It takes a certain amount of gall to turn a special legislative session into a personal fundraiser, taking money from the very people who stand to gain or lose based on the outcome of your vote in the session.
But this no-brainer seems to have eluded the great minds of the Florida House.
Last week, while they were engaged in the vital issue of medical malpractice reform, 19 Republican House members, including Speaker Johnnie Byrd, whose district includes a portion of Pasco, held fundraisers, some of which were sponsored by lobbyists related to health care fields.
Fundraisers are not allowed during regular gatherings of the Legislature, but no such prohibitions exist for special sessions. Some lawmakers felt compelled to charge through that loophole, ignoring the perception problems it creates in order to grab all the re-election cash they can get.
The rest of Pasco County's representatives, Heather Fiorentino, Ken Littlefield, David Russell, Tom Anderson and Gus Bilirakis, all Republicans, should be applauded for resisting the urge to benefit from the lobbyists' largesse.
"I agree. I don't think that's right," said Fiorentino, who has already announced plans to leave the Legislature after next year.
However, they rejected a chance to block their colleagues' misguided steps, choosing political allegiance over propriety. On June 17, House Democrats tried to extend the fundraising ban to special sessions, but Republican lawmakers blocked their attempts at every turn. The debate turned into a partisan tug of war.
No Democrat in the House or any state senator chose to hold a fundraiser, clearly attuned to the impression such an action would leave with the voters. So was Gov. Jeb Bush, who said he didn't think the fundraisers were appropriate. "There shouldn't be money raised while we are in session," the governor said.
That much seems obvious to anyone interested in good government, real or perceived. Rampant and unchecked campaign financing by special interests is a national scourge that dilutes the political process and too often gives at least the image of officeholders trying to serve two masters.
With the advent of state term limits, legislators, particularly House members, never stop campaigning. The pressure is on constantly to prepare for the next race, and that means raising campaign money.
However, there comes a time when lawmakers must set aside their personal political ambitions and focus on the job the voters hired them to perform. A special session on an issue as complex and vital as medical malpractice reform, with all of its implications for Floridians, demands their undivided attention.
Instead, House leaders lamely tried to wrap the First Amendment around their shameful actions, saying the Democrats' amendment was an infringement on freedom of speech. Interestingly, they raised no quarrel with the existing ban on fundraising during the regular sessions.
Pasco's representatives, absent Byrd, were correct to avoid resisting the temptation to raise campaign funds during the special session. But they missed their chance to close the fundraising loophole and help corral their wayward party colleagues, who chose party affiliation over serving the greater interests of their constituents.
