Depleted state Legislature faces long list of issues this session

TALLAHASSEE — When Florida lawmakers begin the 2018 legislative session Tuesday, they will face the normal tasks of putting together an $80 billionplus budget and passing laws affecting property taxes, schools and more, but they will also confront the fallout of hurricanes Irma and Maria and tackle the effects of an ongoing opioid addiction epidemic.

Lawmakers will be working with only 154 out of the usual 160 legislators, as 10 lawmakers have left office due to scandal, appointment to higher office or death since the end of the last legislative session. Only four have been replaced with special elections.

“It’s a period in Florida politics that’s likely to be pretty convoluted, pretty raucous,” said Lance de-Haven-Smith, professor emeritus in public policy at Florida State University. “I can imag--

ine the Legislature erupting at some point with some problems for people.”

The most notable absence is former Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, who was the Senate’s top budget writer until a series of sexual harassment allegations led to his resignation last month.

The Latvala saga was headed for a Senate trial before his resignation, but the newfound awareness of sexual harassment in society, with allegations leading to the downfall of powerful men in politics, media and entertainment, has left some in the Capitol rattled and worried about who might be next.

The political ambitions of top lawmakers will also likely lead to infighting among Republicans that has characterized the past three sessions. Gov. Rick Scott is considering a run for U.S. Senate, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam is running to replace Scott, and House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’Lakes, is also poised to run for governor.

But it’s the agendas of Corcoran and Scott that are setting the early tone of the session, as they ponder campaigns for higher office.

Corcoran is pushing a bill to ban “sanctuary” policies in Florida cities that allow local law enforcement not to cooperate with federal immigration agents. There are no cities in Florida that have sanctuary policies on the books, but the issue could be used to contrast Corcoran with Putnam, who supported bills that allowed for permanent status for illegal immigrants as a member of Congress.

The session is also Scott’s last as he enters his eighth and final year in office. He has proposed an $87 billion budget — a bigspending increase over the current $83.2 billion spending plan and unlike previous budget recommendations. He’s also suggesting $1.7 billion in environmental spending and 525 new state workers, mostly to hire new prison guards, a departure from his usual recommended cuts to the state workforce.

Here’s a look at some of the other issues in play this session:

Budget/Taxes

Scott’s budget plan likely will be pared down by lawmakers, especially in the House, where Corcoran wants to stamp out spending on local projects that aren’t related to improving infrastructure affected by Hurricane Irma.

Scott and the GOP-led Legislature are more likely to find common ground on tax and fee cuts. Scott is recommending $180 million in cuts, mostly through a 10-day sales tax holiday on back-to-school items and a reduction in drivers license fees from $48 to $20.

Corcoran is also backing a Scott proposal to place a constitutional amendment before voters in November that would make it harder for the Legislature to increase taxes by requiring a two-thirds vote to approve increases instead of the current simple majority.

Education

The heated battle over education issues isn’t cooling down. School districts throughout the state are suing over last year’s controversial education bill that shifted money to charter schools and allowed charter school companies to compete against failing public schools.

Corcoran has another school choice measure on his priority list. He wants to award vouchers to students bullied in public schools so they can attend private schools.

Lawmakers could also look into putting new regulations on the state’s existing scholarship programs for low-income and disabled students in the wake of the Orlando Sentinel’s “Schools without Rules” series, which revealed lax oversight of schools that received nearly $1 billion in statebacked scholarships last year. A bill by filed late Friday by Sen. David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, would impose new restrictions on private schools that take state scholarships by requiring, among other measures, that all newly hired teachers have college degrees.

That fight will play out as lawmakers also scrape to find money to pay for the thousands of additional students coming to Florida schools from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands after Hurricane Maria battered the U.S. territories. More than 11,200 students from the islands have been enrolled so far, according to Scott’s office, including nearly 1,800 in Orange County.

In higher education, Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, is again pushing to expand Bright Futures Scholarships along with other scholarships for low-income students as one of his top priorities. Last year, lawmakers included money in the budget to allow some who qualify for Bright Futures to receive 100 percent of tuition costs and a $300 stipend for books. That’s only good for the current year, however, unless lawmakers pass a bill making it permanent. Health care

Thirteen residents at a Broward County nursing home died because of heat exhaustion after going three days without electricity following Hurricane Irma. In response, Scott issued an order calling on nursing homes and assisted living facilities to install generators in their facilities. Nursing home trade groups are fighting the order in court, but Scott is also pressing lawmakers to pass a bill to make the requirement a law.

Nursing home groups say they agree generators should be installed but want help from the state to cover the estimated $466 million in costs.

Lawmakers will also attempt to tackle the ongoing opioid crisis, which resulted in 5,725 deaths in 2016, according to state data. That’s a 35 percent increase over the prior year.

Scott has recommended another $50 million to fight the crisis, and Negron has said he wants to see more money put toward prevention and recovery.

Economic development

After last year’s dust-up between Corcoran and Scott over funding for tourism marketing and business development, the two reached a compromise. Visit Florida, the tourism promotion group would still exist but have greater transparency and new ethics rules. Enterprise Florida would have limited incentive funds but an $85 million Growth Fund for infrastructure and job training projects would be set up.

This year, Scott has asked for another $85 million for the growth fund next year. But Senate leaders, left out of the deal, are skeptical about approving another round of funding when none of the Growth Fund money has been used so far.

Scott is also asking for $100 million for Visit Florida, an increase of $24 million on the current budget year. Part of the money, tourism officials said, would go to restoring Florida’s brand after Hurricane Irma swept through the state.

“It’s a period in Florida politics that’s likely to be pretty convoluted, pretty raucous.” Lance deHaven-Smith, Florida State University professor