BY LUCY MORGAN AND MARY ELLEN KLAS HERALD/TIMES TALLAHASSEE BUREAU

TALLAHASSEE – Dangling the promise of millions for the state’s dwindling budget, a group of mostly unidentified oil and gas companies are bankrolling a last-minute fight to bring offshore drilling to Florida’s coastline.

Florida Energy Associates, a corporation formed in December by Daytona Beach lawyer Doug Daniels, has hired at least 20 of the state’s most prominent lobbyists to push bills through the legislature in the final week of session. Most of the lobbyists were hired in the last 10 days but the proposal has been planned for months.

The measure, slated for votes in the House and Senate this week, would give the governor and Cabinet authority to approve oil and gas exploration 3 to 10 miles off the Florida coast.

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From the Institute for Southern Studies

Voting rights advocates were shocked after a Republican-dominated committee in the Florida House passed sweeping new election rules after allowing only six minutes of debate last Friday. 
The 81-page bill, which among other things eliminates two forms of ID used mostly by elderly voters and restricts third-party voter registration, now moves to the House floor without any chance for public testimony. 
A similar bill is on its way to the Senate after passing an elections committee on a 5-3 vote on party lines after being introduced for the first time despite only two weeks remaining in the state’s legislative session.

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Democrats and Republicans are at it again in Tallahassee concerning taxes. Democrats want to tax everything but the air we breathe while Republicans are OK with new revenue sources as long as they can call it a fee instead of a tax increase. 

As an example, House Republicans last week sought $700 million in new fees on Florida motorists but all five Democrats on a committee “screamed bloody murder and said no,” according to an opinion piece by Steve Bousquet on tampabay.com. Click here to read the story.

The Florida Legislature is in session through May 1. Here are the key issues in the fifth week of session and what’s coming up. Get updates at floridacapitalnews.com:

Tobacco tax

What happened: A buck-a-pack increase in the state’s tobacco tax (and a dollar-per-ounce on other forms of tobacco) is moving fast through the Senate. It’s estimated to raise close to $900 million a year.

What’s next: Figuring out how to spend the proceeds.

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NOTE: This is a legislative update from Emergent Design and Development, a Tallahassee consulting firm that advises clients about education matters.

From Bob and Mary Bedford

The session is progressing with the release of the Senate Budget – and the House budget is expected to be released this week.  In somewhat of a surprise, both Houses have included the stimulus money for Education.  The budgets will not be identical and most educators will probably favor the Senate Position.

COMMISSIONER NOTES

After having an opportunity to hear Education Commissioner Eric Smith make several presentations last week, I believe that the following bullets represent actions that we can expect as a result of this Session.

•        Florida will be granted a waiver and receive stimulus money.  (Possibly as early as next week.)
•        Stimulus dollars will come with strict accountability guidelines, including fiscal audits and educational audits to assure that the money will result in improved student outcomes.
•        The Florida Legislature will pass legislation increasing graduation requirements. Read the rest of this entry »

By Ellyn Bogdanoff 

Republican state representative from Fort Lauderdale. 

Consensus is that this will be one of the most challenging 60 days that the Florida Legislature has ever faced. The difficulty that lies ahead seems insurmountable, but with challenging times comes great opportunity. 

We must have the political will to take on the old ways of government and systemically change the way we do business. It’s time to create a smarter state government that works effectively for all Floridians. Most importantly, your elected representatives have an obligation to clean up government’s house before we ask any more from any Floridian’s house. 

This legislative session, I am serving as the Chair of House Finance & Tax Council. It is my responsibility to lead the council members in their deliberations regarding state revenue issues. As we have begun to discuss these issues, it is distressing that the first thing many look to do to fill a budget shortfall is to raise taxes. That is the easy fix to our problems, albeit dangerous.

Florida receives the bulk of its taxes from sales tax revenue — a tax directly reflective of what the citizens of this state can afford. The state has less because the people have less. It seems counterintuitive to increase taxes during a recession, but nonetheless the outcry is there. 

I believe we need a different framework if we are going to successfully tackle the state’s expected $6 billion revenue shortfall. That’s why I have worked hard to find alternatives to simply raising taxes.

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By LAMAR THAMES

Whether you like his ideas or not, you have to admire the way Clay County School Board Chairman Charlie Van Zant Jr. thinks outside the box in trying to come up with methods to cut expenses for the cash-strapped system.

Earlier this year, Van Zant broached the subject of a four-day school schedule. I think he knew he wouldn’t get much support for the unpopular idea but he put it out there anyway. 

Now, Van Zant wants to hear from the public about another idea he has: a longer school day that would result in fewer teaching days in the school calendar year.

Van Zant says there are two bills in the Legislature that would make it possible to change the actual numbers of days taught, thus possibly saving money. Scenarios running from adding 20 to 40 to 60 extra minutes a day could shorten the mandated 180-school year by X number of days if the Legislature passes versions of the two bills. Read the rest of this entry »

OK, Clay County, here is your opportunity to show how much you care about the public education system. 

From 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 7, 2009, residents are encouraged to line the streets at the corner of Kingsley Avenue and Blanding Boulevard in Orange Park to show support for our school system and voice our displeasure with the funding shortfall that is expected out of the Legislature again this year.

A large majority of the residents who have moved to Clay County in the last 1 5to 20  years have done so because of the quality of the school district. It is now time for those newcomers, as well as all of you who have been here for decades, Read the rest of this entry »