Corcoran Opens Fire As Becomes Florida House Speaker
November 23, 2016
New House Speaker Richard Corcoran began his two years as the leader of the chamber Tuesday with a round of rhetorical bombardments, lacerating Florida’s main teachers union for an “evil” lawsuit while laying down an unyielding stance on budget negotiations.
In a speech during the House’s organization session and remarks later to reporters, Corcoran displayed the pugnacious manner and determination that have become his hallmarks and are already raising the odds of a noisy and potentially chaotic legislative session next year.
He attacked the teachers union, the Florida Education Association, for legally challenging a voucher-like program that offers tax credits to businesses that pay for children to attend private schools. He also ruled out considering small-bore budget projects, which often play a key role in easing compromises on other legislative issues, unless the proposals are filed by the first day of the spring session. And he threatened to call out local governments that spend heavily on lobbyists in Tallahassee.
The remarks added a charge to the usually placid organization session, marked by the pageantry of new lawmakers being sworn in and new leaders taking their positions.
Perhaps the most unexpected move by Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, was to call on the Florida Education Association to drop its suit against the voucher-like program. The lawsuit argues that the program drains money that otherwise would go to public schools and is unconstitutional for the same reasons that the Florida Supreme Court struck down a previous voucher scheme.
Corcoran asked Democrats to join Republicans in condemning the legal challenge and asking the FEA, a staunch ally of the Democratic Party, to stop the case.
“The teachers union is fixated on halting innovation and competition in education,” Corcoran said. “They are literally trying to destroy the lives of 100,000 children. Most of them are minorities, and all of them are poor. … It is downright evil.”
Later, speaking to reporters, Corcoran said the FEA’s idea of what constituted fair treatment of educational options is “some subjective, crazy-ass notion that they have that is completely false.”
The challenge to buck the FEA surprised some House Democrats, including Minority Leader Janet Cruz of Tampa.
“It was aggressive,” Cruz said. “I didn’t expect to hear any of that today, and I didn’t expect for teachers to be villainized. … I certainly don’t think that teachers are evil. I think that teachers are amazing, and I was disappointed to hear that.”
Democratic leaders issued a statement Tuesday afternoon reiterating their support for the lawsuit.
In a post on Facebook, FEA President Joanne McCall asked supporters to call Corcoran’s office and ask the speaker to meet McCall. She said the teachers union was “going high as he goes low.”
“The Florida Education Association firmly believes that people of opposing views should always engage in civil debate on issues,” McCall said in a statement issued by the union. “We would welcome the opportunity to discuss with Speaker Corcoran the reasons FEA has engaged the court in the voucher program. We are here when and if the speaker would like to hear from us.”
Corcoran also repeated his pledge not to accept any spending projects that are not filed as House bills by the first day of session. He said the rule, also adopted Tuesday by the House, would help combat an “epidemic level” of budget earmarks.
“No longer will we have to tolerate last-minute appropriations being stuck into our budget with little or no public scrutiny, in the waning hours of session, literally written on the back of a napkin that they got from the bar the night before,” Corcoran told the House.
Those earmarks, though, can make it easier for lawmakers to close up work on the annual spending plan and resolve controversies that are often tied to it in the final days of the session. Corcoran suggested to reporters that he was willing to compromise, but only to a point.
“Gridlock in essence doesn’t help anybody,” he said. “Unless it’s gridlock over something that is a diametrical opposition to the principles that you know would make society, Floridians or the nation great. That’s not gridlock, that’s statesmanship.”
Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, said Tuesday that he would advise senators to find House members to support their projects. But Negron said that was customary even before Corcoran’s latest proposals.
And while Negron said he didn’t think the difference would be insurmountable, he made it clear the Senate would not necessarily strictly follow the House’s lead.
“On the Senate side, we’re not going to shut down the appropriations process on the (first) day of session,” he said. “We have tens of thousands of our constituents who come to Tallahassee during session to bring us all kinds of ideas, some which relate to the budget. And I think it’s perfectly appropriate for the Senate during the legislative session to make decisions on items that will be included in the budget and, by the way, things that will be stricken from the budget.”
Corcoran also suggested to reporters that he has sweeping plans for a new requirement that lobbyists turn over to the House any contracts related to their work for local governments. Corcoran, whose brother is a lobbyist, has taken a hard line on restricting contact and interactions between House members and the lobbying corps.
“Now we’ll have all these contracts of all these governmental entities and hopefully coming soon is the top 10 list of everything you could imagine: top 10 biggest spenders, top 10 lobbyists who get taxpayer money, top 10 county commissioners who let lobbyists do their job because they stink — all of that’s coming soon,” he said.
The legislative session begins March 7.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Negron Pitches Juvenile Justice, University Changes
November 23, 2016
Senate President Joe Negron, a Stuart Republican unanimously elected to lead the Senate on Tuesday, regaled colleagues with an account of putting Ronald Reagan stickers outside a home owned by the Bush family on Jupiter Island.
The story from the 1980 presidential campaign served as an anecdote of youthful “mischief,” as Negron reiterated his desire to eliminate punitive juvenile-justice laws.
Changes in the juvenile-justice system were one of the priorities Negron outlined Tuesday as he formally moved into one of the most-powerful jobs in the state for the next two years. Other priorities include stopping pollutant-filled discharges from Lake Okeechobee and improving the national reputation of the state’s universities.
But Negron also warned university presidents, who he wants to have a free hand in hiring “the best faculty,” not to give in to a growing campus trend of providing students with safe spaces, free of unpleasant or conflicting ideas or comments.
“Dating back all the way to antiquity, institutions of higher education have always served as forums for free speech and the open idea of expression,” Negron said. “I hope our universities will continue to reject the culture of coddling that has consumed some campuses around our country the last few weeks and months.”
“No one has a right to shut down speech simply because it makes someone feel uncomfortable,” Negron added. “We should train students to articulate and defend their ideas in an open, responsible way that prepares them for the real world.”
Negron’s comments came as the Senate held a one-day organization session, following the Nov. 8 general election and in advance of the 2017 regular session. The Senate includes 20 new members in the Republican-dominated, 40-member body.
Sen. Travis Hutson, an Elkton Republican who had been the only new member of the Senate during the past two sessions, joked that he looked forward to the new members.
“After being hazed for two years, no one is more excited about seeing fresh new faces than me,” Hutson said.
At the start of the organization session, former Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, asked for a moment of silence for the 49 victims of the summer’s mass shooting the Pulse nightclub in Orlando.
“For those of us who were there shortly after, it has made a huge impact on our future,” Gardiner said.
The Senate also approved rules for conducting business that are less sweeping than House changes. The House, for example, will bar lobbyists from texting lawmakers during committee meetings and require members to file separate bills for proposed spending projects.
As is common for largely ceremonial sessions, the Senate on Tuesday drew a crowd of state leaders and former lawmakers. They included Gov. Rick Scott, state Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and newly elected Congressman Al Lawson, a former state senator from Tallahassee.
In a speech that was heavy on policy, Negron recounted that during the 1980 election he was caught with a friend putting campaign stickers and signs for Reagan outside the Jupiter Island home of Dorothy Bush, the mother of President George H.W. Bush and grandmother of President George W. Bush and Gov. Jeb Bush. George H.W. Bush ran for president in 1980 and later became Reagan’s vice president.
Negron, a corporate attorney, grew up in Hobe Sound, a quiet community west of the Intracoastal Waterway from the wealthy Jupiter Island where the Bushes had a home.
Jupiter Island police allowed him to remove the signs and stickers rather than face possible charges that Negron said could have included criminal mischief, defacing property, trespassing, fleeing and attempting to elude and conspiracy.
“We cannot and should not tolerate serious wrongdoing by young people,” Negron said Tuesday. “But at the same time, let’s not criminalize adolescence.”
Negron also reiterated his desire to reduce the flow of polluted water out of Lake Okeechobee into nearby waterways. He supports a potential $2.4 billion state and federal project to buy sugar land for water storage south of the lake.
The proposed land purchase is expected to face opposition from lawmakers with concerns about water improvement projects throughout the state.
“We’ve been talking about a southern reservoir for 20 years,” Negron said. “The time for talk is over, it’s time to act.”
Negron in recent months also has focused heavily on changes in the university system, including make sure that campuses are financially accessible for students.
“We have students that are working 40 and 50 hours a week and trying to go to school full-time, which doesn’t work,” Negron said. “One of my goals is to increase our four-year graduation rate, and I think we would be able to do that if we put students in a situation where they work part-time.”
He acknowledged that his vision won’t be competed in the two years he will oversee the Senate, “but we can make a very good start.”
The vision is to put Florida’s universities on par with schools such as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Virginia and the University of Michigan, Negron said.
“Universities to which Floridians will apply and frequently pay out-of-state tuition if they can get accepted,” Negron said.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Fire Chief: Alabama Burn Ban Is Serious, Violators Could face Jail Time
November 22, 2016
A “no burn” order is in effect in the entire state of Alabama, and one local fire chief says residents are not heeding the warning and they could face jail time as a result.
The Alabama Forestry Commission issued the no burn order on November 7 due to drought conditions. The order includes all outdoor fires including campfires and other recreational fires and the burning of any trash or debris, including leaves and household trash.
Atmore Fire Chief Ronald Peebles said during a three and a half hour period Monday evening, his department extinguished 15 trash fires at homes in the city, including some repeat offenders.
Peebles said his department will strictly enforce the burn ban and contact the Alabama Forestry Commission about offenders. Those violating the ban could face up to a $500 fine and up to six months in jail.
“We are going to enforce this burn ban,” he said. “It’s extremely serious. As dry as it is right now, a small fire could get out of hand in no time and cause a major fire.”
Here is additional information from the Alabama Forestry Commission:
WHAT IS A DROUGHT EMERGENCY DECLARATION?
Section 9-13-141 of the Code of Alabama states: “at such time as the state forestry commission has declared by regulation a drought emergency in any county or counties, it shall be unlawful in such county or counties for any person to set fire to any forest, grass, woods, wildlands or marshes or to build a campfire or bonfire or to burn trash or other material that may cause a forest, grass or woods fire.” Specifically, the regulation prohibits any prescribed burns, any campfire or bonfire, any trash or debris fires, or any other open burning.
DO THE REGULATIONS COVER BARBEQUES?
The regulations allow barbeque fires for cooking IF the fire is in a grill or masonry barbeque pit, including large barbeque pits used by civic organizations to prepare food. Anyone grilling or barbequing during the Drought Emergency should have water hoses on site to prevent any loose sparks from setting a wildfire, and a circle at least 10 feet wide around the grill should be cleared of any burnable material. Side fires to generate coals for a barbeque must also be within a grill or masonry pit. Gas grills are allowed.
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE “CAMPFIRE OR BONFIRE” PROHIBITION?
Campfires or bonfires include any fire that is burned on bare ground, even if surrounded by stones or a metal fire ring. This definition includes campfires, ceremonial fires, ‘council’ fires, bonfires, ‘warming’ fires, and cooking fires that are on bare ground and not in a masonry lined ‘pit.’
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE “TRASH OR DEBRIS FIRE” PROHIBITION?
Trash and debris fires include burning of woody debris, yard waste, garbage, construction debris or any other material, in either an open pit or in a barrel. At this time, people should not burn a debris pile until the Drought Emergency is lifted.
WHAT OTHER THINGS ARE INCLUDED IN THE DROUGHT EMERGENCY?
The intent of the Drought Emergency Declaration is to prevent catastrophic wildfires during drought conditions. No one should use an open flame in or around a woodland setting. At campsites, closed lanterns may be used, but no open flames such as candles or ‘tiki’ torches. Care should also be exercised in suburban areas where lawns are very dry as well.
WHAT ARE THE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATING THESE REGULATIONS?
Under Section 9-13-142, Code of Alabama, anyone found guilty of violating these regulations and improperly conducting open burning in a Drought Emergency-declared area shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be fined not less than $250, nor more than $500, and at the discretion of the court, that person may also be sentenced to the county jail for up to six months.
Additionally, any person burning in violation of the Drought Emergency Declaration will be liable for damages to the property of another and any costs associated with the suppression of said fire. Suppression costs would include equipment and personnel costs related to control or extinguish the wildfire.
Firefighters Respond To Cotton Trash Fire At Gin Company
November 22, 2016
Fire departments from across the area responded to the West Florida Gin on Meadows Road in Davisville Tuesday morning.
A small fire was smoldering in cotton “trash”, a by-product of the cleaning and ginning process. Such fires often happen a few times each year.
There was no damage to the structures in the facility and no injuries reported.
The Walnut Hill, McDavid and Century stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, the Atmore Fire Department and the Nokomis (AL) Volunteer Fire Department were among those dispatched to the cotton gin.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Stead Appointed As Century Town Council Member
November 22, 2016
Kevin Stead has been named as the newest member of the Century Town Council as the temporary replacement for Annie Savage, who passed away in late October.
A special election will be held in February for a permanent replacement to fill Savage’s seat, which does not expire until 2021.
Four people expressed interest in the temporary seat — Stead, Mary Bourgeois, Patricia Ewing and Luis Gomez. Council members Ben Boutwell and Ann Brooks voted for Stead, while Riley voted for Bourgeois and Jackson voted for Gomez.
Stead, a resident of Pine Street for about a year and half, is a Marine Corp veteran, a married father of four and grandfather of three. He has served for six years as a firefighter and fire chaplain for the Jay Volunteer Fire Department, and serves as pianist and childrens pastor as Tabernacle Baptist Church in Century.
The 50-year old is an electrician and has been employed at CEREX Advanced Fabrics in Cantonment for the past four years.
“I have a high interest in the local economy and for the youth of the community,” Stead said in an email to current town council members.
A second seat on the council will also become empty on January 2. Council member Boutwell was forced to resign his seat effective January 2 when he ran for mayor during the recent election. That bid was unsuccessful.
In January, the council will appoint a temporary successor for Boutwell until a special election can be held. According to town officials, Boutwell could be appointed as his own successor, if the council so desired.
The special election for both council seats will be held February 14 with any necessary runoff election on February 28.
Pictured top: New Century Council member Kevin Stead is congratulated by mayor-elect Henry Hawkins. Pictured below: Stead listens to the council vote. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
From The Farm To The City: A Thanksgiving Bounty For The Needy (With Gallery)
November 22, 2016
About 200 students from schools in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties worked in fields near Jay Monday to harvest vegetables and bag sweet potatoes that will feed hundreds of needy families later this week for Thanksgiving.
The event at the University of Florida’s West Florida Research and Education Center was part of Farm-City Week, bringing the bounty of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences farm to the needy of the city.
The FFA students from Northview High School, Tate High School, Jay High School, along with other schools and boy scouts harvested collards and cabbages and sorted over a ton of donated sweet potatoes. The students also bagged freshly ground corn meal and grits.
Along the way, the students learned not only about teamwork, but also about the farming process at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences farm.
The greens, sweet potatoes and other food items will be delivered Tuesday with the help of more students to about 800 families that were pre-qualified based upon need at the Waterfront Rescue Mission in Pensacola and the Guy Thompson Community Center in Milton.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Let The Miracle League Fry Your Thanksgiving Turkey
November 22, 2016
Volunteers from the Miracle League of Pensacola will fry your turkey for you on Wednesday, saving you the time and trouble while benefiting the charity. And there is still time to make an appointment.
Completely thaw your turkey, removing all of the inside packaging and giblets. Write down exactly how much your turkey weighs so it is fried perfectly and take it to the Miracle League Park at 555 East Nine Mile Road from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Wednesday. For a monetary donation to Miracle League, the volunteers will fry your turkey to perfection. A minimum of $20 per turkey is necessary to help cover costs, and any additional donation will benefit the Miracle League of Pensacola.
Call (850) 426-6466 with questions or to schedule your time (leave a message if no answer). Reservations should be made early as the number of time slots is limited.
Missing Cantonment Teen Found Safe
November 22, 2016
UPDATE: This missing teen has been found safe.
Officials are searching for a missing Cantonment teen.
Trinity Sellers was last seen on South Highway 97 in Cantonment on Monday. The 13-year old was wearing white Adidas high top shoes and was carrying a black and white Aztec print backpack. She may be riding on an older baby blue boys bike-cruiser with a black leather cup holder and black rims.
Sellers is 5 feet, 2 inches, 150 pounds with blue eyes and blonde hair. She often wears her waist-length hair up in a bun.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Trinity Sellers is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or KlaasKIDS at (855) 733-5567.
Water Main Break Floods Roadway In Molino
November 22, 2016
A broken water main flooded a roadway in Molino Monday night.
The water main break was on Molino Road near the intersection of Highway 95A. Crews from Molino Utilities worked into the night to make repairs. There was no word from the utility if a boil water notice was issued as a result of the break.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Man Dies After Crashing Into Emergency Room Wall
November 22, 2016
An Escambia County man died Monday morning after crashing his vehicle into a wall outside the emergency room at West Florida Hospital.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 56-year old Michael F. Fountain was eastbound in the hospital’s parking lot when he crashed his Saturn Vue near the ER entrance about 5:01 a.m. He was admitted to the hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.
It was not known if a medical condition may have led to the crash.