Bush plans rewrite of new law

The governor wants more money from the tobacco settlement for children and the elderly.

By WILLIAM YARDLEY

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 8, 2000

TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Jeb Bush expects to sign into law today a plan to devote millions of dollars from the state tobacco settlement toward programs for children and elderly residents -- all in the name of his predecessor, the late Gov. Lawton Chiles.

But even as Bush signs the bill in Miami, he and state lawmakers are planning to rewrite the law before it takes full effect next year.

Bush wants to remove a measure requiring that 33.5 percent of the annual interest taken from the Lawton Chiles Endowment Fund -- about $20-million next year -- be used for research into cancer and heart and lung diseases.

Under the current plan, 50 percent of the interest goes toward children's programs and 16.5 percent will go toward programs for the elderly, such as home health care.

The endowment, part of the state's $17.4-billion settlement Chiles fought to win with tobacco companies, will climb to about $1.4-billion this year, which means roughly $60-million could be divided next year.

But pressured by Bush and advocates for children and the elderly, the lawmakers who pushed the bill through the Legislature this year -- Sen. Jim King, a Republican from Jacksonville, and Rep. Mike Fasano, a New Port Richey Republican -- now want to draw $150-million from the total endowment to establish a separate fund for medical research.

The new plan would leave far more money for children and the elderly.

Bush said recently he preferred a previous plan that did not designate specific percentages of money to each cause. Bush Communications director Justin Sayfie said the governor wants to ensure that "a significant portion" of the interest goes toward children and the elderly.

The new plan likely would devote more money toward elderly programs, appeasing advocates but not necessarily pleasing Rhea Chiles, the late governor's widow. This year, she fought off an attempt by Jacksonville Sen. King to require that 50 percent of the interest be devoted to biomedical research.

In other action Wednesday, Bush signed legislation that gives teachers more power to have disruptive students removed from their classrooms and another that requires teenagers to have a learner's permit for a year before getting a license.

Bush also signed a bill that makes it a crime punishable by up to five years in prison if someone in police custody is caught with a concealed handcuff key.

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