A running diary of the midnight madness in the Florida House
by Michael C. Bender | April 8th, 2010Democrats don’t have the votes to defeat the controversial teacher pay bill. But they do have 15 minutes each to speak, under House rules.
That suddenly questionable rule has resulted in a late night in the chamber, which, at this point (especially since my video camera unfortunately died hours ago), demands a running diary…
11:41 p.m.: Rep. James Bush, D-Miami, performs a ceremonial burying of Senate Bill 6, which he actually drops into a trash can as Rep. Oscar Branyon, D-Miami Gardens, makes the sign of the cross.
11:42 p.m.: Speaker Larry Cretul calls the 1,567th quorum call of the night. He announces “about 20″ lawmakers left to speak. A collective gasp fills the chamber.
11:45 p.m.: Rep. Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach, announces “some pretty interesting news from the St. Petersburg Times: Gov. Charlie Crist has vetoed Senate Bill 6.”
(The SPT published an editorial online tonight about the House’s “arrogant attempt to reform schools.” The House Republican Office shot back “exposing the arrogance of the St. Pete Times editorial board” for opining before the vote was taken. But the bill will pass. Apparently, the real arrogance was thinking the Florida House would actually get to the vote before midnight.)
11:55 p.m.: Rep. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Pete, says the bill is being “rushed.” Kinda sounds like a hollow argument at, you know, 11:55 p.m.
11:59 p.m.: Rep. Doc Renuart, R-Ponte Vedra Beach, jumps the gun with a “Good morning, members” that comes one minute too early.
12:04 a.m.: Rep. Seth McKeel, R-Lakeland, decides to liven things up with a little riff on the process. He does drop this gem with a straight face: “Senate Bill 6 was amended and revised and changed before it passed out of the Senate. It then comes to the Florida House where it has one of the most unprecedented processes of collaborative deliberation that we can remember in recent legislative history.”
12:18 a.m.: Rep. Kevin Rader, D-Delray Beach: “We all know what’s going to be the outcome of this bill.”
12:21 a.m.: Cretul call, Cretul call. Have all members voted?
12:37 a.m.: Rep. Kelly Skidmore, D-Boca Raton, rips off a list of about a dozen or so names of the teachers she had in school. One. After. The. Other. There is lots of rubbing-of-the-temples going on across the floor.
1:11 a.m.: Branyon says he missed his son “poop in the potty” for the first time because of the education debate. Hopefully Mrs. Branyon took a picture…
1:16 a.m.: Rep. Joe Gibbons, D-Hallandale Beach, says this bill is helping form an energized political movement, which he dubs the “TEA-chers Party.”
1:18 a.m.: “I think the last time I was up this late I had my dancing shoes on,” says Rep. Audrey Gibson, D-Jacksonville.
1:45 a.m.: Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami, gets choked up during an emotional speech over why he’s supporting the bill.
2:04 a.m.: Rep. Will Weatherford, R-Wesely Chapel, is the 67th lawmaker to debate the bill.
2:18 a.m. We’ve now officially surpassed the last marathon House session, when Dan Gelber’s Democratic caucus forced Marco Rubio’s Republican majority to read every word of every bill on the day’s agenda during a battle over health care.
2:20 a.m.: “Members, it’s late and I want to go home,” Rep. John Legg, R-Port Richey. (I believe this is the final speaker tonight…)
2:26 a.m. 64-55. Bill passes. Republicans voting against: Culp, Homan, Llorente, Nehr, Patterson, Planas, Robaina, Schultz, Van Zant, Weinstein, Zapata.
2:30 a.m.: Republicans don’t have a 2/3 majority to immediately return the bill to the Senate (which needs to formally send it to Crist). So Cretul adjourns and announces a new session that will convene in 10 minutes. A magical procedural technicality automatically returns bills to the Senate when a new session begins — you’ll just have to trust me on this…
2:40 a.m.: New session starts.
2:46 a.m.: New session adjourns.
Tags: merit pay
Where's the money? Use The Post's interactive database of who wants and who's getting federal dollars.
Use these interactive graphics to find and contact Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast legislators.
April 9th, 2010 at 9:17 am
just goes to show you that goverment can’t run anything
private schools educate for less money per pupil
they put pressure on the teachers when they are just working so hard but they have to deal with everyone against them the administration, parents the world….
the only way to educate kids is to have small class sizes
willing students and great parents nothing else matters
principals play favorites and give their special teachers the smart and well-behaved kids so they will get merit pay
it is all corrupt from the superintendent who makes big money
to the poor teachers who spend lots of time and money on educating themselves and buying stuff for the classroom
while they spend most of the day filling out forms for the government to brag they are making teachers accountable
so they can get elected
wake up people your teacher is juggling all the fundraisers for the school the photographer money collection
teacher’s need assistants they will never get them
because public schools are corrupt and taxpayer money is wasted on contracts and pen pusher pay at county office
government can’t run anything
the people have to do everything for themselves
this is why so many are going to homeschooling
give teachers a break and quit letting everyone blame them
when it is higher-ups to blame
don’t become a teacher is the best advice to anyone
it is thankless
April 9th, 2010 at 9:57 am
Dear Ann, last I checked, teachers are done around 3 PM every day. These guys and gals worked until 3 AM last night. Check yourself, before you wreck yourself, because your lack of wisdom is bad for everyone else’s health.
April 12th, 2010 at 3:02 pm
Teachers do not go home around 3:00. You have really been misinformed. Who do you think grades all of the papers, work,homework and tests that the students do dailey. Who writes the lesson plans, who is up trying to get together for tomorrows lectures. The teachers are: Just because our contract says 3 there is so much more to do that you don’t see. Is your pay at your job tied to what another huma being does? What if your collegues decided they didn’t want to perform at work one day, should you not get paid because of their choice? Sometimes it is up to the student and depending on how their day is going, they decide not to perform no matter what!!!! Remember most teachers are the teachers,mom,dad,nurse,conflict resolver, mediator,lawyer, referee, and the counselor. A teacher is the base of any other job, “remember if they do it to us, they’ll do it to you”. Things don’t look so good when it’s happening to you!!!!!!!