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Tallahassee, FL – The Republican Party has controlled the legislative branch of Florida government for a dozen years. It still does. However the new legislative leaders say there will be policy changes. As James Call reports, they plan to chart an assertive conservative course to revitalize Florida's economy and create jobs.
The 2010 election may someday be regarded as a watershed moment in Florida government. Not because it changed the balance of power between parties, but because it shifted the balance between ideologies. Merritt Island Sen. Mike Haridopolos worked more than six years to gather the votes needed to become leader of the Florida Senate and take it in a new direction.
"I think if you ask Jeb Bush, if you talk to past House Speakers, they felt the over-all body was moderate," he said.
Haridopolos quickly moved to use his newly acquired power. Upon taking the oath of office, he walked to the House Chamber to cosign a proclamation for a special session to override eight gubernatorial vetoes. All the measures were passed by nearly unanimous votes of the Legislature in the spring. Sen. Mike Fasano, who supported Gov. Charlie Crist's Senate bid after Crist left the Republican Party, also endorsed the call for a special session.
"Sen. Haridopolos wants to move quickly," said Fasano. "He is one and I support him whole-heartedly in taking up the issues early and dealing with them and doing what is good for the state of Florida and the people. We have people throughout the state truly struggling. In my counties - in some counties I represent - unemployment is 13 percent."
Lawmakers restored a $9 million appropriation to Shands Teaching Hospital in Gainesville, gave the Legislature more authority over agency rule making and passed bills Crist had vetoed because of environmental and consumer concerns. They were the first overrides in 12 years and just the second in 24 and marked the debut of a new conservative Legislature.
"If your piece of legislation raises a tax, make it easier to file a lawsuit against a fellow Floridian or increases red tape and bureaucracy, I don't like your chances," said Haridopolos. "And some people call that rhetoric. I call it reality."
In his first speech from the Senate floor, Haridopolos said lawmakers can't pass a bill to end this recession. He has a partner in House Speaker Dean Cannon, with whom he shares an interest in the writings of an Austrian Economist named Friedrich Hayek. Speaker Cannon:
"Floridians want jobs. Jobs create opportunities and they create self respect and they provide people with a stake in their own future. And in order to get our economy moving again we need to liberate capital we need to inspire entrepreneurs and we need to give people the opportunity to create jobs."
In the Senate, Haridopolos' right hand man is Senator Mike Bennett, the new president pro tempore. He proposes one way to stimulate the economy and create jobs will be to give away some of the property government owns.
"Why should we take the taxpayers' money, take your money your hard earned tax payers money and give it to a company to come down to Florida, why don't we take some of the land that is off the tax rolls now, give that to them as an incentive?" Bennett asked. "Give them that land, give it to them. Because then we get it back on the tax rolls and what it does you will be able to have a lower tax bill because we will have a bigger base to collect the taxes from."
Bennett represents Sarasota County where 35 percent of the land is off the tax rolls because it is own by city, county or state government. Bennett said some of that property is not environmentally sensitive and could be productive. Moderate Republicans and Democrats say they are taking a wait and see attitude before commenting on the still developing agenda of the new leaders. Republican Senator Dennis Jones chuckles when asked if his voting record qualifies him for a listing on the endangered species list.
"I'm a moderate, but I don't really feel endangered," said Jones. "Certainly our numbers are smaller than what they use to be. My voting record will still stay consistent. I mean I'll be a moderate senator my last two years. Not that the conservative agenda is wrong it's just that I feel if it goes too far to the right I probably will not be on that wagon."
The Florida Legislature's 2011 Regular Session will begin March 8th.