Senate scandals may hurt S. Florida in wallet
The sex scandals now rocking the Florida Senate could mean less money and less attention for Palm Beach County.
With the resignation of state Sen. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth, on Oct. 27, a large swath of Palm Beach County’s most populous area will be without representation when the legislative session begins Jan. 9.
“It’s always a concern when you go into session with a district not represented,” said state Sen. Bobby Powell, DWest Palm Beach. He added that he would be handling a few projects that fall within Clemens’ district and hoped other legislators would pick up the slack as well.
And with state Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, now out as chair of the Appropriations Committee while an investigation continues into alleged sexual harassment on his part, the county also loses a powerful champion for many of its causes, especially beach renourishment.
Clemens, who resigned after
revelations that he had an extramarital affair with a lobbyist, was a leader on sober home regulation and the larger opioid crisis. He was also responsible for bringing in millions of dollars in projects to the local area.
In the 2017 session, he requested more than $23 million for local projects. One of the largest of those requests — $3 million for the Lake Worth Park of Commerce — was approved after years of dogged attempts.
County officials are hopeful the Palm Beach legislative delegation will pick up some of the slack.
“With the Senate President among our members, and rising leaders such as senators Bobby Powell and Kevin Rader, I am confident our issues will be represented well during the upcoming session, ” said Palm Beach County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay.
Two Democrats, state Rep. Lori Berman, of Lantana, and former state Rep. Irv Slosberg, of Boca Raton, will face off in a primary Jan. 20 for Clemens’ Senate District 31 seat, which largely includes everything east of Florida’s Turnpike, from Delray Beach to Lake Worth.
If it were only Democrats, the April 10 general election could be canceled, according to Palm Beach Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher. But on Thursday, Palm Beach County Republican Party Vice President Tami Donnally entered the race, effectively ending any chance of Senate District 31 being represented in the coming year.
Clemens’ empty seat isn’t the only issue.
Latvala’s stepping down as budget chief is supposed to last the length of the investigation. His replacement, state Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, has said there would not be a change in priorities.
But that could change if Latvala should leave the Senate or permanently lose his chairmanship.
One of Latvala’s top priorities this session was a beach renourishment bill that would have given preference to areas with high tourism and recreation. Bradley, on the other hand, has long been championing using environmental funds to clean up North Florida springs and restore the St. Johns River that runs through Northeast Florida.
Latvala has denied the allegations from at least seven women charging him with sexual harassment over numerous years. Six of those women accused him anonymously in a Politico Florida story published Nov. 3. Another, former Latvala aide Molly Wilson, went public on Twitter, writing, “This was always an open secret. In my case, I tolerated degrading comments because I badly needed to keep my job.”
Another woman has filed a complaint with the Senate Rules Committee against Latvala, although it’s unclear whether it’s one of the original six accusers.
The complaints against Latvala, who is also running for governor, are being investigated by an outside law firm hired by the Senate, Tampa-based Jackson Lewis.
Latvala denies the accusations and has suggested they are the work of forces seeking to weaken the Senate ahead of the legislative session.
Machinations between the House and the Senate are legendary, but orchestrating sexual misconduct charges against multiple members of the other chamber would be unprecedented.
“I have concerns about the ability of the two chambers to work effectively with each other. And it’s more of an issue now than in years past,” said Palm Beach County Commissioner Dave Kerner, who previously served in the state House. “I’m always thankful for what we can achieve, and I will have a deeper appreciation for anything we can get done this year in light of all the controversy.”
dsweeney@SunSentinel .com, 954-356-4605 or Twitter @Daniel_Sweeney