Dear FAPPS Members,
As you may have heard, we were unsuccessful in our efforts regarding Senate Bill 2320. I have included an email that Lobbyist Bob Levy sent explaining the events that transpired. I would personally like to thank all of the FAPPS members who called and sent emails. I would also like to thank our President Diana Wardwell and Todd Vause for their guidance and support.
Brian Hurley
Legislative Chairman
I am very disappointed to have to tell you we did not get our rate increase as we had hoped. All the stars were in place - especially with the very good interim study, the support of the counties and the support of the Sheriff's Association.
I think the individual counties will be more upset when they realize they are subsidizing the service of process - in some instances like Miami Dade County to the tune of $700,000 per annum - the fee covers currently about 2/3 of the cost.
We didn't get it because of two things.
On the Senate side - Sen. Victor Crist was going to do this as a committee bill but rather his staff ran it as a regular bill and it wasn't among his priorities and it never got heard in the first committee notwithstanding our regular almost daily pressure on Victor and his staff.
With the help of Frank Messersmith from the Sheriff's we made an attempt to get it withdrawn from Judiciary since the next committee was Victor's own - but that effort failed.
Meanwhile in the House we found out from the Speaker's office that Rep. Gus Barreiro, chair of the approps sub, asked for four committee bills - including ours - and the chief of staff for Speaker Bense told us he submitted his request - they returned them as the budget chair hadn't signed them - then they never got them back - so somewhere we got lost in the paperwork shuffle not withstanding our almost daily contact with Gus's staff.
We will come back next year and do a freestanding piece of legislation - in November - House and Senate sponsor - and try to secure the rate increase to $40. We'll have new leadership but also new key players on the various committees and chairing those committees - hopefully all key players will be friendly to our issue.
That's the sad but true story of the saga of FAPPS this year - we were a victim of circumstances that happens often in this process in Tallahassee - the place that I call "the land of unintended consequences."
Bob Levy
