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Capitol Focus
Session 2004 - Report 1The 2004 Legislative Session will begin tomorrow, March 2nd. It is due to conclude on April 30th. We hope we don’t have to ask too much from each of you this year, but if you receive an “URGENT LEGISLATIVE ALERT” from FTBA, please act immediately. Everything moves very quickly during session and if an alert is sent out it means we really need your help in contacting your hometown legislators. Hearing from you can make the difference in their position on issues. Please keep that in mind during the next 60 days. Acting to the alert is easy; everything will already be set up for you. It only takes a few minutes. Links have been set up in this report and subsequent ones. Anything that is underlined will take you to the website to view information relating to the topic. State Transportation Trust Fund (STTF) The Governor has recommended another “sweep” of the STTF. This year it is $100 million (last year it was $200 million). We have been working with Floridians for Better Transportation to obtain signed pledges from legislators stating they will oppose and vote against any sweep, raid or diversion of transportation trust fund dollars. To date, 23 Senators (out of 40) have signed the pledge and 17 (out of 120) House members. Use this link to see who has signed on: Legislators who have signed the Transportation Trust Pledge. Please let them know you appreciate their support. Simply click on their e-mail address to send an email. This information is also available on the FTBA website. Work Zone Safety HB 1103 by Representative Dave Russell (R-Spring Hill) has been filed but not yet referred to any committees. The Senate Bill will be a Senate Transportation Committee bill with Senator Jim Sebesta (R-St. Petersburg) the sponsor. We’ll let you know the bill number as soon as it is assigned. We have two very strong sponsors. They are both Chairmen of the Transportation Committees in their respective chamber. These bills will allow the use of camera-enforced radar in active construction work zones. We appreciate those who have emailed the Governor asking for his support on this issue. After meeting with his staff, we believe he will not be an obstacle. We just have to get it through the legislature. Diversion Bills HB 491 by Representative Don Davis (R-Jacksonville) and SB 1630 by Senator Gwen Margolis (D-Miami). These bills relate to the Rental Car Surcharge. The bills reduce the percentage the STTF receives from the rental car surcharge and would give it to two tourism-related trust funds. According to FDOT the negative impact would be $90 M to the work program. SB 2214 by Senator Evelyn Lynn (R-Ormond Beach) and HB 1049 by the Committee on Transportation both revise the specialty license plate formation process. The bills divert $1 of motor vehicle license plate revenues from the STTF to the Highway Safety Operating Trust Fund for the recruitment and retention of state law enforcement. According to FDOT the negative impact would be $140 M to the work program. LEGISLATIVE RECEPTION FTBA is co-hosting a Legislative Reception with the Asphalt Contractors Association of Florida, Florida Concrete and Products Association and the Underground Utility Contractors Association of Florida. The reception will be held on Monday, March 29th from 5:30 – 7:30 pm at Hospitality Square, 200 W. College. A block of rooms has been secured at the Holiday Inn Select on Tennessee Street (this is the round Holiday Inn). Please call 800-648-6135 for reservations. The code for the group rate is: TRA. For more information on the Legislature, please use the following links: Florida Senate Florida House of Representatives |
