By LUCY MORGAN, Times Tallahassee Bureau Chief
© St. Petersburg Times, published April 6, 2002
To almost no one's surprise, legislators ended a four-day special session Friday in absolute chaos.
On a day when it appeared they were about to agree on a bill, the House picked up its dolls and went home to the tune of "We are the Champions." The Senate did a little name calling and left too.
Not a single bill passed. No one is happy. And everyone predicts relations between the Republican-controlled House and Senate will get even worse.
To be any worse, they would have to meet in separate states.
Just as House Speaker Tom Feeney, Senate President John McKay and Gov. Jeb Bush were actually speaking to each other, everything crashed.
The issue that sent things into chaos was, of all things, religion. It is always touchy when political figures go from politics to religion, but no one expected the more liberal Jewish members and the Christian conservatives to join forces and sink the ship. But that's what happened.
In a provision about religious freedom, Jewish members worried about Christian proselytizing, and some Christians worried about cults and demon worship.
Sen. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, a former House member, said she's getting ashamed of the years she served in the House. Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Palm Harbor, accused the House of acting like "adolescents."
The House accused the Senate of reneging on a deal. The governor accused them all of engaging in "petty politics" and looking ridiculous.
We could tell you more about this relationship if they conducted their business in public.
On Friday, just as the train was running off the track, House and Senate members refused to allow reporters inside a joint meeting.
Feeney professed to be totally unaware of the incident, although it was his office staff that blocked the doorway when Senate and House leaders met to discuss the situation in Feeney's office.
One House employee denied that the meeting was taking place, and another admitted she suggested they break up the meeting unless they wanted reporters to get in. They scattered like quail. Florida law requires lawmakers to open such meetings when they are discussing public business.
It was a great example of government in the dark in a state that brags about its Sunshine Law. Maybe the House needs to remind members of the rules, Feeney admitted later.
"My view is members should comply with the law," he added. "I'll encourage members to remember we have a responsibility to be open."
We'll believe it when we see it.
They do seem to realize how stupid they look to the folks back home. They just can't help themselves when they gather in the Capitol. Most legislators are pretty decent, but something happens when they gather in a collective group. It's like their brains depart their bodies.
Meanwhile, just down the street from the Capitol, legislators can eat lunch for free.
A dozen lobbyists pitch in to feed lawmakers and any staffers who want to visit the trough Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday while they are in session.
Bell South Lobbyist Mike Raynor says the lunches at Clyde's & Costellos cost each lobbyist about $2,000 a session.
This year's tab could be a lot higher if they keep coming back.
Raynor and lobbyist Dave Ericks own the bar. Raynor won't identify the other lobbyists, but says only one other one works for a telephone company. The others represent insurance companies, power companies and others.
Lobbyist Mike Twomey, an opponent of this year's telecommunications bill, says the lunches raise troubling questions when "constant free lunches" come with frequent campaign contributions from telephone companies.