Latvala uses confirmation hearing to go after Sachs' residency

State Sen. Maria Sachs, a Boca Raton Democrat, came under fire from the chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee on Monday for her decision to rent a condominium from Judith Stern, a Broward political consultant, and her daughter, as her means of establishing residency in the county.

Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, who backed Sachs’ rival in a bitter general election fight, accused Sachs of not living at the condo and, as a result, “violating the law.” He used the incident to lay the groundwork for rejecting the appointment of Stern’s daughter, Barbra Stern, to the Florida Elections Commission.

Said Latvala: “The issue here for me to determine today is: Is this Elections Commission participating in flouting the Constitution?’’

Sachs responded in a statement: “I have fully met the requirements of the law regarding legal residency in District 34.”

“Politics ended the day that session began,” she said, noting that she is focused on other issues.

Biz group fights to keep insurance industry's $220 million tax cut with new TV ad

Associated Industries of Florida has launched a campaign to save a $220 million tax break for insurance companies, releasing a new 30-second spot recently.

The influential business group is protesting the proposal of Florida’s Senate Budget Chairman, Joe Negron, who surprised many last month with a plan to eliminate the tax break in order to lower car registration fees for consumers.

The tax break was created in 1987 to help recruit insurance companies to Florida. Negron questioned whether it had outlived its usefulness and said the lost revenue could be used to lower the cost of car registrations (the Legislature hiked those fees in 2009).

The insurance industry—which normally gets along with the business-friendly Legislature--protested the proposal, calling it a “tax hike.” It passed through the Senate Appropriations committee anyway.

Now, the business lobby is making its appeal directly to consumers in a campaign-style TV ad. 

“Major employers are coming to Florida, and hiring. That’s growth our economy needs” the ad’s narrator says as images depicting booming commerce flash across the screen. “But now, some in Tallahassee want to end it.”

The ad says the tax cut helped create the 40,000 insurance jobs that have been added in Florida in the last five years. It closes with the slogan, “Keep the working tax cut. Keep the Jobs.”

Words you won’t hear in the ad are: “insurance companies” or “lower driver’s license fees,” as the commercial does not lay out the details of the “working tax cut” or why lawmakers are considering scrapping it.

See the ad here.

Senate passes bill to tighten oversight of assisted living facilities

The Senate passed a bill on Thursday that aims to tighten oversight of Florida's nearly 3,000 assisted living facilities passed  by a 38-0 vote. "It's a work that we've all put a lot of effort on,'' said Sen. Eleanor Sobel, sponsor of  HB 646.
  The bill was  prompted by a 2011 Miami Herald investigation that revealed years of abuse, neglect and even death of ALF residents, said Sobel, D-Hollywood.
 "Legislation failed in the 2012 session," Sobel said during the bill's second reading Wednesday. "We have a more targeted approach this year. We are attempting to better enforce existing regulations. I know this bill significantly improves the lives of over 80,000 residents in ALFs in Florida."
  

Miami Senator calls on Scott to stop flow of 'armor piercing' bullets

 Sen. Dwight Bullard, D-Miami, said armor-piercing bullets have become ubiquitous in his district and is asking Gov. Rick Scott to do something about it.

In a letter to Scott’s office Thursday, Bullard called on Scott to begin an investigation into the flow of deadly bullets into South Florida, calling them "military-grade" and saying his constituents are living in "open war zones."

“As night falls in many of these communities, families gather before twilight not to feast, but to fear,” he wrote. “They lock themselves in to lock out those who prey the streets with high powered weapons that pierce a home’s walls as effortlessly as they pierce a child’s body.”

Bullard also lamented the fact that several gun control bills are languishing in the Florida Legislature, which has been reluctant to entertain the gun debate.

Here’s Bullard’s letter to Scott:

Digital Domain CEO hits back at damning IG report, blames Scott-Crist politics

Digital Domain debacle, take two.

The former CEO of Digital Domain is hitting back with an alternative script after an Inspector General report slammed the process that helped the now-defunct Port St. Lucie film studio get $20 million in taxpayer grants. 

John Textor said the claim by Gov. Rick Scott and Enterprise Florida that the Digital Domain deal was some kind of widely discredited proposal that had been blacklisted by Enterprise Florida, only to be slipped into the budget later by aggressive lawmakers and Gov. Charlie Crist—is complete fiction.

In fact, Textor said, Enterprise Florida actually recommended that Florida taxpayers chip in about $11.4 million to help Digital Domain bring jobs to the state.

An email Textor provided to the Herald/Times shows that an Enterprise Florida representative wrote Textor on March 18, 2009, saying that the organization would “present to [the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development] relative to a one-time award of $6.1 million” and other awards for a “total potential FL economic incentive package” of $11.4 million. The email, not included in the IG report, said Digital Domain would be required to create 300 jobs. 

EFI never went through with a recommendation to OTTED (which is required for  economic incentives grants to be awarded), but Textor has a very different explanation for why that did not happen.

According to Enterprise Florida’s account, the organization refused to support funding because Digital Domain’s finances were “extremely weak” and its business model was suspect.  Textor has a different story, and questions Enterprise Florida’s credibility by pointing out that the organization believed Digital Domain’s business plan was strong enough to receive an $11.4 million incentives package. 

Textor believes that he and others are being thrown under the bus as a way for Gov. Rick Scott to attack the Crist administration, which was in charge when Digital Domain received funding by getting special language tacked onto the state's budget.

Remembering Larcenia

@MarcACaputo -- Statements on the death of former Miami state Sen. Larcenia Bullard.

Gov. Rick Scott:

“Today, Florida lost a strong leader. Ann and I join all Floridians as we mourn the passing of Senator Larcenia Bullard. She represented the families of South Florida with passion and integrity. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those close to her and the rest of Florida as we honor a woman who put her constituents first. We remain grateful to Senator Bullard for her service to this great state and pray that her family can find peace during this difficult time.”

Senate President Don Gaetz:

Today our dear friend and former colleague, Senator Larcenia Bullard, died in Miami.  Although she had faced many serious challenges to herhealth in recent months, Senator Bullard was on the floor with us -- cheerful and proud -- as her son, Dwight, began his first Senate session just two weeks ago.

Larcenia Bullard had the biggest heart in the Senate.  A proud Democrat, she was never an uncompromising partisan.  A political pioneer among African-Americans, her passion for fairness and justice extended to all people.  Every hard fight in committee or tough debate on the Senate floor always ended with her warmly embracing those with whom she disagreed and assuring them of her love.  Every senator with whom she served can share stories of her compassion and good humor.

The Bullards are an institution in South Florida.  Loving their community and its people, they are fiercely loved and supported in return. The Senate shares the grief of the Bullard family and extends our prayers to Representative Ed Bullard, Senator Dwight Bullard, and all of those who mourn Larcenia.  Every senator and staff member who served alongside Senator Bullard knows that something very good and kind is lost from our lives today.

Secretary Brown will keep us informed of funeral arrangements when they have been finalized.

Senate Democratic leader Chris Smith:

“I am incredibly saddened with the news of Senator Bullard’s passing. She was not only a mentor to me, but a woman many loved for her outspoken ways and selfless devotion to the people she represented.

“Even when ill, Senator Bullard remained determined to serve those who elected her - those whose faith she carried and protected.

“On the Senate Floor, she spoke of things that gave inspiration to many; she never shied away from controversial issues. And she never shied away from standing up for issues she believed were right.

“After being term-limited, she returned to the Senate just one week ago.  Ever the free spirit, she danced for the Senate’s very own version of the ‘Harlem Shake’ in a way only Larcenia could!

“As our hearts and prayers go out to her son, Senator Dwight Bullard, and her husband, former Representative Ed Bullard – ever at her side – this we know…she is still dancing in heaven.”

Senate Republican leader Lizbeth Benacquisto:

"It is with great sadness that the Senate family learned today of the passing of former Senator Larcenia Bullard. The Senate was truly blessed in abundance by Senator Bullard. She was the light of any room she walked into and her laughter and stories could capture the moment like no other. She was a friend to all and a passionate advocate for her community. She leaves behind a strong legacy of caring, compassion, and dedication. To honor her memory, let us spread her joy and kindness wherever we may go, for she would delight in that. Our thoughts and prayers are with her devoted husband, her beloved children, and her precious grandchildren."

Update: Internet gambling probe of Allied Vets grows, arrests now in Florida

Update: Jacksonville television is reportiong that the sweep has reached Florida and the head of a local gambling non-profit was arrested there this morning. 

Jerry Bass is the National Commander of Allied Veterans of the World Inc. and Affiliates, Action News Jacksonville reported. He was arrested and booked into the Duval County Jail this morning. His arrest is the result of a six-year long investigation that spans throughout Florida and other parts of the country. Here's their report.

Meanwhile, the Oklahoman reported yesterday that one of Florida's largest operators of internet cafes, Chase Burns of Florida Gaming Promotions and the International Internet Technolgies, is under federal investigation for operating illegal gambling operations in Florida.

Here's the story by reporter Nolan Clay:

Federal investigators allege the owner of an Anadarko company is involved in an illegal gambling operation in Florida that made more than $290 million.

The owner, Chase Burns, 37, denies wrongdoing. “That’s not true,” he said Monday. “What we do is legal.”

His company, International Internet Technologies LLC, supplied gambling software to Internet casinos in Florida that posed as fundraising centers for veterans’ charities, authorities allege.

The company, also known as IIT, has been paid more than $63 million for its computer work for the illegal gambling operation, authorities reported.

An Oklahoma City federal magistrate judge Monday authorized a search of the IIT building in Anadarko for evidence of “conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, operating an illegal gambling business and money laundering.”

Senate advances bill to give public voice before boards and commissions

Floridians who take the time to sit through public meetings of local boards, commissions and state agencies will no longer be barred from speaking up, under a bill that is on its way to passage in the Florida Senate. 

Sen. Joe Negron, R-Palm Harbor, has proposed SB 50, which would require local and state agencies to let the public speak before their boards take any action. The Legislature is not included in the requirement. The Senate gave it preliminary approval Tuesday.

“Among our most cherished rights are a right to a trial by jury, our right to vote and our right to speak,’’ said Negron, a lawyer and 9-year veteran of the legislature. “It may be surprising to learn that under our statutes in Florida, while the public has a right to attend a public meeting, it doesn’t have a right to speak.”

The goal, he said, is not to tell state and local boards how to give public access to speak out, just require that they do it.

 “You work for the citizens and if you are making decisions that affect the public, the public has a right to speak,’’ he said.

There are no penalties attached to the proposal, although members of the public can sue a board if they believe the law has been violated, and can recover attorneys fees in the process. “I don’t want to criminalize more things,’’ he said.

Meetings of boards that are “quasi-judicial” in nature and are exempt from the public meetings laws will also be exempt from the statute. 

Weatherford: Embrace most of Senate ethics bill and lower campaign caps

House Speaker Will Weatherford said Thursday the House Ethics and Elections Committee next week will take up a bill that embraces most of the Senate's ethics bill and another that will "dramatically" reduce the the $10,000 cap on campaign contributions.

Gov. Rick Scott said Wednesday he could not support the House cap on campaign contributions and Weatherford said a new version, which is being drafted now, "will have that number come down dramatically."

In its place will be a tiered cap, Weatherford told the Herald/Times. A similar bill (SB 1382) has been proposed by Sen. Jack Latvala, R-St. Petersburg, that would raise contributions from $500 to $3,000 for statewide offices such as governor, Cabinet and Supreme Court merit retention races but leave the cap at $500 for legislative and countywide races. The Senate bill is scheduled for a hearing on Monday.

But, Weatherford said, the House proposed caps will be higher. Latvala's proposed levels "are better but still too low,'' he said. "If we have the $500 cap, we can all pat ourselves on the back and say that's great we're having cap but there's no cap on (Scott's political committee) 'Let's Get to Work,''' or on other electioneering and communications organizations that are regulated under federal law.

Legislators return with crop of new members and a new tone of cooperation

What a difference an election can make.

As legislators return to Tallahassee for their two-month-long annual session, beginning Tuesday, they will tackle some of the state’s most intractable problems, and they vow to do it with a new tone.

From property insurance and foreclosure reform to implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, and shoring up the state’s embattled education system, the issues are complicated and challenging.

Much of the debate in recent years has been driven by ideology, but this year the Republican-led Legislature faces no election. After Florida voted to reelect Democrat Barack Obama, the political rhetoric of GOP leaders has inched closer to the middle. The Legislature is undergoing an image makeover.

“In recent years, we may have done things that were more politically driven than policy driven,’’ said Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, the Senate Rules chairman, who is both a former speaker of the House and chairman of the Republican Party. “The longer you’re in, the more you realize you don’t know everything, and you may need to step back and adjust a little bit to move forward in a positive direction.”

Legislative leaders who campaigned against the president’s signature issue, healthcare reform, are now drafting legislation to implement it. More here.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/03/03/v-fullstory/3264115/florida-lawmakers-to-angry-voters.html#storylink=cpy