Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Big Issues Amid A Capital Storm
December 3, 2017
With Thanksgiving already a speck in the rearview mirror, Capitol insiders are slowly plodding toward the advent of the 2018 legislative session next month.
The legislative agenda was bare this week, but the Florida Supreme Court and the Constitution Revision Commission made up for the quiet in the halls of the House and Senate.
Legislators will be in town next week to begin going through Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed $87.4 billion budget, along with a variety of other issues ranging from the salvage of pleasure boats to a Florida slavery memorial, and, of course, ubiquitous gun bills.
But, like much of the past month, the chatter around the Capitol remained concentrated this week on sexual harassment allegations lodged against Sen. Jack Latvala, a veteran politician who is defending himself, in part, against charges that he repeatedly groped Senate aide Rachel Perrin Rogers.
Scott this week stopped short of calling for the resignation of Latvala, a Clearwater Republican who is running for governor.
But on Thursday, Scott called Latvala, who is the subject of two Senate investigations about sexual harassment allegations, a “distraction” in the upper chamber and again called on Latvala to step down if the accusations are true.
Latvala remained mum about Scott’s comments throughout the day, but eventually lashed out at the governor Thursday evening via Twitter.
“I’m sure HCA stockholders thought your efforts to defend yourself in theft of billions from taxpayers was a distraction but you had a right to defend yourself! I have that same right!” Latvala tweeted.
Latvala was referring to a case in which Columbia/HCA, the hospital company Scott helped found, agreed to pay $1.7 billion in fines to the federal government. The fines, which were paid after Scott resigned from his post as CEO, stemmed from allegations of defrauding Medicare and other health programs.
The news this week from the Florida Supreme Court and the Constitution Revision Commission wasn’t nearly as sensational as the ongoing drama involving Latvala, or the overall shadow of sexual predation in the workplace, which is a serious matter that needs to be confronted.
But the issues emanating from those other arenas could have equally, if not more far-reaching, impacts on the lives of millions or even all of Floridians.
For now, it’s probable that many lobbyists, lawmakers, aides and others — in statehouses and workplaces throughout the nation — are scrutinizing their actions to see how they could be viewed in the current climate.
A Japanese proverb provides guidance for those evaluating how they govern themselves in the future: “The reputation of a thousand years may be determined by the conduct of one hour.”
RECUSAL REJECTION
Scott’s attempt to have Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente removed from a case that could have a lasting impact on the makeup of the high court failed this week, after Pariente refused to recuse herself.
Scott’s lawyers had accused Pariente of being biased against the governor in the case, which centers on whether Scott or his successor has the power to appoint three new justices before he leaves office in January 2019.
Attorneys for Scott, who contends he has the appointment power, argued that Pariente should be disqualified because of comments she made that were caught on a “hot mic” after oral arguments in the case. The Scott administration alleges the comments indicated a bias against the governor.
But, accusing Scott of trying to “fan the flames of false controversy,” lawyers for the League of Women Voters and Common Cause filed a 12-page response Tuesday saying the motion to disqualify Pariente should be rejected. The two groups filed the underlying case about the appointment power in June.
According to legal precedent, Pariente alone — and not the full court — has the authority to decide whether she should step aside from the case.
The court on Wednesday issued a one-line rejection of Scott’s motion to disqualify Pariente, leading Scott spokesman John Tupps to blast the decision.
“Governor Scott expects all judges to be fair and impartial. It is disappointing that today’s decision was made without providing any plausible justification or explanation for Justice Pariente’s comments. Given the gravity of this case, Floridians deserve better,” Tupps said in a prepared statement.
In filing the case in June, the voting-rights groups argued that Scott’s successor should have to the authority to appoint replacements for Pariente and justices R. Fred Lewis and Peggy Quince, who will be forced to leave the bench in January 2019 because of a mandatory retirement age.
Whether Scott or his successor will have the authority could have a far-reaching impact on actions by the governor’s office and the Republican-dominated Legislature.
Pariente, Lewis and Quince are widely considered part of a four-member liberal majority on the seven-member court. If Scott makes the appointments, he could reshape the court in a more conservative mode for years, if not decades.
DOGS, RELIGION AND VAPING
The Constitution Revision Commission is moving forward with a variety of proposals in its once-every-two-decades process of proposing changes to the state Constitution.
Items that receive the 37-member commission’s approval will be placed on the ballot in November and will require 60 percent approval from voters to pass.
Altering the governing document might seem like a dry process, but committees of the commission pushed ahead this week with several initiatives sure to spark interest, including one that would ban vaping in the workplace.
Commissioner Lisa Carlton, a former state senator, backed the proposal, which received unanimous support from a committee.
Like cigarette smoke, second-hand exposure to vaping can lead to breathing in toxins, according to Carlton.
“No one should be forced to endure a cloud of harmful vapor in their cubicle as they work to support their families. No parent should have to worry about the health of their child because someone is vaping at the adjoining restaurant table, movie-theater seat, grocery store or next to them inside the mall,” she said.
Another Constitution Revision Commission proposal that’s repeatedly been floated in the Legislature but has failed to gain traction would shut down greyhound racing.
Supporters of the proposal pointed Thursday to issues such as greyhound injuries and deaths in arguing to shut down dog racing — a staple of Florida’s gambling industry for decades.
“This is, for me, a matter of conscience,” said commission member and state Sen. Tom Lee, a Thonotosassa Republican who is sponsoring the proposed ban.
Lee said society has changed and people have evolved since the heydays of greyhound racing.
“And that’s a good thing. And as we’ve evolved, we’ve banned all sorts of activities that have been considered cruel to animals — bullfighting and cockfighting and all kinds of things. To me, this is just the next step on that plane of becoming more sensitive to this kind of inhumanity,” he said.
Meanwhile, a committee advanced what will surely be one of the more controversial ballot items, if the measure receives approval from the full commission: doing away with a ban on state support for religious groups.
The commission’s Declaration of Rights Committee endorsed a measure that would eliminate the Constitution’s so-called “no-aid” provision, which prohibits public funding “directly or indirectly” for any church, religious group or “sectarian institution.”
The no-aid provision, which dates to Florida’s 1885 Constitution, has been invoked in recent years in legal fights over using publicly funded vouchers to send students to private schools. A state appellate court in 2004 cited the provision in striking down a voucher program, though the Florida Supreme Court later found the program unconstitutional on other grounds.
Commissioner Roberto Martinez of Miami said he sponsored the proposed change because he believed the no-aid provision was being used to prohibit churches and other groups from performing non-religious activities based solely on their statuses as religious organizations.
Martinez said the ban was unnecessary and that groups using state funding to promote religious activities would violate another constitutional provision prohibiting laws involving the “establishment of religion.”
“If the church was going to use it in a way that would promote a particular religious objective, then I think it would run afoul of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment,” Martinez, an attorney, said.
STORY OF THE WEEK: Gov. Rick Scott lost out in an attempt to remove Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente from a case that could have far-reaching implications on the makeup of the state’s highest court.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “It is obvious that Senator Latvala remaining in the Senate is a distraction. It seems that everyone in Tallahassee is talking about this and not how to make Florida better.” — Gov. Rick Scott, on Sen. Jack Latvala, a Clearwater Republican who is under investigation for alleged sexual harassment.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
No Injuries In Early Morning Highway 97 Near Head-on Crash
December 2, 2017
There were no injuries in near head-on crash involving a wrong-way driver on Highway 97 in Dogwood Park early Saturday morning.
The driver of black four-door sedan was reportedly driving in the wrong lane when another driver topped a small hill south of Hendricks Lane, with the front driver’s sides of the cars colliding. The alleged wrong-way driver’s vehicle came to rest in the roadway, while the other vehicle came to rest several yards away in a ditch.
Both drivers refused transport by Escambia County EMS.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Further details have not been released.
The Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Warm Pattern Continues, Rain By Tuesday
December 2, 2017
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Saturday: Becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 73. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 51. Calm wind.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 51. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 74. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the morning.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Tuesday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 58.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 56.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 33.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 55.
Pedestrian Injured In Highway 29 Accident
December 2, 2017
One person was injured in a vehicle versus pedestrian crash early Saturday morning in Cantonment.
The accident happened about 1:20 a.m. on Highway 29 near Harvest Hill Drive.
Further details on the crash were not available as the Florida Highway Patrol continued their investigation.
The Cantonment Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded to the crash.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
West Florida’s Dream Season Comes To Ends In The Final Four
December 2, 2017
It was an agonizing loss Friday night for West Florida High School as they fell 48-28 to Baker County, but also a night filled with Jaguar pride.
Friday night’s state 5A semifinal game, played at Woodham Middle School in Pensacola, was the end of the road for the Jaguars. It was the longest road West Florida’s football team has ever traveled as their first appearance in a state semifinal game.
And while the road ended with tears, it was paved with plenty of Jaguar pride in their 12-2 season record, the best ever in school history.
Keyshawn Helton scored a couple of touchdowns – 4 and 29 yarders — in the first quarter from. Junior Trevor Jordan added another Jag touchdown in the third quarter from 23-yards out, and Michael Redding scored on a 22-yard pass from Jordan in the fourth quarter.
Baker County will face American Heritage next Friday night at Camping World Stadium in Orlando in the 5A state championship game.
Pictured top: West Florida High School senior Kewuan Livingston reacts to the Jaguar’s agonizing state final four loss to Baker County Friday night. Pictured inset and below: The Jags best season in school history came to an end Friday night. NorthEscambia.com photos by Bailey Seibert, click to enlarge.
ECSO Sgt. Jackson Receives FBI Trilogy Award
December 2, 2017
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Heath Jackson was awarded the FBI-LEEDA trilogy award for attending and completing Supervisor Leadership Institute, Command Leadership Institute, and Executive Leadership Institute training. The Trilogy Award is presented to those exceptional individuals who demonstrate a high standard of dedication to continued education. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Crowds Enjoy An ‘Evening in Bethlehem’ (With Photo Gallery)
December 2, 2017
The Eighth Annual Evening in Bethlehem was presented Friday and Saturday nights at Gonzalez United Methodist Church.
The church recreated the town of Bethlehem, with more than 15 stops representing the inn, blacksmith shop, manger and other aspects of the Biblical city. Guides led visitors on an entertaining tour of the city to experience the Nativity story as if they were a part of it.
For a photo gallery from Friday night’s presentation, click here.
Pictured: “Evening in Bethlehem” Friday night at the Gonzalez United Methodist Church. Above, the manger scene with Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus. Pictured below: The innkeeper announces that there iis no room at the Bethlehem Inn. Pictured bottom: An angelic choir shares the good news of child born in Bethlehem. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Trump To Hold Pensacola Rally; Free Tickets Available Now
December 2, 2017
President Donald Trump will hold a rally in the conservative stronghold of Escambia County next week, according to an announcement Friday from his political committee. Free tickets to the event are available while they last.
The next Friday, December 8 event will take place at 7 p.m. at the Pensacola Bay Center, and it will be the Trump’s fourth appearance in Pensacola since he began running for president in 2015.
The timing of the rally “could not be better,” Michael Glassner, executive director of Donald Trump for President, said in a news release.
“Nothing inspires President Trump as much as connecting with hard working Americans at campaign rallies across the country. He especially enjoys meeting with our courageous veterans and their families at these patriotic events,” Glassner said.
The Panhandle event will take place just four days before a critical election across the border in Alabama. Roy Moore, a conservative firebrand twice thrown off the Alabama Supreme Court, is the Republican nominee in a U.S. Senate race. Moore has been accused of sexually inappropriate behavior with several women, including one as young as 14. Several women alleged that Moore, now 70, made sexual advances when they were in their teens and he was in his 30s.
Many Republicans, including Florida Gov. Rick Scott, have called for Moore to step down from the race. But Trump, a close ally of Scott, is supporting Moore.
Pensacola is in the same television market as Mobile and other towns in South Alabama.
Members of the public an request two free tickets per mobile number to the event. Click here for an online request form.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
Pictured: Donald Trump campaigns in Pensacola on November 2, 2016. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Man Wanted For Waste Company Burglary
December 2, 2017
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a man wanted for burglarizing a local waste company.
Justin Evers has outstanding warrants for burglary, grant theft, criminal mischief and grand theft auto for the November 23 burglary of APS Waste on Pine Forest Road.
Anyone with information on Evers’ whereabouts is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP or the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620.
Gov. Scott Appoints Hansen To The Escambia School Board
December 2, 2017
Friday, Governor Rick Scott announced the appointment of Lee Hansen to the School Board of Escambia County.
Hansen, 59, of Pensacola, is the founder of the Global Corner International Learning Center and is a 26 year United States Navy Veteran. She served as the Commanding Officer of Training Squadron Four and was the first woman to Command an Air Wing in the Navy. She received her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Florida State University and her master’s degree in International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh.
Hansen is appointed to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Linda Moultrie, for a term beginning December 1, 2017 and ending November 20, 2018.