Money maybe, but not free rein

Gov. Jeb Bush may soon be able to tap economic development money - with oversight.

TALLAHASSEE - Florida lawmakers seem willing to give Gov. Jeb Bush the $190-million he proposed to pursue economic development projects but not the almost unfettered power he wants to spend it.

And some lawmakers want to take back some of the spending power they gave Bush earlier this year for other projects.

Tuesday was the second day of a weeklong special session Bush called to create the megafund and appropriate $310-million to persuade California's Scripps Research Institute to open a Florida branch.

Earlier this year, Bush persuaded lawmakers to let him decide how to spend the state's Quick Action Closing Fund, a program designed to respond quickly to companies thinking of expanding in Florida. He wanted similar power over the $190-million in extra money.

The current system is too cumbersome, Bush has complained to lawmakers.

"We're going to honor the governor's intent to streamline the process without removing the legislative involvement," said Rep. Randy Johnson, the Celebration Republican who sponsored the bill.

Under the bill Commerce Committee members approved Tuesday, the joint House-Senate committee that normally approves midyear budget changes also would sign off on any projects Bush wanted to spend the megafund money on. That joint committee also approved quick fund projects until earlier this year, and the Commerce Committee voted to give that power back. The Senate has not yet released a proposed bill on the $190-millon fund, but senators said they are reluctant to give the governor that much power.

Meanwhile, both chambers moved forward on a bill to cement the deal Bush struck with the Scripps Research Institute. The $310-million would pay salaries and equipment for the company to begin operations at a new research campus in Palm Beach County. The chambers are considering almost identical bills.

The Senate Commerce Committee on Tuesday adopted a bill sponsored by Sen. Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, that would demand more of Scripps than Bush originally proposed.

The bill would require the biotech group to repay $155-million to Florida over 15 years starting in 2011. It also would require Scripps to repay every dollar it received from Florida if it leaves the state before 2019.

Several stringent amendments, including one from Sen. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, that would have required Scripps to repay the entire $310-million, were rejected or withdrawn. "I think this is an exciting proposal," said Wasserman Schultz, "but it is unprecedented, and it is a lot of money."

Atwater said he and Sen. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, would seek to scale back both restrictions today because Scripps found the provisions unrealistic.

Scripps opposes the 15-year timetable for repaying $155-million. Scripps instead would have as many years as it needed and would be driven by the actual flow of royalties. Atwater said the new approach would be closer to Bush's original plan.

The company also is willing to return so-called hard assets - its building, land, equipment - but millions in tax dollars spent on salaries and other expenses would be lost.

Sufficient safeguards would remain, Klein said. "It definitely requires a certain amount of faith," he said.

That's faith Sen. Tom Lee isn't sure he has.

"I think the issue is pretty well-greased at this point," said Lee, R-Brandon. "You're just not going to see the accountability measures in the bill ... it was packaged for political minds."

- Times staff writer Steve Bousquet contributed to this report.

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