The Week Ahead in Florida Politics – June 6, 2016

BY THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, JUNE 3, 2016…. The Florida Supreme Court will be the center of attention during the coming week as it hears arguments on high-profile issues such as gambling, the death penalty, gun rights and medical malpractice. In all, justices will hear arguments in a dozen cases crammed into three days.

MONDAY, JUNE 6, 2016

TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION HOLDS WORKSHOP: The Florida Transportation Commission will hold a workshop and discuss issues such as the search for a commission executive director. (Monday, 1 p.m., District 6 SunGuide Transportation Management Center, 1001 N.W. 111th Ave., Miami.)

BEAN DISCUSSES SESSION, POLITICS: State Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, will discuss the 2016 legislative session and political issues during a "We the People" conservative forum. (Monday, 6 p.m., Amelia Island Plantation, 201 Sea Marsh Road, Amelia Island.)

JOLLY SPEAKS TO PINELLAS REPUBLICANS: Congressman David Jolly, who is running this year for the U.S. Senate, is slated to speak to the Hispanic Republican Club and Outreach of Pinellas County. (Monday, 6 p.m., 401 Gulf Blvd., Indian Rocks Beach.)

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

PHARMACY ISSUES ON THE TABLE: The Florida Board of Pharmacy is scheduled to meet. (Tuesday, 8 a.m., Boca Raton Marriott, 5150 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton.)

FLORIDA GULF COAST TRUSTEES MEET: The Florida Gulf Coast University Board of Trustees will meet and consider issues such as a recommendation for hiring a firm to oversee the search for a new president. (Tuesday, 8:30 a.m., Florida Gulf Coast University, Cohen Center Ballroom, 10501 FGCU Blvd. South, Fort Myers.)

VETERINARY BOARD MEETS: The Florida Board of Veterinary Medicine will meet in Pinellas County. (Tuesday, 8:30 a.m., Hampton Inn & Suites, 80 Beach Dr. N.E., St. Petersburg.)

GAMBLING, DEATH PENALTY CASES AT SUPREME COURT: The Florida Supreme Court will hear arguments in three cases, including a closely watched case about whether a pari-mutuel facility in rural Gadsden County should be able to offer slot machines. The outcome of the case also could have implications for pari-mutuels in other counties where voters have approved slot machines in referendums. Also, justices will hear arguments in a case dealing with whether unanimous jury recommendations are needed before judges can impose the death penalty. The debate is expected to play out in the Osceola County case of Larry Darnell Perry, who was convicted in the 2013 murder of his infant son. (Tuesday, 9 a.m., Florida Supreme Court, 500 South Duval St., Tallahassee.)

IMMIGRANT EMERGENCY CARE AT ISSUE: The 1st District Court of Appeal will hear arguments in a long-running dispute between the state Agency for Health Care Administration and more than two-dozen hospitals about Medicaid payments for providing emergency care to undocumented immigrants. Hospitals are required to treat patients who show up for emergency care, but the legal dispute has focused on the extent of care for undocumented immigrants that should be covered through the Medicaid program. An administrative law judge last year rejected arguments by the hospitals that AHCA had overstepped its authority in approving rules that address the duration of payments. (Tuesday, 9 a.m., 1st District Court of Appeal, 2000 Drayton Dr., Tallahassee.)

APPEALS COURT HEARS ARGUMENTS IN RIVERA CASE: The 1st District Court of Appeal will hear arguments in an ethics case involving former state lawmaker and Congressman David Rivera, R-Miami. Rivera took the case to the appeals court last year after an administrative law judge and the state Commission on Ethics said he was improperly reimbursed for state travel and did not adequately disclose financial information. (Tuesday, 9 a.m., 1st District Court of Appeal, 2000 Drayton Dr., Tallahassee.)

TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MEETS: The Florida Transportation Commission will meet in Miami-Dade County. Among the expected speakers are Senate Transportation Chairman Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg. (Tuesday, 9 a.m., Miami Dade Expressway Authority, 3790 N.W. 21st St., Miami.)

GOLD SEAL NURSING HOMES DISCUSSED: The Governor's Panel on Excellence in Long-Term Care will consider applications for Gold Seal Award designations for nursing homes. (Tuesday, 9 a.m., Agency for Health Care Administration, Medicaid Office Area 6, 6800 North Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa.)

FAU TRUSTEES MEET: The Florida Atlantic University Board of Trustees will meet and consider issues such as the ratification of a collective bargaining agreement with the United Faculty of Florida. (Tuesday, 9:30 a.m., Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton Campus, Administration Building, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton.)

UNF TRUSTEES GATHER: The University of North Florida Board of Trustees will meet after holding committee meetings earlier in the day. Trustees are expected to address issues such as a 2016-2017 budget and ratification of a collective bargaining agreement. (Tuesday, 1 p.m., University of North Florida, Student Union, Jacksonville.)

VETERANS HONORED IN CRYSTAL RIVER: A ceremony will be held to present "Governor's Veterans Service" awards. (Tuesday, 3 p.m., National Guard Armory, 8551 West Venable St., Crystal River.)

I-75 RELIEF AT ISSUE: The Florida Department of Transportation will hold one in a series of "I-75 Relief" community open houses. A task force is working on recommendations about transportation corridors to serve the area from Tampa Bay to Northeast Florida. (Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., Best Western Gateway Grand, 4200 N.W. 97th Blvd., Gainesville.)

CALDWELL SPEAKS TO GOP WOMEN: State Rep. Matt Caldwell, R-North Fort Myers, is expected to speak to the Lee Republican Women's Club. (Tuesday, 6 p.m., Myerlee Country Club, 1380 Myerlee Country Club Blvd., Fort Myers.)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2016

PHARMACY ISSUES ON THE TABLE: The Florida Board of Pharmacy is scheduled to meet. (Wednesday, 8 a.m., Boca Raton Marriott, 5150 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton.)

OPEN CARRY DEBATED: The Florida Supreme Court will hear arguments in four cases, including a constitutional challenge to the state's ban on openly carrying firearms in public. The challenge was filed by Dale Norman, who was arrested in 2012 in Fort Pierce as he carried a holstered gun in plain view. (Wednesday, 9 a.m., Florida Supreme Court, 500 South Duval St., Tallahassee.)

PAROLE ISSUES DISCUSSED: The Florida Commission on Offender Review is slated to discuss numerous parole cases related to crimes committed in the 1970s and 1980s. (Wednesday, 9 a.m., 4070 Esplanade Way, Tallahassee.)

I-75 RELIEF AT ISSUE: The Florida Department of Transportation will hold one in a series of "I-75 Relief" community open houses. A task force is working on recommendations about transportation corridors to serve the area from Tampa Bay to Northeast Florida. (Wednesday, 5:30 p.m., Hilton Ocala Conference Center, 3600 S.W. 36th Ave., Ocala.)

PETERS ADDRESSES ST. PETERSBURG REPUBLICANS: State Rep. Kathleen Peters, R-Treasure Island, is scheduled to speak to the St. Petersburg Republican Club. (Wednesday, 7 p.m., St. Petersburg Community Church, 4501 30th Ave. North, St. Petersburg.)

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2016

HUDSON SPEAKS TO BUSINESS GROUP: State Rep. Matt Hudson, a Naples Republican running this year in Senate District 28, 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.)

CLAIM BILL, MEDICAL MALPRACTICE ISSUES DEBATED: The Florida Supreme Court will hear arguments in five cases, including a constitutional challenge to a limit on attorney's fees included by the Legislature in a 2012 "claim" bill. The bill directed Southwest Florida's Lee Memorial Health System to pay $15 million because of severe injuries suffered at birth by Aaron Edwards, but it included a restriction that only $100,000 of the amount could go to attorneys who had represented the Edwards family in a lengthy court fight about the injuries. Also, justices will hear arguments about the constitutionality of limits on non-economic damages in personal-injury medical malpractice cases. The arguments will come in the Broward County case of Susan Kalitan, who went into surgery for carpal-tunnel syndrome and ended up suffering a perforated esophagus because of tubes inserted into her mouth and esophagus as part of the anesthesia process. (Thursday, 9 a.m., Florida Supreme Court, 500 South Duval St., Tallahassee.)

SOUTH FLORIDA WATER BOARD MEETS: The South Florida Water Management District Governing Board will meet in Lee County. (Thursday, 9 a.m., Lee County Commission chamber, 2120 Main St., Fort Myers.)

PSC CONSIDERS UTILITY ISSUES: The Florida Public Service Commission will take up a series of issues involving utilities such as Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy Florida, Gulf Power and Tampa Electric Co. (Thursday, 9:30 a.m., Betty Easley Conference Center, 4075 Esplanade Way, Tallahassee.)

MEDICAID DISENROLLMENT AT ISSUE: The Agency for Health Care Administration is slated to hold a public hearing about the good-cause disenrollment of beneficiaries from Medicaid managed-care plans. (Thursday, 9:30 a.m., Agency for Health Care Administration, 2727 Mahan Dr., Tallahassee.)

HEALTHY KIDS PROGRAM DISCUSSED: The Florida Healthy Kids Corp. Board of Directors is scheduled to meet. (Thursday, 10 a.m., Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport, 9300 Jeff Fuqua Blvd., Orlando.)

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

FAMU TRUSTEES HOLD COMMITTEE MEETINGS: The Florida A&M University Board of Trustees will hold a series of committee meetings. That will include the meeting of a special committee considering President Elmira Mangum's performance evaluation. (Thursday, meetings start at 1 p.m., Florida A&M University, Grand Ballroom, Tallahassee.)

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WATER BOARD HUDDLES IN HAVANA: The Northwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board will meet after holding committee meetings earlier in the day. (Thursday, 1 p.m., district headquarters, 81 Water Management Dr., Havana.)

LAND PANEL MEETS: The state Acquisition and Restoration Council, which works on land-acquisition and management issues, will meet in Okeechobee. (Thursday, 2 p.m., Lykes Brothers, Inc., Ranch Division, 106 S.W. County Road 721, Okeechobee.)

I-75 RELIEF AT ISSUE: The Florida Department of Transportation will hold one in a series of "I-75 Relief" community open houses. A task force is working on recommendations about transportation corridors to serve the area from Tampa Bay to Northeast Florida. (Thursday, 5:30 p.m., College of Central Florida, Citrus Conference Center, 3800 South Lecanto Highway, Lecanto.)

FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2016

FSU TRUSTEES MEET: The Florida State University Board of Trustees will meet and take up issues such as an operating budget for the 2016-2017 year. (Friday, 8:30 a.m., Florida State University, Augustus B. Turnbull III Florida State Conference Center, 555 West Pensacola St., Tallahassee.)

FAMU TRUSTEES MEET: The Florida A&M University Board of Trustees will meet and take up a series of issues. (Friday, 9 a.m., Florida A&M University, Grand Ballroom, Tallahassee.)

BRANDES HOLDS 'MOBILE' OFFICE HOURS: State Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, is slated to hold "mobile" office hours. (Friday, 10 a.m., PAL Center Building, 3850 54th Ave. North, St. Petersburg.)

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS DUE: State political candidates and committees face a Friday deadline for filing reports showing campaign-finance activity through May 31.

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2016

NEW COLLEGE TRUSTEES MEET: The New College of Florida Board of Trustees will meet after holding a series of committee meetings. (Saturday, committee meetings start at 8:30 a.m., full board at 12:15 p.m., New College of Florida, Sudakoff Conference Center, 5845 General Dougher Place, Sarasota.)

FAMU TRUSTEES HOLD 'ENRICHMENT' MEETING: The Florida A&M University Board of Trustees will hold an "enrichment meeting" that will address issues such as the roles and responsibilities of trustees. (Saturday, 9 a.m., Florida A&M University, Grand Ballroom, Tallahassee.)

LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATES SPEAK TO SARASOTA DEMOCRATS: The Democratic Club of Sarasota will hold a luncheon that is expected to include Senate District 23 candidates Frank Alcock and Frank Cirillo, House District 72 candidate Edward James III and House District 70 candidate Wengay Newton. (Saturday, 11 a.m., Marina Jack Restaurant, 2 Marina Plaza, Sarasota.)

LAWSON HOLDS CAMPAIGN FISH FRY: Tallahassee Democrat Al Lawson, who is running this year in North Florida's Congressional District 5, will hold a campaign fish fry. (Saturday, noon, Tallahassee Automobile Museum, 6800 Mahan Dr., Tallahassee.)

LICENSE-FREE FISHING DAY: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will not require fishing licenses June 11 for residents and tourists who want to go freshwater fishing.