N ovem ber 8, 2006 Dem ocrats Gain after 16 Years Republicans M aintain a Legislative M ajority, But Lose Super Status in the House Dem ocrats take the CFO position on the Florida Cabinet with Alex Sink’s bi win! and all proposed constit"tional am endm ents lide to eas# wins! incl"din the re$"irem ent that f"t"re constit"tional am endm ents m "st pass b# a 6% percent m a&orit#' lorida D em ocrats w ill rem ain the m inority F Rep’s D em ’s party in both the Florida Senate and H ouse Florida Cabinet + # 4 of epresentatives for at least the ne!t tw o Florida Senate 26 #4 40 years" but for the first tim e in #6 years, Florida H ouse 38 42 #20 D em ocrats pic$ed up enou%h seats in the TO TA L 1 6 4 Florida H ouse to brea$ the stran%le&hold Super ' a(ority held by the epublicans) and to w aive rules of procedure 1 a pow erful * Super ' a(ority is created w hen one party leadership w eapon) D em ocrats pic$ed up has enou%h m em bers to w in both a +,- and seven seats yesterday thereby elim inatin% the 2,+ vote) ./!traordinary votes0 1 as 2,+ m a(ority vote in the Florida H ouse) opposed to sim ple m a(ority votes && are 2 oin% into the 2 eneral /lection, epublicans necessary to pass certain types of le%islation held an 8-&+- m a(ority) * fter the 2 eneral /lection, the m ar%in is 38&42) Copyright © 2006 by Carlton Fields. All rights reserved. N o part of this publication m ay be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system , or transm itted, in any form or by any m eans ithout the prior ritten perm ission of the copyright o ner. CARLTON FIELD S CAPITOL REPORT NOVEMBER 8, 2006 Marco Rubio, a 5 uban& 6 elrich defeated D em ocrat /d @ennin%s in * m erican epresentative Senate D istrict #4, once held by D em ocratic from ' iam i&D ade 5 ounty, Senator od Sm ith) The current Senate rem ains poised to ta$e the President-D esignee is Ke Prui!! (R-Port St. rei%ns of the H ouse of Lucie), w ho also w ill be sw orn into office epresentatives as on N ove ber !". ' arco ubio Spea$er at the 6 r%ani7ational Session 8he bi% new s on the set for N ovem ber 2#) 8he Spea$er9s term is Florida 5 abinet is tw o years) Future Spea$er&D esi%nees are political new com er and ay Sansom : &Fort ; alton< and D ean form er N ations Ban$ 5 annon : &6 rlando<) 8hus, if the 5 /6 A"e# Si $, w ho epublicans can m aintain control of easily defeated Senate ?resident 8om Aee to the H ouse, leadership has been identified for * le! Sin$ the ne!t si! years) becom e the first D em ocrat on the four&m em ber 5 abinet since D em ocrats pic$ed up the follow in% seats in #CC8, w hen Bill N elson w on the State the Florida H ouse= 8reasurer position) Sin$ is hi%hly re%arded • H +6 1 6 ran%e= >ncum bent Sheri ' c>nvale as an intellectual and conservative on lost to Scott andolph business issues, w hich m ade her appealin% to the state business com m unity, particularly H -# 1 ?inellas= @anet Aon% w ins an open • the ban$in% and insurance sectors) epublican seat epublican * ttorney 2 eneral C%ar"ie Cri&! H -2 1 ?inellas= Bill H eller w ins an open • w on a solid victory in the 2 overnorEs race epublican seat over D em ocratic 5 on%ressm an @im D avis" • H 6C 1 Sarasota= Deith Fit7%erald w ins an form er epublican 5 on%ressm an Bi"" open epublican seat McCo""u' beat state D em ocratic Senator S$ip 5 am pbell" and incum bent epublican • H C3& Brow ard= >ncum bent Susan 2 oldstein * %ricultural 5 om m issioner C%ar"ie Bro &o lost to ' artin Diar easily beat D em ocrat /ric 5 opeland) • H #03 & ' iam i&D ade= Auis 2 arcia w ins an ?erhaps the m ost notable election im pact in open epublican seat relation to the 5 abinet w ill be at the • H #20 & ' onroe,' iam i&D ade= on appointm ent level) Sittin% as the Financial Saunders w ins an open epublican seat Services 5 om m ission, the 5 abinet appoints >n the Florida Senate, the 5 om m issioner of >nsurance :now held by epublicans m aintained Ke(i McCar!)<) 5 urrent law does not %ive their 26&#4 m a(ority" any 5 abinet officer direct authority over the how ever, tw o seats position) ather, appointm ent or rem oval flipped party control) reFuires the 2 overnor and 5 F6 to be votin% D em ocrat 5 harlie @ustice on the sam e side) 8his is also true of the defeated epublican Dim 5 om m issioner of Financial e%ulation :now Den ?ruitt Berfield in Senate held by D o Sa#o <) D istrict #6, once held by epublican Senator @im Sebesta" epublican Sheriff Steve 2 CARLTON FIELD S CAPITOL REPORT NOVEMBER 8, 2006 2006 ELEC !" # RES$ L S hom estead e!em ption for low &incom e C" # S ! $ !" # %L %M E# & M E# S seniorsL from K2-,000 to K-0,000) * +o ,incom e seniors# 6- years old or * m endm ent G#= * pproved above ith a household incom e that does S!a!e P"a i * a + Bu+*e! Proce&& not e.ceed /20,000. !ffective "ate# $as% Force m ust be H/S for * pproval= 36I appointed no later than &anuary 200'. N 6 for e(ection= 24I /stablishes a lon%&ran%e bud%et&plannin% process and creates a 2 overnm ent /fficiency * m endm ent G3= * pproved 8as$ Force to see$ input from the public, Per' a e !") D i&ab"e+ Ve!era &3 D i&cou ! o e!ecutive and (udicial branches and create a 0 o' e&!ea+ A+ Va"ore' Ta# lon%&ran%e financial plan) !ffective "ate# "ecem ber ', 2006 H/S for * pproval= -C)8I Aow ers ta!es for disabled veterans by N 6 for e(ection= 40)2I allow in% them to ta$e a discount on their hom estead property ta! eFual in proportion * m endm ent G+= * pproved to the am ount of disability as determ ined by Re,uiri * Broa+er Pub"ic Su--or! .or the M )S) D epartm ent of Neterans * ffairs) Co &!i!u!io a" A' e +' e !& or Re(i&io & H/S for * pproval= 33)8I !ffective "ate# &anuary 2, 200' N 6 for e(ection= 22)2I >ncreases the num ber of votes needed to approve ballot initiatives from -0I J# to * m endm ent G8= * pproved 60I of those votin% on the m easure) E' i e ! D o' ai H/S for * pproval= -3)3I !ffective "ate# &anuary 2, 200' N 6 for e(ection= 42)+I eFuires private property ta$en by em inent dom ain m ust be retained for #0 years before * m endm ent G4= * pproved it m ay be transferred to another private Pro!ec! Peo-"e, E&-ecia"") /ou!% .ro' entity) A++ic!io , D i&ea&e, a + O!%er 0 ea"!% 0 a1ar+& o. 2 &i * Tobacco H/S for * pproval= 6CI N 6 for e(ection= +#I !ffective "ate# (m m ediately eFuires #-I :K-3 m illion< of the 200- tobacco settlem ent paym ents to Florida w ill fund a statew ide tobacco education and prevention pro%ram ) Legislative & ates' 0 rgani1ation 2ession= H/S for * pproval= 60)CI N ovem ber 2#, 2006 N 6 for e(ection= +C)#I First "ay of 3egular 2ession# * m endm ent G6= * pproved ' arch 6, 2003 I crea&e+ 0 o' e&!ea+ E#e' -!io +ast "ay of 3egular 2ession# !ffective "ate# &anuary ), 200' ' ay 4, 2003 * uthori7es the Ae%islature to allow counties to increase the m a!im um additional + CARLTON FIELD S CAPITOL REPORT NOVEMBER 8, 2006 (L" R!& % C%B!# E D istrict 24 D istrict 8 G o vern o r 4ill 7osey 536 Curtis 3ichardson 5"6 5 harlie 5 rist : < D istrict 26 D istrict # A g ricu ltu re Co m m . : i%e ;aridopolos 536 +oranne Ausley 5"6 Charlie 4ronson 536 D istrict 28 D istrict 1 0 A tto rn ey G en era l 8en 7ruitt 536 = ill 8endric% 5"6 Bill ' c5 ollum : < D istrict 0 D istrict 1 1 $ Ch ief Fin a n cia l O fficer 8ed D eutch :D < D ebbie Boyd :D < * le! Sin$ :D < D istrict 2 D istrict 1 2 S % E SE# % E @erem y in% :D < Aaron 4ean 536 D istrict 2 D istrict 4 D istrict 1 "urell 7eaden 536 N an 3ich 5"6 &ennifer Carroll 536 D istrict 4 D istrict 6 D istrict 1 4 D on 2 aet7 : < Ale. "ia1 de la 7ortilla 536 $erry Fields 5"6 D istrict 6 D istrict 8 D istrict 1 ! Al +a son 5"6 Ale. 9illalobos 536 Audrey < ibson 5"6 D istrict 8 D istrict 4 0 &im 8ing 536 D istrict 1 6 3udy < arcia 536 : ar% : ahon 536 D istrict 1 0 D istrict 1 " onda Storm s : < H" $ SE " ( RE)RESE# % !* ES 2tan &ordan 536 D istrict 1 D istrict 1 2 < reg !vers 536 D istrict 1 8 9ictor Crist 536 "on "avis 536 D istrict 2 D istrict 1 4 "ave : ur1in 536 D istrict 1 # Steve 6 elrich : < "ic% 8ravit1 536 D istrict D istrict 1 6 ;olly 4enson 536 5 harlie @ustice :D < D istrict 20 4ill 7roctor 536 D istrict 4 D istrict 1 8 3ay 2ansom 536 D istrict 21 * rthenia @oyner :D < &oe 7ic%ens 536 D istrict ! D istrict 20 "on 4ro n 536 Carey 4a%er 536 D istrict 22 +arry Cretul 536 D istrict 6 D istrict 22 @im m y ?atronis : < +ee Constantine 536 D istrict 2 5 huc$ 5 hestnut :D < D istrict " : arti Coley 536 4 CARLTON FIELD S CAPITOL REPORT NOVEMBER 8, 2006 D istrict 24 D istrict 4 0 D istrict ! 6 "ennis 4a.ley 536 Andy < ardiner 536 $rey $raviesa 536 D istrict 2! D istrict 4 1 D istrict ! " Alan ;ays 536 Steve ?recourt : < Faye Culp 536 D istrict 26 D istrict 4 2 D istrict ! 8 7at 7atterson 536 ;ugh < ibson 536 ' ichael Scionti :D < D istrict 2" D istrict 4 D istrict ! # &oyce Cusac% 5"6 Charlie "ean 536 Betty eed :D < D istrict 28 D istrict 4 4 $ D istrict 6 0 "orothy ;u%ill 536 obert Schenc$ : < !d ;om an 536 D istrict 2# D istrict 4 ! D istrict 6 1 3alph 7oppell 536 $om Anderson 536 ; ill ; eatherford : < D istrict 0 D istrict 4 6 D istrict 6 2 $had Altm an 536 &ohn +egg 536 3ich < lorioso 536 D istrict 1 D istrict 4 " D istrict 6 : itch N eedelm an 536 8evin Am bler 536 Seth ' cDeel : < D istrict 2 D istrict 4 8 D istrict 6 4 4ob Allen 536 ?eter N ehr : < D ennis oss : < D istrict D istrict 4 # D istrict 6 ! 2andy Adam s 536 &ohn >? @ ? uinones 536 : arty 4o en 536 D istrict 4 D istrict ! 0 D istrict 6 6 "avid : ealor 536 /d H ooper : < 4a.ter $routm an 536 D istrict ! D istrict ! 1 $ D istrict 6 " "ean Cannon 536 @anet Aon% :D < 3on 3eagan 536 D istrict 6 D istrict ! 2 D istrict 6 8 Scott andolph :D < Bill H eller