMATES, 2010: The U.S. Census Bureau releases "small area income and poverty estimates for 2010," tables that will provide estimates of income and poverty for states, counties and school districts. 

DCF-DEPT. OF LABOR MEETING: Lawyers for the Department of Children and Families are expected to meet Tuesday with officials from the U.S. Department of Labor to discuss a Labor Department finding that DCF employees worked unpaid extra hours.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 30, 2011

END OF THE HURRICANE SEASON: Wednesday marks the official end of the 2011 hurricane season. It's been a quiet hurricane season for Florida, though the season began in devastating fashion for the people of Mexico with Hurricane Arlene, which hit near Veracruz and killed 25, causing more than $200 million in damage, and included the bizarre Irene, which tracked up the east coast, threatening major population centers, flooding the mid-Atlantic and northeast and making landfall in New Jersey. The state of New York, not normally a state that has to track Caribbean storms, was hard hit by Irene, which ultimately caused 56 deaths in the Caribbean and the U.S.. Most of the storms that formed this year took a similar hard northward turn like Irene and went up the coast before blowing out into the Atlantic. One storm, Hurricane Emily, did threaten southeast Florida, but also turned out to sea. 


UNEMPLOYMENT ASSESSMENTS, POPULATION, LOTTERY: The revenue estimating conference takes a fresh look at unemployment compensation tax assessments as the state continues to repay the interest on federal loans used to prop up the state's compensation system for unemployed workers. The panel then reconvenes to update Florida population estimates and Lottery revenues.(Wednesday, 11 a.m., 117 Knott Building, The Capitol.)


THURSDAY, DEC. 1, 2011

HEALTH CARE OVERSIGHT ADVISORY PANEL MEETS: The State Consumer Health Information and Policy Advisory Committee meets to recap achievements in 2011 and set the agenda for 2012. The panel is expected to hear from AHCA Secretary Liz Dudek. (Thursday, 10 a.m., AHCA Conference Room A, Call in number : 888-808-6959, code8509223803#)

SUPREME COURT OPINIONS: The Florida Supreme Court releases its regular opinions. (Thursday, 11 a.m.)

THOMPSON TOWN HALL MEETING: Rep. Geraldine Thompson, D-Orlando, hosts a town hall meeting on Thursday, to discuss in particular the state's new election law and its affect on voting rights. Thompson said the meeting will also be used to discuss "zero tolerance policies" in schools. Scheduled speakers at the meeting will include representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, The Office of State Attorney Lawson Lamar, Central Florida Urban League, and the League of Women Voters. (Thursday, 6 p.m., Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church, 4077 Prince Hall Blvd., Orlando.)

FRIDAY, DEC. 2, 2011

BOARD OF MEDICINE DELVES INTO DOCTORS: The Florida Board of Medicine, which regulates physicians, will start at two-day meeting. (Friday, 8 a.m., Marriott Orlando Airport, 7499 Augusta National Dr., Orlando.)

TANF & KIDCARE ESTIMATES; The social service estimating conference updates estimates for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families expenditures and caseloads. The panel also takes a look at KidCare caseloads as part of its periodic revisions in preparation for the 2012 session. (Friday, 9:30 a.m., 117 Knott Building, The Capitol.)

KIDCARE DISCUSSED: The Florida KidCare Coordinating Council will meet to discuss the program that offers low-cost health insurance to children. (Friday, 1 p.m., 4025 Esplanade Way, Room 301, Tallahassee.)

STATE ECONOMISTS LOOK AT IMPACT OF DESTINATION RESORTS: The state’s economists will consider the economic impact of the destination resorts bill (SB 710, HB 487) at an impact conference of the Office of Economic and Demographic Research. Its first stab at estimating the impact of this high-interest bill came up with numbers very different from what the casino operators are estimating. This second look at the impact of the destination resorts bill will re-examine and further probe the impact of this bill on Florida’s economy. (Friday, 1:30 p.m., 117 Knott Building, The Capitol.)