On Tap in the Capital - Wednesday, March 10, 2010

The News Service of Florida

TOPPING THE DAY

PUBLIC RECORDS EXEMPTION FOR 911 TAPES:  A proposed committee bill exempting 911 audio recordings from the public records law is one of a long list of bills available for the House Governmental Affairs Committee. Gov. Charlie Crist said this week he thinks the tapes ought to remain available but backers of the legislation say they’re an invasion of privacy. (8 a.m., 306 House Office Building, The Capitol.)

SENATE REGULATED INDUSTRIES ROLLS THE DICE:  The Senate Reg Industries committee is workshopping its gaming bill (SB 622) this morning, though no vote will be taken. The bill contains the same language as the bill passed by the Senate and House last year with a few tweaks. The PCB says that the compact negotiated by the governor and tribe is invalid and also breaks the tie between the compact and the pari-mutuel sweetener bill. Under the new language, the pari-mutuel bill could pass without the compact, a Senate spokeswoman said last week. The panel also gets a demonstration of new Lottery vending machines. (8:30 a.m., 110 Senate Office Building, The Capitol.)

{sidebar id=1}SENATE EDUCATION PREK-12:  The Senate takes up two Jeb Bush-backed bills that appear to be on the fast track for approval by the Republican-led body to reform education. SB 4 sets out heightened graduation standards for Florida students, a measure that failed in the final days of the 2009 session because lawmakers feared it would cost too much money. The other bill, SB 6, would create a merit-based pay system for teachers, rather than basing pay on years of service. (1 p.m., 301 Senate Office Building , The Capitol)

HOUSE IN SESSION:  The House is on the floor today, likely taking up on third reading the repealer bills that were given preliminary approval on Tuesday. (1 p.m., House Chamber.)

CRIST TOURS UNEMPLOYMENT TAX RELIEF:  Gov. Charlie Crist already signed on the first day of the session the legislation (HB 7033) that delays an automatic unemployment tax hike. But he’ll hold ceremonial bill signings today as he seeks to make sure everyone knows they won’t be getting that big tax bill. Crist, who is also a Senate candidate, starts his tour in Tallahassee, then flies to Orlando, Tampa and Fort Myers before ending the day in Miami. (Tallahassee event: 9 a.m., Governor’s Large Conference Room, The Capitol.)

ALSO TODAY IN THE LEGISLATURE

BANKING AND INSURANCE HAS PROPERTY INSURANCE LEGISLATION:  A catch-all property insurance bill (a 52-page strike-all to what had been a shell bill is on the agenda) by Sen. Garrett Richter, is the highlight in Senate Banking and Insurance this morning. The measure is SB 2044. (8 a.m., 412 Knott Building, The Capitol.)

TEMPORARY WORKERS DISCUSSED IN SENATE COMMERCE:  Sen. Dan Gelber has arranged for a presentation on H-2B visas for temporary non-farm workers in Florida in this morning’s Senate Commerce Committee. Gelber says construction job sites are full of cars with license plates from other states and he wonders if something can’t be done to help Florida workers get those jobs. The committee also takes votes on several bills, including SB 1824 which would make it a crime to pose as a veteran to solicit funds. (8 a.m., 401 Senate Office Building.)

SENATE TRANSPORTATION:  The committee takes up a bill that contains several road designations throughout the state as well as SB 488, which requires vehicle registration forms to provide for a voluntary contribution to the Florida Network of Children's Advocacy Centers, Inc. (8 a.m., 37 Senate Office Building, The Capitol.)

R&D TAX CREDITS IN HOUSE ECON DEVELOPMENT:  A bill (HB 607) on tax credits for research and development tops the agenda in House Economic Development Policy. (8 a.m., 12 House Office Building.)

HOUSE MILITARY AND LOCAL AFFAIRS:  The House Military and Local Affairs Committee has a long list of proposed committee bills at its disposal, and is likely to take up at least two: one dealing with growth management and one dealing with military support. (8:30 a.m., 212 Knott Building, The Capitol.)

HOUSE EDUCATION:  The House Pre-K-12 Committee has three bills: HB 55 -- District School Board Policies and Procedures, HB 623 -- Instructional Materials for K-12 Public Education, and HB 1061 -- Suicide Prevention Education. (8:30 a.m., 17 House Office Building, The Capitol.)

ROAD DESIGNATIONS:  Several road designation bills are before House Roads Bridges and Ports. (8:30 a.m., 404 House Office Building, The Capitol.)

NURSING REQUIREMENTS:  A bill (HB 1337) revising the requirements for graduating from some nursing schools is the only measure before House State Universities and Private Colleges this morning. (10:30 a.m., 102 House Office Building, The Capitol.)

SENATE CRIMINAL AND CIVIL JUSTICE APPROPRIATIONS:  The Senate’s criminal justice budget committee holds a workshop on the spending plan. (10:15 a.m., 37 Senate Office Building, The Capitol.)

SENATE GEN GOV APPROPS:  The Senate General Government budget committee reviews the budgets of: Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Department of Citrus, Department of Environmental Protection,
Department of Financial Services, Office of Financial Regulation, Office of Insurance Regulation and other agencies. The panel also discusses the budget of the Public Service Commission. (10:15 a.m., 401 Senate Office Building, The Capitol.)

SENATE GOVERNMENTAL OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY:  There are 10 bills on the committee's Wednesday agenda, including one bill that would authorize legislators and staff members to be reimbursed by the state for travel to visit an immediate family member in the case of death or serious illness. (SB 118) Another major bill on the agenda is the pension board reform issue that both CFO Alex Sink and Attorney General Bill McCollum have been pushing for. The bill, SB 2186, is Sink's version, which would create two additional positions on the Board of Trustees for people who have backgrounds in finance or accounting. (1 p.m., 110 Senate Office Building , The Capitol)

HAITI RESPONSE:  The Senate Military Affairs Committee gets a presentation from the Division of Emergency Management on the state’s response to the Haiti Earthquake. (1 p.m., 37 Senate Office Building, The Capitol.)

HOUSE CRIME BUDGET COMMITTEE:  House Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations takes up legislation (HB 259) that requires judges to consider when sentencing someone whether the person was subject to an injunction or protection order against the victim. (3 p.m., 102 House Office Building, The Capitol.)

REPTILES:  HB 709, banning people from having certain reptiles, is before House Nat Resources Appropriations. (3 p.m., 306 House Office Building, The Capitol.)

SENATE WAYS AND MEANS:  The Senate’s top budget committee hears SB 1178 on cost-benefit analysis of legislation, and hears a presentation on state employee health insurance options. (3:15 p.m., 412 Knott Building.)

HOUSE BUDGET COMMITTEES HOLD BUDGET WORKSHOPS:  House budget subcommittees on health care, government operations, pre-k-12, state universities and private colleges, and transportation all meet today.

OTHER SENATE BUDGET COMMITTEES:  The Senate general government and health care budget committees also workshop agency budget issues today.

This information originally published on March 10, 2010.

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mkwestmark

 

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