By Tom Flanigan
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-967316.mp3
Tallahassee, FL – The Senate passage of a bill making some major changes to Florida's election law was almost a foregone conclusion today. But Tom Flanigan reports that opponents were determined not to go down without a fight
A final Senate vote on the controversial election bill just hours away. So on Thursday morning, the opposition was gathered in the Senate's Democratic Caucus Room. They discussed floor strategies and tactics for the upcoming debate. Then Florida A-F-of-L-C-I-O President Mike Williams rose to speak.
"We know what's going to happen on the floor. We can predict it just as you can. But the seriousness of this, the questions you ask, lays the basis and foundation of challenges that are going to be down the road on this issue. So please take it as serious as you can. Be firm with your questions."
And that's exactly what opposition Democrats did when the election bill was first out of the box during the Senate's Thursday afternoon session. Miami Gardens Senator Oscar Braynon started things off.
"I do not believe that the things that are in this bill really will make this process any better. I think what they'll do is to set up hurdles for church groups, Boy Scouts, college groups, to allow people to participate and be a part of this, to get involved in civic engagement and be involved in the civic process."
Followed by Jacksonville Senator Tony Hill.
"This bill, senators, will send a chilling clarion call that we in Florida, for some reason, feel that the process should not be open and be fair to everybody."
And Senator Eleanor Sobel from Hollywood.
" I heard something about fraud. Well, no one's proven anything about fraud in recent elections."
With Weston Senator Nan Rich closing out the Democrats' on-the-record objections.
"It's not difficult to see that this bill is an attempt to suppress voter turnout among those who don't support this agenda. This bill takes us backwards."
For their part, the Republicans remain solidly supportive. Those defending the need for tighter election laws included Niceville Senator Don Gaetz.
"One-hundred percent of the provisional ballots cast in Broward County were found to be inappropriately cast because one-hundred percent of them were people who did not live in the county."
Mike Bennett of Bradenton.
"We want to make it more convenient? How much more convenient do you want to make it? Do you want to go to their house? Take the polling booth with us? This is a hard-fought privilege. This is something people died for. And you want to make it convenient?!"
Altamonte Springs Senator David Simmons finished up the Republican defense of the bill.
"We only have to see the videos that were on YouTube and places like that. Two years ago well, in the 2008 election, the intimidation that occurred? It was evident."
Which left only the formal close by the bill's sponsor.
"So when you clear the smoke and look through the haze of over-inflated rhetoric that we've heard against this bill, you'll see that it's a common sense bill; that it empowers people; that it allows for meaningful participation in the electoral process."
And with that, the vote was taken and broke along strict party lines with the majority Republicans victorious. As now written, the measure requires voters who change their registered name or address on Election Day to vote by provisional ballot. There are new restrictions on third-party voter registrations. There will be fewer days, but the same number of hours, for early voting. And the length of time for citizens to gather signatures for ballot initiatives is reduced from four to two years. Next stop for the bill is the desk of Governor Rick Scott.