Weekly political notes from The News Service of Florida
By Jim Turner,
The News Service of Florida
TALLAHASSEE — Negotiations over an expected record budget for the upcoming fiscal year could begin this weekend, but Senate President Kathleen Passidomo would prefer to give staff members a little breather.
With the legislative session scheduled to end May 5, the Naples Republican said Wednesday that lawmakers have faced “very few issues,” so the process of hammering together a spending plan for the 2023-2024 fiscal year is “probably about five days ahead of schedule.”
Budget negotiations will play out in conference committees, with House and Senate leaders resolving any remaining issues.
“We probably could start conferencing this weekend, but my personal feeling is … the staff have been working really hard,” Passidomo told reporters. “Why bring them in for, you know, a weekend marathon when I think that we’ll be able to get the conference done within four or five days next week.”
Passidomo credited House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, for the pace of getting talks in line.
Renner, speaking separately to reporters Wednesday, said about the pending conference meetings, “I think we’re making great progress. We’re just not quite there yet. But we’re not far from being there.”
The House has approved a $113 billion budget proposal (HB 5001), while the Senate’s plan came in at $113.7 billion (SB 2500).
Before formal conference meetings can start, House and Senate leaders have to finish setting “allocations” — overall amounts provided to different areas of the budget, such as education and health and human services. Conference-committee members will negotiate details within those overall amounts.
As examples of issues that will be in play during negotiations, the Senate has proposed a 3 percent across-the-board pay increase for state employees, while the House has proposed 6 percent raises.
Also, the House does not want to fund the business-recruitment agency Enterprise Florida and the tourism-marketing agency Visit Florida. The Senate, meanwhile, wants to provide $80 million to Visit Florida, an increase of $30 million from the current year.
The fiscal year will start July 1.
WHALE OF AN ISSUE
Florida Ports Council President and CEO Mike Rubin expressed concerns that proposed federal whale regulations could “have a negative impact on the positive momentum we’re seeing in passenger and cargo vessel operations.”
In the council’s April newsletter, Rubin focused on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s proposed new rules for North Atlantic right whales and on anticipated changes for Rice’s whales in the Gulf of Mexico, pointing to concerns about “severe hazards to the navigation of several Florida navigational harbors.”
“Speed restriction will have a profound impact on passenger and cargo vessel operations by slowing vessel transits to dangerous levels that impede vessel maneuverability,” Rubin wrote. “Further, these proposed changes present additional challenges to an already strained supply chain.”
Both species of whale are endangered.
“With likely fewer than 100 individuals remaining, Rice’s whales are one of the most endangered whales in the world,” NOAA’s website said. “Recovery of the species depends upon the protection of each remaining whale.”
Last July, NOAA proposed expanding mandatory speed restrictions in areas of the Atlantic to include vessels 35 feet or longer — down from the current 65 feet — and expanding calving-season speed restriction zones to between Nov. 15 and April 15.
Meanwhile, NOAA continues to face a 2020 lawsuit by Earthjustice that, in part, contends the federal agency hasn’t done enough to ward off the impacts of oil and gas companies on Rice’s whales.
In November, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission joined port operators and charter boat captains in questioning the new right whale rules.
At the same time, the FWC issued an advisory to boaters to be on the lookout for right whales calving in waters off Florida, Georgia and South Carolina through April.
“These endangered species are extremely hard to spot and collisions with vessels put passengers and crew at risk and could cause injury or death to right whales,” the advisory said. “With fewer than 350, right whales are one of the world’s most endangered large whale species.”
CASEY’S HONORS
As Gov. Ron DeSantis travels across the country — and soon heads overseas — to build his political portfolio, First Lady Casey DeSantis is drawing awards in Florida.
The Republican Party of Sarasota has announced plans for a May 24 dinner that will include Casey DeSantis picking up a “Stateswoman of the Year” award.
“First Lady Casey DeSantis is the most dynamic, effective first lady in the country, spearheading multiple successful initiatives in our state and being an inspiration to so many,” county party Chairman Jack Brill said in a statement.
Previous “Statesmen of the Year” include Gov. DeSantis; former President Donald Trump; U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla.; former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; U.S. Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C.; U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas; former Vice President Dick Cheney; former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo.; and FoX News personality Sean Hannity.
The Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida last month also honored Casey DeSantis “for her lifetime conservation efforts.”
TWEET OF THE WEEK: “Does this man have the temperament to be President? Disney is lucky he doesn’t have the launch codes……” — Lloyd Blankfein (@lloydblankfein), senior chairman of Goldman Sachs in response to DeSantis announcing legislation to override development agreements that Walt Disney Co. signed with the former Reedy Creek Improvement District board.