MANATEE — With severe budgetary woes to solve and an unexpected change in the top leadership of the House due to scandal, officials are predicting a difficult session of the Florida Legislature, which opens today in Tallahassee.
House Speaker Pro Tempore-designate Ron Reagan, R-Bradenton, said from his Tallahassee office Monday that “because of the situation, I’m going to be very, very low-key.”
Reagan said today’s activities will be “more ceremonial than anything else,” adding that among the House’s duties will be installation of its new speaker, Larry Cretul.
Reagan is Cretul’s hand-picked speaker pro tem and will be installed in the No. 2 post in the House leadership.
Republicans chose Cretul as their new leader after the former speaker, Ray Sansom, stepped down from his post due to investigations. Sansom had directed millions of dollars to his local community college and then had accepted a $110,000-per-year job there, which he has since resigned.
Later today, Gov. Charlie Crist will deliver his “State of the State” address in the House chambers.
Asked what he expects this year during the session, Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, was frank: “The prognosis is going to be ugly, I mean real ugly.”
“Everybody is concerned,” about balancing the budget and how to protect health care and education from the budget ax, he said.
He was also concerned about potential conflicts among the governor and legislators over budgeting, adding that talks are already underway on issues like growth management and how to write the budget.
“I think my prediction for the session is that it is going to be the most challenging session in decades,” said Rep. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, the chairman of the powerful House Rules and Calendar Council. “Everybody has come up here with that realization in mind, and is committed to do the work that it takes to meet the challenge.”
“As far as priorities for me, I am going to be as vigilant as I can to make sure we’re protecting our children, our disabled and our seniors.”
“We’re trying to make sure that when we do cut the budget, that we’re not cutting into vital programs,” said Galvano, who is also chairing the Select Committee on Seminole Indian Compact Review, overseeing the state’s gambling compact with the Seminole Indian Tribe.
Rep. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, whose district includes part of Manatee County, also fretted about the budget.
“I have anxiety over how much we’re going to be able to get done,” he said. “The major focus is going to be the economy, the budget. Every agency of government most likely will get whacked to some extent.”
Three of the biggest areas most likely to be cut may be corrections, education and health care, since they make up a huge part of the budget, he said.
“I’m going to fight like hell to maintain certain levels of services right now and fight the retreat of these services; I want to make sure we protect our poor, our sick, our elderly, as much as possible,” he noted.
In other legislative news, Catholic Bishop Frank J. Dewane of the Diocese of Venice is slated to deliver the homily at the traditional “Red Mass” in Tallahassee on March 11 for the Legislature’s opening session. On March 13, he is scheduled to celebrate the second Diocese of Venice “Red Mass” at 3:30 p.m. at the Church of the Incarnation, 2901 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota.
The centuries-old tradition invites those who serve in executive, legislative and judicial branches of government to pray for help in remaining true to the truth of justice. The tradition began in England in 1300 during the reign of Edward I; since the priest wore red robes in the High Court, so did its judges, and the celebration became popularly known as the “Red Mass.”
Sarasota’s “Red Mass” will commemorate the 25th Anniversary of Diocese of Venice, and all attorneys and judges of Manatee, Sarasota, and DeSoto counties are invited to attend.
Sara Kennedy, Bradenton Herald reporter, can be reached at (941) 708-7908 or at skennedy@bradenton.com
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