On the last day of the session, almost every piece of major legislation is being held hostage by a House-Senate standoff.
By LUCY MORGAN
Published April 30, 2004
TALLAHASSEE - Florida lawmakers limped toward the end of their 2004 session Thursday with most major issues unresolved.
It has become a game of chicken: the Senate holding bills it knows House Speaker Johnnie Byrd wants and the House holding bills important to Senate President Jim King.
"We'll release everything en masse when we have agreement," King told reporters. Byrd stayed quiet, refusing to meet with reporters two days running.
"You may have seen the last of any Johnnie Byrd availabilities," said Byrd spokesman Tom Denham.
Few bills won final approval on the penultimate day of a 60-day session that is supposed to end by midnight tonight.
The House sent two bills to the governor, the Senate eight.
Virtually every piece of major legislation is hung up in legislative limbo:
A package of bills to make it harder for voters to amend the Florida Constitution.
Legislation to implement a constitutional amendment voters approved in 2002 to create a voluntary pre-kindergarten program for all 4-year-olds. The program must be in place by next year.
Parental notification before girls can have abortions.
Measures to force committees controlled by lawmakers to disclose the source of contributions.
New standards to increase accountability for public vouchers that goes to private schools.
A freeze on higher phone rates the Legislature approved last year.
Reforms in a state sponsored hurricane catastrophe fund.
Reforms to help migrant farm workers.
A back-to-school sales tax holiday and one-month gasoline tax reduction.
"It ain't over till its over," King said Thursday night when both houses had adjourned for the day. "And even if it were to get over without some of these things being done, that's okay. We'll be back next year."
And Byrd is about the only one involved in the negotiations who won't be back.
Trust is so lacking between the House and Senate that King suggested he might meet Byrd in the Capitol rotunda between the chambers for a formal tradeoff of bills each house promised to pass for the other.
The Senate seems solidly behind King with no sign of internal strain.
The House is like a powder keg ready to blow. Near revolts are everywhere as Democrats and even some Republicans react to Byrd decisions they say are aimed at helping his U.S. Senate bid.
Lobbyists are nervously pacing the halls, worried that the stalemate between the House and Senate will doom their bills.
The fourth floor of the Capitol outside the House and Senate chambers looks like a war was fought there. Trash piled up and lobbyists brought in beach chairs and spread them out around big-screen televisions that broadcast floor action.
Lawmakers have to pass a budget but can't vote on it until 8 tonight. Once that happens, either chamber could go home, leaving the other holding bills that they would have to pass or watch die.
During Senate debate Thursday, Sen. Evelyn Lynn, R-Ormond Beach, described her fight with the House to save a bill privatizing foster care services.
"They threatened me, they said, if you do that, we'll get you an opponent," Lynn said referring to unnamed House members.
"If you've got an opportunity, and you don't like the amendment you've got on, take the amendment off and put your bill back on, and we'll send that sucker over there and see what happens," King responded. "Sen. Lynn, we've been around you, and you've done an outstanding job ... we know you'll be back."
King also warned his members against accepting House amendments that would damage their bills.
"It's probably better to let the bill die than pass bad legislation," King said.
- Times staff writer Jennifer Liberto contributed to this report.
