Florida lawmakers want to stop statewide elected officials from turning Session into a campaign fundraiser. A committee in the GOP-controlled legislature overwhelmingly passed the bill Wednesday.
Under legislative rules, Florida lawmakers are not allowed to fundraise during any session, special, extended or otherwise. Hollywood Democratic Representative Evan Jenne wants to extend that ban to the governor, attorney general, agriculture commissioner and chief financial officer. But no offense to the sitting Cabinet, Jenne said.
“This is no indication on those four individuals. It’s simply a matter of what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. And I believe that this is good public policy and removes the potential appearance, just the appearance, of impropriety,” Jenne said.
And there would be consequences.
“The bill provides that a statewide elected official that knowingly and willingly accepts one contribution during the session commits a misdemeanor of the first degree. However if the official accepts two such contributions, the official would commit a felony of the third degree. And those punishments are the same ones that we face as legislators during the…during session,” Jenne said.
The bill only has one more committee stop before it heads to the House floor.
