Democrats complain after he sends a mass mailing to abortion opponents to press for a constitutional amendment.
By STEVE BOUSQUET
Published July 26, 2003
TALLAHASSEE - At taxpayer expense, House Speaker Johnnie Byrd has sent a mass mailing to abortion rights opponents to build support for a proposed constitutional amendment to require minors to notify their parents before receiving an abortion.
Byrd, a U.S. Senate candidate, and fellow Republican Rep. Sandra Murman of Tampa signed the letter that features the official House seal and letterhead. The mailing included cards with prepaid postage asking for recipients' addresses and e-mail addresses "to let me know you support our cause."
The letters are dated July 18, the day Byrd filed his paperwork as a U.S. Senate candidate.
Byrd's spokeswoman, Nicole deLara, said Friday she did not know how much the mailing cost or what mailing list Byrd used.
"It's my understanding it went to pro-life folks," deLara said. "I don't know how the list was obtained."
House rules, which Byrd helped write, prohibit lawmakers from producing newsletters that advocate a ballot initiative or seek political support.
Byrd did not respond to requests for comment Friday.
Democrats say Byrd is using public money to promote his political future and build a database of names and e-mail addresses.
"I don't think he should be doing self-promotion with public funds," said Rep. Anne Gannon, D-Delray Beach. "I think that's one of the things that people find so disgusting about government today. . . . They are misusing my constituents' money."
Byrd, a Plant City lawyer and outspoken advocate of less government, has faced similar criticism before for expanding the House communications office. The 13-member office creates videos, posters and other visual aids for lawmakers, and it helped produce the mass mailing.
The office's latest project: 2,000 oversized color postcards for each legislator to send to constituents, promoting a new state law that expands a prescription drug benefit for senior citizens. Byrd has said such communication is better than the "filter" of the news media.
This also is not the first time Byrd has used government resources to generate a political message. In May, he spent $1,800 in public money to send letters to 25,000 families in Hillsborough County to answer criticism by a local PTA group about the state education budget. That mailing included postcards much like those used in the most recent mailing on abortion.
One such mailing list, available to the public at a penny per name, includes the 36,000 holders of Florida's popular "Choose Life" license tag. The state motor vehicle agency said Friday it had no record of any requests for the list from the House.
Murman said the letters went to pastors, abortion rights opponents and churches. She said she "wasn't privy" to how the mailing list was developed. She defended the mailing, citing her own constituent surveys showing overwhelming support for a parental notice law in Florida.
"We're still legislators. We're still trying to do the business of the day," Murman said. "I don't think there's any other intention other than to let people know."
The Florida Supreme Court struck down the 4-year-old parental notification law two weeks ago, saying it violated the privacy provision in the state Constitution. Murman sponsored the 1999 law, which never was enforced because of court challenges. It was the second time the court had struck down such a law.
The court's 5-1 opinion became a rallying cry for Byrd, who hopes to appeal to social conservatives in a crowded Republican primary fight for the Senate seat now held by Democrat Bob Graham.
Byrd tried to add the parental notice issue to a special legislative session on medical malpractice that ended Monday. Senate leaders said it was more likely they would approve a bill to put the issue before voters in 2004 as an amendment to the Constitution.
Byrd also sent e-mails on his state account July 16 to clergymen and others in the antiabortion rights movement, criticizing the court's decision.
"Once again, the Florida Supreme Court has issued an activist opinion that misinterprets the Constitution by ignoring the distinction between privacy and responsible parenting," Byrd's e-mail said.
At the end was the standard disclaimer: "This e-mail is intended to inform Florida citizens about things happening within state government."
