Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Scott, Legislature Gear Up For 2014
January 19, 2014
It was the second full week of the new year, but in some ways it felt like the true beginning of 2014.
The week was all about entries in Florida politics. Former House Majority Leader Carlos Lopez-Cantera was introduced as Gov. Rick Scott’s new lieutenant governor. Scott’s official campaign kicked off quietly on Friday with a press release naming its leaders. And a senator discussed a plan to bestow Arc de Triomphe-style grandeur to entryways into Florida.
Meanwhile, one of the key issues of the legislative session — a crackdown on sexual predators — started making its way through the Legislature. And Scott began unveiling budget plans beyond his promise of $500 million in reductions to taxes and fees — another sign that the opening of the 2014 session was itself not far away.
SCOTT / LOPEZ-CANTERA 2014
Scott has not formally announced that he’s running for re-election beyond telling reporters in a matter-of-fact way that he intends to, and probably never will. A series of announcements beginning Tuesday might be the closest the governor ever gets to officially throwing his hat in the ring.
The first step was ending a months-long drama that percolated in Tallahassee’s inside-the-bubble buzz longer than anyone imagined. Scott announced at a press conference held almost 10 months to the day after Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll resigned that Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser Carlos Lopez-Cantera would be his No. 2 in the Capitol and his running mate on the campaign trail.
“I am confident that we took the right amount of time to find the right person to serve as Florida’s lieutenant governor,” said Scott, who was recently sued over the length of the search for Carroll’s replacement. “Carlos’ leadership experience will make him a vital part of ensuring the passage of our $500 million tax-cut package this year.”
The pick was not on many (if any) of the short lists that had been floated in the weeks leading up to the announcement. And it suggested that Scott might be concerned about his standing among Hispanic voters, especially Cuban-Americans in South Florida who have formed a bedrock of GOP support for decades. Scott rankled some Latinos during his first campaign when he called for laws cracking down on undocumented immigrants.
“Carlos is a popular politician who will help the governor somewhat with the Hispanic vote,” said Dario Moreno, a political science professor at Florida International University. “The governor still has to do more, but this is a good first step.”
Lopez-Cantera could also help Scott with his final legislative session before he faces voters again.
“He is a well-respected leader who maintains strong relationships with the business community, local and community leaders, legislators and constituents,” Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, said in a statement issued through Scott’s office. “I have no doubt his breadth of legislative experience will help Governor Scott move his priorities forward.”
Democrats knocked the choice of a former Tallahassee insider as politics as usual, while their likely nominee for governor used Lopez-Cantera to set up a bank-shot aimed at Scott.
“Carlos is a fine fellow,” former Gov. Charlie Crist said Thursday. “But he’s with the wrong guy. Gov. Scott has disappointed Floridians with education, the environment, with ethics, with so many things. He’s the top of the ticket. And that’s really, at the end of the day, what the race is about”
But Lopez-Cantera’s appointment was only the first step of the nascent Scott re-election campaign getting its war footing. The effort staffed up on Friday, announcing that Melissa Sellers is moving from the governor’s office as communications director to manage his campaign.
Sen. John Thrasher, a St. Augustine Republican who was mentioned by some as a potential lieutenant governor, will be the chairman. Also joining: Mike Fernandez, chairman of Coral Gables-based MBF Healthcare Partners, and Darlene Jordan, a former national finance chair for Mitt Romney, as heads of the finance team; Matt Moon, the Republican Party of Florida communications director, who will handle the same job for the campaign; and Tim Saler, an RPOF strategist who will now be Sellers’ deputy.
‘YOU WILL SPEND TIME IN JAIL’
After weeks of meetings that were most notable for agency presentations and gauzy discussions about the future, the Legislature turned toward taking up actual legislation in its latest set of committee gatherings. One of the top items on the docket: Toughening laws about sexual predators and when they can be released.
The initiatives, prompted by a highly critical newspaper series and a fatal attack on a Jacksonville girl, began in earnest in the Senate Criminal Justice Committee.
“We want to send a message that if you do something to our children, you will spend time in jail — and it’s not going to be a short time,” said committee Chairman Greg Evers, R-Baker, and the sponsor of one of the bills.
Lawmakers have been focused on the issue since August, when the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported that nearly 600 sexually violent predators had been released only to be convicted of new sex offenses — including more than 460 child molestations, 121 rapes and 14 murders.
Lawmakers also have a cautionary tale in the June murder of 8-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle in Jacksonville. Recently-released sex offender Donald Smith, 57, was accused of abducting, raping and strangling the child. He faces trial in May on charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping and sexual battery. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
The Legislature is considering measures that would eliminate a three-year statute of limitations on prosecuting lewd or lascivious offenses involving children younger than sixteen, strengthen penalties against sex offenders and increase the amount of personal information that registered sex predators and offenders must provide.
Most lawmakers agreed that the most violent sexual offenders should face the kind of penalties Evers outlined — or worse.
“If there is an opportunity to give them the death penalty, I would be all for it,” Rep. Kionne McGhee, D-Miami, said during one House meeting.
But Senate Minority Leader Chris Smith, D-Fort Lauderdale, expressed some doubts about what he called “a slippery slope” in pursuit of tougher sanctions against sex predators.
“Rehabilitation — that’s not a word in our vocabulary anymore,” he said.
In the end, Smith voted with the others.
‘FLORIDA WELCOMES YOU’
Not every idea discussed at the Capitol was quite so serious. Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, pitched a plan for roadway displays to introduce visitors to the state.
“We’ve got a little piddly sign and we junk it all up. … It doesn’t give a welcoming entrance,” said Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach.
That’s about to change. By the fall of 2015, drivers crossing the Florida state line will be greeted by majestic archways towering over palm trees and tropical-looking foliage at locations on Interstate 95 and Interstate 75. Similar signage is also planned for the Interstate 10 Florida-Alabama state line, according to DOT officials.
The 30-foot-high twin towers will be connected with a 40-foot-wide mock-cable suspension bridge featuring the words “Florida Welcomes You” with a rising orange sun on the southbound side and “Thank You for Visiting Florida” as drivers head north. Plans also include a separate bridge, prominently displaying “The Sunshine State,” spanning the entire highway further south on Interstate 75.
The department was exploring the idea of putting up more eye-popping signs along the state lines when Bean approached the agency. Bean said he promised to come up with the funds for the projects, but the DOT found the $2.8 million in its budget, and work on the towers will begin this fall.
Another sign that the session is drawing closer? Scott is beginning to drop details about the spending plan that he’ll submit to the Legislature.
The governor began the week by touting a “record” $8.8 billion transportation budget to boost spending on roads, bridges, ports and other needs. Scott’s plan would be a $200 million increase over the current fiscal year, which ends June 30.
“When I came in, I said, how do you get this economy growing?” Scott said during an appearance at the Jacksonville port, known as JAXPORT. “Tourism will do it, but the other thing was that we have to focus on building things.”
The proposal includes $138 million for seaport improvements, $3.8 billion for road construction, $192 million for bridge maintenance, $134 million for safety initiatives and $90 million to bridge a 2.6-mile section of the Tamiami Trail west of Miami to improve the southern flow of the Florida Everglades.
On Tuesday, Scott announced he wants about $40 million more for child protection, including nearly $32 million for the state Department of Children and Families for child protective investigations and $8 million for six Florida sheriffs’ offices that handle such cases.
And on Friday, Scott pitched an idea to wrap Florida’s popular back-to-school sales-tax holiday around two weekends — more than triple its current length of time — as part of his $500 million tax-break pledge.
The extended tax-free period would stretch over 10 days in August and would do away with the state and local sales taxes on select clothing under $100, school items such as pens and notebooks that cost less than $15, and computers and related electronic equipment costing less than $750.
Business groups quickly praised Scott’s latest proposal.
“An opportunity economy will allow people to keep more of their money and families will have more money to invest in their future,” Florida Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President David Hart said in a press release.
STORY OF THE WEEK: Gov. Rick Scott appoints former House Majority Leader Carlos Lopez-Cantera as his new lieutenant governor as his re-election campaign began ramping up for the fall.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “We’ve done this before but this is a 10-day one, so it’s longer.”— Gov. Rick Scott, explaining his sales-tax holiday proposal during an appearance at the Florida Chamber of Commerce Insurance Summit in Orlando.
by The News Service of Florida
Bernice Rowell
January 19, 2014
Bernice Rowell, age 98 of Jay, passed away Sunday, January 19, 2014, in Milton. A visitation will be held 6-8 p.m. on Monday, January 20, 2014, at Jay Funeral Home.
Funeral services will be held 2 p.m., Tuesday, January 21, 2014, at Berrydale Baptist Church. Burial will follow at Fidelis Cemetery.
Jay Funeral Home is in charge of services.
Webster, Helton United In Marriage
January 19, 2014
Robinsonville Baptist Church was the setting for the ceremony uniting Ms. Susan Elaine Webster and Mr. Clay Clyde Helton in marriage on December 22, 2013 at 3:30 pm. Officiating the double ring ceremony was their pastor Mark Jones. The church and fellowship hall was beautifully decorated for Christmas in ivory and gold. Added to the beauty were red poinsettias, deer antlers, mason jars filled with gold and red ornaments and tied with antique lace, a rustic Christmas tree, burlap and lace. The pew bows and other bows throughout the sanctuary were made from burlap and lace from the brides mothers dress.
Programs designed with burlap, lace and double horseshoes were given out to guests. Photos of the couple in dark wood frames were placed in the foyer and fellowship hall. The sign in table was simple with antique lace and a monogram picture in a frame made of antique wood that was a handmade gift from Mrs. Traci Cummings.
The bride is the daughter of the late Mr. Robert Webster and Mrs. Gail Webster of Atmore. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Helton of Robinsonville.
Candles adorned with antique lace were lit in memory of the brides father Robert Webster and grandmother Dorothy ONeal and the grooms grandfather FM Helton, aunt Willie Marshall and nephew Randal Helton.
The bride descended the aisle in a floor length ivory lace and beaded gown with a lace trimmed v neck and fitted bodice with scalloped lace edging all around the hem. Her shoes were ivory flats adorned with beading. The necklace and bracelet of silver and crystal the bride wore were borrowed from her sister Audrey Long of Colfax, Indiana. The bride carried a bouquet of ivory and red roses pulled together with burlap, trimmed with ivory lace from her mothers wedding dress and pinned with her great grandmothers antique brooch. As the bride reached the front of the church, she took a moment to give her mother and mother in law each a single red rose tied with burlap and lace and an embroidered, lace trimmed hanky.
Attending the bride as maid of honor was the brides daughter Miss Karen Eiland of Atmore. Karen wore a knee length chocolate chiffon dress with a fitted waist and v neck and brown leather slip on wedges. She carried a single long stem red rose wrapped with burlap and tied with lace from her grandmothers wedding dress.
Mr. CC Helton, son of the groom served as best man. He was dressed in a chocolate pearl snap button down shirt, jeans and boots. The groom wore an ivory pearl snap button down shirt with a chocolate tweed western coat, jeans, boots and his Stetson hat. Father and son both wore a single red rose boutonnière wrapped in burlap and twine.
The wedding rings were displayed at the front of the church on an antique hitching post picked together by the bride and groom from the Helton family farm. A simple horseshoe adorned with ivory satin ribbons hung on the post with the rings tied by smaller satin ribbons to the center bow.
Prelude musical selections were God Gave Me You by Blake Shelton and This Ring by T. Carter. During lighting of the unity candle, soloist Mrs. Lori Nesmith and pianist Mrs. Shae Johnson performed one of the couples favorite hymns, How Great Thou Art. The recessional selection was Fall In Love by Kenney Chesney.
The bride surprised the groom by reading a heart felt letter which included a quote from Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.
A reception was held in the festive and beautifully decorated fellowship hall of their church. The three tier cake, made by Mrs. Kathy Martin,was homemade butter pecan adorned with three red rose buds and topped with a Montana Silversmiths cake topper of a bride and groom on a tractor. The lace covering the cake table was the brides grandmothers tablecloth. The couple made their own cake stand out of old timber and covered it with burlap and antique lace. The toasting glasses were mason jars adorned with antique lace tied with twine. Mrs. Caroline Singleton graciously cut the cake for the guests. Everyone enjoyed a catered array of delicious meats, cheeses, hors d’oeuvres, fruits, vegetables, dips and desserts. Mrs. Jean Pennington made her wonderful divinity for the occasion. Guests were each treated to a special gift from the couple.
(Submitted for NorthEscambia.com)
Stolen Weapons: Molino Man Arrested, Deputies Seeking His Brother
January 18, 2014
A young Molino man has been arrested and deputies are searching for his brother in connection with numerous stolen weapons recovered outside a Pensacola motel.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Deputy was in the area of Plantation Road when he recognized 20-year old Jeremiah Cooler of Molino as a suspect wanted for burglaries and attempted home invasions in Santa Rosa County. Cooler, according to an arrest report, had been involved in a police pursuit with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday, and the vehicle with a matching tag number from the pursuit was outside the motel where Cooler was spotted.
As the deputy detained another individual with an outstanding warrant, witnesses said Jeremiah Cooler ran from the motel, threw a backpack into a dumpster and entered a nearby Waffle House. Surveillance video confirmed Cooler was involved in the sequence of events.
Deputies transported Cooler from the Waffle House back to the motel. Inside the backpack from the dumpster, they found five guns — four of which were reported stolen from Santa Rosa County, numerous rounds of ammunition, an iPad and a Toshiba tablet.
Jeremiah Cooler was charged with dealing in stolen property and destruction of evidence. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $10,000.
Deputies said they are also searching for his brother, 19-year old Shawn Cooler, on an active outstanding warrant. Anyone have any information on his whereabouts is urged to contact Crimestoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also said a vehicle matching the description of Cooler’s blue Pontiac Grand Prix was also involved in several residential burglaries in the Perdido Key area. Their investigation is continuing.
Escambia Man Gets 40 Years For Murdering Teen
January 18, 2014
An Escambia County man was sentenced to 40 years in prison Friday for the fatal shooting of a teen last year.
Scott Rozear Mason, 45, was convicted last month of second degree murder for the fatal shooting of his guest Matthew Nestle, 18, during an argument at a home on West Gadsden Street during December 2012. Mason first claimed the shooting was in self defense and he was trying to get the gun away from Nestle when it fired.
Mason had faced up to life in prison for the murder.
Scott Proposes 10 Day Sales Tax Holiday
January 18, 2014
Gov. Rick Scott is proposing to wrap Florida’s popular back-to-school sales-tax holiday around two weekends — more than triple its current length of time — as part of his re-election year proposal to cut taxes and fees by $500 million.
Scott announced Friday he wants lawmakers to approve a 10-day sales tax holiday in August. The extended tax-free period is the latest of the budget proposals Scott has rolled out in advance of the 2014 legislative session.
“We’ve done this before but this is a 10 day one, so it’s longer,” Scott said during an appearance at the Florida Chamber of Commerce Insurance Summit in Orlando.
The extended holiday would reduce state revenue by an estimated $60 million, Scott added.
During the holiday, shoppers would not have to pay state and local sales taxes on select clothing under $100, school items such as pens and notebooks that cost less than $15, and computers and related electronic equipment costing less than $750.
The back-to-school tax holiday has ranged from three to nine days since lawmakers introduced it in 1998. The discount wasn’t provided during the recession in 2008 and 2009, and has been set at three-days the past four years.
With a budget surplus of about $1 billion and an election on the horizon, Scott is seeking about $500 million in tax and fee reductions, the bulk of which would come from rolling back a hike in vehicle registration fees approved by the GOP-dominated Legislature in 2009.
Business groups quickly praised Scott’s latest proposal.
“An opportunity economy will allow people to keep more of their money and families will have more money to invest in their future,” Florida Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President David Hart said in a press release.
John Fleming, a spokesman for the Florida Retail Federation, said his group wants the tax-free time to become permanent instead of requiring legislative approval every year.
Shoppers often use the savings to make additional purchases that are not covered by the exemption, which helps cover any slowdown that can occur from people holding off on making purchases until the tax exemption begins, Fleming said.
“There might some shifting of spending, but it really does increase sales overall,” he said.
The retail federation also supports a hurricane holiday measure (SB 362) that would lift sales tax on select storm-related gear at the beginning of hurricane season, and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam’s proposed tax break on Energy Star appliances that cost under $1,500.
The sales tax breaks are among a number of competing proposals from Scott and lawmakers looking to earn some election-year love from voters. The bulk of Scott’s proposed $500 million in tax breaks would come by slashing most of a 2009 increase in vehicle registration fees from 2009.
Scott is using the rollback as a slap against Democratic challenger Charlie Crist, who as the Republican governor signed the 54 percent fee hike into law to help close a budget gap during the nation’s economic downturn.
Scott wants the fees reduction to add up to $401 million in savings. But Senate Appropriations Chairman Joe Negron, a Stuart Republican shepherding the vehicle fee issue through the Legislature, has proposed a pared-back version (SB 156). State economists estimate that Negron’s plan — an average savings of $12 per vehicle, or about half the 2009 hike —would equate to about $185 million in savings during the upcoming budget year and grow to $236.7 million the following year.
In December, state economic forecasters pushed the state’s projected surplus toward $1.1 billion for the coming year. That number will be revised after lawmakers return for the regular 60-day session in March.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Man Charged With Three Atmore Burglaries
January 18, 2014
Investigators in Alabama say they have made an arrest in the burglaries of three homes.
In a joint operation, the Atmore Police Department and Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office arrested Joshua Brian Ellis, age 29 of Atmore, on three counts of burglary third degree. He was booked into the Escambia County Detention Center in Brewton.
After obtaining consent to search his home, investigators found a “large amount” of jewelry that was allegedly stolen from a home on Oak Street in Atmore. Ellis also confessed to investigators about another home he burglarized on 5th Atmore in and property was recovered from a third residential burglary on Poplar Street.
Investigators said they recovered about $5,000 worth of stolen goods, and they said more arrests may be forthcoming in the case.
Additional Arrest In Animal Cruelty Case
January 18, 2014
A wanted Century woman was arrested Friday on outstanding animal cruelty charges.
Feather Lynn McGlothren, 36, was booked in to the Escambia County Jail on two counts of confinement of animals (dogs) without sufficient food or water, and four counts of cruelty to animals.
Thursday, NorthEscambia.com reported that the same charges were filed against Robert Earl Simmons, age 54 of McDavid, who had already been arrested, and a third person who died after the case was first opened by the State Attorney’s Office.
Both Simmons and McGlothren remained jailed early Saturday morning due to outstanding probation violation warrants.
The State Attorney’s Office has not yet released any specific information about the alleged animal cruelty in the case, other than dogs were involved.
Fire Marshal: 29 One Pot Meth Labs Found In Burned House
January 18, 2014
The Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office reported finding 29 one pot meth labs after a house fire at 4905 Birch Street. Officials believe may have been cause by one of the clandestine methamphetamine laboratories exploding.
Investigators noticed the smell of a meth lab upon arriving and upon entering the structure immediately recognized a fuel can, a one pot clandestine methamphetamine laboratory and other items consistent with a meth lab in the kitchen area.
Upon searching the entire residence, investigators located 29 one pot laboratories as well as other items used in the production of methamphetamines. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Rapid Response Unit responded and collected and disposed of all hazardous materials.
The investigation continues by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Weekend Gardening: Tips for January
January 18, 2014
Here are gardening tips for the month of January from the IFAS Extension Service:
Flowers
- Refrigerated bulbs such as tulip, daffodil and hyacinth should be planted in prepared beds.
- Start seeds of warm season flowers late this month in order to have transplants in March.
- There’s still time to transplant some cool season annuals such as carnations, foxglove, pansies, petunias and snapdragons.
- Re-fertilize cool season flowerbeds, using a liquid or dry form of fertilizer. Be careful not to apply excessive amounts and keep granules away from the base of stems.
- Finish dividing crowded perennials. Don’t wait until spring for this job.
- Plant bare root roses immediately after they are purchased.
Trees and Shrubs
- Plant trees and shrubs. This is an ideal time of year for transplanting larger specimens.
- Plant bare root plants such as deciduous ornamental shrubs and trees.
- Prune dormant shade trees, if needed.
- Stick hardwood cuttings of fig, grape, honeysuckle, Althea, Catalpa, Forsythia and Wisteria.
Fruits and Nuts
- Apply dormant oil spray to peach, plum, nectarine and other deciduous fruit trees. This practice is necessary when growing the stone fruits in locations along the Gulf Coast. Note: This applies to the flowering peaches and cherries since they are susceptible to the same pests as their fruiting cousins.
- Plant bare root deciduous fruit trees
- Prune dormant fruit trees if needed
Vegetable Garden
- Start seeds of warm season vegetables late this month in order to have transplants in March.
- Lime (if needed), and begin preparing vegetable gardens for the spring planting.
- Cool season vegetables that can still be planted in the garden are: beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, Chinese cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, leek, mustard, bunching onions, parsley, English peas, Irish potatoes, radishes and turnips.
- Irish potatoes can be started from January through March by planting seed pieces 3 to 4 inches deep in rows. Always purchase certified seed potatoes.
Lawns
- Check soil moisture during winter and water as needed.