TALLAHASSEE — State Rep. Matt Hudson, R-Naples, chastised the Obama administration Monday for its lack of flexibility in implementing the Affordable Care Act.

“You can’t talk about giving the states more voice in the process and then not appoint anybody from the states for their advisory boards or any of that. You can’t talk about giving the states flexibility and then turn right around and say there’s no flexibility in the Medicaid expansion,” Hudson said. “So, you know, I think there is a desire to try and work with the federal government but it has to be two way street, just like any partnership…”

Hudson, the chair of the Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee, made the statement after the first House committee meeting on implementing the health care reform.

The House and Senate are holding meetings throughout the spring on how to implement the health care law, including whether to expand Medicaid and whether to operate a health care marketplace called an exchange for small businesses.

The state has already decided not to have the state run the insurance exchange and opt to have the federal government run one. But, they might decide to move to a state-run model at a later date.

Medicaid is the more pressing debate. Lawmakers had questioned whether they could only do a partial expansion of Medicaid, given that the Supreme Court made that part of the law optional for states. The law called for an expansion of up to 138 percent of the poverty rate, so that more low income families could qualify for Medicaid.

But the federal government said they would only pay for the program if it was a full expansion.

The Orlando Sentinel’s Scott Maxwell turns the much-feared Malarkey Meter on Panhandle state Sen. Don Gaetz and two claims he made recently:

1) Maxwell, who writes the Taking Names column, is full of %$#@*!

2) Lawmakers are not using tax dollars to overturn a state Constitutional measure to ensure fair voting districts — one that taxpayers overwhelmingly endorsed at the polls last year.

Check here to see which claim the Malarkey Meter calls bull#&*!@ on.

Florida governor-elect Rick Scott spent much of his time at the Republican Party of Florida’s quarterly meeting this weekend meeting with Central Florida state lawmakers, some of them for the first time.

From a smattering of mostly (but not all) Republican lawmakers such as state senators Dave Simmons of Altamonte Springs, Thad Altman of Melbourne and Alan Hays of Ulmatila, and state representatives Tom Goodson of Titusville and Debbie Mayfield of Vero Beach, he heard lists of pet wants as varied as SunRail in Central Florida to interchanges in Vero Beach.

What stuck with him (though he promised to later review his notes)? ”I think, not just here, but everywhere, whether you’re a Republican or Democrat, everybody knows the biggest problem we have in this state is jobs,” he said.

Among the specifics: Simmons wants to see an extra hour of classroom time for children in low-performing schools. Altman wants more support for the space industry. Sen. Paula Docker of Lakeland wants high-speed rail. Rep. Bryan Nelson of Apopka wants septic tank laws repealed. Rep. Darren Soto, of Orlando — the lone Democrat in Scott’s chats — wants to make sure Scott’s Medicaid reform plans don’t close down county clinics in Orange and Osceola counties. Mayfield wants a new I-95 interchange.

Few met his challenge to propose cuts.

“That’s pretty consistent,” Scott said. “They talk about streamlining things, but people don’t talk much about spending cuts.”

Rep. Dennis Baxley of Ocala pronounced confidence that Scott would find things to cut, making reference to his past building a national corporation by taking over hospitals, before he surprised Florida’s political establishment by winning the governor’s office over party-favored candidates.

“This is not his first hostile takeover,” Baxley said.

A state bill that would let cities and counties statewide use cameras to catch red-light runners was given a green light today by the Florida House of Representative’s Health Care Regulation Policy Committee.

House Bill 325, sponsored by state Rep. Ron Reagan, R-Bradenton, would clarify whether or not cities can use remote cameras to catch and fine red-light runners. It’s a controversial practice that the state Attorney General’s Office has concluded is illegal under current state laws, but which dozens of cities and counties including Orlando use anyway, based on loopholes.

Orlando has been using red-light cameras since September 2008. People who are caught are cited under city statutes, rather than under state traffic laws, and mailed citations seeking fines that start at $125. One loophole Orlando follows: It doesn’t put the cameras on state- or county-maintained highways, or on state- or county-owned property. Consequently, though Orlando has 12 cameras up, none of them are at any of the city’s 10 most dangerous intersections.

The proposed state law would expand where the red-light cameras can go, and create statewide rules on how cities would use them, and what kinds of equipment the could use. Existing programs like Orlando’s would get grandfathered.

The bill also creates a uniform fine of $155, and sets aside $25 of that for the state Department of Health Administrative Trust Fund, which would then pass money along to hospital trauma centers. That’s why the bill went first to the Health Care Regulation Policy Committee.

The city or county that runs the camera would get to keep $75. The state would take the other $55.

TALLAHASSEE — The Florida House budget “allocations” released this morning are only the starting point for the Legislature’s budget negotiations over the next two months.

But they offer some insight into the philosophical leanings of the Republican-led chamber. So, it shouldn’t be shocking to note that the divvying of dollars among various government areas attempts to shield classrooms while forcing human services, road-building, social programs and general government operations to shoulder most of the cuts.

The figures released by House Speaker Larry Cretul’s office contain a total of $42.9 billion in state-directed spending. Last year’s budget was $66.5 billion, but that figure includes federal trust fund dollars that aren’t accounted for in the state allocations. The dollars lawmakers can play with come from general revenue, state trust funds, a few other sources, and the “flexible” federal stimulus cash Congress sent to the states last year.

All told, the House allocation is actually slightly larger than the total state-controlled spending level of $39.9 billion in the current year’s budget. Total general revenue would grow from the $21.19 billion appropriated for 2009-10 to $23.25 billion — largely because despite all the doom and gloom talk in the Capitol, Florida tax collections are going up after three years of declines.

The House allocations are based on “sweeping” $802 million from all state trust funds (and thus away from the intended purposes for raising those dedicated revenues from taxpayers) and using the cash to plug holes elsewhere. It also expects to plug $361 million from the state’s tobacco settlement fund into health programs, and devotes most of the $1.35 billion in federal stabilization funds into state classrooms and college campuses.

But who would get cut? It’s not clear because we don’t have the entire ledger yet.

Continue reading A quick and dirty breakdown of House budget priorities »

TALLAHASSEE — House Speaker Larry Cretul has released the early blueprint for how much his chamber plans to budget for the fiscal year starting in July, and the plan imposes some sizable cuts to transportation, environmental spending and social programs.

It also assumes the state doesn’t tap $433 million in Seminole gaming revenues or another $1 billion in extra Medicaid money as part of an extention in expanded Medicaid funding that Congress is considering sending to the states.

The “allocations” boost state spending on education and Medicaid, but not enough to make up for the “flame out” of federal stimulus dollars infused throughout Florida’s spending plan. The flameout is expected to leave a $5 billion hole next year, in the 2011-12 budget, and the House’s priorities this year include bracing for that hit by scaling back spending basically everywhere.

“Consequently, significant reductions to recurring state spending will be needed to achieve and maintain a balanced budget. This will be more difficult than in previous years because the low-hanging budgetary fruit has already been picked,” Cretul, R-Ocala, wrote to members and the media Thursday morning.

“In determining the allocations, I relied upon the most recent estimates available. Allocations may be revised as official estimates change,” Cretul said in the memo.

“I expect our various appropriations committees to begin their review of budget recommendations in light of their allocations.  I know budgeting this year will be very difficult.  But our constitutional duty to produce a balanced budget is unqualified.  I believe our job will be a little easier if we are guided more by principles that keep our state’s long term economic prospects at the top of our priorities.”

Here’s the document: Initial House Budget Allocations

TALLAHASSEE — House Republicans on Tuesday unveiled sweeping  proposed changes to state government contracting, employment and oversight intended to slim down Florida’s already-small state employment base and squeeze more “efficiencies” out of government programs and services.

The changes being rolled out run the gamut of conservative budget-control ideology and would come on the heels of $7 billion in cuts to state spending enacted since 2007.

The changes being rolled out include banning collective bargaining for most state employees; removing civil service protections to make it easier to fire poorer-performing workers or cut their pay; limiting who gets cell phones and BlackBerries; merging IT centers; and broadly attempting to  scale back the authority state agencies have to implement and interpret sometimes ambiguously worded laws through administrative rules.

Although the bills aren’t filed and lawmakers couldn’t predict how much, if any, savings would result, GOP legislative leaders said it didn’t matter whether the savings were a little or a lot.

“Whatever that amount is, if it’s a savings of taxpayer money, it’s worth the effort,” House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, told reporters at a roll-out of the various policies the House plans to push.

It wasn’t clear how much support the ideas had in the Senate.

And much of the effort isn’t new.

Former House Speaker Ray Sansom, R-Destin, pushed through a requirement three years ago to do “sunset reviews” of all state agencies. And reining in government was a driving rhetorical argument behind the push to privatize state government services that began under the late Democratic Gov. Lawton Chiles and accelerated under Republican Gov. Jeb Bush.

One idea lawmakers want to chase is to merge their own policy shop, called the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, with the state Auditor General’s office – essentially merging the Legislature’s policy analysis arm with the agency tasked with reviewing  the accounting practices of local governments, school districts and hundreds of other agencies.

Lawmakers said they have been disappointed recently by OPPAGA reports that laid out facts but didn’t give them enough guidance on what they should do.

“It’s very frustrating sometimes because I don’t feel like I have all the tools to really drill down deep enough and find all the waste,” said Orlando Republican Rep. Eric Eisnaugle.

House Finance and Tax Chair Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale, said “a lot of legislators are not fans of OPPAGA.”

She mentioned an OPPAGA report last year that delved into the budget fight between courts and clerks – and which, she said, laid out the facts without suggesting any places to find savings.

“There has to be something — one duty — that could have transferred that they could tell me could have achieved greater efficiency in the court system or clerk system and this is how much money I’m going to save. Not one,” Bogdanoff said.

By Aaron Deslatte   Tallahassee Bureau

Central Florida is poised to have yet another state House speaker later this decade.

Florida Republicans announced Tuesday that second-term Rep. Chris Dorworth, R-Lake Mary, had been tapped by his fellow GOP House  members as leader of the Republican Conference for the 2014-16 term, which all but assures him the speakership during that period. His main rival, Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, is backing him in an effort to be united for the 2010 elections.

“I am grateful to my colleagues for their support over the past few years and for their confidence in my leadership as we move forward,” Dorworth said in a statement. “The honor of serving as a member of the Republican leadership structure is one that I take extremely seriously, and I am looking forward to the work ahead.”

The speaker’s post is considered one of the three most-powerful political perches in state politics, along with the governor and Senate president. Dorworth, 33, a land developer, is a former University of Florida student-body president who has never chaired a committee or carried major legislation, but in the speeded-up leadership fight prompted by legislators’ eight-year term-limits, he has already locked up enough “pledges” from fellow House Republicans to lead the caucus within his class.

“Chris and I have become good friends over the past year, and I am honored to support him as the leader of the House Republican Conference for the 2014-2016 term,” the same press release quoted Fresen, who had competed with Dorworth for the last year for the powerful job. “Headed into the 2010 elections, it is important that we unite behind strong leaders who will fight for the values and principles that we as Republicans hold so dear.”

Dorworth’s term would follow the two-year terms of Reps. Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, and Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, assuming Republicans can hold onto their majority in the chamber. The GOP currently has a 76-44 edge.

Dorworth recently lost his driver’s license, but had it reinstated and said the suspension was a mistake brought on when he and his wife moved to different addresses and got new auto policies.  He is also still facing a two-year-old $1.5-million foreclosure suit on his home.

TALLAHASSEE — Rep. Chris Dorworth’s main rival for House speaker in 2014 appears to be bowing out.

The state GOP is announcing today that House Republicans have tapped Dorworth, R-Lake Mary, as leader of the Republican Conference for the 2014-16 term, which all but assures him the speakership during that period. His main rival, Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, is backing him in an effort to be united for the 2010 elections, according to a party press release.

“I am grateful to my colleagues for their support over the past few years and for their confidence in my leadership as we move forward,” Dorworth said in a statement coming out shortly.“The honor of serving as a member of the Republican leadership structure is one that I take extremely seriously, and I am looking forward to the work ahead.”

“Chris and I have become good friends over the past year, and I am honored to support him as the leader of the House Republican Conference for the 2014-2016 term,” said Fresen. “Headed into the 2010 elections, it is important that we unite behind strong leaders who will fight for the values and principles that we as Republicans hold so dear.”

“I commend Chris and Erik for uniting their class and for continuing to work hard to protect and grow our Republican majority,” said Speaker-designate Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park.  “Both are devout public servants and strong, motivated conservative Republicans, who I know will work well together to ensure the continued success of our party.”

This is the first bit of public good news for Dorworth in a while. As we reported 10 days ago, he recently lost his license (it’s now reinstated) for not having proof of insurance; was fined for non-payment of tolls; saw his wife move to a separate address; and is still facing a two-year-old $1.5-million foreclosure suit on his home.

Get ready for a Super Bowl-like showcase of corporate-sponsored political advertising in the fall elections. No, we don’t mean ads that will result from the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to allow companies and unions to blow big bucks directly on political ads for and against politicians.

We’re talking about the war that Florida businesses and their lobbying arms are girding for against the Hometown Democracy constitutional amendment. It would ban local governments from making major changes in their development regulations without a public vote.

Publix Supermarkets, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Florida Association of Realtors and various developers poured $485,000 into a political-action committee, Floridians for Smarter Growth, last year. But that’s just a down payment.

They officially kick off their campaign in Tallahassee this week, releasing an economic study that purports to show the amendment would kill jobs — the first move in an all-out blitz to convince voters that Amendment 4 would spell disaster for Florida’s development-addicted economy.

Read on here.