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Mark Danish

Incumbents keeping seats on Hillsborough commission

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Charlie Crist may not have been a winner in Florida, but another unrelated Crist will stay in elected office in Hillsborough County as Victor Crist won re-election to the county commission.

Crist defeated Democrat Elizabeth Belcher 56 percent to 44 percent to get another four years in Hillsborough. However, the race was a lot closer for Crist’s colleague, Al Higginbotham, who defeated Democrat Patricia Kemp 50.5 percent to 40.6 percent. Higginbotham had 3,000 more votes than his competitor, compared to a 12,000-vote win by Crist.

Higginbotham was just beyond the threshold that would’ve triggered a machine recount of votes, despite winning with less than a 1 percent margin of victory.

Joining the commission is Republican Stacy White, who easily beat a write-in candidate, to take Higginbotham’s old seat. Higginbotham will take over the county-wide seat formerly held by Mark Sharpe.

For state Rep. Shawn Harrison will return to Tallahassee after defeating Democratic incumbent Mark Danish 53 percent to 47 percent. James Grant will keep his House seat, however, beating fellow Republican Miriam Steinberg 61-39.

Hillsborough followed the rest of the state by overwhelmingly passing a state constitutional amendment that would help Florida conserve more environmentally sensitive land. However, the county also defeated medical marijuana and a change in how the governor can appoint state supreme court judges.

Hillsborough also was one of the few counties in Central Florida to support Charlie Crist for governor. Crist captured 48 percent of the vote in the county, while Rick Scott earned 46 percent.

In the congressional race, Dennis Ross won re-election against his Democratic challenger, former television personality Alan Cohn.

Election Day is here! And so is everything you need to know

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Today is Election Day where Florida will elect a governor, an attorney general, a chief financial officer and an agriculture commissioner among others. Locally, however, voters will have to decide on representatives in Tallahassee, as well as who will represent their interests on the county commission.

In last week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, we offered an election primer, which you can read by clicking here. But do you want to know more?

Here is a collection of stories related to the various candidates and government leaders The Laker/Lutz News has published over the past year, both in print, and online. We’ve covered all the races extensively, and provided some government news at the same time, which helped earn us the state’s best local government reporting coverage this past year by the Florida Press Association.

Did we miss a story? Feel free to search the site using our internal engine using key words that most interest you, and chances are, we’ve covered it.

Be sure to keep reading our site tonight as we provide up-to-the-minute coverage of the election, before we break it all down in the Nov. 12 print editions of The Laker/Lutz News.

GOVERNOR’S RACE

Scott wants closer look of Ebola threat (10/26)
Although one nurse already under quarantine feels the measures are too restrictive in other parts of the country, Gov. Rick Scott has issued an executive order that could go as far as putting people under quarantine he feels is at high risk for Ebola.

Beverly Ledbetter with Charlie Crist
Beverly Ledbetter with Charlie Crist

Crist has slim lead in Saint Leo poll (10/23)
With a less than two weeks until voters have to make a final decision on who they should send to (or keep in) Tallahassee, a new poll from the Saint Leo University Polling Institute shows Democrat Charlie Crist with a slight lead over incumbent Republican Rick Scott.

Crist campaign gets Pasco County boost (10/16)
Mike Fasano has made no secret his dislike for Gov. Rick Scott. But now he’s taking that opposition to television. The Charlie Crist gubernatorial campaign has released a new commercial featuring the Pasco County tax collector and former state legislator, taking a shot at Scott while publicly endorsing Crist, who Fasano calls “a good man.”

Browning parts from Scott, stands by Common Core Standards (10/2)
Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning is standing by the Common Core State Standards, despite a recent decision by Gov. Rick Scott to put the kibosh on the state’s participation in a consortia developing assessments for those standards.

Lopez-Cantera holds no punches against Crist (10/2)
Carlos Lopez-Cantera is Florida’s second-in-command behind Gov. Rick Scott, but there are still pockets of the state he has only heard about.

Gov. Rick Scott taking part in groundbreaking in Lutz.
Gov. Rick Scott taking part in groundbreaking in Lutz.

Fact Check: Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera’s campaign visit to Zephyrhills (9/30)
Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera made a campaign stop on behalf of Gov. Rick Scott in Zephyrhills Sept. 22, speaking in front of the Conservative Club of East Pasco.

Local projects spared from Scott’s veto pen (6/2)
Gov. Rick Scott left nearly $69 million of this year’s state budget on the cutting room floor, but various projects throughout Pasco and Hillsborough counties were given a reprieve.

CABINET RACES

Pasco’s free lunches take to the road (7/3)
It’s hard to imagine getting through most days without that noontime break for lunch. That packed sandwich, frozen entrée, or maybe even a quick trip to a local eatery, is something many people take for granted each day. But for 36,000 students in the Pasco County school district, that trip to the cafeteria may be the only nutritious meal they have all day, paid for through federal tax dollars.

Private businesses don’t have to open records to public (6/19)
While government typically hires its own people to perform various functions, there are many times when officials contract with private companies to get that work done. But does that mean the records of those businesses are now public record, like they are for the government? The answer is no, Attorney General Pam Bondi has decided.

Bondi saves Fasano’s prescription drug program with $2M pledge (5/5)
Every year since Gov. Rick Scott took office, Mike Fasano says he’s had to fight to keep the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program alive.

CONGRESSIONAL RACES

Local congressmen support president’s ISIL plan (9/18)
In a rare move, the U.S. Congress supported an initiative by President Obama Wednesday, voting to authorize limited military action against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or more commonly known as ISIL. Despite the U.S. House approving the measure 221-192, the area’s two local Republican congressmen are still saying they’re not happy with how Obama is handling the conflict in Syria and Iraq.

Local congressional districts should remain unchanged (8/7)
Florida lawmakers are back in Tallahassee for a special session this week after a judge in Leon County declared the boundaries for two Congressional districts were unconstitutional.

Cusp of history: Pasco leads way to amend Constitution (1/15)
It’s nearly impossible to get Democrats and Republicans in Congress to agree on anything these days, but a state senator from Pasco County might have a way to bring them together — even if it’s to campaign against his plan.

STATE LEGISLATURE RACES

Buy local? Not state House political candidates (11/2)
They have both championed jobs and money to flow into their district in Pasco County, but are two politicians seeking a place in Tallahassee practicing what they’re preaching?

Burgess: There’s no place like home … rule (10/23)
Danny Burgess was nervous as he straightened his tie and tried to review in his head everything he was going to say. It was his first debate in his race for a seat on the Zephyrhills City Council, and he had an uphill battle to convince older voters that electing an 18-year-old to represent them was the right way to go.

Burgess won’t defend Duke Energy, despite donation (10/9)
A state regulatory agency ordered the company to refund $54 million to customers last week, yet many Duke Energy customers remain unhappy about being charged for $3.2 billion in failed nuclear power plant projects. And one candidate for the Florida House is feeling the heat.

From teacher to candidate, Ledbetter just can’t say no (7/31)
Where there’s a will, there’s a way. And when there’s a need, there’s Beverly Ledbetter. The retired educator has made Dade City her home since the days of Richard Nixon, inspiring thousands of students at Pasco Junior High School and later Pasco High School for more than three decades. Along the way, Ledbetter found herself in the most unexpected jobs, whether it be coaching the school’s soccer team, or helping educators through her work with the teachers’ union.

Express route to downtown Tampa in jeopardy, HART says (7/24)
The number of people who depend on HART’s Route 51X connecting Pasco County to downtown Tampa is dwindling. And so is the organization’s money. So it’s probably no surprise to some of the remaining riders that officials with Hillsborough Area Regional Transit want to make some significant changes to the route, possibly removing the express route altogether. But at the very least, adding some local stops to finally bring such mass transit service to the New Tampa area.

Danny Burgess and Beverly Ledbetter at a recent candidate forum.
Danny Burgess and Beverly Ledbetter at a recent candidate forum.

Legg, lawmakers build path to collegiate high schools (6/26)
High schools have come a long way in preparing students for schools, with Florida especially hanging its hat on dual enrollment opportunities that allow many juniors and seniors to earn college credit before receiving their high school diploma.

Paperwork snafu costs Diaz chance for Tallahassee (6/20)
Danny Burgess no longer has to worry about a primary battle in his quest to succeed Will Weatherford in House District 38.

PHSC project one of Florida TaxWatch’s ‘turkeys’ (5/27)
Will Pasco-Hernando State College get that performing arts center it has been hoping for? Not if the governor is paying attention to political activist group Florida TaxWatch.

Winners and losers from tough Tallahassee session (5/23)
Amphibians like frogs and toads can create thousands of tadpoles each season, but only a few actually survive to become adults just like their parents. That could be the perfect way to describe how lawmaking works in Tallahassee. Hundreds of bills are introduced during each session of the Florida Legislature, but very few survive.

Danish pushing Scott to sign child welfare law (5/6)
State Rep. Mark Danish, D-Tampa, is urging Gov. Rick Scott to sign a bill into law he says will help strengthen the speed and quality of child abuse and neglect investigations in the state. Danish is pushing S.B. 1666, which includes parts of a House bill he introduced this year, and other child welfare initiatives. The bill quickly made it way through both chambers, receiving no dissenting votes in either the House or the Senate.

Future of Pasco lives and dies with municipal airports (4/17)
The expansion of State Road 56 into Zephyrhills could be key to a major economic boom for Pasco County, and two candidates seeking to replace state Rep. Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, in Tallahassee agree state-level leadership must be in place to make sure it happens.

Burgess invites Tampa mayor to rediscover Wesley Chapel (4/11)
Danny Burgess has just a few more days as mayor of Zephyrhills before he goes full-time into a state House campaign. But before he goes, he has a message for Tampa mayor Bob Buckhorn: Wesley Chapel is no longer a “bedroom community.”

Lawmakers propose a little help at the gas pump (3/20)
There are more than 9,000 gas stations in Florida, but only 350 of them offer any type of help for someone who might not be able to pump their gas on their own. Two lawmakers, however, are looking to change that — and are using Hillsborough County as a model.

Eastern Time, Central Time … Florida Time? (1/30)
Spring forward. Fall back. Using the seasons as a guide, Americans have used those expressions to figure out when they should set their clocks back an hour, or forward an hour, to switch between standard time and daylight saving time.

Burgess eyes Tallahassee, but path may not be easy (12/11)
Although there always was a chance he could run for re-election, Danny Burgess knew he had just a short time as mayor of Zephyrhills when he was elected unopposed earlier this year. He will step down from that office in April with an eye on a much bigger prize: replacing Will Weatherford as the area’s state representative in Tallahassee.

PASCO COUNTY COMMISSION RACE

Moore, Remsberg spending money outside Pasco (11/3)
Bringing money into the county is something politician after politician has brought to campaigns and local government for years, and the Pasco County Commission race between Mike Moore and Erika Remsberg has been no different.

Left Behind: Bus services screeches to a halt on Monday (10/16)
Monday was Columbus Day, a holiday with federal status, but one that’s not recognized by many employers, including state and even Pasco County officials. Yet, many offices in the county were closed, including Pasco County Public Transportation, while the employees from those departments attended a daylong retreat and appreciation day.

Mulieri endorses new replacement, crosses party lines (10/16)
No one could ever accuse Pat Mulieri of simply following the herd. Two months ago, she took a stand in the Republican primary, endorsing underdog Bob Robertson from a group of candidates looking to replace her on the Pasco County Commission.

Mike Moore waving signs in Land O' Lakes.
Mike Moore waving signs in Land O’ Lakes.

Moore raises $34K in two weeks, but is it too much? (10/10)
A huge $22,500 haul from developers and real estate professionals over the last two weeks has given Pasco County Commission candidate Mike Moore his best fundraising week of the campaign, raising a whopping $34,250.

Both want jobs, but disagree on how to get them (10/9)
One of the biggest challenges facing the Pasco County Commission in recent years is how to create more jobs here, and not force nearly half the population to travel elsewhere to find work. It’s likely a problem that won’t be fixed over the next four years, but that hasn’t stopped the two candidates looking for a seat on the commission to share their ideas on how it might happen. They are just quite different.

Partisan politics infest county commission race (10/2)
It’s been four years since a Democrat has served on the Pasco County Commission, but Erika Remsberg hopes to change that with just one election in November. However, she has a formidable opponent in the form of Republican Mike Moore, who not only has out-fundraised her 19-to-1, but seems to be the shoo-in to replace the retiring Pat Mulieri in District 2.

Littlefield joins forces with Moore in commission race (9/25)
They may have been foes during the primary, but former state Rep. Ken Littlefield has taken sides in the November election, joining the campaign of Republican candidate Mike Moore in his efforts to replace the retiring Pat Mulieri on the Pasco County Commission.

Moore tops $100,000, makes district race most expensive (8/22)
With just days before voters will choose just one of three candidates to represent the Republican ticket in the Pasco County Commission District 2 race, Mike Moore will clearly take the fundraising title after a final push this week put him over $100,000.

Moore brings big voice to Pasco, but is ready to listen too (8/21)
Money talks, especially in a political campaign. And with nearly $100,000 at his disposal throughout his primary campaign, Mike Moore has had a pretty loud voice.

Let them go? (8/7)
It pretty much started when John Gallagher was caught in heavy traffic on Interstate 75. The morning rush is exactly that, the morning rush. But Gallagher, then the Pasco County administrator, realized that these were primarily people who lived in his county, but were heading south to work jobs in Hillsborough and even Pinellas counties.

Erika Remsberg
Erika Remsberg

Remsberg ready to give commission a much-needed intervention (7/31)
The first step in finding out who will replace Pat Mulieri on the Pasco County Commission begins at the Aug. 26 primary. There voters will choose between three politically focused men — Ken Littlefield, Mike Moore and Bob Robertson — to represent Republicans in the November election.

Commission candidate among those appointed to planning council (4/1)
Michael Moore is one of six appointments announced Monday by Gov. Rick Scott to the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council. Moore, who is seeking Pat Mulieri’s seat on the Pasco County Commission, is the owner of VR Business Sales/Mergers & Acquisitions of Wesley Chapel. He was appointed for a term that began Monday, and would end in October 2015.

GOP commission candidates debate policy for the first time (3/13)
He served eight years in the Florida House, a few weeks on the state’s Public Service Commission, and some additional time working in Gov. Charlie Crist’s administration. So why would Ken Littlefield, who is approaching his 70th birthday, want to try once again to replace Pat Mulieri on the Pasco County Commission?

OTHER ELECTION NEWS

Pasco, Hillsborough offers free rides to polls (11/3)
Want to vote, but not sure how to get there? Well, whether you live in Pasco County or Hillsborough, a chance to cast a ballot is just a free bus ride away.

Pasco gets 25 percent head start into Nov. 4 (11/2)
Early voting in various places around Pasco County ended Saturday, and although there’s still room to receive more mail-in ballots on Monday, county elections supervisor Brian Corley has to be happy with the turnout so far.

Political mailer pits neighbor versus neighbor (10/30)
A political mailer sharing the voting habits of neighbors might not be a new trick for the 2014 elections, but it’s one that has some residents questioning how much of their personal information should be made public.

Strong early voter turnout so far in Pasco (10/30)
Brian Corley likes what he’s seeing for the 2014 election so far. As of 4 p.m. Thursday, more than 21 percent of registered voters in Pasco County have dropped a ballot in the voting box, and there’s still two full days of early voting left.

Inaccurate campaign fliers confusing voters (9/29)
Thousands of voters in Pasco County and across the state opened their mailboxes this weekend to find a flier from the Gov. Rick Scott campaign telling them their absentee ballots should have arrived. Yet, there were no absentee ballots waiting for them.

Voters speak their mind on the primary election (8/26)
Despite the best efforts of election officials to get people out to the polls for the Aug. 26 primary, turnout — at least in Pasco County — is likely to be below 15 percent.

Campaign Crunch: Politicians reveal where their dollars are coming from (8/14)
Erika Remsberg has not raised a lot of money for her bid to replace Pat Mulieri on the Pasco County Commission — and she never expects to.

Voters are mad, and it could affect turnout this November (7/3)
There’s one question Susan MacManus gets more than any other as we head into a contentious election season. And despite her long and impressive credentials as a political scientist, even she can’t answer it.

Express route to downtown Tampa in jeopardy, HART says

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The number of people who depend on HART’s Route 51X connecting Pasco County to downtown Tampa is dwindling. And so is the organization’s money.

So it’s probably no surprise to some of the remaining riders that officials with Hillsborough Area Regional Transit want to make some significant changes to the route, possibly removing the express route altogether. But at the very least, adding some local stops to finally bring such mass transit service to the New Tampa area.

Park-and-rides like this one at CrossRoads Community United Methodist Church on County Line Road attract maybe six cars a day, HART officials say, while costing riders $24,000 a year. That could change soon for Route 51X. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Park-and-rides like this one at CrossRoads Community United Methodist Church on County Line Road attract maybe six cars a day, HART officials say, while costing riders $24,000 a year. That could change soon for Route 51X.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

“It is important as an agency that we consider the needs of the current riders,” HART interim chief operating officer Ruthie Reyes Burckard told concerned riders during a recent meeting at the New Tampa Library. “There is no transportation along Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. We have been looking at this area, and are trying to get some service into this area, whether it’s local or some kind of hybrid option” of both express and local service.

Right now, the express bus takes workers from Pasco County and New Tampa into downtown Tampa early workday mornings, and returns them late in the afternoon. HART is looking at three options to change its service, all of them at least coming with a name change for the route: 51LX.

All the new options include local stops along Bruce B. Downs in places like County Line Road, Tampa Palms Boulevard, and even one route that would make its way to the University of South Florida. However, to add the university to the stops, HART would have to give up on its express service.

But that’s not the only change HART is considering. The transit company says it plans to close two park-and-ride lots in Pasco County that it’s paying nearly $24,000 a year to maintain at Victorious Life Church on Old Pasco Road, and CrossRoads Community United Methodist Church on County Line Road.

“Yes, we are considering closing both, but not until a suitable replacement is found,” HART spokeswoman Sandra Morrison told The Laker/Lutz News. “We are trying to find sites closer to Bruce B. Downs.”

But it’s not just 51X that will have park-and-rides replaced, HART wants to make adjustments to parking situations on other routes like 25LX in the Brandon area, and 47LX in SouthShore.

“We are always looking at more cost-effective locations for park-and-rides on all express routes,” Morrison said. “As a rule, private business and organizations provide parking as a public service at no cost.”

Paying for the Pasco lots eats up nearly half the $3 cash fare, Morrison said. The route carries about 17,000 passengers a year, but the lots average only about six cars per day.

One rider who attended a recent public hearing said HART should focus more on the quality of service it’s providing customers of the 51X to help stem declining ridership, not spend time changing the routes.

“The buses are just in horrible shape,” said Beth Derby from Heather Sound Drive. “We get rained on inside the bus. There is no air-conditioning, and we are lucky that we get downtown in time to get to work.”
Buses, she said, are typically running behind schedule, and riders miss connections at the Marion Transit Center in downtown Tampa.

“If this is your only mode of transportation into town, then you don’t have a choice,” Derby said. “But you know a lot of us do, and if it comes between taking a bus that risks my job because I can’t make it on time to work, then I’ll drive. I’m not going to lose my job because HART can’t get its act together.”

HART is struggling with funding, hampering its efforts to replace aging buses, said the organization’s senior manager of service planning Steven Feigenbaum. And some of the problems keeping the buses on schedule are actually outside of HART’s control.

“The synchronization of the (traffic) lights, and the engineering of the lights, are the responsibility with the city of Tampa,” Feigenbaum said. “I’ve been in contact with them time and time again to be more liberal on their timing, but we have not had a lot of luck.”

Without the lights being in sync to help move traffic, buses are getting stopped at multiple lights in a short road span, he said.

What changes, if any, will be made to Route 51X now depends on HART’s board of directors, a group of 13 people representing local and state governments. They are scheduled to hear the presentations on the various options in a September meeting, as well as input from riders of the service. While the board could implement changes as early as November, Feigenbaum said it’s more likely riders won’t see any changes to 51X until March at the earliest because of manpower shortages.

State Rep. Mark Danish, D-Tampa, attended HART’s public hearing on Route 51X earlier this month, and said he favored keeping the express route with local options.

“In this state, we are trying to increase mass transit, and (options) two and three (removing the express route) are going in the opposite direction,” Danish said. “A lot of people here already have been using it to go downtown, and it seems kind of strange to basically kill that bus route now.”

Published July 23, 2014

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Commission race an open primary, other candidates qualify

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A last-minute write-in candidate almost made the race for the Pasco County Commission District 4 race even more interesting than it already is. However, Grady Peeler Jr., pulled out of the race just as quickly as he entered last week.

Volunteers for Pasco County Commission candidate Bob Robertson gather in pray to lead off a sign-waving event last week near the intersection of State Road 54 and Eiland Boulevard, west of Zephyrhills. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Volunteers for Pasco County Commission candidate Bob Robertson gather in pray to lead off a sign-waving event last week near the intersection of State Road 54 and Eiland Boulevard, west of Zephyrhills.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

That leaves just Commissioner Henry Wilson Jr., to defend his seat against Mike Wells Jr., during an open primary in August that will allow all voters — no matter what their party affiliation is — to decide between the two Republicans.

Wilson is working hard to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself. He was first elected to the commission in 2010 after a major upset of incumbent Michael Cox, and is trying to stop being on the wrong end of another incumbent defeat, this time at the hands of Wells, the son of county property appraiser and former county commissioner Mike Wells Sr.

Wells entered the race with a boom, showing he has the ability to raise a lot of money fast. In just two months of campaigning, Wells has raised $45,600 compared to the just under $24,000 from Wilson.

But money never worried Wilson too much. In his first race, Wilson raised just $8,700 — pennies compared to the massive $163,000 campaign war chest collected by Cox, who at the time was the one Democrat on the commission.

If Peeler had qualified for the race, Wilson and Wells would’ve still met Aug. 26, but only Republicans would’ve been able to vote. Instead, all voters will have a chance to decide between Wilson and Wells, the winner claiming the District 4 seat.

In the other county commission race for the District 2 seat currently held by Pat Mulieri, all three Republican candidates — Ken Littlefield, Mike Moore and Bob Robertson — have qualified. They will battle it out in the August primary among Republican voters, the winner facing Land O’ Lakes resident Erika Remsberg, the only Democrat to file.

If Remsberg were to win, she would be the first Democrat on the commission since Cox departed in 2010.

Mike Fasano got a big vote of confidence from county residents as no one challenged him for his seat as the county tax collector. He will serve a two-year term, facing election again in 2016.

Also returning to their jobs without opposition are two school board members, Allen Altman and Cynthia Armstrong. The District 5 seat will see incumbent Steve Luikart face challenger Marc Yacht.

At the state level, however, Minnie Diaz said she got a lesson in how not to run a campaign. The Pasco-Hernando State College adjunct professor failed to qualify in her race to succeed state Rep. Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, after misunderstanding when she was supposed to file her financial disclosure form.

“I assume full responsibility,” Diaz said. “I did not fully grasp the process of qualifying week, and I did not understand what it truly meant. There was a certain amount of confusion on my part.”

Diaz had filed most of her paperwork a year ago, and even collected the necessary 986 signatures before Christmas. However, she said she believed she had until July 1 to file her financial disclosure form, but later learned that was only for incumbents.

Diaz filed that form, but more than two hours too late.

Because of that, former Zephyrhills mayor Danny Burgess wins the Republican nomination, and won’t have to go through a primary battle with Diaz. Instead, he can focus on his race in November against Democrat Beverly Ledbetter, who also qualified last Friday.

Returning to Tallahassee unopposed are Trilby Republican Wilton Simpson in the Senate, and both Land O’ Lakes Republican Richard Corcoran and Tampa Democrat Janet Cruz in the House.

Rep. James Grant, R-Tampa, earned a primary challenger on the final day of qualifying from Miriam Steinberg, a quality engineer for Honeywell Aerospace. They both will fight in a closed primary because Daniel John Matthews of Tampa, who says he works for a company called Cats on Deck, earned a spot as a write-in candidate. That means only Republicans will likely choose who represents House District 64.

Dan Raulerson, R-Plant City, won’t need a primary, but he will have to appear on the ballot after he received a write-in challenge from Jose Vazquez Figueroa, a self-employed Tampa resident.

Also getting a write-in challenge is Sen. Tom Lee, R-Brandon, who attracted two opponents, Brandon Thebeau and Steven Warren, although neither will be listed on the ballot.

Rep. Mark Danish, D-Tampa, qualified for his race against Republican challenger Shawn Harrison. Voters in House District 63 will choose between them in November.

Published June 25, 2014

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Legg, lawmakers build path to collegiate high schools

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High schools have come a long way in preparing students for schools, with Florida especially hanging its hat on dual enrollment opportunities that allow many juniors and seniors to earn college credit before receiving their high school diploma.

John Legg
John Legg

State Sen. John Legg, R-Lutz, is celebrating a new law signed last week by Gov. Rick Scott that would expand those opportunities into collegiate high schools.

“Finally, every student in each of Florida’s 67 school districts is afforded the opportunity for advancement through a collegiate high school, and is more adequately prepared for their future careers,” Legg said, in a release.

S.B. 850, according to a committee analysis, requires districts to provide a pathway for high school students to earn a full year of college credit with funding and acceleration programs to offer 30 credit hours to juniors and seniors.

The collegiate high schools would be a joint venture between a school district and a nearby college or university. School districts can look beyond local universities if they both can’t come to an agreement by the 2015-16 school year.

Scott signed 57 bills into law last Friday, including these from local lawmakers:

S.B. 424 – Discriminatory Insurance Practices
Originally introduced by state Sen. Tom Lee, R-Brandon, this law makes it illegal for insurance companies to deny someone coverage, or raise their rates, based on their ownership of a firearm.

It doesn’t stop the insurance company, however, from issuing a separate rider to a policy that would specifically insure a gun. But it does prevent insurance companies from disclosing information about a gun ownership to others, especially third-party vendors.

The bill passed the Senate 36-3 in March, but had a little more opposition in the House in April, passing 74-44. Those voting against it included local lawmakers Rep. Mark Danish and Rep. Janet Cruz, both Democrats.

H.B. 513 – State Poet Laureate
Florida has had various poet laureates over the last 100 years, but a new law originally introduced by Dan Raulerson, R-Plant City, will now make the position official.

The Florida Council on Arts and Culture will submit at least five nominees to the Florida secretary of state, each of whom are permanent Florida residents known for their poetry both inside and outside the state.

The secretary of state, in turn, will pare the list down to three, and submit those names to the governor, who makes the final decision.

The bill passed both the House and Senate unanimously last April.

H.B. 523 – Licensure to Carry a Concealed Weapon or Firearm
This law allows county tax collectors to administer fingerprints and accept applications for those seeking a concealed weapon permit.

Tax collectors wanting to participate would have to apply to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, but would be able to tack on a $22 convenience fee on top of the standard $70 initial permit application, and a $12 convenience fee for a $60 renewal.

The law also budgets $736,600 to create and maintain 11 new positions with the agriculture department, and a $105,500 one-time payout. It’s related to H.B. 525, which exempts personal information of gun owners from public records laws, which also was signed by the governor.

The bill sailed through the Senate, but had a couple bumps in the House, where it passed 94-22. Cruz was among those local lawmakers who voted against it.

H.B. 7035 – Juvenile Sentencing
Originally introduced by state Rep. James Grant, this law addresses the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court case Graham v. Florida that said the Constitution prevents courts from sentencing juvenile offenders who did not commit a murder to life.

After the decision, several past cases were brought back to courts for re-sentencing, where many had prison time drastically reduced.

This law gives judges an option to sentence a juvenile offender to 40 years instead of life, if he feels it’s appropriate. It also provides the chance for someone convicted of a capital crime while a juvenile to have his sentence reviewed after 25 years.

The bill passed both chambers unanimously in April and May.

Published June 25, 2014

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Danish pushing Scott to sign child welfare law

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State Rep. Mark Danish, D-Tampa, is urging Gov. Rick Scott to sign a bill into law he says will help strengthen the speed and quality of child abuse and neglect investigations in the state.

Danish is pushing S.B. 1666, which includes parts of a House bill he introduced this year, and other child welfare initiatives. The bill quickly made it way through both chambers, receiving no dissenting votes in either the House or the Senate.

“By strengthening the state’s workforce, response time and overall quality of investigations, we will be able to put the health and safety of children first,” Danish said, in a release. “There’s still a lot of work to do, but this is a major step in the right direction.”

The bill looks to increase child welfare expertise in the Department of Children and Families, and improve child abuse investigator qualifications, according to a committee analysis of the bill. It also creates a consortium of schools of social work to advise the state on child welfare policy.

Investigators would be required to dig deeper into deaths and other significant incidents involving those in the child protection or child welfare system, including a need to identify root causes that could help lawmakers strengthen protection laws in the future.

Nationally, more than 1,500 children died from child abuse or neglect, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In Florida alone, the cost to investigate abuse is $312.5 million in just the past fiscal year.

The current efforts were jumpstarted in response to DCF’s mishandling of several child neglect and abuse cases in recent months that resulted in the or serious injury of a child, Danish’s office said.

The bill passed the House May 2. The governor has 15 days to either sign, allow the bill to pass without his signature, or veto.

Florida set to ban insurance discrimination of gun owners … again

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Although it affects just one of the top five major insurance underwriters in the state, a bill is heading to the desk of Gov. Rick Scott that would prevent property and vehicle insurance companies from discriminating against policyholders who own firearms.

S.B. 424 was introduced by state Sen. Tom Lee, R-Brandon, just before Thanksgiving last year, and passed the House Tuesday by a 74-44 margin. It had previously rolled through the Senate by a 36-3 margin.

The bill consider it an unfair discriminatory practice by an insurance company if it refuses to issue, renew or cancel a policy, or charge an unfair rate based on the lawful ownership, possession or use of a firearm or ammunition by the applicant or anyone affected by the policy. It also would prohibit insurance companies from disclosing the lawful ownership or possession of firearms of those affected by the policy without anyone affected by that policy opting in to allow such disclosure.

It does not, however, prohibit an insurer from charging a supplemental premium when a separate rider is requested, to insure a firearm or firearm collection.

A survey of the top five insurance underwriters conducted by the Office of Insurance Regulation last month showed only one took into account firearm ownership when it came to policies, according to records filed with the Legislature.

It is not clear how the new legislation would affect existing law that has similar language, according to the Senate’s Appropriations committee.

Locally, state Reps. Mark Danish and Janet Cruz — both Democrats — voted against the bill. Local representation in both the House and Senate from the Republican side all voted for it.

Lawmakers propose a little help at the gas pump

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There are more than 9,000 gas stations in Florida, but only 350 of them offer any type of help for someone who might not be able to pump their gas on their own.

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Hillsborough County already requires gas stations to stick a decal on gas pumps on how those needing assistance pumping gas can get it. A new bill making its way through Tallahassee would make this the standard throughout Florida. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

Two lawmakers, however, are looking to change that — and are using Hillsborough County as a model.

State Rep. Mark Danish, D-Tampa, has joined forces with state Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, to introduce H.B. 185, which would require gas stations to post blue decals on pumps, providing information on how to “call for assistance.” Hillsborough County passed a similar ordinance in 2012, and some other counties have followed suit. However, just 4 percent of gas stations currently have such decals, according to lawmakers.

“This is a cost-effective option that will assist countless persons with disabilities across the state who struggle to refuel their gas,” Danish said in a release.

The bill already has received support from several organizations, including the Florida Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, Paralyzed Veterans Association, Disabled American Veterans and AARP, according to a release.

The House version of the bill cleared its last hurdle Thursday, and is expected to head to the floor for a vote.

The law, if passed, won’t cost taxpayers any money. Instead, gas stations will have to pay for the stickers, estimated to cost less than $1 each. Gas stations will not be required, however, to provide any additional staffing to accommodate customers with special needs, however.

Eastern Time, Central Time … Florida Time?

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Spring forward. Fall back.

Using the seasons as a guide, Americans have used those expressions to figure out when they should set their clocks back an hour, or forward an hour, to switch between standard time and daylight saving time.

Cars line up outside of Steinbrenner High School in Lutz shortly before sunrise this week. Daylight saving time ensures it’s not completely dark when these students go to school, and some lawmakers want to make that time permanent. (Photo by Michael Hinman)
Cars line up outside of Steinbrenner High School in Lutz shortly before sunrise this week. Standard time allows more light in the morning for many students going to school, and some lawmakers want to make daylight saving time permanent. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

The debate over whether to continue this decades-old tradition has raged probably as long as it’s existed. And there have been numerous attempts to abolish it in the past.

None of those attempts have come from State Rep. Mark Danish, however. The New Tampa Democrat is leading the House push to make daylight saving time permanent in Florida. If successful, that would mean no more springing forward and falling back, and could encourage other states to follow suit.

“We keep calling ourselves the ‘Sunshine State,’ yet we cut ourselves off,” Danish said. “I hate the idea that it gets dark so early throughout the whole winter. We’re losing out on the light, and we could use it later in the day.”

Clocks typically fall back an hour in November, and stay that way until the second week of March. That allows the sun to rise just after 7 a.m., this time of year, instead of just after 8 a.m., during standard time.

The extra sunlight has to go somewhere, however. Right now, the sun is setting around 6 p.m., instead of 7 p.m.

It does mean more light for people on their way to work, and means bus stops aren’t cloaked in darkness for school children. But Danish’s bill — along with a sister bill in the State Senate — would change that.

Daylight saving time dates back to World War I as an effort to conserve fuel, according to some historical publications. It didn’t become formalized in the United States until 1966, which originally started daylight saving time in April, and ended it in October. States were allowed to exempt themselves from daylight savings, but only if the entire state did it. In the last nearly 50 years, only Arizona and Hawaii have opted out.

But those states don’t have the population Florida does, and such a change could have lasting regional impact.

Primarily, Florida would be in virtually its own time zone for half the year. When the rest of the country switches back to standard time, Florida would still be in daylight saving time. That would align the state with Eastern Time in the winter months, and Atlantic Time in the summer months.

Danish suggested the state could market it as “Florida Time.”

“It would be terrific for tourism,” he said. “When you have people coming from the Central Time zone like up in Chicago for vacation, they can get here and wouldn’t even have to change their clocks.”

Florida has tried to pull out of the time change several times in the past, including an effort last year by State Sen. Darren Soto, D-Kissimmee, who introduced a similar bill in the Senate again this year as a companion to Danish’s bill. Last year’s bill, which would’ve simply exempted Florida from daylight saving time, was withdrawn before a committee ever considered it.

What’s different this time around is that Florida isn’t looking to stay on standard time. Instead, it wants daylight savings to be the state’s new standard time — and that might cause problems.

The Uniform Time Act of 1966, which established daylight saving time for the country, allows states to exempt themselves only if they stay on standard time. The act was modified nearly 40 years later with the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which adjusted when in the year clocks would be changed. However, it didn’t remove the requirement of standard time or bust.

Even if the bill could not take full legal effect, if it did pass, it could send a message to other states, possibly leading to a full repeal of the 1966 act.

“There are some federal rules, but it might encourage other states to go along with it,” Danish said. “We are a big state that keeps getting bigger, and when a big state like ours makes a move, other people are definitely going to be looking at it.”

Note: This story was updated to clarify that Florida is in standard time during the winter months, and daylight saving time during the rest of the year. It was further updated to correct which time zones the main part of the state would be in while others are still shifting clocks.

Published Jan. 29, 2014