Group wants Crist to
veto bill halting government campaigns
By JAMES MILLER
Staff Writer
The sort of high-stakes, public-dollar political campaigning that accompanied
proposed Volusia
County charter amendments in 2006 no longer would be allowed
under a bill that's been sent to Gov. Charlie
Crist.
But just because state lawmakers have signed off doesn't
mean another campaign -- one against the bill itself -- has
stopped.
Proponents say the legislation -- which was inspired in part
by the city-led campaign in Volusia County -- would end an unseemly
practice of using local taxpayer money to tell people how to vote.
"Blanket statements such as 'Vote yes on 1' is
not how government should be communicating with the public,"
the bill's House sponsor, Rep. Janet Long, D-Seminole, told
lawmakers in a committee hearing during the Legislature's
session.
But a spokeswoman for the Florida Association of Counties said
Monday the group would ask Crist for a veto of the bill, which
opponents say would undermine city, county and school
officials' ability to do what they think is best for their
communities.
The Florida League of Cities may also ask Crist to veto the
bill.
The bill would not stop elected officials from individually
voicing their opinions on ballot initiatives. It would stop
local
governments from using money under their control on
political advertisements or other elections communications
that provide anything other than statements of fact on local
and state ballot initiatives.
A spokesman for Crist said the bill hadn't reached
Crist's desk. When it does, the governor has 14 days to sign
it, veto it or let it pass into law without his signature.
St.
Petersburg Democrat Charlie Justice, the
bill's Senate sponsor, repeatedly cited what happened in
Volusia in 2006 while arguing for the bill.
That year, almost a dozen cities contributed about $200,000 to
defeating county charter amendments proposed by the County
Council-appointed Charter Review Commission and the council.
They said the amendments would gut city officials' and
residents' authority to decide what was best in their cities.
The county set aside $50,000 for what it called an
information-only campaign. The School Board also got involved,
creating fliers and sending students home with letters. Those
efforts were to be paid for by a different political committee.
But opponents say the proposed law is rife with problems.
For one thing, determining what's factual versus
what's advocacy would be a source of confusion and litigation,
said Cragin Mosteller, a spokeswoman for the Florida Association of
Counties.
"The concern is that the ongoing litigation would mean
that the counties aren't sharing critical information, and
that's a real disservice to the taxpayers," she said.
Opponents also question the proposal's legality. The
Florida Supreme
Court, for example, has upheld the use of public money to
advocate on local referendums.
But not all local officials oppose the restriction.
While County Councilwoman Pat
Northey, who served on the Charter Review Commission, said she has
some concerns, she also said she agrees with the principle.
"I think it's really a question of advocacy versus
education," Northey said. "There is a line there. . . .
It's not quite as gray to me, having gone through it."
