Gov. Rick Scott has called the Legislature into a special session to finalize the state budget. The session is scheduled for June 7 to June 9, 2017.

Gov. Scott and House Speaker Richard Corcoran, who were at odds throughout the 2017 session, struck a deal on the budget and a controversial education bill, providing an increase in spending for charter schools.

Absent from the governor’s call is the issue of medical marijuana sales, despite overwhelming citizen approval of a 2016 ballot measure. A two-thirds vote by lawmakers, however, could expand the focus of the special session.

Gov. Rick Scott set the dates for a special election for House District 44. The primary election will be held on August 15, 2017, with the general election on October 10, 2017.

The District 44 seat opened when Rep. Eric Eisnaugle was appointed as a judge of the Fifth District Court of Appeals.

Several Republican candidates have already opened campaign accounts as well as one Democrat.

Gov. Rick Scott has issued an executive order setting a special election for House District 116.

Rep. Jose Felix Diaz is leaving his post to run for the Senate District 40 seat vacated following Frank Artiles’ resignation.

The primary and general elections will be held the same day as the Senate races. The primary will be on July 25 and the general to follow on September 26.

Gov. Rick Scott signed an executive order setting the dates for a special election to replace Sen. Frank Artiles. A special primary will be held on July 25, 2017, followed by a special general election on September 26.

Artiles resigned from the District 40 seat last month after calling fellow senators by racist and sexist names while having drinks at the Governors Club.

Senate District 40 is located in southwest Miami-Dade County.

The Florida Legislature adjourned the 2017 regular session on Monday, May 8, 2017.

Lawmakers extended the session an extra day after failing to reach an agreement on the state budget, despite Republican majorities in both houses.

The $82.4 billion budget was $1.1 billion less than Gov. Rick Scott’s proposal, leaving open the possibility of at least a partial veto.

A special session also remains possible to deal with implementing the medical marijuana amendment passed by voters last year.

After making inflammatory remarks about his African-American colleagues, Sen. Frank Artiles resigned from the state legislature. Artiles faced mounting pressure to step down following an outburst at a private Tallahassee club directed toward Democratic Sens. Audrey Gibson and Perry Thurston. He also referred to fellow Republicans by a racial slur.

Artiles later apologized for his comments on the floor of the Senate, but it was not enough to quell the outrage from both sides of the aisle.

Gov. Rick Scott will schedule a special election to fill the Senate District 40 seat and, in the meantime, Artiles’ staff will remain in place to serve constituents.

Following in the path of the state’s House of Representatives, Hillsborough County Commissioners approved a measure banning text messages and other electronic communications with lobbyists during commission meetings.

First introduced in December, the initial proposal only placed restrictions and obligations on lobbyists; however, two amendments were approved to create responsibilities for commissioners as well.

Commissioners, like lobbyists, must disclose to the lobbyist registration manager any unavoidable communications and commissioners will be subject to fines for violations. The measure passed by five votes to two.

The Florida House passed a bill today to create greater separation between lawmakers and lobbyists.

House Bill 7003 increases the time former public officials must wait before lobbying from two to six years.

The measure continues a trend set by the new House Speaker, Richard Corcoran, who began the session by implementing new rules to change lobbying practices and increase public confidence in the legislature.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Larry Metz, believes the new restriction will prevent legislators from favoring lobbyists in order to land high-paying jobs after leaving office.

The Tampa Ethics Office launched an online system for lobbyists to log meetings with city officials. The system replaces the paper lobbyist disclosure form.

Just like in the past, a log entry must be submitted within three days of a meeting with a city official.

Currently, the system functions only as a means to submit meeting logs, however, in the future it is expected to also allow for electronic submission of the annual expenditure report.

A proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution seeks to slow the revolving door between public officials and lobbyists.

Currently, members of the legislature, statewide officials, and appointed officials must wait two years before lobbying on behalf of a principal.

The amendment, PCB 17-01, would extend the cooling-off period to six years. The change, proponents say, would prevent officials from ingratiating themselves to lobbyists in hopes of landing a high paying position after leaving office.

The amendment is being considered by the House Public Integrity and Ethics Committee and will be voted on at the Committee’s next meeting.

The Florida House is offering training sessions to assist lobbyists in getting to know the new House Rules adopted last month. A seminar will be offered on December 13 and December 14, 2016, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Room 404 of the House Office Building.

The training will focus on disclosure requirements and the new rules governing lobbyist and member conduct. Supplementary information and tutorials are available on the House’s website, www.myfloridahouse.gov, and lobbyists are encouraged to review the materials prior to attending a training session.

Photo of the Old and New Florida State Capitols by Infrogmation on Wikimedia Commons.

Both chambers of the Florida Legislature held organizational sessions yesterday, Nov. 22, 2016. Agenda items included selection of House and Senate leadership, administering the oath of office for new members and approving the rules governing the upcoming session.

Newly minted Speaker Richard Corcoran’s agenda to reduce the influence of lobbyists will take effect during the next session through the approved House Rules. Among the changes, lobbyists are now required to disclose the issues they are lobbying by filing an electronic notice of appearance; former members of the Legislature are prohibited from lobbying the House for six years; and no member of the House may accept private plane travel from a lobbyist or a corporation employing lobbyists.

The Senate also passed its rules but did not make such sweeping changes.

Speaker-Designate Richard Corcoran recently proposed sweeping changes to House Rules for when lawmakers return to Tallahassee next year. Corcoran is specifically taking aim at lobbyists and their interactions with House members.

Some of the proposed changes include banning lobbyists from texting lawmakers while in committee or in the House chamber, proposing a constitutional amendment banning elected officials from lobbying for six years after leaving office, and requiring lobbyists to disclose the bill or amendment they are trying to influence.

Newly elected lawmakers will be sworn in on November 22, 2016, and the 2017 regular session will begin on March 7.

Miami Beach residents rejected two ballot measures looking to ease certain restrictions on lobbyists.

The first would have allowed architects and landscape architects to serve on city land-use boards and work on city projects at the same time, as long as they do not lobby for a project they would eventually vote on. Currently, these architects are not allowed to serve on a land-use board while working on a project for the city.

The second measure would have allowed lobbyists to forego filing an annual statement if they did not spend or receive money for lobbying during the year. Lobbyists currently must file annual reports regardless of their level of activity, and they are subject to fines for failing to do so.