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Leaders revive Bolts' proposal

Three legislators propose an amendment that would help the Lightning and two other teams collect extra sales tax rebates.

By JENNIFER LIBERTO and ALEX LEARY
Published May 6, 2006

TALLAHASSEE - Backers of the Tampa Bay Lightning worked to resurrect a deal late Friday that would make it easier for the team to collect tens of millions in extra sales tax rebates.

The team, like most professional sports franchises in Florida, gets $2-million each year, but it wants to double that amount during a multiyear period for stadium improvements.

The proposal seemed dead even before the legislative session began in March, but it resurfaced in the last hours of the session when three Miami-Dade lawmakers proposed an amendment that would benefit not only the Lightning but also the Florida Marlins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"We don't want to lose the Lightning. We don't want to be a city that loses its professional sports franchise," said Rep. Trey Traviesa, R-Tampa.

The Lightning initially sought an additional $2-million in sales tax rebates each year for it and other Florida sports franchises. The team, which is struggling financially, said it needs the money to make improvements to its building.

But lawmakers resisted the idea because it would have amounted to hundreds of millions in handouts for sports teams.

So the Lightning changed the deal. In the new proposal, teams have to petition the Legislature individually for the money. As with the first proposal, any team that was awarded more money would have to pay the state back if it packed up and left.

The proposal came on a day when lawmakers approved billions of dollars in spending, including $310-million on the largest conservation land purchase in state history and $245-million in economic incentives to lure companies to Florida. Tax breaks for 2006-07 will total more than $300-million.

And that was in addition to the $71.3-billion budget, which the Florida Legislature sent to Gov. Jeb Bush on Friday. The budget was one of the fattest in years, with lots going toward pet projects, while still leaving $3.5-billion left unspent in reserves.

Still in play late Friday night was $700-million to $900-million for helping homeowners pay down their property insurance assessments, which have been levied by Citizens Property Insurance Corp.

Republicans in both chambers praised education spending, by far the biggest winner in the budget, with a $1.8-billion increase over last year, the largest in public school spending in state history.

"I'm optimistic that if we can continue putting money in education, that we'll see a real difference in student achievement, and I'm very optimistic about the future," said the House budget expert, Rep. Joe Negron, in an interview.

However, some Democrats say it still isn't enough.

"Our education funding is pretty good," said Rep. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, during public debate on the budget. "What does that mean in comparison to other states? Florida will still be at the bottom five or six of states in the nation on per pupil spending."

Besides education, the budget includes:

A 3 percent pay raise across the board for state employees, including university employees, as of Oct. 1.

Hearing aids for Medicaid recipients age 21 and older, to the tune of $2.2-million.

Reduced class size by two students each year to meet constitutional mandated class-size maximums.

A public hurricane model, a $877,872 project, which would help evaluate the fairness of homeowners insurance rates, which now depend on secret models paid for by insurers.

Environmentalists are applauding lawmakers for putting $745-million toward purchasing land for conservation.

That includes $310-million toward the Babcock Land purchase. Also, lawmakers put $300-million in the Florida Forever trust fund and used $135-million for buying land in the Everglades.

[Last modified May 6, 2006, 03:01:16]