Politics: U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart Decides Not to Seek Reelection
On February 11, 2010, U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-21st Congressional District) announced that he would not seek election to a 10th term in Congress this fall. His younger brother, U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-25th Congressional District) immediately announced that he would run for the 21st Congressional District seat.
The 21st District, which is thought to be more safely Republican than the 25th District, includes parts of Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The 25th District includes the western portions of Miami-Dade County, all of Monroe County, and most of Collier County.
The open 25th Congressional District seat may affect state campaigns. State Rep. David Rivera (R-Miami) has told reporters that he is “seriously considering” running for the seat. Rep. Rivera is currently running in a highly competitive Republican primary for the state senate seat being vacated by term-limited Sen. J. Alex Villalobos (R-Miami). Rep. Rivera raised $1,031,103 for his state senate race through the end of 2009, more than any other candidate for the state Legislature; his primary opponent, Rep. Anitere Flores (R-Miami) raised $390,280.
Term-limited Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla (R-Miami) said in a statement that he is “seriously considering” running for Congress. Newspaper accounts have mentioned several other potential Republican primary candidates, including Sen. Villalobos and Miami-Dade County Commissioner Bruno Barreiro.
Taxation: Legislative Leaders Put “Unemployment Tax Fix” on the Fast Track
Senate President Jeff Atwater (R-North Palm Beach) told reporters on February 9, 2010 that the full Senate would vote on the unemployment tax fix, legislation that softens the impact on employers of this year’s automatic unemployment tax increase on March 2, the first day of the 2010 legislative session.
Under the current tax formula, the minimum tax rate will rise from $8.40 per employee to $100.30 per employee on April 1, 2010, and the maximum rate will rise from the current $378 per employee to $459 per employee.
On February 9, 2010, the House Economic Development and Community Affairs Council passed legislation (HB 7033) that is expected to set a minimum tax rate of around $25 per employee and to rescind a previously legislated increase in the taxable wage base. The bill will come up before the House Finance and Tax Council on February 17, 2010 and, if it passes, could be taken up by the full House during the first days of the legislative session.
In the same news interview, Sen. Atwater said that he wanted the Senate to consider Public Service Commission ethical reforms during the first week of the session. Sen. Atwater supports SB 1034 by Sen. Mike Fasano (R-New Port Richey), which includes prohibitions on ex parte communications and post-employment lobbying restrictions.
Politics: Republican Party of Florida Financial Crisis Continues With Revelations About Executive Director’s Contact
New information about the contractual arrangements between the Republican Party of Florida and Delmar Johnson, its recently resigned executive director, have, in the words of one press account, left the party “facing its biggest crisis of confidence in decades,” with donors and party activists who are “livid.”
According to the recently revealed information, Mr. Johnson received compensation in excess of $400,000 and another $42,000 for expenses. This amount included $260,000 from a fundraising contract between the party and Victory Strategies, Mr. Johnson’s company, which paid the company a 10-percent commission on all “major donations.” The contract was apparently kept secret from party committee members and donors.
Mr. Johnson was appointed to the executive director’s position by Republican Party of Florida Chair Jim Greer in January 2009. He resigned from his post effective February 1, 2010 in the wake of the financial problems that caused Mr. Greer to leave his leadership post.
Some party activists see the news about Mr. Johnson as part of a larger problem. Kathleen Shanahan, who served as chief of staff under Gov. Jeb Bush, was quoted as saying that the leadership encouraged “complete disregard for the value of every donor’s hard-earned dollar.” Al Hoffman of Ft. Myers, a major donor, said, “It really shakes the confidence of the donor base.”
The Republicans will elect a new state chair on February 20, 2010. The leading candidates to succeed Mr. Greer are Sen. John Thrasher (R-Jacksonville) and Sharon Day of Ft. Lauderdale.
Public Policy News Alert is part of our ongoing commitment to providing up-to-the-minute information about pressing concerns or industry issues affecting our clients and our colleagues. If you have any questions about this alert or would like to discuss these topics further, please contact your Foley attorney or any of the following individuals:
Marnie George
Tallahassee, Florida
850.513.3398
[email protected]
Michael P. Harrell
Tallahassee, Florida
850.513.3373
[email protected]
Robert H. Hosay
Tallahassee, Florida
850.513.3382
[email protected]
Jonathan P. Kilman
Orlando, Florida
407.244.3256
[email protected]
Thomas J. Maida
Tallahassee, Florida
850.513.3377
[email protected]
Leonard E. Schulte
Tallahassee, Florida
850.513.3380
[email protected]
Marnie George of The George Group assists Foley on a variety of government and public policy matters as a consultant.