2014 Legislative Preview
Phil Leary, AICP – FAPG Lobbyist
2014 Session
The prelude to the 2014 legislative session begins next week with both the House and Senate holding interim committee meetings. Of significance will be presentations by DEP staff to the House Ag & Natural Resources Appropriations Committee and Senate General Government Appropriations Committee on the Petroleum Tank Clean-up Program including Long-Range Financial Outlook and Major Drivers for Fiscal Years 2014-15 through 2016-17.
2014 is an election year where all 120 House seats and 20 of the 40 Senate seats will be up for election, with the Governor, Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer and Commissioner of Agriculture all be seeking reelection.
This will definitely result in little or no controversial legislation being filed and members working to fund local projects to enhance their local campaign efforts.
Budget
State economists are projecting a 2013-14 budget surplus of over $800 million dollars. In a revenue estimating conference report released last week, economists stated that consumer confidence continues to solidify and economic indicators point to a continued recovery from the recession. Based on this news, Governor Scott is proposing tax cuts of $500 million for the next fiscal year.
HB 61(Hill)/SB 286(Negron) have been filed that reduce taxes as follows:
|
Motor Vehicle License Taxes: Reduces service charge imposed on application for original or duplicate license plate, or transfer of specified registration stickers or certificates; reduces fee collected for motor vehicle registration; reduces surcharges imposed on license tax. This is the first bill, in what I anticipate to be many more, proposing to cut taxes to spur economic growth and employment, and thereby establishing a strong platform for both the Governor and republican legislators to campaign.
General Design Professionals In the 2013 Session, legislation passed for PG’s (SB 286) amending F.S. 556 to add Professional Geologists as design professionals and provide for liability protection, will likely be attacked by Trial Lawyers, building industry contractors and others, and we will have to be vigilant in warding off any legislation that would take away these statutory provisions. This is a common practice the year following any controversial legislation being passed. The good news, we will again be working with the engineers, architects, landscape architects and surveyors to protect Chapter 556. Environmental Permit Streamlining
The bill that passed in the 2013 session amends & revises numerous provisions relating to environmental, building construction and development permit applications, well permits, exemptions from permits, fees & related environmental requirements, regional water supply planning, water quality testing, sampling collection & analysis. I anticipate a “glitch bill” will be filed to make corrections and clarify key provisions of the legislation that have come up since it went into effect on July 1st. I also anticipate legislation being filed on Springs Protection, Indian River Lagoon/St. Lucie Estuary, Septic Tanks and Water Supply/Storage. In conclusion, as of this date only 35 bills have been filed for the 2014 session, and as in past years there will be over 2000 filed before the final bill filing date occurs the first week of March. For PG’s and the FAPG now is the time for members to contact their respective Representative and Senator to establish a rapport and thank them for their support last session and willingness to work with us on any key issues in the upcoming session.
With 160 members of the legislature, our grassroots efforts to develop relationships with legislators can pay huge dividends when the 60 day session convenes. I would also encourage members to get involved in campaigns both personally and financially, this will be significantly advantageous to our efforts in the future. I will be sending out an update the first week of October, summarizing next week’s committee meetings and any new bills filed that are of interest or affect PG’s and FAPG. In the interim, should you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me. Phil
|
