Senators in Tallahassee kill anti-corruption bill

TALLAHASSEE -- The Florida Senate will not pass legislation to strengthen prosecutions of public corruption this year, a committee decided Monday.

Members of the Senate Ethics and Governmental Oversight Committee rejected a bill backed by USA TODAY Network news sites in Florida that contained a statewide grand jury’s top two recommendations.

The vote was 4-1 against advancing a bill sponsored by Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, a former Senate president.

Consequently, state attorneys will continue to struggle to bring charges and win convictions in bribery and bid-tampering cases.

The committee members, mostly from South Florida and the Tampa Bay area, offered few comments about corruption or its impact on taxpayers.

Instead, Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, echoed concerns of building and road contractors who opposed a provision that would subject them for the first time to statutes on bribery and bid tampering. Three members expressed shock and frustration that media advocacy had led to sponsorship of the bill.

“I’m still hung up on the contractor portion,” Latvala said. “Will giving turkeys at Christmastime become illegal under this bill? …  We’re reaching into private business practices, potentially.”

Arthur Jacobs, representing the 20 state attorneys who supported the bill, said that wouldn’t be the case.

“This is not a gift ban, it’s a corruption ban,” Gaetz told the panel.

Reed: Fighting for anti-corruption bill in Tallahassee

A second provision of the anti-corruption bill would have ended an unusual burden on Florida prosecutors. They must prove not only that defendants acted illegally, but that they did so with corrupt thoughts or intent. That all but requires a confession, prosecutors said.

The Legislation was endorsed by Florida’s 20 state attorneys. Attorney General Pam Bondi called for holding contractors accountable in an advisory opinion.

Voting “no” against the reforms were Sens. Latvala, Dwight Bullard, D-Miami, Jeremy Ring, D-Margate, and Jeremy Legg, R-Lutz.

Voting “yes” was Sen. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla.

The bill had the support of USA TODAY Network news sites, including FLORIDA TODAY, The News-Press in Fort Myers, the Tallahassee Democrat and the Pensacola News Journal. The news site proposed what they called model language to address issues raised in the grand jury report.

Sen. Latvalla said he was uncomfortable with news sites proposing legislation.

Unclear late Monday was the fate of a companion House bill introduced by Rep. Ritch Workman, R-Melbourne, and the House Rules, Calendar and Ethics committee.  Workman earlier predicted the bill would pass the House.