Palm Beach Gardens Rep. Pat Rooney said Monday that an anti-gay, religious organization’s planned protest at a St. Lucie County soldier’s memorial service has not led him to reconsider legislation he has filed creating a buffer around military funerals.

Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church, whose members have taken part in shouting, angry demonstrations at graveside services for dead solders, has said it will protest at the service for U.S. Army Spc. Jordan Christopher Schumann of Port St. Lucie.

Schumann, 24, was killed in Afghanistan last week when his Humvee ran over a mine. Westboro has said it will demonstrate at the service in retaliation for the legislation filed by Rooney, a Republican state representative.

Westboro believes that soldiers’ deaths are God’s way of punishing the U.S. for its tolerance of homosexuality.

“While I am disheartened that this is an issue that needs to be addressed, it truly saddens me that family’s like those of U.S. Army Spc. Jordan Christopher Schumann have to endure this unwarranted negative attention in this difficult time,”  stated Representative Rooney.  “It is my hope that in the future families like his will be able to honor their sons and daughters in the peace and dignity they have so valiantly earned from a grateful community, state, and nation.”

Rooney is sponsoring a measure (HB 31) that would make it a misdemeanor to protest, picket or hold other demonstrations within 500 feet of a cemetery, funeral home or residence from one hour before to an hour after a funeral for a veteran, emergency response worker, elected official or minor.

 According to Rooney’s office, Westboro protested at an earlier military service on the Treasure Coast within the past two years, and also elsewhere in Florida. Rooney filed the legislation in the wake of last spring’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling which found Westboro has a free-speech right to demonstrate at funerals.

The court, however, did say that states may regulate the protests. Rooney said that states are following the ruling with new laws, with New York being among the latest to approve legislation aimed to providing some kind of buffer.

Westboro Pastor Fred Phelps said in an e-mail last week to the Palm Beach Post that the church planned to dispatch protesters to Schumann’s services, which had still not been finalized. He also warned a lawsuit would be coming if Rooney’s legislation is approved next spring.

“We anticipate filing suit if such a law is passed, as we have successfully done in other parts of the country,” Phelps said in his email. “When a state, through its elected officials, lifts its middle finger against God’s pronouncements and judgments, WBC gives such a state special attention.”

Sen. Mike Haridopolos will be named the 2011-2012 Senate President on Dec. 8 at 5 p.m.

The Melbourne Republican will assume the post after the two-year tenure of current Senate President Jeff Atwater ends next fall.

Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, is leaving the Senate to run for Chief Financial Officer.

Haridopolos’ ascension is a trifecta for the Palm Beach and Treasure Coast region and continue its domination of the top of the Senate for a total of six years.

Atwater’s district includes part of Broward and Palm Beach counties. He was preceded by former Senate President Ken Pruitt, a Port St. Lucie Republican whose district included Martin, St. Lucie and Palm Beach counties.

The southeastern portion of Haridopolos’ Senate District 26 dips into St. Lucie County.

The three political leaders each previously served in the Florida House before joining the Senate.

UPDATE: This blog was updated to included the latest projections at 2:35 p.m.

St. Lucie County is already pacing the state in foreclosure and unemployment rates. Today, schools Superintendent Michael Lannon is telling 331 teachers they’ll be laid off and three two schools will shut down because of state budget shortfalls, according to fellow Palm Beach Post blog, Treasure Coast Talk. The school district, with about 5,000 employees, is the largest employer in the county.

Told of the development, Gov. Charlie Crist said, “I would encourage the superintendent to contact the U.S. secretary of education and get this waiver.”

Asked if he would veto a state budget that included a property tax increase for schools, Crist said, “Probably.”

Florida is not eligible for about $2.5 billion in federal stimulus money earmarked for schools, because of recent cuts to the state’s K-12 budget. Crist and others are waiting for the U.S. Department of Education to release this information about how the state can get a waiver from the requirement.

Senate President Jeff Atwater got an earful from a combative State Farm agent at what was supposed to be a routine Q and A with T-Coast leaders.

State Farm agent Bill Knight peppered Atwater, who has been on the warpath against property insurers for what he believes are excessive rates, with questions about the state CAT fund and other insurance questions, often interrupting the president and ultimately shutting down the session.

State Farm recently announced it was leaving the state and canceling its 1.2 million clients over the next two years after state insurance officials turned down its request for a 47 percent rate hike.

The state’s catastrophe fund has about $8 billion in cash on hand, but needs to cover about $28 billion in losses if a major storm occurs.

“We are heading out and there’s no turning around at this point. Where are the dollars going to come from if we were to have a Category 4 or 5 storm hitting Tampa or Pinellas County or anyone else in the state?” Knight wanted to know.

“We would be in a world of hurt if this occurred,” Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, said.

But that didn’t stop Knight.

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