|
TALLAHASSEE -- The free meals, drinks and gifts that can sway Florida politicians would be banned under a proposed law unveiled Monday by the state House, the first day of a special session called by Gov. Jeb Bush. The move was a stunning, pre-emptive strike by House Speaker Allan Bense, R-Panama City, fired in the direction of Senate President Tom Lee, R-Brandon, who has lately grabbed headlines for championing tougher lobbyist laws. The bill was among a handful of measures added to the session's agenda, including a proposed NASCAR license tag to lure the sport's Hall of Fame to Volusia County, and another steering $2 million to Brevard County's Wilton Dedge, a man wrongfully imprisoned for 22 years. Bense, though, dominated the session's opening day with his gift ban. "If we're going to clean it up, let's do it right," Bense said of the often shadowy relationship between lawmakers and lobbyists, who outnumber Florida's 160 lawmakers by more than 12-to-1. The Capitol's briefcase brigade spent more than $3 million during the first six months of this year, according to reports filed by 551 lobbyists who acknowledged spending to influence legislation. Most lobbyists and lawmakers concede, however, that the total -- more than $19,000 per legislator -- might only reflect a portion of the overall spending, because of loopholes in the reporting process. Lee said he probably could go along with the House idea -- but conceded the measure's sweep may make it difficult to pass during this week's five-day session. This session was called by Bush to overhaul Florida's Medicaid program and set new regulations for voter-approved slot machines in Broward County. "Probably the hardest one to get done is the issue that's most important to me, and that's reform of the ethics rules and the lobbying process," Lee said. The central issues are tilted toward South Florida. Along with Broward slots, the Medicaid plan would launch as a pilot program in Broward and Duval counties. But after campaigning against slots in South Florida earlier this year, Bush was among those Monday who said this week's session clearly holds broader political implications. Bush said slot machines in Broward will mark the beginning of an "incipient, continual expansion of gambling in our state" that could threaten the state's tourism mother lode in Central Florida. "Orlando will be the last stop on this statewide expansion, and I find it abhorrent," Bush said. Similarly, when asked how far he wants to see the Medicaid changes expanded, the governor didn't hesitate. "Statewide," Bush said. Lawmakers this year approved Bush's first-in-the-nation plan to steer state Medicaid recipients toward potentially cost-saving managed health care. But AARP and advocates for low-income Floridians fear Bush's plan puts too much authority -- and state and federal money -- in the hands of private insurance companies. As lawmakers began the session, the Republican-controlled Legislature seemed poised to provide few hurdles for Bush. "The pilot projects are not going to stay pilots forever," said Sen. Daniel Webster, R-Winter Garden. "They're going to grow and expand and eventually be in Central Florida." With lawmakers agreed on allowing Las Vegas-style slot machines at Broward's two horse tracks, dog track and jai-alai fronton, still to be settled is a tax rate and the number of machines. But the ban on legislative gifts may prove a tougher sell. Florida law currently allows lawmakers to accept gifts and meals valued at as much as $100 -- with any amount greater than $25 to be reported by lobbyists. Nothing under $25 needs to be reported. The proposed legislation also would include stricter reporting requirements for lobbyists -- with the most contentious provision forcing them to disclose the fees they receive from clients. Sen. Jim King, R-Jacksonville, is among three senators being investigated by Lee's office for a fundraising trip to Canada earlier this year that was paid for by owners of a Broward pari-mutuel. King said he takes issue more with the idea of demanding more lobbyist disclosure. "How a lobbyist spends the money is a lot more important than how much he makes," King said. "What bearing does how much someone makes have on whether someone is conducting themselves honestly?" This is cache, read story here
|
