State Capitol Briefs (Morning Edition) - Thursday, March 11, 2010

The News Service of Florida

EXPANSION OF SBA TRUSTEES REMOVED FROM BILL

An amended version of a bill dealing with the trustees who oversee the state pension fund no longer includes a top priority of Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink. The measure (SB 2186) was approved unanimously in the Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee on Wednesday, but was stripped of key language sought by Sink that would have expanded the number of trustees overseeing the fund. Currently, the trustees of the State Board of Administration are the chief financial officer, the governor and the attorney general. Sink has argued that at any given time, those three people may have no financial expertise for overseeing one of the nation's largest invested pension funds. Attorney General Bill McCollum, Sink's likely rival for governor, has opposed her on her effort to add two people with finance or investment background to the board. That was the main thrust of the legislation, carried for Sink by Sen. Jeremy Ring, D-Boca Raton. But a strike-all amendment to the bill approved Wednesday removed the language expanding the trustees. A spokesman for Sink said she continues to believe in the need to expand the board. “She believes it takes more than three elected officials – none of whom are required to have prior investment experience – to oversee the fund that police officers, teachers and other state employees depend on for their financial future,” said Sink spokesman Kevin Cate. “She remains committed to her principles and will continue to push for real reform.”

CRIST DEFENDS USE OF STATE PLANE

Gov. Charlie Crist said ending up in Miami for a fundraiser Wednesday night at the end of a fly-around on the state plane was OK because he combined the fundraiser trip with a ceremonial bill signing. Crist signed legislation delaying an unemployment tax increase more than a week ago, but flew around the state Thursday to re-enact the signing in several locations. He finished the day with a fundraiser for his U.S. Senate race. The Miami Herald reported Thursday that Crist told the newspaper it was appropriate as long as he was doing the bill signing ceremony. The fly-around cost taxpayers $3,100. The Herald reported in June that Crist said he didn't think he should fly the state plane to cities where he had both state business and a campaign event – and flew commercial at the time.

WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT VOTE TODAY ON SUGAR DEAL

The South Florida Water Management District's board is meeting today in South Florida and is expected to make a vote that could determine whether the district's plan to purchase land from U.S. Sugar goes forward. The district has a $536 million deal to buy more than 70,000 acres of land from the sugar company for Everglades restoration. With the slow down in the economy the district's tax collections have also slowed, and district officials have warned of a deficit if the purchase goes forward.

This information originally pubilshed on March 11, 2010.

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