By TaRhaun Russ
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Tallahassee, FL – Two bills vetoed by former Governor Charlie Crist were brought back up for debate in the House State Affairs Committee today Friday. As TaRhaun Russ reports both bills are heading back to the full chamber, in hopes to overturn the vetoes and turn the bills into laws.
One controversial bill is being brought back up for debate.This house measure states legislative leader of both parties, like the Senate President and the Minority Leader, can raise money through a separate fund outside of political party fundraising. If the measure gets an override, it would reinstate what was called "leadership funds" under a new name. Representative McKeel, a Republican from Lakeland and Chair of the committee, sponsored the bill that was vetoed.
"Currently we don't know who is raising and spending money for the political parties either in the Republican Party or the Democrat Party and the ability to have a transparent accounting of the raising and expenditure of funds I think is long overdue."
Years ago, the state legislature banned leadership funds. Ben Wilcox with the League of Women Voters of Florida says the new name Affiliated Party Committees is the same as leadership funds and his organization can't support the bill.
"Who in this process would turn down solicitation by a legislative leader who has the power to decide if your bill will even be heard? The league believes legitimizing leadership funds encourages the "pay-to-play" nature of this process."
However, Rep. Scott Plakon, a republican from Longwood supports the bill. He says he wants it to be brought back.
"I was happy to vote for this last year but there is no perfect bill and I realize that there may be some parts of it that some may or may not like but the important part of this is increased disclosure and more transparency."
Representative Alan Williams, a democrat from Tallahassee, says our current governor may not understand the meaning of campaign funds since he used more than $70 million of his own money to win his seat.
"Although elected and qualified by the voters of this state, potentially send this bill to a governor, if it passes out of the House and the Senate who doesn't have a full understanding of the fundraising process as evident by his $73 million invested of his own money."
The committee approved sending the bill back to the floor. A similar bill is already making its way through the House. It carries much of the same language in it, but leaves out much of the campaign fundraising topics.
The committee also agreed to send another bill vetoed by former governor Charlie Crist to the House floor. It deals with the agriculture.The measure requires a written acknowledgment has to be signed by a contractor wanting to develop near sustainable agricultural land such as a farm. Another area of the bill prevents counties from gaining certain fees on agricultural lands.This same bill was passed in the house and senate chambers unanimously but when struck down by Governor Crist, Representative Trudi Williams, whose' also the bill's sponsor says everyone was left confused considering they worked on the bill for two years. The Fort Myers Republican says Governor Crist vetoed it for one sole purpose.
"The call I received was because it exempted agricultural fences from receiving building permits from municipalities. That was the only explanation I was given."
Butch Calhoun with the Florida Food and Vegetable Association says he's is excited to see the legislation get a second chance.
"This bill was three years in the making. We negotiated it with all of the parties and this is the first bill that I ever worked and when it passed the legislature and nobody testified against it in a committee or on the floor or in either chamber and I just appreciate you'll support on the override."
There is also an identical bill with the same language of the vetoed piece of legislation that's making its way through the committee process.