Chris Jones: Greene Publishing, Inc.
The 2017 Florida legislative season is in full swing. More than 3,000 individual bills are competing for attention as they make their way through various committees and councils. Some will never see the light of day, some will tread water until the very end, and some will eventually be signed into law. There are several bills in various stages of the legislative process that will have a direct impact on north Florida.
Two bills that would have a profound impact on Madison County and its individual municipalities are Senate Bill (SB) 1158 and House Bill (HB) 17. These bills have the potential to strip local governments of the power to regulate commerce on the local level. HB17 would “prohibit local governments from imposing or adopting certain regulations on businesses, professions, and occupations...(preempting to state regulations).” SB1158 aims to reserve to the State of Florida, “exclusive rights to regulate matters of commerce, trade, and labor” under certain circumstances. These bills, to which all five Madison County Commissioners are vehemently opposed, undermine the concept of home rule, which was added to the State Constitution in 1968, and legislated into law in 1973 by the Municipal Home Rules Power Act. HB17 was introduced on Friday, April 7, and is currently in the Commerce Committee. SB1158 was also introduced on April 7, however, its current location is not listed on www.flsenate.gov.
Taxes are the subject of two bills that have seen the most recent action. They are House Joint Resolution (HJR) 21 and HB289. HJR21 proposes an amendment to remove future repeal attempts at provisions that limit the amount of annual increases in property tax assessments. It was filed on Jan. 23, passed by the House of Representatives on March 23, and is currently scheduled for a third reading in the Senate. A joint resolution is the only way the legislature can make changes or amendments to the State Constitution. If the resolution is passed, a proposed amendment would appear on a statewide ballot for a citizen vote. HB289 proposes to revise provisions concerning payment of delinquent taxes and payment of ad valorem taxes. It was filed on Jan. 8, passed through the Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday, April 5, and is currently on the House calendar.
HB2127, filed by Representative Halsey Beshears, aims to appropriate $700,000 to Florida State University's Rural Northwest Florida Public Health Mosquito Surveillance program, which includes Madison County. Currently, there is no official program to monitor the mosquito types and populations in Madison County. The bill is currently in the House Appropriations Committee.
HB2051, also filed by Rep. Beshears, would appropriate $500,000 to build an agricultural and exposition center in Madison County. It passed the Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcomittee on Feb. 22 with 100 percent approval. It is now in the House Appropriations Committee.