THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA: Special Session Hampers Incombent Fundraising
Dec 2, 2009
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA published this article on December 2, 2009
By JOHN KENNEDY
THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, Dec. 2, 2009…..The upcoming special session on rail proposals is wreaking havoc with campaign fund-raising – even putting a pair of House Democratic cash-calls at NHL hockey games on ice.
Democrats are rescheduling fundraisers planned in Tampa at tonight’s Lightning-Boston Bruins game and Friday’s tilt between the Lightning and New Jersey Devils.
House Republicans postponed a fundraiser that had been planned in Orlando to avoid disrupting lawmakers looking to head toward Tallahassee for the session’s scheduled Thursday start.
“Committee week’s always a big fund-raising time,” said Florida Democratic Party spokesman Eric Jotkoff. “Next week wasn’t going to be any different.”
The scheduled Dec. 4-11 session mostly overlaps a regularly scheduled round of committee hearings at the Capitol. Such committee weeks always give lawmakers a green light for packing away the greenbacks.
But House and Senate rules prohibit incumbent lawmakers from raising money during special sessions and the regular legislative session. Although it appears unlikely to be employed, Senate rules include a provision that allows a previously scheduled event to be held if a session is suddenly called, said Florida Republican Party spokeswoman Katie Gordon Betta.
But House and Senate Democrats are erasing a handful of fundraising events planned for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week at venues just a couple blocks from the Capitol, Jotkoff said.
Meanwhile, at least some of the Republican events – involving non-incumbents — appeared likely to continue unscathed.
Pat Rooney of West Palm Beach, running for the seat being vacated by Rep. Carl Domino, R-Jupiter, is being featured at a Dec. 8 fundraiser at the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. Dana Young, a contender for term-limited Rep. Faye Culp’s Tampa-area seat, also will be in town for a Monday fundraiser at the Governor’s Club.
Also heading to Tallahassee – U.S. Senate contender Marco Rubio, the subject of a Tuesday $4,800-a-person fund-raiser at the Hotel Duval.