Call this the first installment of the "bills are dying" watch for the 2009 session.
With just days left in this year's session, Sen. Alex Villalobos, R-Miami, remains amazed that he can't get his "Truth in Government Act" to move very far in the Florida House again this year. Villalobos has been trying for several years to require that anyone who testifies before the Legislature to be subjected to an oath that they swear to tell the truth. The oath can be administered orally or it can be included on the appearance form that someone fills out in order to testify before a legislative panel. The legislation could be timely considering the recent Leon County grand jury report that indicted former House Speaker Ray Sansom, R-Destin, and ripped the Legislature for being too secretive in how it crafts the state budget.
"When people have so much distrust in their government and are so cynical about it, what would be the harm in requiring people to tell the truth when testifying before a committee?" asked Villalobos.
The Villalobos legislation, SB 1574, has cleared its main Senate committees and is ready to head to the floor. But the House version has stalled after making it through one committee.
House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, R-Boca Raton, said one of the potential problems with the Villalobos bill is that it would apply the same standard to "visitors to the Capitol" as "opposed to registered lobbyists." He also noted that legislative committees have the option currently to swear witnesses in if they want to do it. But that said Hasner was not ruling out that the legislation could still get passed in the waning days of the session.
"It's something with 10 days to go before the end of the session we might consider still,'' said Hasner.
Just what we need, giving the power-hungry CFO another vehicle to promote herself. She really wants to avenge Bill's trouncing and she will do anything to be Governor.
Posted by: Bill | April 23, 2009 at 02:45 PM