Greetings!
Welcome to Capital Watch, Florida Wildlife Federation's weekly update on legislative activities concerning issues of conservation.
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Capital Watch 2007
Week Four - Ending March 30
Jay Liles, FWF Policy Consultant
It was a week of highs and lows for the environmental community and for the Florida Wildlife Federation panel of issues this week. As we reported last week, the House and Senate Appropriations Bills reflect no increase in spending for Florida Forever. To get to the Governor's recommendation for $400 million in bonding, the Legislature would have to designate an additional $3 million in General Revenue to reach the $10 million needed for the first year of debt service on the bonds. Early indications are the additional $3 million may be harder to come by than we might have expected.
The Legislature has been warned that revenue projections are lower than in previous years; some estimates indicate as much as $1.5 billion less. This is due to a significant down turn in property sales that generate documentary sales tax revenue, the source of land acquisition funding in Florida. Some are willing to concede that we may be very fortunate to not see a loss in Florida Forever funding, however we hold out hope and will continue to advocate for the additional resources to cover the modest difference between the Governor's proposed budget and that presented by the two chambers.
On a brighter note, the Senate Environmental Preservation Committee took up and unanimously approved the Florida Climate Action Partnership. As we have reported earlier, this bill will create a 25 member council (including the Governor, members of the Cabinet, the Senate President and Speaker of the House) that would conduct statewide public forums designed to chart a course to address Florida's energy alternatives and Global Warming impacts. FWF thanks Senator Burt Saunders, Chair of the Senate Environmental Preservation Committee, for his leadership in getting this bill through the committee and looks forward to working with the Senate on final passage of the bill.
The House Environmental and Natural resources Council approved a comprehensive energy efficiency and alternative fuels bill this week as well. PCB ENRC 07-01 establishes energy efficiency tax benefits, provides incentives for developing alternate fuels, including the Commissioner of Agriculture's "Farms to Fuel" initiative that promotes development of more bio-fuel sources and development, and establishes dates for energy efficient sales tax holidays. Worthy of singling out for further explanation is the Greenhouse Gases (GHG) Inventory proposed by the bill. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection would be required to establish appropriate gases to be inventoried and sources to be monitored. Taken alone, this is not an earthshaking development. However, this is the starting point from which we begin see the emergence of real Global Warming solutions like a mechanism for carbon cap and trade.
The movement of energy and climate change legislation offers a good opportunity to remind our readers, once again, that the Florida and National Wildlife Federations will host the first Global Warming Lobby Day in Tallahassee on Wednesday, April 18, 2007, and YOU'RE INVITED! We chose this date because it is also Oceans Day at the Capitol, a day to remind our legislators of the importance our oceans play in Florida's climate and economy. We hope you will join us to tell your legislator how important it is for Florida to begin to address Global Warming or we may all find too much ocean in our own backyard! We have a full day of fun, education and important advocacy planned. For your invitation and more information, click the globe at top left.
FWF Policy Consultant
We have created a list of the priority issues the Florida Wildlife Federation is determined to have heard this year. Many of these issues are, or will be, addressed in one or more bills. Some have no bills filed as of yet but may appear in the form of spending bills (appropriations) or amendments.
UPDATED! Under the heading "Bills to Watch" we have included a list of bills already filed. It is this section that will undergo the most change as we proceed through the legislative session. Please click on this link each week to see the update list.
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