Senate President Mike Haridopolos made a last-minute change to tomorrow’s floor session, adding a 4 p.m. session to the Senate calendar Wednesday afternoon.

The Senate will override at least one of Gov. Charlie Crist’s vetoes during the late afternoon session – HB 1207, legislation that would revive so-called leadership funds, strengthening the hand of House and Senate leaders from both parties in raising campaign cash. Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, sponsored the legislation. The House is expected to override the veto earlier in the day.

Both chambers could also override Crist’s veto of HB 7103, a measure that allows owners of properties with an agricultural exemption to retain the tax break regardless of the sales price.

The House is expected to veto them earlier in the day.

Gov. Charlie Crist is remaining mum as the clock ticks down on the midnight deadline to act on a bill that would allow legislative leaders to revive campaign accounts known as leadership funds to impact elections.

Crist can sign the bill (HB 1207) into law, veto it or do nothing and allow it to become law on its own if he does not act by midnight tonight.

Crist’s response to what he will do with the bill was to ask a reporter if he should sign it.

“I’m not sure yet. What would you advise? You’re a citizen too,” Crist asked Jim Ash, Capitol bureau chief of the Tallahassee Democrat and Gannett News Service.

“I’m not allowed to say,” Ash demurred.

“You’re not allowed to say?” Crist asked.

The exchange took place in an elevator en route to the 22nd floor where Crist was scheduled to give a speech to chiropractors.

When pressed, Crist said he hasn’t made up his mind.

“No, not yet. Not yet. Sort of focused on the chiropractors now. Trying to compartmentalize,” Crist said.

Republican lawmakers in both the House and the Senate quickly pushed the measure through both chambers and sent it to Crist last week. Most Democrats, including Sen. Dan Gelber who is running for attorney general, object to the funds.

Gelber repeated his request of Crist to veto the measure in a letter sent this afternoon.

“I don’t believe this is or should be a partisan issue. These committees fell into ill repute years ago when Democrats were in control of the legislature and that is why they were outlawed. Now, with voter confidence in their government at a frighteningly low level, is not the time to bring them back. These leadership funds would allow staff working for legislators to actually fundraise during the legislative session. That sends the wrong message and I believe would result in the kind of cash register politics that justifies the dim view of government that Floridians seem to have,” Gelber, D-Miami Beach, wrote.

The proposal would essentially renew a law barred two decades ago that permitted the House Speaker, Senate President and minority leaders in both chambers to have “leadership funds” used to dole out money to candidates without oversight by political committees.

Legislative leaders would be allowed to raise campaign cash and give it out to candidates outside of the state political parties’ coffers under a measure on its way to Gov. Charlie Crist for signature.

The proposal would essentially renew a law barred two decades ago that permitted the House Speaker, Senate President and minority leaders in both chambers to have “leadership funds” used to dole out money to candidates.

The measure would also crack down on “electioneering communication organizations,” or ECOs, in the aftermath of a recent court decision that allow the political groups to run attack ads without revealing much of who’s behind them.

Sen. Ted Deutch, a Boca Raton Democrat who is running for Congress, and other Democrats objected to that portion of the election reform (HB 1207) because they don’t want “to let people see the six figure contributions that are coming in from special interests. We should ban them.”

The bill creates “affiliated party committees,” or APCs, much like the old leadership funds lawmakers outlawed 20 years ago because they gave lobbyists too much influence in the legislature.

Republicans argued that the change would shed light on a practice that’s already taking place in the shadows.

“Money’s being raised,” said Sen. Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, who is slated to take over as Senate President next year. “We want to make it so the funds aren’t in one big pool. We want to separate it out so people can be accountable…. this is sunshine. People deserve to know when they see the commercials on TV where the money came from. We are opening up the books.”

Sens. Paula Dockery, a Lakeland Republican running for governor, and Alex Villalobos, R-Miami, were the only Republicans to vote against the measure.

Senate Democratic Leader Al Lawson, D-Tallahassee, and Democratic Sens. Jeremy Ring of Margate and Gary Siplin of Orlando joined Republicans in the 25-11 vote.