Legislative Update May
2008-FGA/NGA
The Florida Legislature Adjourned Sine Die at 6:02
p.m.
Friday May 2, 2008, the last official day of the
Regular Session.
The House had been in Session for three 20 hour days
during the last week of the legislative session.
There were 2503 bills filed by the Members of the
Legislature during the Regular Session. However only 313 bills passed
both the House and Senate in the same form and went to the Governor for his
consideration. Of these, 22 bills dealt with the Pari-Mutuel
industry. We actively monitored, supported or opposed all of these Bills.
The most important bill to FGA/NGA members was SB
1380 - Electronic Gaming Machines which contained a provision for Purse
Protection for all FGA/NGA Members. This Bill was sponsored by Senator Dennis
Jones R-Seminole (St. Petersburg area), the Chairman of the Senate
Regulated Industries Committee and Senator Jim King R-Jacksonville, the Rules
Chairman. SB 1380 passed the Florida Senate on March 13th by a
vote of 27 Yeas and 11 Nays.
Because of the budget short fall we were hopeful that
the House would realize that the new revenues from SB 1380 could help them
provide necessary state services.
The
spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1 is $66.2 billion, about $7
billion less than the state budget passed a year ago.
As
outlined in a news articles in the Miami
Herald, and a story in the Tallahassee Democrat, the cuts in
education, health care and juvenile justice will have dramatic short term and
long term impacts. The same fate was extended to public and higher education,
health care, the environment, and just about everything else.
St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee bureau Chief Steve Bousquet
wrote in a recent column, Its a miserable budget, unless youre in the
business of building prisons or providing unemployment benefits.
Unfortunately the House would never move off its
position and no pari-mutuel bills passed!
State revenues continue to drop so it is important to
begin our Grass Roots education of the Members of the Florida Legislature about
the importance of your issue. The legislature could be called back into a
Special Session at any time.
Every
Member of the Legislature needs to be visited by a positive Member of FGA/NGA
every quarter in their Legislative District.
The FGA had a new member on our Lobbying team this year. He
is Ramon Maury. I had worked with Mr. Maury on other issues previously, and he
was most helpful with your Legislative agenda. He will also be working with me
on our Grass Roots this summer.
It
is my belief that the Monday after end of the Legislative Session is the first
day of preparation for the next Legislative Session.
I
have started working on my Grass Roots program. The first step I have
taken is to begin to find out who will be our next legislative leadership team
in the House and Senate and because it is an election year, the Leadership has
been very active.
During the week of 5/12 Keyna visited with who I believe
will be the next Rules Chairman of the House Rep. Bill Galvano
R-Bradenton and who I believe may be the next Senate President Pro Tempore AND
Appropriation Chair Senator Mike Bennett R-Bradenton in their Districts.
She also visited with Rep. Ron Reagan R-Sarasota, Rep. JC Planas R-Miami, Rep. Nick Thompson R- Ft. Meyers, Marcelo Llorente R-Miami, Rep. Jimmy Patronis
R-Panama City, and Rep. Ed Hooper R-Clearwater.
During
the week 5/19 we participated in a House Majority-Republican event in Sandestin. The Members of the legislature who were
present and we were able to spend time with included Rep. Ray Sansom (Speaker Designate), Rep. Bill Galvano
R-Bradenton (who I believe may be the next Rules Chairman), Rep. Will
Weatherford (Speaker in 2012) Rep. Larry Cretul
R-Ocala (who I believe may be the next Speaker Pro Tempore), Rep. Marcelo Llorente R-Miami (who I believe will be the next Appropriations
Chairman), Rep. Steve Precourt R-Winter Garden, Rep.
Clay Ford R-Pensacola , Rep. Alan Hays R-Umatilla, Rep. Jimmy Patronis R-Panama City , Rep. Dave Murzin
R-Pensacola, Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff R- Fort Lauderdale
and Rep. Marti Coley R-Marianna.
With
the Florida Legislature having term limits it is important to always be getting
ready for the new members of the legislature. To do this we have started
interviewing candidates state wide. Last week we interviewed 19 candidates in Orlando that are running for 12 Central Florida Districts.
When
we interview the candidates each one is asked:
With the state needing additional revenue for the
education of our children, would you support legislation that permits the same
type of machines (video lottery machines) that the Indians Casinos, Cruises to
No Where, and Adult Arcades have today, but be placed only in existing
pari-mutuel facilities as a way to increase revenues going to education and
therefore possibly reducing property taxes?
Once we get them committed to the expansion of VLT to all
existing pari-mutuel facilities I am able to educate them on the importance of
Purse Protection.
We
also visited with 10 incumbent Members of the Legislature Senator Carey Baker
R-Eustis, Senator Evelyn Lynn R-Daytona, Rep. Thad Altman R-Melbourne, Rep.
Seth McKeel R-Lakeland, Rep. Bryon Nelson R-Apopka,
Rep. Pat Patterson R- DeLand, Rep. Steve Precourt R- Winter Garden, Rep. Darren Soto D-Orlando, Rep.
Geraldine Thompson D-Orlando, Rep. Baxter Troutman R-Winter Haven, and Rep.
Larry Cretul R- Ocala.
Our
next stop is Coral
Gables on June
2nd and June 3rd to interview more candidates and visit
with more incumbent Members of the Legislature.
So please take a few minutes out of your busy schedule to be sure that
every Member of the Florida Legislature, in your area, is visited by a positive
Member of FGA/NGA ever quarter between now and the next Legislative Session.
Jack Cory
Public Affairs Consultants Inc.
110 E College Ave.
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Office: 850-681-1065
Mobile: 850-566-9175
jackcory@paconsultants.com
www.paconsultants.com