Florida legislators get constituents' wish lists

• Indian River Lagoon cleanup and restoration a top goal of many speakers at forum
• Supervisor of Elections Lori Scott supports plan to allowing online voter registration
• Road project priorities include St. Johns Heritage Parkway, Ellis Road, State Road A1A
• Speakers push for Florida measures assuring equality, regardless of sexual orientation or gender

Sixty-one speakers made their cases Thursday to Brevard County's delegation to the Florida Legislature, giving them ideas and wish lists in advance of the 2015 legislative session that begins in March.

For the two state senators and three Florida House members in attendance, it was an information-packed five hours at the Brevard County Government Center in Viera. They heard comments on such topics as the environment, education, election reform, transportation and social issues.

Here is a sampling of what came up at their annual legislative delegation meeting:

• Environment: A number of speakers urged the legislative delegation to continue funding the cleanup efforts for the Indian River Lagoon. The Florida Legislature this year targeted about $23 million for various lagoon restoration projects within Brevard County.

Titusville Mayor Jim Tulley said lagoon restoration is not only an environmental issue, but one of economics, health and quality of life for the region.

"We understand it's not going to get solved overnight," Tulley said.

• Education: Representatives of the Brevard Federation of Teachers and several grass-roots organizations expressed concern about what some speakers called "high-stakes standardized tests" administered in the public schools.

Anthony Colucci, an elementary school teacher and political coordinator of the Brevard Federation of Teachers, said: "Standardized tests offer an incomplete picture," when it comes to evaluating the performance of students and their teachers.

This issue generated the most comment among the legislators of anything that came up at the forum.

Senate President Andy Gardiner said the legislators have "got to find a balance, where there is accountability" for student and teacher performance.

• Elections reform: Brevard County Supervisor of Elections Lori Scott suggested that the state simplify the voting process by allowing online voter registration, which she said is allowed in 20 states.

She also said she would like to see expansion of the acceptable forms of identification at polling places to include Department of Veterans Affairs cards, passport cards and concealed weapons permits.

Bob White, chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida, said he would like to see campaign financing reforms to eliminate the possibility of unlimited campaign contributions to political committees.

• Transportation: Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization executive director Bob Kamm and Brevard County Commission vice chair Jim Barfield requested state financial support for major local transportation projects. These include development of the St. Johns Heritage Parkway system in South Brevard; construction of the Ellis Road interchange of Interstate 95 and widening Ellis Road to four lanes; and implementing improvements to the State Road A1A corridor from Pineda Causeway to Port Canaveral.

Monique Miller of Melbourne Beach said the state should "protect Florida taxpayers from endless subsidies for Amtrak and Amtrak partnership routes" within Florida.

• Social issues: Clayton Richardson of Satellite Beach, representing Space Coast Pride, asked the legislators to pass legislation that would prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing and on the job for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender residents of Florida.

Milly Krause, legislative chair of the Democratic Women's Club, asked the legislators to push for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which was three states short in the ratification process that required approval of three-quarters of the states. The ratification deadline has passed, but woman's rights organizations are still pushing for ratification in states that have not done so.

Contact Berman at 321-242-3649 or dberman@floridatoday.com Follow him on Twitter at @ByDaveBerman and on Facebook at facebook.com/dave.berman.54