It has become a tradition. Every year, dozens of RLCers make the trek to Tallahassee for the annual “Lobby Days at the Capitol” — two days of tangling with legislators, drinking at Clyde’s and Costello’s and getting briefings from economists, grassroots lobbyists and think-tanks.

It is a lot of fun, and camaraderie is always a welcome result. But it is more than just fun.

RLC’ers express the views of the membership on key issues directly to legislators and teach them about the liberty Republican approach to policy. The group chooses issues that emphasize liberty and urges principle over party.  View the 2011 Florida RLC legislative agenda.

This year, the issues agenda was longer than usual and Florida RLC Board member John Hallman helped us press the right issues in the right offices to be most effective as he led 34 of us around the Capitol building.

Top issues included supporting the governor on tough pension reforms, cutting spending and taxes, banning of red light cameras, repealing the REAL ID act, several state sovereignty bills, eliminating mandatory minimum sentencing and repealing the state septic tank inspection program.

Interestingly, Smart Cap — the institutional spending restraint billed as TABOR and Taxpayer Protection Act in the past — was on the list but didn’t engender the same enthusiasm of years past. This idea, which traditionally would limit the growth of state spending or revenues to a combination of inflation and population growth, passed the Senate before RLCers had left town. The Senate bill was pushed by its longtime champion Senate President Mike Haridopolos, but had been watered down with exceptions and even with a padded formula that increased spending in the early years and hence raised the spending trajectory forever. As a result, most of our lobbying on Smart Cap was urging House members to adopt a tougher version.

Another surprise is the interest we found in Tallahassee for medical marijuana. The statewide coordinator for the MedMar referendum effort, new RLC member Kim Russell, joined us as we made our rounds and we discovered several rookie legislators of both parties supported the idea.

RLC members received a briefing from our chief advisor, FSU professor of economics Randy Holcombe, on several issues. Also, Bob McClure of the James Madison Institute briefed us on the work the Tallahassee-based think tank is currently working on. Additionally, RLC member Greg Newburn of Families Against Mandatory Minimums, as did representatives of Floridians Against REAL ID.

RLC members met with dozens of politicians as a group and individually, as time was provided for us to visit our own legislators. As a group, RLCers met with, among others, Reps. Jimmie T. Smith, Matt Caldwell, Jeff Clemens, Alan Hayes and Sens. Joe Negron, Greg Evers, Scott Plakon, Mike Haridopolos and Don Gaetz.

Pictured: At top, Senate President Mike Haridopolos goes through our legislative agenda commenting and answering questions from RLCers. Next, Rep. Matt Caldwell addresses RLCers about his memorial calling for Congressional term limits and other issues. At bottom, RLC members Bryan Donnelly and Steve Burden listen to FSU professor Randy Holcombe.

A special thanks to Florida RLC Chairman Matt Nye and longtime RLC member Philip Blumel for their efforts to organize the trip.
]]> http://www.rlc.org/2011/03/19/florida-rlc-2011-2/feed/ 0 http://www.rlc.org/2011/03/15/florida-agenda-2011/ http://www.rlc.org/2011/03/15/florida-agenda-2011/#comments Tue, 15 Mar 2011 14:07:06 +0000 Aaron http://www.rlc.org/?p=4448 The Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida has developed a 2011 legislative agenda for its members to pursue.

The agenda, based on the RLC Statement of Principles, will be put into action as Florida RLC’ers attend the annual Lobby Days at the Capitol in Tallahassee today.

The Florida RLC’s legislative agenda is an excellent model for other state RLC chapters to follow and implement.

1. Restore Our Constitutional Rights
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• “Sovereignty of the State”: Joint resolution proposing the creation of Section 28 of Article I of the State Constitution, to assert the sovereignty of the state and refuse to comply with unconstitutional federal mandates. Support SJR1438/HJR1103
• “Intrastate Commerce Act”: A statute which provides that all goods grown, made or manufactured in Florida and sold within Florida shall not be subject to the authority of the Federal government. Support SB1478
• Scope and Exercise of Federal Power to Regulate Commerce: Urge Congress to honor provisions of U.S. Constitution that limit scope & exercise of federal power to regulate commerce. Support HM577
• Exercise of Federal Power: Urge the Congress of the United States to honor the provisions of the Constitution of the United States and United States Supreme Court case law which limit the scope and exercise of federal power. Support SM358
• Health Care Freedom Act: Creation of S. 28, Art. I of State Constitution to prohibit laws or rules from compelling any person, employer, or health care provider to participate in any health care system. Support SJR2/HJR1
• Ban Red Light Cameras: Many studies show how unsafe intersections become after installation of red light cameras, with a dramatic increase in the number of crashes and serious injury. These studies also show cities have been found guilty of shortening the yellow light to increase violations in order to generate revenue. Outside the safety issues raised by installation of these cameras is the constitutionality of the systems. Our Constitution says citizens have a right to face their accuser, yet their accuser in this case is a machine. Support SB672/HB4087
• Repeal REAL ID Act: In 2008, the Florida Legislature enacted the REAL ID Act as 4 of 47 sections in a DMV bill. The law required citizens to produce an enormous amount of personal papers to either obtain or renew a Florida driver’s license. This personal information are then seized by the state and scanned into an accessible database. The REAL ID law was forced on the states by the Congress in violation of the US Constitution’s 10th Amendment and violates the Florida Constitution’s 4th Amendment “Right to Privacy”.
• Open Carry: Allow concealed-weapons-licensed gun owners to openly carry their weapons. Support SB234/HB517
• State Jurisdiction: Limit gun regulation to the state and prohibit all local governments from passing or enforcing gun rules and regulations. Support CS/SB402/CS/HB45
• Doctor Prohibition: Prohibit physicians from asking patients about gun ownership. Support SB432/HB155

2. Repeal Unnecessary and Burdensome Regulations
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• Online Sewage Treatment and Disposal Systems: Eliminates provisions directing DOH to create & administer statewide septic tank evaluation program. Support SB168/HB13
• Florida Climate Protection Act: Repeal provisions for Cap & Trade regulatory program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from electric utilities. Support SB762/HB4117

3. Cut Spending and Protect the Taxpayer
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• Smart Cap: Amend Florida’s constitution to limit revenues collected by state government to the amount collected the previous year, plus an annual adjustment based on a combination of population growth and the rate of inflation. Any funds in excess of the limits will be placed in the state’s “rainy day fund” until that fund reaches 10 percent of the prior year’s total budget – at that point, the Legislature must vote to either provide tax relief or reduce property taxes.
• Stop High Speed Rail/Sun-Rail: The total cost of these rail projects will be devastating to our economy and the tax increases needed to operate the rail projects will take more money from the taxpayers. Spending billions on 1800’s rail technology such as Sun-Rail is a big mistake at a time when the Florida Legislature has to make cuts to essential services. We oppose state funding of rail projects.
• Pension Reform: Generous public pension benefits promised a decade or more are now placing significant burdens on many local budgets and although the state pension system isn’t in as bad shape as some other states, it is time to address it now before it does become a problem in the near future. The Florida Legislature should enact common sense reforms such as moving employees into a 401K style defined “contribution” plan. It is reasonable for the state of Florida to require government employees to contribute a portion of their salary into a retirement plan. Florida is currently the only state that does not have this requirement. Support SB1128/SB1130/HB1405
• Medicaid Reform: Our current Medicaid program is estimated to cost $20.2 billion this year, approximately 30 percent of our states budget. Sustaining a program that has been over-expanded, combined with new and expensive mandates from Washington from threatens to throw our state into further deficits and requiring more cuts to essential services. Support SB1972
• Property Insurance-Reduce Risk to Taxpayers: With Citizens Property Insurance becoming the primary insurer of property in Florida, the Florida taxpayer could be on the hook for billions of dollars if a hurricane of any significance hits Florida. Insuring Florida properties with state dollars will lead to huge debts, and all taxpayers will bear responsibility for that debt. Consumers in Florida would be served best by laws that attract new capital into the state; competition serves consumers better than regulation. Support SB1714/HB1243

4. Term Limits
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• Congressional Term Limits: Urge Congress to propose to states amendment to U.S. Constitution to limit terms of office of members of Congress. Support HM685.
• Do not extend Florida legislators’ term limits: We believe term limits are the only way to prevent elected officials from becoming entrenched and beholden to special interest groups. We implore you to leave the current term limit for legislators in place. Oppose SJR 300/HJR 207

Learn more about the Florida RLC at www.rlcfl.org.

According to Illinois RLC Vice-Chair John Bambenek, after thorough research into all the candidates, Adam Andrzejewski had the best credentials to reform state government, bring jobs back to Illinois and resolve the lingering budget crisis.

Responding to the endorsement, Andrzejewski said, “The mission of the Republican Liberty Caucus is to serve as the conscience of the Republican Party. No more is that needed than in Illinois and their endorsement is a validation of my campaign as the true outsider to bring reform to Illinois.” Learn more about Adam at www.adamforillinois.com.

David Ratowitz was also endorsed by the RLC.  He is running for Congress to restore freedom to the Fifth Congressional district and has also been endorsed by Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica and the political arm of the National Taxpayers United of Illinois. In addition, Ratowitz has been featured on Judge Andrew Napolitano’s “Freedom Watch” program on FOX News several times.

Ratowitz faces two Republican opponents, each vying to take on freshman Rep. Mike Quigley (D) in the Chicago suburbs. Learn more about David at www.ratowitzforcongress.com.

Bruno Behrend, RLC Chairman, said last week on Chicago talk radio, “If the Republican Party nationally had listened to the members of the Republican Liberty Caucus, they would not have lost their majorities in 2006 and 2008.”

He’s right.

And if Illinois voters listen to the Illinois RLC in 2010, they will be well on their way to reforming state government by electing Andrzejewski Governor, sending Ratowitz to Congress, and passing the Putback Amendment.

Yesterday Illinois RLC Chairman Bruno Behrend (pictured above) was on the Ray Hanania show promoting the PutBack Amendment and the Republican Liberty Caucus. Listen to the segment.

The PutBack Amendment was crafted by Illinois RLC Vice-Chair John Bambenek and is a comprehensive package of reforms designed to end the backroom dealings of the General Assembly. It includes four-term limits for legislators, seven day public viewing of legislation, equal ballot access for all parties, and an end to gerrymandering.

When asked about the RLC, Behrend said, “If the Republican Party nationally had listened to the members of the Republican Liberty Caucus, they would not have lost their majorities in 2006 and 2008.”

Mr. Behrend is a graduate of University of Illinois (1983) with a degree in Finance, and a graduate of IIT-Kent College of Law (1990). With a strong entrepreneurial drive, Mr. Behrend has started 5 businesses. Throughout this entire time, Bruno has been active in the policy arena, working with various groups and candidates in Illinois to promote progressive business-friendly and market-friendly policies. He hosts his own talk radio program, Extreme Wisdom, on WKRS – 1220 AM.

Judge Andrew Napolitano, Rand Paul, and Peter Schiff discussed why it is important for those liberty-lovers hoping to succeed electorally to run in one of the major parties.

“The issues are more important than the labels,” said Rand Paul, a candidate for U.S. Senate in Kentucky, running for an open seat and facing Republican establishment candidate Trey Grayson in the primary. “You vote for the party when the party is correct,” he declared. Napolitano outlined how third parties cannot succeed due to the major parties, while Schiff explained that were he to run against Chris Dodd, he would run as a Republican.

In a perfect world, this would be an unremarkable event: A politician makes an unambiguous promise and then keeps it. But in our world, where politicians face enormous temptations and pressure to distance themselves from such promises, this simple act of integrity is worthy of special note.

Last Thursday, Florida RLCer Philip Blumel, president of the Virginia-based U.S, Term Limits, joined the senator in a tour across Eastern Kansas to assist in making the announcement. Together they held joint press conferences in Olathe, Topeka and Wichita and gave several interviews with the media, including the Topeka News Journal and Kansas City Star.

Sen. Brownback first took the seat in 1996, in a special election to fill out then-Sen. Bob Dole’s term when Dole ran for president. Since then, Sen. Brownback won his two subsequent elections with increasing margins and he continues to enjoy high approval ratings today. And yet, at 52 — a relative babe in the Senate where the average age exceeds 60 — he is retiring from the senate to start a new chapter of his life.

In doing this, Sen. Brownback joins an elite crowd of politicians who have signed the U.S. Term Limits pledge and then kept their word. Sen. Jim DeMint, Sen. Tom Coburn and South Carolina Mark Sanford are all pledge honorers who moved on to other offices.

Many other politicians have reneged on their promises. Tough luck for them: while several pledge breakers have continued to retain their current seats, none have ever won higher office. “As fellow Kansans know, your word is your bond,” Sen. Brownback said. “If a man breaks his word, it breaks the man.”

“Yes, there is a backlash against term limits in New York and elsewhere,” said Blumel. “But only among politicians and lobbyists. The voters continue to reaffirm their support for limiting political power whenever they get the chance.”

South Dakota (J) – repeals term limits on state legislature.

YES: 87,361 (24.27%)

NO: 272,551 (75.73%) TERM LIMITS WIN!

Memphis, TN (1) – Places a maximum of two terms on the city council, mayor and other constitutional offices.

YES: 177,571 (78.23%) TERM LIMITS WIN!

NO: 49,420 (21.77%)

Shelby County, TN (365) – Places term limits on various city charter offices to match limits on county commission and mayor

YES: 273,107 (78.59%) TERM LIMITS WIN!

NO: 74,409 (21.41%)

San Antonio, TX (1) – Extends term limits for city council

YES: 190,417 (51.6%) TERM LIMITS EXTENDED FROM 4 TO 8 YEARS

NO: 178,611 (48.4%)

Tracy, CA (T) – Places a 2 four-year term limit on the city council and mayor

YES: 12,613 (67.21%) TERM LIMITS WIN!

NO: 6,154 (32.79%)

What’s next for term limits? With Congressional approval ratings at historic lows of about 10%, the focus is turning on Congress. To sign a petition for Congressional term limits, please see www.termlimits.org.

“With the approval rating of the U.S. Congress at historic lows, it is time to put the pressure on,” Blumel said. “Congress does not reflect the will of the people because the people are to a great degree excluded from the process.”

Blumel points out that even with historic disatisfaction with the Congress, reelection rates of incumbents remain over 95%.  One reason is that, in 2004, a candidate challenging an incumbent House member was outspent by $700,000. The average Senate challenger was outspent by $4 million.  With such odds, many incumbents don’t attract serious opposition and the voters are left without a voice.

Term limits advocates point out that term limits ensure more competitive elections, offer greater access to office by ordinary citizens, bring real-world experience to the legislature, spread power more equally throughout the country, sever the relationships between special interests and entrenched incumbents and bring the Congress closer to the people.

The term limits movement can point to a term-limited president, 15 term-limited state legislatures, 37 states with term-limited governors and/or other constitutional offices and an uncountable number of term limited municipal governments, including eight of the 10 largest cities in America. But there has been no progress at the Congressional level.

The reason for this stems from the early 1990s, when state after state approved term limits on their Congressional delegations via citizen referenda. But the politicians counterattacked in the courts and the Supreme Court in 1995 decided that citizens cannot impose term limits by individual referenda at the federal level. It had to be done by Constitutional amendment, a very difficult task.

With the recent indictment of Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska and a growing number of other examples of entrenched political skullduggery, U.S. Term Limits decided to revisit the Congressional effort.

“But the citizens cannot win this one unless enough of us raise our voices on this issue until we simply cannot be ignored and Congress is forced to tackle the issue,” Blumel said, urging everyone to 1) sign the petition, and 2) to send a link to everyone in their email address books.

“Thomas Jefferson said it best: ‘To prevent every danger which might arise to American freedom from continuing too long in office, it is earnestly recommended that we set an obligation on the holder of that office to go out after a certain period.’ That’s what we’re going to do.”