Gov. Charlie Crist signed into law two bills helping kids in foster are and those who are getting ready to live on their own.

One bill (SB 126) makes it easier for former foster children to get access to their personal records. And it makes it easier for prospective foster and adoptive families to find out the histories of the children they are considering taking into their homes.
The law also requires state officials to keep complete and up-t0-date records for the kids in their care.

Another bill (SB 1128) makes sure that disabled homeless children and those in foster care have an advocate to make education decision.

Crist signed both bills into law today at a youth services center in Broward County.

Some former foster children have had problems getting their records, making it difficult for them to enroll in college or get a job.

Read about that here.

The date hasn’t yet been announced but former state Rep. Joe Negron’s already got the thumbs up from GOP heavyweight Jeb Bush in the special election to fill retiring Sen. Ken Pruitt’s seat.

Negron’s campaign sent out an announcement today in which the former governor touts Negron’s conservative qualifications.

Negron “has the experience and temperament needed to help solve the problems that are facing our great state. Joe is a true conservative and has my complete support,” the release said.

Negron was planning to run next year to replace Pruitt, the former Senate president who on Friday said he was stepping down a year before he would have been forced out of office by term limits.

It’ll be the second special election show-down for Negron, who’s facing former foe Art Argenio in the GOP race for District 28.

Argenio, who also served in the state House, beat Negron in a bitter 1999 special election runoff to win a state House seat. Negron ousted Argenio in another rough-and-tumble primary the following year.

Freshman Democratic Rep. Mark Pafford of West Palm Beach asked Gov. Charlie Crist today to veto the $66.5 billion budget because of concerns about cuts to programs for the elderly.

Pafford, a former aide to WPB Mayor Lois Frankel, picked a bad day to make news, however.

Pafford hand-delivered a letter to Crist requesting the veto just as the governor’s campaign staff sent out a press release ending months of speculation about whether Crist will run for U.S. Senate. As expected, he will.

Also today U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-Louisiana, folded on his opposition to Craig Fugate’s pending appointment to head FEMA. Fugate is the former head of Florida emergency operations.

And with hurricane season just around the bend Crist announced he was appointing Fugate’s deputy Ruben Almaguer to take his former boss’s place. Almaguer’s new job also is being upstaged by Crist’s candidacy.

Here’s what Pafford had to say in defense of the one out of five Floridians who are seniors.

The budget lawmakers passed on Friday takes away $2.5 million from senior services, including home care and community care for the elderly and Alzheimer’s programs and has a negative impact on about 29,000 seniors in Florida, Pafford wrote.

Pafford mentioned the 103-year-old woman in his district who has been on a waiting list for two years for home care to help keep her out of a nursing home.

He asked Crist to veto the budget and call a special session to force lawmakers to come up with a better spending plan.

“As you might imagine, many seniors on waiting lists for services cannot wait another 14 months for the care that they need today,” Pafford concluded.

The Senate approved a gambling bill giving the Seminoles the ability to continue to hold blackjack and other banked card games at their Broward and Hillsborough county facilities in exchange for a guaranteed $150 million a year for education.

The bill (SB 788) also opens the door for more slot machines at parimutuels outside of Broward and Miami-Dade counties where they are already allowed. Voters would have to sign off before that could happen.

The Palm Beach Kennel Club could also use its jai alai permit to open a card room or another dog track under the legislation, which the House is expected to pass and Gov. Charlie Crist has said he will sign into law.

Why the special treatment for the Kennel Club, bill sponsor Sen. Dennis Jones was asked.

The Rooney clan who own the club wants to open another facility north of the West Palm Beach locale. But it’s also for the dogs, Jones said.

“The feeling is that the owners would basically like to convert that…and have a facility in the north county and the south county,” Jones, R-Seminole, said.
“It’s to basically utilize the dogs more so the breeders have more activities…and at the same time a biz decision for the owners of those two permits.”

The Senate approved the measure by a 31-9 vote.

Sen. Jim King had barely caught his breath after lambasting Democrats for threatening to vote against the budget before he launched into a diatribe about Hialeah Race Park getting special treatment in the gambling bill.

The bill, approved by the Senate by a 31-9 vote, will allow the quarter horse track, built in 1925 and a historical landmark, to reopen and eventually have thoroughbred racing and slot machines.

“Here you have an entity that was all but gone, dead and buried, just basically a permit,” complained King, R-Jacksonville. “Not only are they in the mix they are also in the opportunity to run races.”

King took a swipe at Miami-Dade County lawmakers who lobbied diligently to get the special provision for Hialeah.

“I’ve never seen some of them work so hard…but that doesn’t make it right for those of us who’ve been here and who have seen what have happened,” King said. He voted for the bill (SB 788).

Half of the Senate Democratic caucus, including Leader Al Lawson, retreated from their threat to vote against the budget after being excoriated by a livid Sen. Jim King.

King threatened the D’s with payback if they carried the “no” votes out after Senate President Jeff Atwater went out of his way to accommodate them in budget and other issues.

“Why would this president or any other presiding officer in the future ever want to include you at all? What does he get for it?” King, a former Senate President, demanded.

King likened a “no” vote to taking “a wooden stake and drive it through the heart of a presiding officer who tried to be so inclusive.”

“If what he gets for that is everybody’s negative vote who’s a Democrat, then shame on you…I would hope that with the vote coming up we don’t so hopelessly set us back that we’ll never be able to recover,” King, R-Jacksonville, went on.

“This goes further than that and it has implications beyond what we just talked about here,” he threatened.

Sen. Ronda Storms, R-Valrico, cast the sole GOP vote against the $66.5 billion budget in the 32-8 vote.

Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale, is presenting the cigarette tax hike Friday in the state House, but might vote against it.

She’s still not sure.

Rep. Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, convinced Senate Republicans to put new gambing money into savings. But he might not vote for the bill that would allow blackjack in Seminole casinos.

He’s undecided.

“I’m not entirely sure,” he said. “I’m going to have to wait and see. I’ve got mixed emotions. … I’m going to do what I hope all members do and make the best judgment at the time that gets the best work done for the people of Florida.”

These aren’t ideas that lawmakers are tossing around in workshops. These are the two issues that forced Republican leaders to extend session an extra week at a reported cost to taxpayers of $50,000 per day.

So what’s got Cannon and Bogdanoff unwilling to commit? Mostly, its that they’re not sure what Democrats are going to do Friday, when the bills are scheduled for a final votes.

“I can’t speculate about what they think is appropriate,” Cannon said. “I have a lot of respect for Leader Sands, for folks like Rep. Fitzgerald and others. I have confidence that they have to do what they think is best and we have to do what we think is best.”

But what if Democrats think its best to leverage their votes for something else? (Although its not exactly clear what that something could be at the 11th hour with most of their bills already dead.)

“I’m just not worried about it,” Cannon said. “Look, I have a lot of confidence that in the end, its our job to pass the budget. I think we’ll do that and I think we’ll get it done.”

Sounds like an interesting day in store for the House…

UPDATE: We were provided the wrong letter earlier. This post was updated to include the correct letter and correct names.

More fallout from the prescription drug bill:

Speaker Designate Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park was among 13 Republican leaders who sent this letter Gov. Charlie Crist today asking him to veto a bill to create a prescription drug database. The letter is in reaction to a story about a similar database getting hacked in Virginia and held for ransom.

It’s probably worth pointing out 10 of the 13 were the only “no” votes against the bill in either chamber. The three other Republicans – Adam Hasner of Boca Raton, Anitere Flores of Miami and Dean Cannon of Winter Park – did not vote when the bill was debated in the chamber.

Meanwhile, Rep. Carl Domino, R-Jupiter, sent this e-mail to Florida drug czar Bill Janes asking him to join in the call for a veto.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Marcello Llorente, a Miami Republican who told Post on Politics that Crist should still sign the measure into law:

“There are numerous safeguards in the legislation to ensure the protection of personal information. I am confident the Task Force created in the bill will yield recommendations that uphold the highest level of security for personal information contained within the database. The tragic deaths of almost ten Floridians a day must stop. I urge the Governor to sign this bill expeditiously in an effort to end the practice of doctor shopping and help ensure that pill mills enabling the senseless loss of life are put out of business.”

Sen. J.D. Alexander and Rep. David Rivera — two of the state’s more important budget writers and both Republicans – were chatting last month in a Capitol hallway when Ron Saunders strolled up.

Saunders, one of the top Democrats in the House, suggested that the minority party’s votes might be needed on some budget issues.

House budget chief David Rivera, R-Miami, shot back: “We would never do anything that would require votes from you guys.”

But one of the final votes of a legislative session scheduled to end in overtime on Friday will be whether to allow new games at Seminole casinos so the state can collect hundreds of millions of dollars to protect its depleted budget.

And Republicans might need some help to do it.

(more…)

Max Osceola is biding his time down the street from the Capitol after gambling negotiations between the House and Senate blew up earlier this morning.

The Seminole Tribal Councilman is in the same limbo as a crush of lobbyists on the other side of a gambling stalemate.

Osceola sat beside Gov. Charlie Crist this morning as talks took a nosedive after the Senate offer broadened gambling opportunities for the Indians. House gambling negotiator Bill Galvano shut down the talks and now it remains up in the air when he and Senate counterpart J.D. Alexander will meet again, if at all.
(more…)

A few hours after the House’s chief negotiator accused the Senate of “moving backwards” on a gambling deal and threatened to call off talks, Senate President Jeff Atwater said he thinks the two chambers are “close” to reaching an agreement before the session ends on Friday.

“I’m frankly just so impressed that we’re down to just a couple of items left that I think if I were looking at odds at the moment my odds would be, now that we’re this close, I think we can come up with something that can work,” Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, said this afternoon.

Rep. Bill Galvano abruptly walked out this morning after Sen. J.D. Alexander presented his latest offer on a compact with the Seminoles that would allow them to hold blackjack, baccarat and chemin de fer at all of their seven casinos. The Senate’s previous offer had limited all of the card games and only permitted blackjack at all of the casinos.

Atwater, accompanied by Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander who is also handling the gambling deal, said he wasn’t surprised by Rep. Bill Galvano’s reaction, saying that it was the “first pushback” after two days of negotiations.

“I don’t think it’s a surprise that in something this significant that we hit a bump. But hopefully they’ll call us shortly and be ready to sit back down soon,” Atwater said.

Atwater met with the Seminoles early this morning and said he believes the two chambers are “finding some common ground” on their disparate plans. The House wants to limit blackjack to the tribe’s three Broward County resorts, which the Seminoles have rejected.

When asked if it was time for Atwater and House Speaker Larry Cretul to take over gambling talks, Atwater said “I don’t think so” before Alexander interrupted.

“Please. Please. Please. Fire me,” Alexander, R-Lake Wales, pleaded in jest.

Gambling negotiations broke down this morning after the Senate reversed an earlier offer to the House limiting an expansion of gaming for the Seminoles and instead allowing them to have blackjack and all banked card games at each of their seven facilities.

And the latest Senate plan would also allow Palm Beach Kennel Club to have electronic slot machines if voters approve, something they had taken off the table.

“Mr. Chairman I appreciate your offer but I will say that it appears the Senate, with all due respect and notwithstanding your brief explanation, is moving backwards. Backwards from where we want to go in an expansion standpoint. Backwards from where the House is heading. And I’ll look at your offer and we will let you know if it’s necessary to meet further,” Galvano, R-Bradenton, said after his Senate counterpart J.D. Alexander quickly read through “Senate Offer #4.”

“Thank you very much,” Alexander, R-Lake Wales, said.
(more…)

After three meetings today, House and Senate leaders remain sharply divided over a gambling proposal.

Appearances by Gov. Charlie Crist and Lt. Gov Jeff Kottkamp, who showed up twice, did little or nothing to bring the two sides closer together on whether the Seminoles should be allowed to offer blackjack and slots at their Hard Rock resorts.

The House made few concessions in their third offer at the day’s final meeting, signing off on minor issues but refusing to grant the Seminoles the right to hold tabled card games.

Lawmakers are trying to come up with a replacement compact after the Florida Supreme Court tossed out an agreement between the tribe and Crist allowing blackjack, baccarat and chemin de fer at its casinos.

After the ruling, the tribe continued to operate the games at the Hard Rock near Hollywood and started running them in their Tampa facility.

Rep. Bill Galvano, the House’s chief gambling negotiator, said that granting the tribe permission to have the games was tantamount to “rewarding bad behavior.”

Crist said the House should approve the compact “cuz the kids need the money” for education but bristled when asked about Galvano’s remarks.

“That’s up to them to decide. It’s in their hands,” he said.

Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander, who had been negotiating throughout the day on gambling, tobacco taxes and the budget, left hurriedly after the meeting looking displeased with “House Offer #3.”

Alexander, R-Lake Wales, had counted on up to $500 million from the Seminoles for education spending. Lawmakers may need to return to Tallahassee for a special session on gambling if they do not reach consensus before Friday, the last day of the extended session.

Florida taxpayers got more than their money’s worth out of Sen. J.D. Alexander today.

The Senate budget chief dealt with a revolving door of House counterparts as he brokered deals on the budget, gambling and tobacco after a weekend of doing the same.

The Lake Wales Republican takes the long hours in stride because, he says, as a farmer he’s used to getting up early and going to bed late.

Alexander chaired practically back-to-back conference meetings with Reps. Marcelo Llorente, David Rivera, Bill Galvano and Ellyn Bogdanoff today, wrapping up talks on the buck-a-pack cigarette tax around 5:30 p.m. before horsetrading with Galvano on gambling was set to begin an hour later.

“After spending quite a few days and nights here, I’m ready to go home,” Alexander told Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale, as he made a final concession on the tobacco deal.

Alexander’s put in 18-hour days on the budget for weeks and is anxious to seal the deal on gambling so lawmakers, already into a week of overtime from an extended session, won’t have to come back after Friday.

“I love hanging outwith you guys but I’ve got a family and a business,” Alexander told reporters yesterday when asked about the possibility of a special session on gambling. “I’ve missed my daughter’s birthday. I’ve missed her prom and graduation and all kind of stuff. I’m ready to go home. I don’t think the people of Florida need to pay for more time. I think we need to go to work. We need to get this stuff done. I think that can be done if we work hard. That’s the best approach.”

Cigar aficionados, rejoice. Cigarette smokers, not so much.

The House officially signed off on a buck-a-pack cigarette tax and the Senate agreed to exempt cigars from what lawmakers like to call a “surcharge” on tobacco.

Those who dip, chew or snuff also will pay more – also about $1 per ounce of loose tobacco.

The hope is to raise at least $800 million, most of which will pay for the state’s Medicaid program, and which lawmakers have included in next year’s budget.

Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, and his House counterpart Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale, held a series of brief meetings to close out the tobacco deal, which Gov. Charlie Crist said today he would sign.

The tobacco tax was the brainchild of Boca Raton Democrat Ted Deutch.

Lawmakers will vote on the bills on Friday.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida could keep blackjack at all of its casino resorts and also offer baccarat and chemin de fer at all but their Immokalee, Cypress Creek and Brighton locales.

Under the latest Senate offer, blackjack’s not in the cards for Miami-Dade or Broward race tracks but all tracks with card rooms would be able to hold no-limit poker.

House negotiator Bill Galvano said the 3 p.m. offer will keep the talks alive.

“This is a meaningful offer. It gives me confidence that negotiations should continue,” Galvano, R-Bradenton, said.

Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander, also in charge of the gambling proposal, also agreed to the House’s 35 percent tax rate for Miami-Dade and Broward county horse and dog tracks, a 15 percent drop from what they now pay.

The two sides also agreed to allow simulcast racing at pari-mutuels throughout the state if they also have cardrooms. They also agreed to try to collect sales taxes on hotel rooms and other items from the Seminoles. The tribe already collects a hotel room surcharge but does not remit it to the state as other Florida hotels are required.

The Senate backed down from a previous plan that would have allowed Broward and Miami-Dade county tracks to offer blackjack and would have given Palm Beach County voters the ability to authorize slot machines at the Palm Beach Kennel Club.

Alexander and Galvano are scheduled to meet again at 6 p.m.

Alexander, R-Lake Wales, said the two have about 24 hours to finalize a deal in order for lawmakers to vote for it before the session ends on Friday.

A new license plate that lawmakers failed to approve made it into the state budget today despite the leaders’ prior promise not to add items that hadn’t been passed during the regular session.

Proceeds from the Autism tag will go toward research for the disorder.

The House included the new item in a conforming bill that first appeared at an 11 a.m. conference meeting. Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander signed off on it.

House budget co-chief David Rivera offered the following explanation for the last-minute addition.

“The Speaker of the House was very reluctant to reopen the entire issue of license plate ideas,” Rivera, R-Miami, began. “The only reason that the Speaker was willing to look at the autism license plate again was because this item had a direct nexus to what is going on with the budget.”

Proceeds from the tag will go to offset some of the $600,000 in cuts to autism research, Rivera said.

Don’t try to print out or even view staff analyses on public computer terminals in the House.

The House “Print on Demand System,” known affectionately as PODS in the Capitol, denies access to requests to view staff analysis on any bill.

The reason?

Anti-pornography filters block it and with the following explainer: “Found keyword in URL: anal”

Lawmakers have again ordered the Department of Health to privatize A.G. Holley, the state-run tuberculosis hospital, one of the only in the nation.

Added to the budget implementing bill late Monday evening is a line ordering health officials to “enter into an agreement with a specified private contractor to finance, design and construct a hospital for the treatment of patients with active tuberculosis from July 1, 2009 to July 1, 2010.”

House health and human services budget chief Marcelo Llorente said the intent was to force state officials to move forward with the privatization, a priority of Gov. Charlie Crist.

The last-minute language is reminiscent of last year when an amendment was inserted into the budget on the second-to-the-last night of the 2008 legislative session.

Crist’s Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development received only one bid for the project and it was considered sorely lacking.
(more…)

To express his “disappointment” that the state’s Republican leaders failed to reach a budget deal on time, Deputy House Majority Whip Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater, said he’ll decline $133 in per diem and other cash lawmakers receive while in Tallahassee this week. He’ll also pay his own travel expenses.

“I’m not a rich person, but I just feel like this makes a tiny statement,” said Hooper, a retired firefighter. “We had nine weeks to get a budget done and we didn’t. It shouldn’t be the citizens’ fault.”

So who’s fault is it?

Hooper said it took time to figure out all the strings attached to the federal stimulus package. He pointed to a debate over gambling that continues to drag on.

Hooper also said House Republicans were slow to recover from the troubles for indicted Rep. Ray Sansom, R-Destin, which forced him to step down from the speaker’s office two weeks before session.

“That sounds like excuses and I don’t mean it to be,” Hooper said. “But that got us behind. And none of those are ‘Joe Taxpayer’s’ fault.

“When you report the first Tuesday, everybody knows the one thing you have to do is hammer out a budget.”