Notes For Monday, January 27, 2003

GEN X CAUCUS. "Young guns in the Florida legislature are forming what they call the Generation X Caucus. Ringleaders of the informal bipartisan group are 32-year-old state Rep. Mike Haridopolos, R-Melbourne, and Palm Beach County's own 31-year-old state Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres. Also a player is new state Rep. Adam Hasner, R-Delray Beach, who's 33."

"In what sounds like a sitcom premise --Three Gen X guys hangin' out and writin' laws -- Hasner, Haridopolos and 36-year-old state Rep. Baxter Troutman, R-Winter Haven, are roommates in Tallahassee." Palm Beach Post. 8:04 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

WHO SETS COLLEGE TUITION RATES: THE TRUSTEES OR THE LEGISLATURE? There could be a fight between the Bush appointed university boards of trustees and the Florida GOP controlled Legislature over who has the power to effect tuition increases. It has been assumed that the Legislature has the power. However, at least one member of the newly created board of Governors - Tallahassee lawyer Steve Uhlfelder, a former chairman of the now-defunct Board of Regents - believes the Board of Governors "ha[s] the power to let university boards of trustees set tuition rates as they see fit . . . If we can't convince the Legislature to give tuition authority to the boards of trustees, I think we have the power to do that on our own,' he told his fellow governors, to the dismay of Chairman Tom Petway. Petway, a Jacksonville insurance executive and friend of Gov. Jeb Bush, immediately threw cold water on the idea that the board would do anything to rile lawmakers." Gainesville Sun. 6:25 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

THE 2004 SENATE RACE. U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, former Rep. Bill McCollum, and current state House Speaker Johnnie Byrd are expected to run in 2004 if Sen. Bob Graham vacates his seat worked a crowd of party activists. Brand spanking new U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris is also contemplating the run. Peter Wallsten reports that "the Senate race is quickly turning into the stage for a very public struggle over the GOP's soul in Florida, potentially pitting Foley, a moderate, against staunch conservatives Byrd, McCollum and Harris, all of whom enjoy support among the core activists."

Potential candidates on the Dem side include "Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas and U.S. Reps. Peter Deutsch and Alcee Hastings." 5:42 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

BUSH - "PUTTING FLORIDA'S NEEDS LAST". "It's bad enough that balancing Florida's next budget will require painful choices because of increased mandates and the economy's restraints on revenue growth. What's worse is Gov. Jeb Bush's refusal to balance his narrow-minded commitment to political dogma with the pressing needs of Florida and its residents." Read the Sarasota Herald Tribune editorial. 5:35 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

BUSH BUDGET BLUES - BUDGET "DECIMATING" TEENAGE RUNAWAY PROGRAMS. The impact of the Bush Busget on juvenile justice programs is discussed in Orlando Sentinel this article, entitled "Bush budget to cut into help for teens". 5:34 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

WHO CARES . . . THE ELECTION IS OVER. "Child-welfare workers in Broward County are waiting weeks and sometimes months to report missing youngsters to police, despite national embarrassment over the disappearance of a little girl in Miami and promises by top state officials to better track children in their care. The delays violate Department of Children & Families policy and contradict assurances by Gov. Jeb Bush's administration that the reporting problems have been fixed." More. 5:34 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]