2 lawmakers feud over springs bill

One says it's a simple measure involving water bottlers. Another says it's flawed.

By JIM ROSS, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 7, 2002

Most of the talk in Tallahassee these days concerns two topics: tax reform and redistricting.

State Rep. Nancy Argenziano understands that. Still, she's miffed that a bill she sponsored concerning natural springs hasn't seen the light of day in the state Capitol.

Argenziano, R-Crystal River, said the bill has languished because fellow Republican representative Fred Brummer, chairman of the House State Administration Committee, won't give it a hearing.

"It's been sitting in this committee," she said.

Brummer bristles at the accusation. He says the bill is stalled because Argenziano is inattentive and hasn't recognized, no less fixed, its flaws.

"She doesn't listen," Brummer said. "She only talks."

The lack of progress prompted Argenziano to visit House Speaker Tom Feeney on Wednesday. She said the speaker promised to talk with the committee chairman.

Later in the day, after having a testy exchange with Brummer, Argenziano said she would ask House leaders to remove the bill from his committee.

Argenziano said the bill is fairly simple. It concerns businesses that seek to bottle and distribute fresh spring water. It does not concern farms.

Argenziano's legislation would require the pertinent water management districts, before issuing a permit, to establish minimum flow levels for the springs and water levels of the aquifer in the immediate area.

Such checking already is required by law, but the legislation would reinforce the requirement, Argenziano said.

Brummer, whose district covers parts of Lake and Orange counties, said the bill is much more expansive than Argenziano lets on.

"The bill will suspend all permit issuance, all economic activity having to do with the springs from Central Florida to North Florida," Brummer said Wednesday.

"I could have told him we were already working on amendments so that it wouldn't be construed" that way, Argenziano said in a separate interview. "All of his concerns could have been addressed."

Brummer further said that the Department of Environmental Protection and the committee's staff had identified problems with the bill.

"My decision is based on staff analysts," he said. "This bill, from the time we got it, had a problem. She needs to be talking about it."

Argenziano said the DEP hasn't contacted her. And the committee's staff?

"Show me the problems. Now he'll create problems, probably. They haven't even done an analysis yet," she said.

Argenziano said that when she was a committee chairwoman, she wouldn't handle proposed legislation this way. Feeney previously stripped her of leadership posts, saying her philosophy didn't jibe with his.

"He's pretty much a new legislator" and doesn't understand the process, Argenziano said of Brummer. "Even if you hate the bill, does that give you the right to sit on it? (Thomas) Jefferson must be rolling in his grave.

"That is not the way this government is supposed to work."

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