You are on page 1of 32

C A P I TA L I M PA C T

An icy welcome
Lawmakers return to Tallahassee, a city for all seasons

he Escalades and Navigators, the Bimmers and Hummers


and pimped-out Range Rovers, rumble into town, crushing
camellia petals beneath their wheels.

Its not quite as bad as that time Soviet tanks rolled into Budapest,

but still: when the Legislature arrives for its annual fiesta of
grandstanding, money-grubbing and hissy fit-pitching, Tallahassee
feels like an occupied city.

Diane
Roberts
CAPITAL IMPACT
CONTRIBUTOR

Of course, we wouldnt say that to legislators faces.


We are a polite people. A slow-to-honk-at-you-for-cutting-usoff-on-Adams-Street people. A people who will nod in sympathy
as some South Florida senator complains she cant get a decent
cortadito in Tallahassee or smile sweetly when some member
from West Florida fusses about the libruls of Leon County with
their tree-hugging, Bernie Sanders bumper sticker-sporting,
Syrian refugee-welcoming ways.
Unlike many members of Floridas government, most Tallahasseeans (not, obviously, Mr. Devoe Moore and the James Madison Institute) actually like government.
We find it peculiar that elected officials from the governor on
down suffer from such self-loathing, always banging on about
privatizing nearly everything (working great for our prisons and
our childrens services, aint it?) and fire even more people from
state agencies, and get out of the way of capitalism so everybody
can duke it out in the free market, the way God intended.
Tallahasseeans remember when government actually did
more than embarrass us on a regular basis.
It built up good state universities. It reined in rapacious development. It built roads and bridges and opened up the doings of
elected officials to the sunshine of public scrutiny. Younger readers might find it hard to believe, but 25 or 30 years ago, Florida
was considered a well-run state.
There were absurdities back in the day, too, and screw-ups and
lousy ideas and pork and too many wetlands destroyed and
springs impaired, and weve never quite gotten around to restoring the Everglades. Or paying teachers properly. But there was a
sense that the Legislature came to Tallahassee to improve things.
Fix things.
DEMOCRAT FILES

See Welcome, Page 32

CAPITAL
IMPACT
SESSION 2016

Above: Camellias are in bloom for the January return of lawmakers.

CREDITS
Publisher:
Skip Foster
Editor:
William Hatfield

2 SESSION 2016 CAPITAL IMPACT

Writers:
Bill Cotterell, Jeff Burlew,
Ryan Dailey, Jon Ausman,
Diane Roberts, James Call,
Kati Schardl

Photography:
Joe Rondone
Web producer:
Ashley White

Design team:
Martha Gruender,
Michael Babin and
Ben Buckner

Capital Impact is a product of the Tallahassee Democrat. For


continuous coverage of the 2016 session, keep your browser
steered to tallahassee.com or download our app. If youd like to
get your message in front of the most influential audience in the
state, contact Melinda Day at 850-599-2239

CAPITAL IMPACT SESSION 2016 3

C A P I TA L I M PA C T

The

Enigma
of Rick Scott

Is our governor a
pioneer in the rise
of anti-establishment
candidates and
what is he up to next?
BILL COTTERELL CAPITAL IMPACT COLUMNIST

lorida has never had a leader like Richard Lynn Scott.


Youd have to go back exactly a century, to Sidney Catts in 1916, to find
a governor who came to Tallahassee with no prior experience in government or politics. But where Catts, the Prohibition Party nominee, had
been cheated out of the Democratic nomination before he crisscrossed
the state in a battered Ford, Scott darted about Florida in his personal jet
forcing himself on the Republican Party of Florida.
A half-century ago, Claude Kirk became the first Republican governor since Reconstruction with no prior public office. But he had headed Democrats for Nixon in
1960 and was the unsuccessful GOP nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1964. And Jeb
Bush had only the most fleeting government experience a couple of years as secretary of the old Commerce Department before running for governor.
But politics is the Bush family business, and he was born into it.
Scotts business is business, and he shrewdly assessed the political market in the
anti-incumbency tea party fervor of 2010. He narrowly beat then-Attorney General
Bill McCollum, then edged Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink in the general election
financing his rise with about $70 million of his own fortune.
Five years later, re-elected by another slim margin, Scott remains an enigma as he
heads into the 2016 legislative session. His program remains unchanged jobs, jobs
and more jobs with about $1 billion in tax cuts and some $250 million in financial
incentives for attracting new business to Florida.
A lot of his success has been in keeping his focus on the economic climate of
Florida, said Susan MacManus, a nationally known political science professor at the
University of South Florida.
Its a sort of trickle-down economics that trickles up just enough popular support
to keep the Republican-controlled Legislature sufficiently supportive of Scott. Busi-

Continued on Next Page

4 SESSION 2016 CAPITAL IMPACT

AP

Florida Gov. Rick


Scott addresses
the Sunshine
Summit in
Orlando in
November.

C A P I TA L I M PA C T

Continued from Previous Page

ness organizations would back any conservative Republican, but MacManus said
Scotts sunny optimism about job creation goes down well with the average Floridian
who may not love him, but hopes his plans will work.
Tax cuts and business incentives are the economic messages he continues to talk
about, and that resonates with the business community, she said. The people who
are not doing as well as they think they should, economically, will take hope from
that.
Repeating his basic campaign speech at quarterly Republican Party conferences,
Scott used to joke about what a friendly reception he received, compared with his
largely ignored visits in 2010, when the party establishment was flocking around
McCollum. In office, he has had uneven relations with the party which rejected his
choice of former Chairman Leslie Dougher in favor of state Rep. Blaise Ingoglia, the
current state GOP chairman.
Where other governors have surrounded themselves with top legislative leaders
for budget matters, Scott announced his first budget at one tea party rally in 2010 and
signed it with line-item vetoes at another such gathering. Last summer, he enraged Republican lawmakers with a record $461 million in budget vetoes, including
some big-ticket items sought by Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, and
other top legislative leaders.
Scotts disdain for politics and government as usual was amply illustrated by the
departure of Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, who was implicated in an investigation of Internet Cafe gambling, but never accused of any wrongdoing. He left the office vacant for a year.
Similarly, Scott badly bungled the ouster of Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey in late 2014, initially claiming the highly respected chief wanted to retire which came as news to Bailey. Scott also said the three
Cabinet officers concurred in his decision which came as news to them.
Finally, Scott conceded the matter could have been handled better, the closest
he has come to admitting a mistake in office.
Scott sometimes tells audiences of his poor roots how he started school in public
housing, how his trucker father got laid off just before Christmas some years, how he
started a small doughnut business when he got out of the Navy. He and his wife of 43
years, Ann Scott, saved and invested over the years and Scott co-founded Columbia/
HCA Hospitals.

on the party establishment and Scott hired some of the best available political
consultants to do the same in overtaking McCollum.
Atlanta-based consultant David Johnson, head of Strategic Vision LLC, said 2010
saw a change within the Republican Party. Anti-establishment Republicans captured the GOP nominations for various offices in several states. In addition to Rubio, outsiders such as Sens. Ted Cruz in Texas and Rand Paul in Kentucky were elected that year and are trying to out-outsider Donald Trump for the presidential nomination now.
He represents where the Republican Party is going, with the rise of anti-establishment candidates, Johnson said of Scott. Before it is all over, he could be the
partys most successful anti-establishment candidate ever.
Although he was upside-down in polls through most of his first term rated the
nations least-popular, most-vulnerable governor at one point Scott defeated Crist,
now a Democrat, for a second term. He cant run for a third, but Scotts Lets Get to
Work campaign committee has collected about $4 million in 2015 more than any
other candidates political fund and he is widely expected to use it in a bid for the
U.S. Senate in 2018.
Sen. Bill Nelson, the last Democrat remaining in statewide office in Florida, will
be ending his third term in Washington that year. Nelson will be 76 middle age by
congressional standards and probably far more formidable than any Democrat
Scott has faced before.
Florida State University public-administration professor Lance deHaven-Smith
said Scott could be a strong candidate for the Senate in 2018.
Hes kind of shaken the bad image that he had, initially, when he first started, he
said. Hes doing a good job now and there hasnt been much controversy or corruption in his administration at least, not since he fired the FDLE commissioner.
Bill Cotterell has covered Floridas Capitol for 45 years. His Capital Curmudgeon
column appears in the Tallahassee Democrat twice weekly on Thursdays and Sundays. Email him at bcotterell@tallahassee.com

Tax cuts and business incentives are the economic


messages he continues to talk about, and that resonates
with the business community. The people who are not doing
as well as they think they should, economically, will take
hope from that.
SUSAN MACMANUS, POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

The international hospital chain paid $1.8 billion in federal fraud penalties, but
Scott was not criminally charged in the case. He left the company with a vast fortune
and continued investing in health care businesses as well as a Conservatives for
Patients Rights campaign against Obamacare in the early days of the Obama administration.
That led Scott into politics, starting at the very pinnacle of state government. The
unknown Naples business executive picked just the right time for it.
Unknown former House speaker Marco Rubio was inching upward in a tortoiseand-hare Republican race against Gov. Charlie Crist in the U.S. Senate campaign
winning straw ballots at county GOP conclaves while the well-financed Crist counted
CAPITAL IMPACT SESSION 2016 5

C A P I TA L I M PA C T

Blue or red?
An early call on
which party will
win in November
Jon M. Ausman
CAPITAL IMPACT CONTRIBUTOR

The past allows the projection of the future.


Here is what will happen 10 months from now
when voters in the 11-county Big Bend area go to the
polls to elect our 45th president.
In Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson,
Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor and Wakulla
counties, the Democratic nominee will be on top by a
net vote of 20,000 to 23,000 votes. The Democratic
nominee will carry Gadsden and Leon counties. The
Republican nominee will win heavily in Calhoun,
Franklin, Gulf, Jackson, Liberty, Taylor and Wakulla
counties. Only Jefferson and Madison will be competitive, with the winner getting no more than 52 percent
to the losers 48 percent.
If one looks exclusively at Gadsden/Leon versus
the other nine counties here is what has happened
from 2000 forward as measured by net Democratic
votes gained by the Democratic nominee.
Year

Gadsden/Leon

9 Other Counties

2000

27,333

6,391

2004

40,634

14,162

2008

44,813

21,732

2012

44,216

22,604

As the trend shows, there has been a sharp increase in the Democratic net votes in Gadsden/Leon
but an even stronger Republican net gain in the other
nine nine counties.
To see this visually on the facing page is a chart for
Calhoun County. The trend in Calhoun can also be
seen in Franklin, Gulf, Jackson, Liberty, Taylor and
Wakulla counties.
The red line in the table shows the percent Democratic vote for the entire State of Florida while the
blue line shows the percent Democratic vote for only
Calhoun County. The chart for all the counties are
available in the online edition of the Tallahassee Democrat at tallahassee.com
After Ronald Reagan defeated Jimmy Carter in
1980 there was a sizable drop in the Democratic vote
in 1984 in these seven counties. A much weaker, but
discernible decline, can be seen in Jefferson and

6 SESSION 2016 CAPITAL IMPACT

Madison counties.
Michael Dukakis, the Democratic nominee in 1988,
pulled out of Florida more than a month before the
general election that George H. W. Bush won. The Bill
Clinton campaigns in 1992 and 1996 stabilized or reversed the Democratic decline. The 2004, 2008 and
2012 elections saw strong net gains for the Republican
presidential nominee.

What will happen in Leon County?


Presidential election voter turnouts are higher
than gubernatorial elections because voters pay more
attention. Voters have a greater interest in national
campaigns, and there is an overwhelming amount of
news stories and political advertisements. Consequently here in Leon County the presidential campaigns and local political parties spend most of their
time turning out their supporters rather than persuading voters.
Why the emphasis on voter turnout versus persuasion at the presidential level? National polling over
the past decade indicates 93 percent of the Republicans are going to vote for the Republican nominee
and 93 percent of the Democrats are going to vote for
the Democratic nominee. This means most rank and

file party members are going to get motivational


messages in an effort to increase turnout. The registered nonpartisan and independent voters are going
to get persuasive messages in an attempt to get them
to support a presidential candidate.
Leon County voters turn out at a much higher rate
than the state average. This is due to a number of
factors. The main two are Tallahassee is the state
capital and home to three institutions of higher learning (this means there are many professional jobs here
requiring higher educational levels, and education
and higher incomes are associated with higher voter
turnouts).
The question is which group of voters Republican or Democratic is turning out at the higher
level. The answer is for the last three presidential
elections the Republicans are turning out at a higher
rate per 100 party members than the Democratic
voters are. While the margins are small most professional political observers recognize local field operations can result in a 3 to 5 percent boost in turnout and
performance. This small bump can be critical. Just
ask Al Gore about the 2000 presidential election.
Continued on Next Page

C A P I TA L I M PA C T
Continued from Previous Page

The reason Leon County goes so Democratic is that


there are 99,734 registered Democratic voters here
versus 52,170 registered Republicans. So, while Republican farmers are more efficient in getting their
voters to the polls, the Democratic farmers have a
farm 91 percent larger than the Republican one.

Brace yourselves for a barrage


Heres what we know is about to happen on both
sides of the aisle here in Leon County and the Big
Bend.
Local candidates mailings and advertisements
will not be coordinated with the presidential campaigns or other local candidates. Consequently you
may get multiple pieces of mail and phone calls on the
same day instead of having it spread out over time.
For local candidates the TV ads will be very
expensive to buy because they will be competing
against national campaigns and super PACs for air
time.
There will be an increasing shift from direct
mail (which costs more than $500 per thousand pieces
of mail) to mass email contacts.
Jon M. Ausman is the longest serving member of
the Democratic National Committee in Floridas history. He started in politics in 1968 stuffing envelopes
and sweeping out the Hubert Humphrey campaign
headquarters in Olean, New York.

CAPITAL IMPACT SESSION 2016 7

C A P I TA L I M PA C T

The art of

politics
KATI SCHARDL CAPITAL IMPACT CONTRIBUTOR

Listed on the National


Register of Historic Places,
the Old Capitol, as most refer
to it, was completed in 1845,

hen the Florida Legislature is in session,

just in time for Floridas entry

the Capitol complex buzzes like a hive

into the United States as the

of purposeful political bees. When the hum of

27th state.

the hive and the crush of the maddening crowd


reach a fever pitch, it can clear the mind and
refresh the soul to contemplate the truth of
beauty and the beauty of truth.
Amid the hectic halls of power lie oases of
beauty and calm. The Capitol complex is
adorned with sculptures, murals, paintings and
other works that illustrate and celebrate
Florida history as well as delight the eye.
Art is all around, whether it be the colorful
chains of paper hands hung in the Rotunda
during Childrens Week (this years Hanging of
the Hands takes place Jan. 24) or the works by
Florida artists featured in rotating exhibits in
the 22nd Floor Gallery.
Here are some (but by no means all) of the
places to take an art break in and around the
Capitol. For more information, stop by the
Capitol Welcome Center on the west plaza level,
or check out the website at
www.myfloridacapitol.com.
Continued on Next Page

8 SESSION 2016 CAPITAL IMPACT

DEMOCRAT FILES

Exhibits are on display at


the Historic Capitol
Building.

C A P I TA L I M PA C T

JOE RONDONE/DEMOCRAT

Murals from Tarpon Springs artist Christopher Still in the House of Representatives chambers depict Florida history.
Continued from Previous Page

James Rosenquists murals

Sculptor Hugh Bradford Nicholsons gleaming cast stainless-steel and aluminum dolphins leap and frolic above the Florida Heritage Fountain as the centerpiece of Waller Park on the west side of the Capitol building. The sculpture,
which celebrates Florida wildlife, was dedicated in 2003 and was funded by the
Anheuser-Busch Foundation through the vision of Susie Busch-Transou.

For more than three decades, pop art legend James Rosenquist has called
the village of Aripeka in Hernando County home. Rosenquist, whose iconic
masterpiece F-111 hangs in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, was commissioned by the Florida Legislature to create two murals for the new Capitol building. Completed and installed on the
west plaza level in 1978, the two Images of the Sunshine State portray recreation and industry in Florida. The enormous, colorful and slightly trippy works
draw art lovers from around the world as well as curious Floridians.

Florida House of Representatives

22nd Floor Capitol Gallery

Tarpon Springs artist Christopher Still captured Florida history from the
first native peoples to the Space Age in a series of eight murals installed in
the House chamber in 2001. In 2003, he added two more murals depicting the
beauty and mystery of Floridas underwater springs and oceans. The panoramic works include optical illusions, hidden images and 3-D effects. Organized
groups primarily schoolchildren can tour the chamber, according to Mikey Chmielewski, the House civics coordinator, and reporters and visitors can
catch glimpses of the works from the press and public galleries. But the murals
were created primarily to surround the 120 representatives who work in the
chamber with reminders of that for which they toil.

Not only can you get a glorious panoramic view of Tallahassee (and, on exceptionally clear days, the coast) on the top floor of the Capitol building, you
can also admire the works of Florida artists featured in exhibits in the gallery
housed there. Overseen by the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, the gallery
has featured exhibits by such noted Florida artists as Richard Bickel, Romero
Britto and Xavier Cortada. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through
Friday. Visit http://dos.myflorida.com/cultural/news-and-events/exhibitioncalendar/ to find out whats currently on view.

Waller Parks Stormsong sculpture

Continued on Next Page

CAPITAL IMPACT SESSION 2016 9

C A P I TA L I M PA C T

PHOTOS BY JOE RONDONE/DEMOCRAT

James Rosenquists two Images of the Sunshine State murals at the Capitol buildings entrance portray recreation and industry in Florida.

Continued from Previous Page

The Historic Capitol


Ardent architectural historians would argue that the Historic Capitol across
the plaza to the east of the current Capitol Building is itself a work of art. Listed
on the National Register of Historic Places, the Old Capitol, as most refer to it,
was completed in 1845, just in time for Floridas entry into the United States as
the 27th state. The classical style dome was added in 1902. The Old Capitol underwent restoration from 1978 to 1982, when it reopened as an auxiliary of the
Museum of Florida History. The gallery at the Old Capitol houses rotating exhibitions that highlight Florida history and personalities. It is a lovely, charming
structure imbued with peace and grace. Stand in the Rotunda and look up to the
dome for a stained glass vision of beauty. Find out more at http://www.flhistoriccapitol.gov/

Museum of Florida History


Located two blocks west of the Capitol complex, the museum is a trove of
artifacts and information about the cultures and heritage that have shaped the
Sunshine State. The new permanent exhibit Forever Changed: La Florida 15131821 chronicles the states history from the time of its native peoples through
the period of Spanish exploration and up to its adoption as a U.S. territory. This
rich period is depicted in dynamic displays and fascinating artifact collections.
Be sure to check out the museums collection of paintings by the Florida Highwaymen, one of the largest such collections on public display. Find information
about hours and exhibits at www.museumoffloridahistory.com.
Kati Schardl is a former arts writer and features editor for the Tallahassee
Democrat.

10 SESSION 2016 CAPITAL IMPACT

JOE RONDONE/DEMOCRAT

Sculptor Hugh Bradford Nicholsons cast stainless-steel and aluminum dolphins at the
Florida Heritage Fountain in Waller Park are on the west side of the Capitol building.

C A P I TA L I M PA C T

Session Soundtrack
Our playlist for a divided state Legislature
GANNETT

Clockwise
from top left:
Elvis Presley,
Dixie Chicks,
Simon &
Garfunkel,
The Beach
Boys

JAMES CALL CAPITAL IMPACT WRITER

he Florida House of Representatives began


filling the chamber with music upon adjourning a daily session during the reign of Speaker
Johnny Byrd (2002-2004). And the practice continues
today sometimes to the dismay of reporters patiently waiting for the song to end so they can interview
lawmakers about their days work.
Researchers say Byrd may have been on to something. Anthony Storr, a prolific writer, journalist and
psychiatrist, wrote that in a culture requiring people
to separate rational thought from feelings in their daily working life, music reunited the mind and body,
restoring our sense of personal wholeness.
Though scientists havent quite figured out whats
going on in our brains when we listen to music, they
have found that music has an ability to pump us up,
calm us down and according to Daniel Levitin, University of Montreal psychologist, reduce anxiety and
stress better than prescribed drugs.
Other studies indicate that music when used in rituals such as ending a day of floor debates actually
promotes pro-social behavior and bonding.
And here we all thought that Byrd was just trying
to discourage his members from talking to the media.
Lawmakers and the House staff pick the songs.
We try and pick songs that will give a boost to the
day and put people in a good mood, said Michael Williams, spokesman for Speaker Steve Crisafulli.
With that mind, we surveyed people around town
and brainstormed to create this playlist for the House
of Representatives for the 2016 Legislative Session.

The Sunshine State Grant Peeples


Dont Go Near the Water The Beach Boys
One Monkey Dont Stop No Show The Honey Cone
Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology) Marvin Gaye
In A World Gone Mad Beastie Boys
The Great Compromise John Prine
Lawyers Guns and Money Warren Zevon
Political Science Randy Newman
People Have the Power Patti Smith
Time Will Tell Bob Marley
No Time Guess Who
Traffic Jam James Taylor
Sunshine of Your Love Cream
Brass in Pocket Pretenders
Share the Land Guess Who
Why Cant We Be Friends? War
Not Ready to Make Nice Dixie Chicks
Bridge over Troubled Water Simon and Garfunkel
Viva Las Vegas Elvis Presley
Welcome to the Jungle Guns N Roses
Deja Vu Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
Revolution The Beatles
American Idiot Green Day
Village Ghetto Land Stevie Wonder
Taking Care of Business Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Capital G Nine Inch Nails

CAPITAL IMPACT SESSION 2016 11

C A P I TA L I M PA C T

Politics
on the
menu
A guide to places where
business is done over
lunch or after hours
RYAN DAILEY CAPITAL IMPACT WRITER

is the session season for


legislators, their aides and
lobbyists. And some area

restaurateurs are looking forward to a second


Christmas.
With the 2016 legislative session soon to be
in full swing, Capital Impact took a look at
how restaurants, bars and other venues
accommodate and cash in on the influx
of lawmakers who descend upon Tallahassee
this time of year.
Some bars and restaurants are a session
staple, some are emerging as hotspots.
Whether you're looking for a quick lunch or a
multiple-course dinner and wine pairing over
unfinished business, here's a snapshot of
whats on the menu.
12 SESSION 2016 CAPITAL IMPACT

DEMOCRAT FILES

Andrew's 228 has been a Tallahassee institution since the 1970s.

C A P I TA L I M PA C T

DEMOCRAT FILES

JOE RONDONE/DEMOCRAT

The Longineu Parsons ensemble plays on the Governors Club balcony.

Andrew's 228 and Capital Grill & Bar: Where


Bush V. Gore came together
Andy Reiss, owner and founder of Andrews 228,
is no stranger to the session. An FSU graduate, Reiss and his wife made Tallahassee their permanent
home in 1972 and began building a culinary empire.
This is our 43rd legislative session coming up,
and I get a kick out of the reporters asking the question, what does session mean to you guys? Reiss
told Capital Impact. The reality is, its the height of
our season. The Christmas season for retailers,
thats what sessions all about for us.
Its for that reason, and Reiss unyielding commitment to quality and consistency, that he has
been on a first-name basis with every Florida governor since Reubin Askew.
Simply put: the man knows the restaurant business. In fact, Reiss just finished his second term as
chairman of the board for the Florida Restaurant
and Lodging Association.
The Graham burger, Jeb burger and Marco
Cubio Cuban sandwich are all nods to Florida political figures featured on Andrews Capital Grills
menu.
During a trip to New York as a young man, Reiss
remembers going to a deli which named all its sandwiches and food after stars of music and theater.

Needless to say, it sparked an idea.


When I got to Andrew's and we became a very
political place to dine, I thought Wow, that would be
cool to name them after local and state celebrities.
Throughout the years, Reiss and the Andrews
staff have intertwined with the political world. He
recalls Gov. Bob Martinezs inaugural ball as the
largest event Andrews ever catered.
Nothing ever in my history was as close to what
happened in 2000 with the Gore and Bush elections, Reiss said, referring to the historic vote recount. You cannot imagine the day and night business around the clock from election day to the decision finally being made.
Calls were coming in from international press
and television cameras surrounded the restaurant
as lawyers from the Bush and Gore camps were
holed up in Andrew's.
There was a day when both those guys were sitting in the dining room at the same time before going over to the Supreme Court, Reiss said. It was
just so exciting to be around everything -- for the
action to be right there on our corner.
Reiss said tastes are diverse in the legislature,
and the Andrews menu has been designed to reflect
that.
Some want turkey and mashed potatoes, some

Andrews 228 is located in the heart of downtown at


228 South Adams St.

want sushi, some want sandwiches. The one good


thing is, whether youre a representative or a senator, youve still gotta eat.
With all of their law-making clientele, however,
Reiss maintains that Andrews is and always will be
decidedly non-partisan.
No ones ever seen me come out for any politician. Im neutral, and we enjoy serving everybody
and getting to know everybody.

Governors Club: A private place for public


servants
The concept for Governors Club came to life in
1982 at its grand opening on 202 South Adams
Street. A private club that creates a comfortable
and social atmosphere for members, it has stayed
true to its traditions all while expanding to offer
more services.
With its location so close to the Capitol, the club is
a natural venue of choice for legislators, lobbyists
and others that flood into town for session.
Six months after its initial opening, Barry
Shields was hired on to work with the clubs first
service staff. Shields worked during his time at
Florida State while he was earning his degree in
Continued on Next Page

CAPITAL IMPACT SESSION 2016 13

C A P I TA L I M PA C T
Continued from Previous Page

hospitality. He stayed on with the club for nine


years, working his way up through the ranks and
learning every step of the process in running a
members-first club.
I was able to see what the club was in its early
days, then continued on with my career managing
private clubs, said Shields, who managed a club in
Tampa for a number of years before returning to
Governors Club as the general manager and COO
two years ago.
All private clubs have to be relevant to the
membership, and of course we have plenty of local
members, but also plenty of members who live
throughout the state, only using the club during session itself, Shields said. Session has been the
mainstay, consistent from year to year in the sense
that we know every room, every seat in the house
will be occupied for lunch and dinner.
Proud of the way Governors Club has responded
to the demand of session, Shields touted the opening
of a separate lounge next door to the club in 2006 as
one of its distinct features. It allows folks to smoke
cigars, and is purely a watering hole for legislative
folks.
Under Shields leadership, the club has elevated
the level of fine dining, recently bringing in Swisstrained executive chef Norman Frei to pack some
culinary expertise into the menu.
The clubs cocktail selection is not to be overlooked either, and Shields said that during session
time there are clear favorites for the crowd of politicos.
I would say we see them ordering some of the
dark liquors, although it seems like these days vodka is king. Youll probably find them having vodka
drinks or nice, upscale wine by the glass.
Another secret of the clubs success, according
to Shields, is its programming. We do events for
children of members, wine dinners, educational series, etiquette classes; we really try to do the most
we can in our program to appeal to members and
their interests.
For information on membership to Governors
Club, contact membership director, Allison Ager at
850-205-0663 or email AllisonAger@GovClub.com.

101 Restaurant/Mint Lounge: From mac n'


cheese to martinis
101 Restaurants executive chef Jason Bruner is
gearing up for his first session in Tallahassee. Having come on board at 101 eight months ago, Bruner
has re-vamped the restaurants menus in an effort
to go for a more farm-to-table approach.
Originally from New Orleans, Bruner studied at
the Culinary Institute of America in New York as
well as culinary schools in China and Italy and
brings a wealth of experience with him to the Tallahassee area.
Prepping for session, Bruner said 101, located at
215 West College Ave., is bringing on extra kitchen
and service staff in order to be able to provide the
ideal dining experience whether its a party of 5 or
50.
14 SESSION 2016 CAPITAL IMPACT

Voted Best of Tallahassees No. 1 happy hour,


Bruner and the 101 staff feel that they have a surprise in store for legislators, lobbyists and locals.
Tallahassee really has something to offer everybody whos coming in, whether youre coming in
for session or just stopping through.
Ryan Dailey is a rookie reporter with discerning
tastes who works at the Tallahassee Democrat.
Reach him at rdailey@tallahassee.com

JOE RONDONE/DEMOCRAT

101 Restaurant's crab cakes, sauteed jumbo lump crab cakes served with tropical pineapple mango salsa.

His passion for food comes through when discussing some of the new menu options.
The salmon has been phenomenal; we feature a
parmesan-crusted cedar planked salmon. Another
item I think will be popular during session will be
the Tomahawk steak: a 36 oz. bone-in steak served
for two, which comes with rosemary fingerling potatoes and corn on the cob.
Another point of bragging for 101 is their domination of the Rotary Clubs Mac N Cheese Throwdown, with their mac taking home first place for its
homemade sauce topped with Florida local rock
shrimp. Pair some of these options with an impressive wine selection that includes bottles from Chile,
Napa Valley, and Oregon.
Those heading over from the Capitol looking for
a quick lunch will enjoy the $8.99 special business
lunch that boasts 20 items on the menu.
We pride ourselves on being a really fast place
you can come in and have a great lunch, Bruner
said.
A leisurely dinner at 101 is a great precursor to a
happy hour or night out at Mint Lounge next door.
Bruner said that martinis have always been a
specialty at 101. The signature chocolate martini
has been getting rave reviews. The restaurant also
has moved into the beer market, carrying a number
of local beers.

Other Session staples


Cypress Restaurant: Family-owned fine dining located at
320 East Tennessee Street, Cypress has been a favorite for
locals and session attendees for over 15 years. Dishes are
artfully prepared and boast beautiful plate presentation.
Come for the cocktails, beer and wine and stay for innovative culinary treats.
Shells Oyster Bar: Bring your own booze, but let Shells
take care of the oysters. Located at 114 Oakland Ave., the
shucking specialists at Shells often serve oysters that just
came off the boat. A cozy dining area, quick seating and
friendly service make Shells a top choice for seafood.
Metro Deli: Legislators and others who work downtown
have no doubt seen lines out the door at Metro Deli at 104
South Monroe Street. With a small space but an impressively large menu, the deli isnt limited to sandwiches many patrons love their signature Brunswick stew. Online
ordering and delivery are options for a quick, cheap lunch.
Level 8 Lounge/Shulas: Located in the Hotel Duval at
415 North Monroe Street, Level 8 Lounge provides an
upscale environment for cocktails while enjoying a breathtaking view of Tallahassee. If youre in the mood for a juicy
steak, Shulas 347 is well renowned for their juicy cuts of
meat. Schedule a private party at their Legends Room and
Coaches Corner to impress some of your closest friends.

C A P I TA L I M PA C T

Capitol

mysteries
Discover the hidden chapel, bathroom and
sixth floor on a behind-the-scenes tour
JEFF BURLEW CAPITAL IMPACT WRITER

heres far more to the Florida Capitol than meets


the eye.
For instance, did you know that despite

appearances and popular lore, the 22-story building isnt


really the tallest downtown?
The observation deck on the top floor towers 307 feet
above the plaza level below. And on a clear day, you can see
25 miles in any direction all the way to the Gulf of Mexico
to the south or the Georgia line to the north.
Look west and youll see the tallest downtown building
the Plaza Tower. The Capitol may rise higher in the skyline,
because it was built on a hill. But the green-roofed condo
building on South Duval Street actually has 7 feet on it.
Here are some more hidden-away facts about the Capitol:
JOE RONDONE/DEMOCRAT

The 22nd floor of the Capitol with a view of the city of Tallahassee and beyond.

Continued on Next Page

GETTY IMAGES

CAPITAL IMPACT SESSION 2016 15

C A P I TA L I M PA C T
Continued from Previous Page

All those elevators


The Capitol has 14 elevators, only one of which runs
from the lower level all the way to the 22nd floor. Four
of them in the rear of the rotunda are especially handy
for visitors they go from the lower level to the fifth
floor, where visitors can watch House and Senate action
from public galleries.
When youve had all you can take, remember to hit
PL to get ground-floor exits. It stands for plaza level, but can otherwise be remembered by the mnemonic please leave.

The mini church


Heritage Chapel is tucked away off the rotunda and
fairly easy to miss. Its darkened interior is meant for
prayer and meditation. But its also a working chapel.
Baptisms are performed there. Communion is taken
every Wednesday during session. People even get
hitched there about two couples a month.
Everything in the chapel is from Florida, from the
walls made of coquina shells from St. Augustine to the
wood in the foyer, from reclaimed cypress in the Apalachicola River. The chapel, built with private dollars
only, is open to anyone of any faith or no faith.

The hidden Cabinet bathroom


The Cabinet room, located on the lower level, is
where the governor and Cabinet members meet periodically for a bit of state business and a lot of grip-andgrin photos.
Theres a door off to the side thats hard to spot in the
wood paneling but not invisible. It opens into a hallway
that runs to the governors offices. And yes, theres a
little bathroom back there.

The missing sixth floor


You can go nowhere fast by hitting the elevator button to the sixth floor, which is off-limits to visitors. The
floor houses a bunch of stuff you dont really want to see
anyway heating and air-conditioning units, elevator
motors and a water tank in case of fire on upper floors.

The Capitol building has a chapel on the first floor, tucked away behind the elevators.

The worst place for secrets


Hidden in a central spot on the Senate floor is a little
pin, marking the chambers acoustic sweet spot. Even
hushed lawmaker voices are amplified from the spot
for all to hear. In contrast, the Senate press gallery, built
when reporters still used loud typewriters, is actually a
sound-proof box. Audio from the chamber is piped in
through speakers.

Busiest spot during session


The honor goes to the fourth floor, between House
and Senate chambers.
During session, lobbyists practically encamp there,
trying to score face time with lawmakers or track the
latest amendment to the amendment.

The Hall of Governors


Portraits of Floridas 10 most-recent-serving governors hang outside the Governors Office on the plaza
level. Theyre in chronological order, with one excep-

16 SESSION 2016 CAPITAL IMPACT

JEFF BURLEW/DEMOCRAT

The Weissenborn plaque.

JOE RONDONE?DEMOCRAT

A bathroom can be seen behind a door in the cabinet room


on the lower floor of the Capitol.

Random Capitol trivia


Construction began on the Capitol Nov. 8, 1973 and
wrapped Aug. 19, 1977, at a cost of $45 million.
The first legislative session held at the Capitol
kicked off April 4, 1978.
The building has 718,000 square feet,
equal to about 400 average-sized
homes.
It has 11 private bathrooms (with
showers) and 66 public restrooms.
The nations newest state capitol, its
designed to last 100 years.

tion. Gov. LeRoy Collins portrait is on display away


from the others and closest to the Governors Office.
The reason? He was the favorite governor of Gov.
Jeb Bush, who had it moved there during his tenure.
Gov. Charlie Crist and Gov. Rick Scott either didnt
mind or didnt notice.

Best bets for grub

JOE RONDONE/DEMOCRAT

JOE RONDONE/DEMOCRAT

Sculptor Hugh Bradford Nicholsons cast stainless-steel and aluminum


dolphins at the Florida Heritage Fountain in Waller Park on the west
side of the Capitol building.

You can live for a while on free food during session,


what with all the paella served on Miami-Dade County
Day, the Key lime pie during Florida Keys Day and the
hot dogs and chips on Florida State University Day.
Thats to say nothing of the free candy, nuts and soft
drinks available on the fifth floor during session.
If youre hankering for a hot lunch or breakfast,
head to the lower level (fastest route is the winding
staircase left of front-door security). Sharkeys Capitol
Cafe, owned and operated by Tallahassee lobbyist and
Jimmy Buffett pal Jeff Sharkey, served upwards of
70,000 customers in 2014 and, because of all the special
sessions, 80,000 in 2015. If youre upstairs, Sharkeys
has another place on the 10th floor.

The dolphin sculpture


The sculpture on the Duval Street side of the Capitol
is a favorite spot for picture-taking but plays second
fiddle to the Capitol courtyard for news conferences.
It also helped makeover a spot where the Confederate flag once flew, along with the flags of the other four
nations that have laid claim to Florida: Spain, England,
France and the United States. But not all signs of the
Confederacy have gone away. The giant bronze-cast
state seal in the rotunda is surrounded by smaller seals
of the five nations.

The little plaque with attitude

JOE RONDONE/DEMOCRAT

The elevator in the Capitol building, missing a sixth floor.

TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT

Lobbyists swarm the Capitol during session.

A small plaque, located just off the elevator bank on


the plaza level, is dedicated to former state Sen. Lee
Weissenborn. Why, you ask? Is he the patron saint of the
Capitol? Hardly. Weissenborn pushed hard but unsuccessfully in the early 1970s to have the Capitol moved
south.
Its inscribed thusly: This plaque is dedicated to
Senator Lee Weissenborn whose valiant effort to move
the Capitol to Orlando was the prime motivation for the
construction of this building.
CAPITAL IMPACT SESSION 2016 17

C A P I TA L I M PA C T

Storytellers
A collection of untold and oft-told tales
from retirees, longtime capital watchers

aybe its scientific redistricting, or computerized research,


or term limits, or the gift ban on lobbyist entertainment, or
just a better-educated class of politicians, but the Florida

Legislature doesnt have the kind of characters that used to populate


the Old Capitol.
No offense to the men and women who will converge on Tallahassee
on Jan. 12, but modern legislators are about as colorful as 160
insurance agents. No offense to insurance agents, either.
Legislating today is more professional, but not nearly as much fun
to watch. Here are some untold and oft-told tales of the days before
Fair Districts and term limits and other improvements.

Bill
Cotterell

The incredible
shrink-ing legislature

Veteran capital reporter Lucy Morgan, the


retired Tampa Bay Times
CAPITAL CURMUDGEON
bureau chief, recalls that
legislators convened before 8
a.m. on the final day of the 1986 session and worked into the wee hours to get everything finished.
Naturally, all-nighters mean fatigue, inattention and mistakes. At one point,
lawmakers accidentally repealed the law requiring licensing of mental health
professionals. Sen. Robert Fox and Rep. Elaine Gordon, two Miami Democrats,
went to the rotunda and proclaimed themselves shrinks sort of like Lucy Van
Pelt in the Peanuts comic strip.
Back then, it was not unusual for them to start meeting one day and finish the
next day, always in varying states of sobriety, Morgan recalled. But at least they
were funny, which is more than I can say for this bunch.

Caught napping and renominated


One of those final-day marathons wound up in a photograph that figured in a
Tallahassee legislative campaign.
Rep. Hurley Rudd, D-Tallahassee, stretched far back in his chair during a
Continued on Next Page

18 SESSION 2016 CAPITAL IMPACT

STATE ARCHIVES
OF FLORIDA

Florida Sen. Jack


D. Gordon in
the early 1980s.
He was the
author of The
Jack Gordon
Condom Control
Act.

C A P I TA L I M PA C T
Continued from Previous Page

House recess, and an AP photographer in the gallery


upstairs snapped a picture, perfectly illustrating the
exhausting grind of the sessions end. Rudd later explained that he wasnt sleeping even though the
House had recessed but had merely used some eyedrops.
City Commissioner Scott Maddox, running against
Rudd, reproduced the photo in a campaign ad, with a
message that said While Hurley slept in his chair
state employees didnt get raises and all sorts of other
things that supposedly transpired. Of course, the ad
didnt mention that members were standing at ease,
subject to the call of the chair, as they often do.
It didnt matter. Rudd was handily renominated in
the Democratic primary.

A citrus sine die


The Republican takeover of the Legislature in 1996
put an end to those marathon meetings in the last week
of sessions. There are still a few late-night conference
committees, but those are needed only to get the budget
agreed upon in time for the mandatory 72-hour waiting
period before a floor vote.
House Speaker Dan Webster of Orlando, the first Republican speaker in more than a century, decreed that
business would conclude by sundown. Not to be outdone, Gov. Lawton Chiles set up a table in the Capitols
fourth-floor rotunda and served orange juice for Webster and Senate President Toni Jennings, another Orlando Republican, to toast adjournment sine die.

A radio reporters mic drop


Floridas sunshine law is serious business, requiring governing bodies to conduct business openly, but
legislators always try to evade the Capitol press corps
when they want to talk frankly.
Sometimes, they hide in plain sight. Members will
gather in clusters on the House and Senate floors, out of
earshot for taxpayers in the galleries overhead.
Lucy Morgan recalls how one year, longtime radio
reporter Rick Flagg dangled a microphone from the
cheap seats above a knot of lawmakers. They didnt
know they were being recorded, but the House sergeant at arms saw Flagg and hurriedly made him reel in
his microphone.
They cant stop reporters from leaning over the rail
and trying to hear what legislators are saying in their
little huddles.

Silver Beach fox

DEMOCRAT FILES

Past Govs. Reubin Askew (second from left) and Wayne Mixon (third from left), as well as past Florida Agriculture Commissioner
Doyle Conner (right) listen to past Florida Speaker of the House and Senate President Mallory Horne tell stories of his days
working with former Florida Lt. Gov Tom Adams during a memorial service in the Florida Senate Chambers.

T.K. Wetherell was a sophisticated politician and


educated academician who, in the Capitol, cleverly concealed the fact that he was slick enough to follow most
legislators into a revolving door and come out first.
Before he became president of FSU, before he was
speaker of the House, Wetherell chaired the House appropriations committee, and therein lies the legend of
Silver Beach.
Legislative leaders always deny that theres a money pot hidden in the multibillion-dollar labyrinth of
state spending, but everyone knows they can come up
Continued on Next Page

CAPITAL IMPACT SESSION 2016 19

C A P I TA L I M PA C T
Continued from Previous Page

with $50,000 here or $250,000 there as going-home gifts


for members who behave the way the leadership wants
them to. In 1990, for Wetherell, the pot was a $1.1 million
line item for dune restoration at Silver Beach.
The thing is, there is no Silver Beach. When fellow
lawmakers beseeched him for a new roof on their high
school gym, a few firetrucks for their hometown station or maybe a nice four-laning for a county road,
Wetherell would do a little horse trading. Claiming Silver Beach was in his Daytona-area district, Wetherell
let members dip into the fund, accruing political IOUs
in the process.
In the end, Wetherell let his friends pass amendments totaling $1.298 million looting a budget line
item that had only $1.142 million in it. The $155,000 difference suggests Silver Beach wasnt the only secret
stash Wetherell had in the budget.

JFK on the Horne


While Florida didnt get a presidential primary until
1972, we might have been a player in national politics
eight years sooner, but for the personal intervention of
President John F. Kennedy.
Mallory Horne, the Tallahassee lawmaker who was
the last member to serve as both House speaker and
Senate president, used to tell of a rainy morning when
he was about to convene the House to take up a bill creating a 1964 presidential primary. He knew the White
House didnt want it, fearing that Alabama Gov. George
Wallace would upstage JFK in a big state.
A lot of people were doing Kennedy impersonations,
so Horne said he suspected some of his House colleagues were playing a prank when his secretary told
him the president was on the line.
Mr. Speaker, so how is everything in sunny Florida? Kennedy asked.
Why dont you look out the window, you dumb SOB,
Horne snapped, and the president laughed. Everybody
could do JFKs Boston brogue, Horne recalled, but hed
never heard anyone imitate his laugh.
As he realized that this was no hoax, Horne said,
Kennedy told him, Well, I hope you wont pass that primary bill on your calendar today.
Its gone, Horne replied. When the House convened, he informed the rules chairman the first bill on
the calendar would be temporarily passed permanently.

Big Wig and his Panhandle parables


Sen. William Dean Barrow of Crestview was a country politician who liked to illustrate his arguments with
tales from the far western Panhandle.
Sometimes lobbyists and employees would stop
what they were doing and go to the Senate gallery when
Wig Barrow would get started.
One of his most memorable yarns was about two
brothers who had legendary fistfights. Their most famous fight, Barrow said, occurred one Friday when they
stopped at a barbershop before heading down to Pensacola for an evenings entertainment.
When the barber offered to splash some cologne on
the first ol boy, he said, Naw, better not when I get
home, my wife would think I been to that sportin house
20 SESSION 2016 CAPITAL IMPACT

PHOTOS FROM DEMOCRAT FILES

Buddy MacKay and Lawton Chiles

Florida Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings at The Challenger Learning


Center on Jan. 18, 2006 to announce recommendations of the
Commissions on the Future of Space and Aeronautics in
Florida.

T.K Wetherell chaired the House appropriations committee,


where the legend of Silver Beach began.

down on Palafox Street.


When his brother finished his own shave and haircut, the Barber asked again, and he said, Lay it on,
Hoss my wife dont know what one of them places
smells like.
Rules of Senate decorum in those days did not require analogies to be precisely pertinent to the subject
of a debate or exactly true.

A poison Pill amendment?


Sen. Jack Gordon, D-Miami Beach, liked to make
tactical points in debate by drawing sharp contrasts or
posing imponderable possibilities.

Elected in 1972, Gordon came to the Capitol in an era


of womens liberation, when The Pill was no longer politically unmentionable. Some conservative legislators
mentioned it a lot, trying to curtail prescriptions as
much as possible.
So Gordon countered with The Jack Gordon Condom Control Act. If the law was going to limit womens
access to birth control, he reasoned, it should also limit
mens access.
For instance, there was a series of amendments offered as budget proviso language or stipulations in
health legislation, forbidding university health centers
to provide pills. Some of the amendments would even
apply to married students, or those over 21.
Whenever the issue arose, Gordon would file his
amendment requiring male students to get their parents permission before acquiring condoms. Sometimes, hed amend the amendment to require men to inform their dates if they were carrying protection.
That might be normal barroom conversation today,
but it was controversial stuff 40 years ago.
Of course the amendments never passed, but that
wasnt Gordons intention. He just wanted to make a
point about gender equality.
Bill Cotterell has covered Floridas Capitol for 45
years. His Capital Curmudgeon column appears in the
Tallahassee Democrat twice weekly on Thursdays and
Sundays. Email him at bcotterell@tallahassee.com

C A P I TA L I M PA C T

THE PEOPLE
BEHIND THE
POWER BROKERS
JAMES CALL CAPITAL IMPACT WRITER

hey are the gatekeepers. They are hard to get past to see the lawmakers if you show up unannounced.
The 160 Florida legislators may set up their office staff differently, but one constant is that district
aides and legislative assistants know the members calendar and when a brief meeting can be shoehorned into an over-scheduled calendar.
Right now, I have 28 meeting requests for the first week, said Jason Welty, a legislative aide for
Sen. Rob Bradley, a week before Christmas and three weeks before the Jan. 12 start of the annual
legislative session.
Welty said given Bradleys role as chairman of the Regulated Industries Committee it will be difficult for him to schedule 15 of the requests to meet with the senator. He said the best way for a citizen to

get a lawmakers ear is to get a meeting in the district when the Legislature is not in session.
Of course, thats when all the fun is not happening in Tallahassee. When a lawmaker is in Tallahassee during session then a citizen

has to work through a legislative staffer to get a face-to-face meeting. The first contact is made usually with the district aide, the
lawmakers point person for communicating with the public through phone calls, letters and drop-ins.
The district aide will route the request to the appropriate legislative aide, the point person for specific topics.
Were usually in constant communication with the members and take many of the meetings because they cant take them all, said
Welty.
To help you connect with your elected officials, weve created this handy directory using information from LobbyTools, lawmaker
websites and by working the phones.
What follows is our guide to lawmakers and the men and women who put the move and shake in the movers and shakers.

CAPITAL IMPACT SESSION 2016 21

22 SESSION 2016 CAPITAL IMPACT

CAPITAL IMPACT SESSION 2016 23

FLORIDA CAPITOL EARLY SESSION SCHEDULE -- F IND THE FULL SCHEDULE ONLINE AT TALLAHASSEE.COM
JANUARY
Tues. Jan. 12
Florida National Guard, Department of Military Affairs: 8 a.m.
4 p.m. Courtyard & Rotunda
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: Bringing America Back. A
prayer rally with a speaker and musician. Noon 1 p.m. Front Steps
of Historic Capitol
Florida Senate: Opening Day of Session Lunch for Senators and
their families. 8 a.m. 4 p.m. 22nd Floor
Pace Assembly Ministries Crossroad Outreach, Inc.: The
People of The Cross traveling exhibition. 8 a.m. 11 a.m. Front
Steps of Historic Capitol
Wed. Jan. 13
Florida Realtors: Realtor Legislative Day. 11 a.m. 1 p.m. Rotunda
Palm Beach County Public Affairs: Palm Beach County Day
Exhibits shows you the best of Palm Beach County. Come by and get
your free Know Your Legislators guides. 8 a.m. 5 p.m. Rotunda
& 22nd Floor
Florida Trucking Association with Florida Highway Patrol,
FDOT, Florida AgLaw: Florida Trucking Day at the Capitol includes
three big rigs parked in the Capitol Courtyard. 8 a.m. 4 p.m.
Courtyard
Consortium of Florida Education Foundations: The CFEF hosts a
reception with Florida Department of Education. 5-7 p.m. 22nd Floor
Thurs. Jan. 14
State Representative Charles Van Zant and the General
Aviation Caucus: Meeting of general aviation discussion of HB
4039. 11:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m. 22nd Floor
Children of Inmates, Inc.: Children of Inmates will be celebrating
the contributions of its Superheroes in the legislature and Florida
Department of Corrections. 10 a.m. 11:30 a.m. Rotunda
Florida Education Association: Rally to support public school
students, teachers and education employees. 11:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m.
Courtyard
Tues. Jan. 19
Florida Polytechnic University: This will be a group photo of our
students. 8:10 a.m. 8:30 a.m. Front Steps of Historic Capitol
Florida Gulf Coast University: 2016 FGCU Day at the Capitol.
Academic displays in the Rotunda. 8 a.m. 5 p.m. Rotunda
Florida Nurses Association: Advocacy and Awareness Guest
Speakers during luncheon. 11:30 a.m. 2:30 p.m. 22nd Floor
Ocala/Marion County Chamber and Economic Partnership:

24 SESSION 2016 CAPITAL IMPACT

Marion County Days Legislative Reception. 6 p.m. 8 p.m. 22nd


Floor
Wed. Jan. 20
Ocala/Marion County Chamber and Economic Partnership:
Marion County Days in the Courtyard from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Lunch is
open to the public from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Moffitt Cancer Center: Dozens of cyclists will complete their
3-day, 300+ miles journey from Tampa to Tallahassee to kick off
Moffitt Day 2016, a day that raises awareness of the toll cancer has
on Floridas families 9 a.m. 12 p.m. Front Steps of Historic Capitol
Polk County Board of County Commissioners: Polk County
Legislative Delegation and the Polk County Board of County
Commissioners Annual Polk County Day Reception. 5-7 p.m. 22nd
Floor
Visit Florida: Florida Tourism Day at the Capitol.8 a.m. 5 p.m.
Rotunda
Thurs. Jan. 21
Surfrider Foundation: The Surfrider Foundation and other ocean
organizations gather to raise awareness of coastal and ocean issues
impacting Florida. 8 a.m. 4 p.m. Rotunda.
Epilepsy Foundation of Florida: EFOF will display educational
and informative material highlighting updates and recent work in
the field of epilepsy. 8 a.m. 4 p.m. Rotunda
Florida Optometric Association: Legislative update presentation.12 p.m. 3 p.m. 22nd Floor
Florida Public Transportation Association: Inaugural Transit Day
to bring awareness to the benefits everyone receives from the Public
Transit industry in Florida. 9 a.m. 3 p.m. Courtyard
Mon. Jan. 25
Florida Department of Children and Families: Florida Youth
Leadership Academy - The Florida Youth Leadership Academy is
hosting a youth advocacy meeting for the Miami Youth Commission
and the Childrens Trust Youth Council. 9 a.m. 3 p.m. 22nd Floor
Mon. Jan. 25 - Wed. Jan. 27
United Way of Florida, Department of Elder Affairs: Childrens
Week and Florida Senior Day bring thousands of children and
seniors together to advocate for important issues. 9 a.m. 3 p.m.
Rotunda, Courtyard, & 22nd Floor
Tues. Jan. 26
Alzheimers Association, Florida Coalition of Chapters: The
Alzheimers Association, Florida Coalition of Chapters is lighting up
the Old Capitol Purple in recognition of Alzheimers Awareness

Month. 6 p.m. 8 a.m. Front Steps of Historic Capitol


Personhood Florida: Pillars of Personhood educates citizens and
legislators regarding the dignity of human life at all stages of
development and all levels of physical and cognitive ability. 8 a.m.
3 p.m. Front Steps of Historic Capitol
National Association of Insurance and Financial AdvisorsFlorida (NAIFA-FL): Reception from 5:30 pm - 7 pm. Tom Ashley
(850) 422.1701. 4 p.m. 8 p.m. 22nd Floor
Wed. Jan. 27
Bethune-Cookman University: Bethune-Cookman University
Wildcat Day at the Capitol brings students, faculty, staff, alumni
and friends to the State of Florida capitol to lobby legislators for
increasing funding of University initiatives. 11 a.m. 2 p.m. Front
Steps of Historic Capitol
Thurs. Jan. 28
Florida Library Association: 2016 Library Day. Florida library
advocates unite at the Capitol. 8 a.m. 3 p.m. Rotunda
Thurs. Jan. 28
Florida Commission on the Status of Women: The Florida
Womens Hall of Fame was created by Florida Statute to honor
women who, through their lives and efforts, have made significant
contributions to the improvement of life for women and for all
citizens of Florida.6 p.m. 8 p.m. 22nd Floor & Rotunda
FEBRUARY
Tues. Feb. 2
Florida State University: The sixteenth FSU Day at the Capitol;
academic displays, performances by student ensembles, lunch, and
program on Historic Back Steps and Plaza Courtyard. 7 a.m. 4 p.m.
Courtyard, Rotunda, & 22nd Floor
Florida Chapter National Association of Social Workers: Social
work students and professionals visit with the legislature about their
advocacy concerns. 8 a.m. 10 a.m. Waller Park
Wed. Feb. 3
Florida 4-H Foundation: 4-H Day at the Capitol is an educational
event that provides youth an opportunity to tour different parts of
Tallahassee and the Capitol. 8 a.m. 10 a.m. Front Steps of Historic
Capitol
Space Florida: Florida Space Day is a milestone event that presents
an opportunity to educate and bring awareness to Florida Legislators on the significance of the Aerospace Industry. 8 a.m. 5 p.m.
Rotunda

Florida Commission on Human Relations: Florida Commission


on Human Relations Information Table. 8 a.m. 10 a.m. Rotunda
Take Stock in Children: Take Stock in Children is looking to
promote personal growth, self-responsibility and academic success
for students across Florida. 8 a.m. 10 a.m. Front Steps of Historic
Capitol
PACE Center for Girls: PACE Day at the Capitol, constituents and
students come to Tallahassee for a day filled with meeting legislators. Press conference held on 22nd floor, buffet style breakfast and
lunch served. 7 a.m. 4 p.m. 22nd Floor
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is
hosting a legislative reception, which is open to the public to
educate guests, inculding state legislators, about Floridas ag
industry. Sponsored by both the Florida Department of Agriculture
and the Florida Farm Bureau. 7 a.m. 4 p.m. Courtyard
Thurs. Feb. 4
Golf Florida: Golf Day in Florida will showcase golf industry
exhibits, PGA Tour and LPGA Tour activities, professional golf
lessons, and economic impact information. 8 a.m. 5 p.m. Courtyard
(Senate Side)
Diving Equipment and Marketing Association: Dive Day,
sponsored by DEMAFlorida, will consist of a Lionfish aquarium,
posters, brochures and displays. 8 a.m. 6 p.m. Courtyard &
Rotunda
Florida A&M University: Legislative Appreciation Reception.
Brandon Hill (850) 599.3861. 3:30 p.m. 9 p.m. 22nd Floor
Fri. Feb. 5
Leadership Florida: This event is part of a program to inform and
educate young professionals on the legislative process. Andrew Fay
(813) 382.2293. 8 a.m. 5 p.m. 22nd Floor
Mon. Feb. 8
Pinellas Leadership Committee Tallahassee: Leadership Pinellas
will be hosting a legislative reception for the elected officials of the
Pinellas County delegation. 5 p.m. 7 p.m. 22nd Floor
Brain Injury Association of Florida, Inc.: Life After Brain
Injury-Surviving to Thriving-A jigsaw puzzle exhibition. 9 a.m. 5
p.m. Rotunda
Tues. Feb. 9
Miami Dade County Days: Miami Dade County Days World
Famous Paella Fest. Serving thousands of pounds of paella. 11:45
a.m. 1:30 p.m. Courtyard.

CAPITAL IMPACT SESSION 2016 25

26 SESSION 2016 CAPITAL IMPACT

CAPITAL IMPACT SESSION 2016 27

28 SESSION 2016 CAPITAL IMPACT

CAPITAL IMPACT SESSION 2016 29

30 SESSION 2016 CAPITAL IMPACT

CAPITAL IMPACT SESSION 2016 31

Welcome
Continued from Page 2

Its not as if they never do anything constructive. In the last few years they
passed laws allowing the sale of beer growlers, and they forced state and local
governments to buy American flags made only in America.
Hey, and they outlawed bestiality. Progress!
And legislators do enliven the local economy from dry cleaners to barkeeps,
restaurateurs to hoteliers, florists to escort services. Associated Industries of
Florida threw another pre-session party at their plantation-style HQ for at least
2,000 of their best friends, spending enough cash on shrimp, crepes, canapes,
cocktails, centerpieces, ice sculptures, salmon, chocolate truffles, tiny cheesecakes, tiny decorative lights, huge cheese trays, grapes, waiters, mixologists, minions, fireaters, dancing girls, and trained animals to keep a small Balkan nation
afloat for a year.
Apparently, having the legislature in town is worth $2 million a week. Were
grateful, really we are, even if we wish lawmakers would shut up about how you
hate the weather. Its called having seasons.
Like I said earlier, most Tallahasseeans are too nice to criticize the Legislature
out loud. Plus, were scared of getting fired from our state jobs. So though our ears
ring with the sound of members bellowing at their lobbyist patrons (I mean, pals)
from the balcony of the Governors Club, and we can never get a table at Cypress
or Avenue because legislators are in there snarfing ribeyes and grouper, and we
nearly get run over on Park Avenue by posses of demented Uber drivers chauffeuring senators home after a night at Clydes, we wont hate on our annual guests.
We will put up with their eccentricities. We will be tolerant. After all, most of them
havent had our advantages. Seasons. Two-lane roads. And camellias.
Diane Roberts is a longtime humor columnist and commentator on Florida politics whose work has appeared in the Florida Flambeau, the Tampa Bay Times, and
the New York Times. Her most recent book is Tribal: College Football and the Secret Heart of America.
32 SESSION 2016 CAPITAL IMPACT

You might also like