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Florida Legislature 2005 (click for ongoing coverage)

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Rookie content with nibbling start

By Times Staff
Published March 8, 2005

The 2005 Florida Legislature begins today with 17 newcomers out of the 160 members in the House and Senate. One rookie legislator is Republican Everett Rice of Treasure Island. Rice, 60, was Pinellas sheriff for 16 years, but the Capitol is a strange new world for him. Rice talked recently with Steve Bousquet, deputy Tallahassee bureau chief of the St. Petersburg Times , about dealing with laptop computers, the power of campaign money and where he disagrees with his own party.

How's it going so far?

Well, the job and the process are totally different. In my former job, if I wanted something, I just asked staff to get it. I'm just now learning the ropes. I like it. It's interesting. One of the main things is, you've got to be pretty adept at using a laptop computer. While I'm not totally computer illiterate, I'm having to learn that whole process.

Why is that so important in this job?

It's about the only way you can keep track of your bills, and figure out where they're going, and what people are trying to do to them. All the information is on the computer. The notices, the messages, they all come on the e-mail ... Having to use the computer is probably the most difficult thing. I mean, I can do it. We were highly automated in the Sheriff's Office. But usually, my secretary there would do everything.

House rules say you can only file six bills. How do you feel about that?

That's fine with me. I'm from the old school. I don't think we need to try to fix everything with a law. I imagine it's pretty hard juggling any more than that anyway.

What about the politics of the Legislature? You're one of 120 people, and if a chairman doesn't like your bill, it won't go anywhere.

It's clearly micropolitics within politics. You've got the gross politics of being an elected official from your home district, and you've got the internal politics here. I'm not saying that's bad, but that's what I'm just now learning ... If the speaker doesn't want a bill to pass, it's not going to pass.

Are you seen as a natural ally of police unions?

The police unions represent the cops. They don't represent good public safety. They're two different things. I used to criticize the unions, because the sheriffs would be here trying to get the Legislature to build more prisons, and the unions were nowhere to be found. All they wanted was to see how they could get more benefits, and more salary.

What about all the invitations you get to lunches, dinners, receptions?

I'm inundated with invitations. You look at the number of lobbyists, the number of special interests, and I don't know how many there are, but you can just assume you're going to get something from most of them. I'd say they've been coming in at about three or four a day, beginning in December.

It doesn't appear that money buys whatever it wants. But I got to tell you, when I first announced I was running for this office and it was still an open race, I got a lot of money from lobbyists. I just told them, this is the American way. I can take this money and put it in my campaign account, and still vote against you, right? They said, sure. But what I think money does is, it buys access. It does buy access. If somebody gives me a campaign contribution I'm going to remember it, and I'm going to remember who they are and when they come calling, I'm going to listen to them. It doesn't mean they've bought me. But they have bought access.

Is there one priority you have for the session?

No. I don't have any big priorities right now except to learn the system and try not to mess things up. The six bills I've sponsored, there's nothing revolutionary here. There are no barn-burners here, and most of these are not even my ideas. These are from constituents or other legislators or senators asked me if I would do it. It's too early for me to have an agenda or a big idea.

Is the atmosphere more partisan than you expected or more harmonious?

So far, it's been pretty harmonious. I noticed in the special session (in December), we split right down the middle on a couple of issues ... Even though there was a big debate, the Republicans had overwhelming numbers. What amazed me is how courteous the Democrats were. They're thankful to the Republicans for just letting them get into the debate. They lose an issue 3-to-1 or 2-to-1, and then they thank the Republicans for doing a good job.

Is there an issue where the Republican majority can't count on your support?

Absolutely. Tort reform. I'm tired of Republicans vilifying lawyers. Simple as that. Maybe we do need a little tort reform. But we've already had some, and I'm just tired of Republicans vilifying lawyers. There are other ways to fix the problem. But you don't do it by limiting people's access to the courts and limiting attorneys' fees. I think the Florida Bar itself ought to be more active, first by keeping bad lawyers out. Secondly, we need to stop the frivolous lawsuits. You look at these these big lawsuits, with these big awards? Most of those plaintiffs deserved those awards. They really did. It's the tens of thousands of cases that are filed that have no merit, that the insurance companies and defendants are burdened with having to defend against, that cost all the money.

Do you think you might want to do this for eight years?

Oh, I don't know. Let me get through this session first.

[Last modified March 8, 2005, 18:49:37]