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Senate frowns on change of state resign-to-run law
By STEVE BOUSQUET
Published April 27, 2007
TALLAHASSEE - An openly skeptical Senate Thursday rejected a House request to change the resign-to-run law so Florida politicians could run for president or vice president without resigning their current offices. It was one of many election-related proposals lawmakers sought to attach to a bill nearing a floor vote. The crux of the bill moves up Florida's presidential primary to Jan. 29 and requires a paper trail in Florida elections by 2008. The House resign-to-run proposal was seen as a way of easing the way for Gov. Charlie Crist to run for vice president in 2008 without having to quit his current term, which expires in 2010. Crist has expressed no interest in the position, but his favorable ratings are in the 70 percent range, and Florida is a critical state in winning the White House. Senators said Crist did not seek the change, the House did. So attention shifted to House Speaker Marco Rubio, who has taken a harder line on cutting taxes than Crist and is seen as a possible future candidate for governor. "I'm flattered," Rubio told reporters. "Come on, guys." He suggested a Democrat, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, as a possible vice presidential candidate. "We want Florida to be a player," Rubio said. Unlike many other states, Florida blocks a candidate from seeking two offices on the same ballot, or from holding onto one office while seeking another. When the proposal surfaced on the Senate floor, senators openly panned it. "Did the House mention who they had in mind?" asked Sen. Alex Villalobos, R-Miami. Another change added to the bill SB 960-1010 would require any write-in candidate to live in the district of the seat he or she is seeking. Supporters, led by Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres, decried a loophole in Florida election law that encourages legislators to recruit hopeless write-in "opposition" as an excuse to raise money or to close a primary, preventing all voters from casting ballots. "This is the mother of all election scams," Aronberg said. Times staff writer Alex Leary contributed to this report. Steve Bousquet can be reached at bousquet@sptimes.com or (850) 224-7263.
[Last modified April 27, 2007, 01:12:29]
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