Consider Bondi's deeds, instead of her words. This month Florida's chief legal officer joined 20 of her counterparts — all but three of them Republicans — who signed a legal brief in support of a lawsuit against an agreement to restore the Chesapeake Bay. That agreement was reached by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the District of Columbia and six states within the bay's drainage basin.

The Chesapeake Bay, the nation's largest estuary, has been in decline for decades. Pollution has devastated its marine life, and the fishing and recreation that depend on it.

So why would states as far away as Florida and Alaska get behind a lawsuit against a federal and state agreement to clean up a mid-Atlantic waterway? Bondi told the university crowd it was because of "EPA overreach."

By signing the brief, Bondi has cast Florida's lot with the American Farm Bureau Federation, the Fertilizer Institute, the National Pork Producers Council and other groups fighting the agreement. . . .

With so much at stake, Bondi's efforts and attention would be far better directed at strengthening water protection in her own state, instead of weakening it somewhere else.

ALEC pulling FlaGOP strings

"Groups including Greenpeace and Natural Resources Defense Council say bills dealing with oil and gas hydraulic fracturing and federal pollution rules come from American Legislative Exchange Council." "Environmental groups say ALEC is behind Florida bills".

"Bits and Pieces"

Kevin Derby: "Political Bits and Pieces".

"Session to be a mix of priorities"

"Tax cuts, stiffer sex offender laws, expanding school vouchers and the state budget will be among the issues lawmakers will consider over the 60-day session that begins March 4." "Fla. Legislative session to be a mix of priorities".

One trick pony

"Allen West: 'Every Time Obamacare Draws Headlines, the News Gets Worse'".

"Yeehaw!"

Fabiola Santiago writes: "Way to go, Florida Legislature."

You’ve got nothing better to do than to raise your voices — and protect the rights of kids to bear imaginary arms. Stand your ground in the schoolyard.

Bravo, couldn’t expect any less from you.

It may be difficult to pass meaningful legislation in the Sunshine State when it comes to adults who get away with murder, but watch this little baby — the “Pop-Tart” bill! — fly faster than Superman on a rescue through rounds of committee hearings with bipartisan support.

That’s right. You read correctly: A bill named after the sugary pastry that lazy parents give their children for breakfast has earned that rare commodity — bipartisan support.

Yeehaw!

The Panuccio Principle

"Panuccio became DEO director in January 2013 after leaving his spot as Scott’s top attorney. He heads a large agency with 1,621 employees and an $872.7 million budget for a salary of $141,000 per year." "After unemployment system fiasco, jobs agency director faces long road to confirmation".

Sink race to be a test of Obamacare as election issue

"The candidates are Alex Sink, Democrat, and David Jolly, Republican, but Obamacare is on the ballot in a big way in a competitive House race in Florida that offers a preview of the nationwide campaign for Congress this fall."

Republicans and their allies wouldn't have it any other way as they test the issue's potency, even though their candidate may muddle the message, and other issues like Social Security may command a bigger role in deciding the winner.

"Seniors are losing their doctors because of Obamacare... but Alex Sink still supports Obamacare," read one Republican Party mailer in a congressional district where voters over age 60 may cast more than half the ballots.

Because of the health care law "300,000 Floridians will lose their current health plans, $700 billion (was) cut from Medicare for seniors and now nonpartisan government analysts say Obamacare will cost our economy up to 2.5 million jobs," says an ad paid for by the National Republican Congressional Committee. "Yet Alex Sink still supports it."

Sitting in a sparsely furnished room in her campaign office, Sink says of Republicans, "I guess they believe" it will work. "That's their signature issue in this election cycle."

Republicans don't quarrel with that assertion, which makes Sink something of a campaign pioneer — the Democratic candidate in the first race of 2014 to test her party's recommended response to Republican assaults on the health care overhaul that President Barack Obama and Democrats pushed through Congress four years ago.

"If you see any hiccups, let me know"

"The $200 million that Gov. Rick Scott pledged this week to put toward a train depot at Orlando’s busy international airport also will benefit a company that previously employed the governor’s chief of staff."

Adam Hollingsworth worked for companies connected to the company behind All Aboard Florida, a private passenger line that would link central and South Florida. All Aboard Florida stands to get a significant boost from the airport depot.

Text messages obtained by The Associated Press show Hollingsworth discussed the rail project with a top aide in the Scott administration while he was still working for Flagler Development Group and Parallel Infrastructure. . . .

Florida East Coast Industries announced in March 2012 that it would spend $1 billion to build the All Aboard Florida line by combining 200 miles of existing tracks and 40 miles of new track between Miami and Orlando.

At the time, Hollingsworth worked as CEO of Parallel Infrastructure, a subsidiary of Florida East Coast Industries. On his application with the state, Hollingsworth said he was responsible for helping with sales, marketing and “growing the business into new markets.”

Hollingsworth stepped in as chief of staff after Steve MacNamara abruptly resigned following a series of news stories detailing his job performance and handling of contracts. Hollingsworth, who spent time as chief of staff for then-Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton, had ties to Scott’s campaign manager and had worked previously for the railroad company CSX.

Hollingsworth, who worked on Scott’s transition team in late 2010, exchanged several text messages with Scott’s deputy chief of staff shortly before the All Aboard Florida project was publicly announced.

Hours before the release came out he texted Carrie O’Rourke and told her she would get a copy of it in advance. “If you see any hiccups, let me know,” Hollingsworth texted. “Thanks for all your help.”

"Senate Incumbents Sitting Pretty"

"Florida Senate Incumbents Sitting Pretty".

"Another major player in the 2014 Florida gubernatorial race"

Nancy Smith: "Enter, another major player in the 2014 Florida gubernatorial race -- California hedge-fund billionaire Tom Steyer, committed soldier in the political war against climate change and apparently Rick Scott."

Steyer, from his San Francisco office earlier this week, lifted the phone and summoned an impressive string of national reporters for a conference call. Just like that he had the nation's top journalists at his fingertips. Main purpose? Apparently to deliver a message to Scott:

You've got $100 million, I've got $100 million. I'm going to get you in November.

TeaBagger superstar Ted Cruz wows FlaGOP

"The draw of tea party superstar Ted Cruz and the chance to check out Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago netted the Palm Beach County Republican Party an estimated $90,000 or more Friday night." "Palm Beach County GOP may net $90,000 from fundraising dinner featuring U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz".

"Pulling back the veil"

"The state corrections official who stands beside condemned inmates as they take their last breaths in Florida’s death chamber recently pulled back the veil on what has largely been a very secretive execution process." "Testimony gives rare details of Florida executions".

It was written by two academics at the University of Florida, Drs. David Denslow and James Dewey, along with UF’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research.

"In a lot of ways," Dewey said, "the state of Florida is really near the bottom of the barrel."

• The Florida Retirement System, the pension fund for hundreds of thousands of public employees, is a “model” for other states. Sound and strong, it is threatened by the Legislature’s contemplation of requiring new entrants to join a defined contribution plan.

• Teacher salaries in Florida declined at the fourth fastest rate among states between 2000 and 2012, and it will be difficult to make significant progress “without increasing tax rates, however unlikely that might be.”

• Gas taxes, the principal funding source for transportation, continue to erode because they are not indexed for inflation and the popularity of energy-efficient cars means people are buying less gasoline.

• Florida’s lack of a personal income tax results in a heavy reliance on the 6 percent statewide sales tax and property taxes, and property taxes fall heaviest on businesses.

How much? Not much

"Tea party groups have already begun organizing email campaigns to reach the governor en masse. 'He does an about-face on Common Core or he's history,' Marion Clare, a tea party activist from Citrus County told Sunshine State News. 'This is very important to us. We won't vote for (Democrat Charlie) Crist, but we won't vote for Rick Scott either.'" "How Much Trouble Will Common Core Cause for Rick Scott's Campaign?". How much trouble? Not much: The FlaBaggers always come home to GOP-land.

Desperate

"Republican challenger Carlos Curbelo tried to characterize Rep. Joe Garcia as hypocritical for accepting contributions from Bill Delahunt, a former congressman turned lobbyist." "Challenger Carlos Curbelo, Rep. Joe Garcia trade jabs on ties to Venezuela, gambling". More: "In CD 26, Joe Garcia and Carlos Curbelo Clash Over Venezuela".

GOPers get their hate on

"An overhaul of the Florida Retirement System [which is in no need of an "overhaul"] is in for a close vote in the 2014 legislative session, Senate President Don Gaetz said Thursday."

The Senate Community Affairs Committee voted 5-4 on Tuesday for a bill by its chairman, Sen. Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, that would set up a “cash-balance” pension plan in the FRS for newly hired employees. One Republican, Sen. Jack Latvala of Clearwater, joined three Democrats on the committee who voted against the bill, saying members did not have financial data to demonstrate that changes would be beneficial for employees or their government employers.

“The Senate is divided on the issue,” Gaetz said. “There are those who don’t want to make any changes at all, and there are those who believe that we have to create a more secure future for the retirement system that’s not dependent on draining $500 million out of the budget to fund the unfunded liabilities of the pension system.” . . .

The Legislature deadlocked over FRS changes last year. The House passed a bill making all new hires go into the “defined contribution” pension plan, similar to the 401(k) investment system prevalent in the private sector, but Simpson countered with a bill that would have let them stay in the “defined benefit” plan popular with most state workers. Simpson’s bill offered a reduction in payroll fees, from 3 percent to 2 percent, for those who opted into the defined contribution plan.

This year, he proposed the cash-balance option -- a hybrid in which employees would still be assured a set pension amount when they retire, with a guaranteed 2 percent growth rate. Any earnings above 2 percent would be split between employer and employee.

The pending bill would also exempt special-risk retirees, mostly police and firefighters, who get a 3 percent pension credit per year. They could remain in the existing defined benefit plan, unless they wanted to opt into the portable, faster-vesting cash-balance plan.

Gaetz said an unidentified senator recently showed him a headcount indicating 18 senators are opposed to FRS changes. While a 22-18 vote would still pass the bill, if all members were present, loss of just two would defeat it -- as happened to the House bill last year, when Simpson offered his alternative.

5 Things to Know

"5 Things to Know in Florida for Feb. 21".

Wait till the FlaBaggers get a load of this

The Tampa Tribune editors: "House Speaker Will Weatherford is taking a reasonable and humane approach to a legislative measure that would grant in-state college tuition rates to the children of immigrants living in the country illegally."

The bill would change a law that punishes children who are educated in Florida’s high schools but are treated differently from their classmates when attempting to further their education by attending college.

Utilities and Energy

"Session Outlook 2014: Utilities and Energy".

"Class warfare" agenda

"House Democratic leaders rolled out a "class warfare" agenda for the 2014 legislative session Thursday, vowing to fight Gov. Rick Scott and Republican leaders to make sure new state revenue is used to expand Florida's Medicaid program, improve education and fund other programs for the poor and middle class."

"In my mind, there is no budget surplus," Rep. Perry Thurston, the House minority leader, said at a news conference. "There can be no budget surplus when we have so many unmet needs."

Rep. Mark Pafford, the West Palm Beach Democrat in line to succeed Thurston as House leader of the party, said the state has a 16-year history of reducing taxes and cutting budgets under Republican governors and GOP majorities in the House and Senate. With about $1.2 billion in new revenue projected for the 2014-15 fiscal year, Pafford said Democrats will constantly raise issues of Medicaid expansion, education funding and other needs.

"Business groups" fight spring restoration bill

"The ambitious measure being pushed by a bipartisan group of senators -- and opposed by influential business groups [the Association of Florida Community Developers, the Florida Fertilizer and Agrichemical Association and the Florida Chamber of Commerce] -- will be stripped of language that would have required local governments to help fund work needed to improve the quality of water in springs-shed restoration projects." "Senate Looks to Make Springs Plan Easier to Swallow". See also "Approach on Florida springs bill moves from 'stick' to 'carrot'" and "Senator says 'Plan B' is ready for critics of draft springs legislation".

DCCC bashes Jolly over SS privatization

"With less than three weeks to go until the election, candidates running for an open congressional seat in Pinellas County continue to battle for position. Republican David Jolly and former state CFO Alex Sink, the Democratic candidate, are clashing over Social Security while also reaching out to bolster their stock with voters. The two major party candidates and Libertarian Lucas Overby will meet in the March 11 special election."

At the national level, the Democratic Congressional Committee (DCCC) released a memo on Wednesday bashing Jolly over Social Security and doubling down on their attacks against his lobbying work on the matter.

“Jolly was paid almost a hundred thousand dollars to lobby on issues like Social Security reform for a radical millionaire (and his current campaign finance co-chair) who supports privatizing Social Security – forcing seniors to gamble with their retirement on the stock market,” the DCCC insisted in the memo. “Jolly’s benefactor even called the Social Security Trust Fund a ‘Ponzi scheme.’ That’s why it’s no surprise Jolly is still saying ‘Social Security is not guaranteed,' and that privatization should ‘be on the table.'"

Now the Orlando Republican wants voters to send him back to Tallahassee, where he hopes to become speaker of the House.

But his opponents in the special election for House District 44 accuse Eisnaugle of trying to undermine the state's highest court and say it is evidence that he shouldn't get a second chance in office.

The package also would have given the Republican-controlled Legislature more power over the court by requiring the Senate to confirm the governor's selection of justices and allowing lawmakers to more easily dictate court rules.

The legislation was a priority of Dean Cannon, the former House Speaker from Winter Park who now runs a lobbying firm. But Eisnaugle was its sponsor and chief defender in the House.

Eisnaugle said at the time that the changes would help make the court more efficient. But many lawyers and judges blasted the concept, claiming that Eisnaugle and Cannon were seeking retribution against a Supreme Court that recently had rejected three constitutional amendments proposed by the Legislature.

Eisnaugle voted for the court split three times that year.

He said he still supports one element of the 2011 legislation: giving the Legislature more power to set the rules of the court. That was one of the few pieces of the original package to make it through the Florida Senate and onto the November 2012 ballot, where it was rejected by 63 percent of voters.

Eisnaugle said it would make the Legislature a more effective check on the judicial branch.

2014 Session Outlook

"2014 Session Outlook: Children and Family".

West Retreads Ramp Up

"Republicans are starting to ramp up their operations against U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., considered by some one of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents in the nation because he represents a swing district. Murphy defeated Republican incumbent Allen West in 2012." "Republican Primary Field Ramping Up Against Patrick Murphy".

Back at the ranch, "Allen West Accuses Obama and Democrats of Pushing 'Radical Transformation of America'".

Ideas, Who Needs 'Em

"Tom Rooney Takes National Stage, Raising Profile and Bashing Obamacare".

DRIs

"SB 372 would increase from eight to 15 the number of counties where larger developments are exempted from state review as 'developments of regional impact.'" "Development bill clears another committee stop despite counties' opposition".

"A remnant of the Jim Crow era"

The Miami Heraldeditors: "Attorney General Eric Holder, who has become the Obama administration’s leading voice on minorities’ civil rights and criminal-justice reforms, recently championed a group that seldom gets the sympathy of law enforcers — convicted felons. During"

a criminal-justice symposium at Georgetown University last week, Mr. Holder called on 11 states, Florida included, to change their rules or to lift outright bans that prohibit felons who have served their time from voting.

Calling these rules a remnant of the Jim Crow era, when Southern states used all sorts of means to prevent black Americans from voting, Mr. Holder said, “Those swept up in this system too often had their rights rescinded, their dignity diminished and the full measure of their citizenship revoked for the rest of their lives.”

While the rules regarding if and when ex-inmates in Florida can vote have fluctuated over the years, the rule today is that felons must wait five years after they're released from prison to apply for restoration of their voting rights. The Florida Cabinet adopted this rule in 2011. The arbitrary time of five years makes no sense. In truth, most felons, with the possible exception of violent offenders and those who commit sex-related crimes, should have their voting rights restored automatically when they have done their time.

No tuition increases

"It appears state university students won’t face a tuition increase of any kind next year – not even a rate-of-inflation bump that set back University of South Florida students about $52 this year." "No tuition increase for Florida university students".

"Woop woop . . . You rock!" Actually, you don't

"A day after the debut of Florida’s $63 million unemployment benefits website, the man in charge delivered a sunny appraisal."

"The system was up and running 100 percent of the time," project manager Tom McCullion wrote Oct. 16 to his agency’s top brass. "The two issues that caused claimants to receive an error message have been resolved."

"Woop woop . . . congrats!" wrote one colleague. "You rock!" said another.

Closer to the ground, others warned of a meltdown.

"We have our off-duty police officer now . . . to handle the irate customers," an executive director for a Pensacola job counseling center reported. "It’s going about like we expected — not very well."

Common Core Stands

"State stands by Common Core education standards." See also "Board adopts education standards after nearly 3 hours of public testimony".

Rove Front Group Takes On Sink

"Republican-aligned super-PAC American Crossroads announced on Tuesday it was launching a new television ad taking aim at former state CFO Alex Sink, the Democratic candidate running in the special congressional election for the seat that had been held for decades by the late U.S. Rep. Bill Young, R-Fla. Sink takes on Republican David Jolly and Libertarian Lucas Overby in the March 11 election."

The ad from American Crossroads, which has ties to prominent [Karl] Rove, slams Sink’s record in Tallahassee. The ad will be running over the next three weeks as American Crossroads spent $357,000 to run it in the Tampa Bay market.

Latvala Lone GOP Voice Against Trashing FRS

"In a 5-4 vote, a Senate committee agreed Tuesday to pursue its chairman's plan for overhauling the Florida Retirement System by making new employees join a 'cash-balance' pension plan."

The Senate Community Affairs Committee also agreed to introduce Sen. Wilton Simpson's bill allowing the state to match up to 2 percent of earnings that employees stash in defined-compensation accounts. Those earning more than $60,000 a year would have their contribution capped at $1,200 -- the same 2 percent lower-paid workers accrue -- which Simpson said would encourage employees to save for retirement. Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, joined three committee Democrats in voting against Simpson's cash-balance bill. The proposal (SPB 7046) would not affect current employees in the FRS, but those hired after July 1, 2015, would not be able to join the traditional "defined benefit" pension plan -- which calculates their monthly payout as a percentage of peak earnings, multiplied by years of service.

The current bill exempts special-risk retirees such as police, firefighters and other first responders, who could remain in the defined benefit system. That potentially removes one political obstacle, because it could neutralize opposition from police and fire unions. Currently, however, the firefighters union opposed the bill and the Florida Police Benevolent Association said it will wait for an actuarial study of retirement options, due late next month or in early April.

MJ bill

"Rep. Bracy plans to propose legislation legalizing recreational pot".

College sales tax

"The half-penny sales tax, which must be eventually approved by voters, could generate $224 million to support Miami Dade College and Florida International University." "College sales tax gains support in House".

"Scott is still short-changing public schools"

"Two freshmen Democratic senators say even though the governor has proposed increased in education spending the past two years that Scott is still short-changing public schools. They note Florida is 45th in the nation in per pupil spending and teacher salaries are ranked 42nd in the country, $9,000 below the national average." "Bullard, Thompson don't like Scott's math on education".

Session Outlook

"Session Outlook 2014: Insurance".

"Get ready for more gambling"

Scott Maxwell writes, "Get ready for more gambling. The latest news out of Tallahassee has legislators preparing to unveil plans next week to bring big new casinos to Florida."

A side note:

When casinos and poker rooms flourished a few years back, many were allowed only at racing tracks and jai alai frontons. But now the casinos and poker make far more money than the tracks. So many track owners want to scale back or close their racing venues. They should be allowed to do so. Documents recently obtained by the Miami Herald, showed that 74 greyhounds died in the last seven months of 2013 on racetrack property — one every three days. If these companies don't want to race, they shouldn't be forced to, simply so they can keep dealing cards.

5 Things to Know

"5 Things to Know in Florida for Feb. 20".

"Minimum Wage Fog"

Ralph Nader writes that "both sides of the aisle are spinning the report to claim victory, creating a fog around minimum wage policy that may further discourage a Walmart-influenced Congress from taking any action. Given the miserly state of the minimum wage today, such a can't-do attitude is unacceptable. Here are five key observations about the minimum wage to help members of Congress see through the "something for everyone" fog generated by the report: "Seeing Through the CBO's Minimum Wage Fog". Meanwhile, "Governor race unmoved by latest congressional minimum wage hike report".

Brown begins ahead

"Alvin Brown Begins 2015 Jacksonville Mayoral Race in the Lead".

Residency Requirements

"Senate Panel Passes Residency Requirements". Meanwhile, Bill Cotterell writes that "Residence, districts need not be linked".

Shaw the favorite

Jeff Henderson: "Democrat Sean Shaw is increasing his advantage in the battle to pick up a Florida House seat in Hillsborough County currently held by the term-limited Betty Reed."

Shaw, an attorney best known for his time as Florida’s insurance consumer advocate and for being the son of former Chief Justice Leander Shaw, has emerged as the favorite for the open House seat.

CD 19

"GOP Candidates Fight for the Right in CD 19".