The Week Ahead in Florida Politics – September 7, 2015

BY THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, SEPTEMBER 4, 2015…..State government will shut down Monday for Labor Day. But the rest of the coming week will include an array of meetings across the state dealing with issues such as water management, child protection, health insurance and ethics.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2015

STATE OFFICES CLOSED: State offices will be closed for the Labor Day holiday.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015

RUBIO STAFF HOLDS OFFICE HOURS: U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio's staff will hold "mobile office hours" in Sumter County. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., The Savannah Center, 1545 Buena Vista Blvd., The Villages.)

SUWANNEE RIVER WATER BOARD MEETS: The Suwannee River Water Management District Governing Board is scheduled to meet. (Tuesday, 3 p.m., district headquarters, 9225 County Road 49, Live Oak.)

ST. JOHNS RIVER WATER BOARD MEETS: The St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board will meet after holding committee meetings earlier in the day. Among the expected issues is a public hearing on a tentative millage rate and a tentative budget for the 2015-2016 year. (Tuesday, 3:15 p.m., district headquarters, 4049 Reid St., Palatka.)

BROWARD DELEGATION HOLDS HEARING: The Broward County legislative delegation will hold a public hearing on issues related to education and cultural affairs. (Tuesday, 4 p.m., Hagen Park, Multipurpose Room, 2020 Wilton Dr., Wilton Manors.)

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

WATER QUALITY AT ISSUE: The Florida Water Resources Monitoring Council will hear presentations about water-quality restoration efforts. (Wednesday, 9 a.m., Florida Department of Environmental Protection, 13501 Telecom Parkway North, Temple Terrace.)

HEALTH INSURANCE ISSUES DISCUSSED: The Florida Health Insurance Advisory Board will discuss issues such as legislative recommendations. (Wednesday, 9:30 a.m., Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, 14100 Bonnet Creek Resort Lane, Orlando.)

CHILD PROTECTION SUMMIT STARTS: The 2015 Child Protection Summit, an annual event hosted by the Florida Department of Children and Families, will start. The opening session of the three-day summit will include DCF Secretary Mike Carroll. (Wednesday, 1 p.m., JW Marriott Grande Lakes Orlando, 4040 Central Florida Parkway, Orlando.)

PALM BEACH COUNTY DELEGATION MEETS: The Palm Beach County legislative delegation will meet as it prepares for the 2016 session. Among the expected issues will be election of a delegation chair and vice chair. (Wednesday, 2 p.m., Palm Beach State College, Lake Worth Campus, 4200 South Congress Ave., Lake Worth.)

FLORIDA POLYTECHNIC TRUSTEES MEET: The Florida Polytechnic University Board of Trustees will meet after holding committee meetings earlier in the day. Among the issues will be an evaluation and goals for President Randy Avent. (Wednesday, 2 p.m., The Terrace Hotel, 329 East Main St., Lakeland.)

MCCARTY LEADS PANEL AT HEALTH PLANS CONFERENCE: Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty is expected to moderate a panel of insurance commissioners during the Florida Association of Health Plans annual conference. (Wednesday, 2:15 p.m., Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, 14100 Bonnet Creek Resort Lane, Orlando.)

ARCENEAUX SPEAKS TO SARASOTA DEMS: Scott Arceneaux, executive director of the Florida Democratic Party, is expected to speak to Sarasota County Democrats. (Wednesday, 7 p.m., Waldemere Fire Station, 2070 Waldemere St., Sarasota.)

BRANDES SPEAKS TO ST. PETERSBURG GOP: Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, is expected to speak to the St. Petersburg Republican Club. (Wednesday, 7 p.m., St. Petersburg Community Church, 4501 30th Ave. North, St. Petersburg.)

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2015

SOUTH FLORIDA WATER BOARD MEETS: The South Florida Water Management District Governing Board has scheduled two meetings. A morning meeting will be followed later in the day by a meeting to vote on a tentative budget and tentative 2015-2016 millage rates. (Thursday, 9 a.m., with budget meeting at 5:15 p.m., district headquarters, 3301 Gun Club Road, West Palm Beach.)

RUBIO STAFF HOLDS OFFICE HOURS: U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio's staff will hold "mobile office hours" in Miami-Dade and Osceola counties. (Thursday, 9:30 a.m., South Dade Technical College, 28300 S.W. 152nd Ave., Homestead. Also, 3 p.m., West Osceola Branch Library, 305 Campus St., Kissimmee.)

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

LAWMAKERS, CABINET MEMBERS AT HEALTH PLANS CONFERENCE: A panel of lawmakers, state Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam are expected to take part in the Florida Association of Health Plans annual conference. A tentative schedule says the legislative panel is expected to include House Health & Human Services Chairman Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford; House Insurance & Banking Chairman John Wood, R-Winter Haven; House Health Care Appropriations Chairman Matt Hudson, R-Naples; Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Chairman Rene Garcia, R-Hialeah; and Senate Health Policy Chairman Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach. (Thursday, legislative panel scheduled for 11 a.m., Atwater at noon and Putnam at 5:30 p.m., Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, 14100 Bonnet Creek Resort Lane, Orlando.)

FIU TRUSTEES MEET: The Florida International University Board of Trustees will meet after holding committee meetings earlier in the day. Among the issues will be a 2016-2017 legislative budget request. (Thursday, 2 p.m., Florida International University, Modesto A. Maidique Campus, Graham Center Ballrooms, Miami.)

ADKINS HOSTS EDUCATION 'SUMMIT:' House K-12 Chairwoman Janet Adkins, R-Fernandina Beach, will host an "education solution summit" to discuss issues related to struggling readers and children with dyslexia. (Thursday, 4 p.m., Florida State College at Jacksonville, Yulee Campus, Betty P. Cook Center, 76346 William Burgess Blvd., Yulee.)

BROWARD DELEGATION HOLDS HEARING: The Broward County legislative delegation will hold a public hearing on issues related to transportation, economic development, the environment and growth management. (Thursday, 4 p.m., Broward MPO, Trade Centre South, 100 West Cypress Creek Road, Suite 850, Fort Lauderdale.)

GREENWAYS AND TRAILS DISCUSSED: The state Office of Greenways and Trails will continue a series of meetings across the state to seek public input about "opportunity maps" for the state's network of trails. (Thursday, 4 p.m., Broward College, North Campus, 1000 Coconut Creek Blvd., Coconut Creek.)

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WATER BOARD MEETS: The Northwest Florida Water Management District Board of Governors will meet after holding earlier committee meetings. (Thursday, 4 p.m., 81 Water Management Dr., Havana.)

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

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2015

ETHICS COMMISSION DISCUSSES LEGISLATIVE AGENDA: The Florida Commission on Ethics will take up a series of issues, including proposals for the 2016 legislative session. (Friday, 8:30 a.m., 1st District Court of Appeal, 2000 Drayton Dr., Tallahassee.)

AHCA OFFICIALS AT HEALTH PLANS EVENT: Justin Senior, deputy secretary for Medicaid at the state Agency for Health Care Administration, and Molly McKinstry, deputy secretary for health quality assurance, are expected to make a presentation during the Florida Association of Health Plans annual conference. (Friday, 9:30 a.m., Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, 14100 Bonnet Creek Resort Lane, Orlando.)

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2015

DESANTIS, YOHO AT FREEDOMWORKS EVENT: Republican Congressmen Ron DeSantis and Ted Yoho are among the expected participants at the FreedomWorks 9.12 Grassroots Summit. DeSantis is running in 2016 for a U.S. Senate seat that will be vacated by presidential candidate Marco Rubio. (Saturday, 1 p.m., Osceola Heritage Park, 1875 Silver Spur Lane, Kissimmee.)

MURPHY SPEAKS TO HILLSBOROUGH DEMOCRATS: Florida Congressman Patrick Murphy, who is running next year for U.S. Senate, will be the keynote speaker during the Hillsborough County Democratic Party's Kennedy-King Dinner. (Saturday, 7 p.m., Tampa Palms Golf and Country Club, 5811 Tampa Palms Blvd., Tampa.)