Never on the Sideline

FLC staff continually monitoring the legislative season

by Casey Cook, Florida League of Cities

I like to compare preparation for the annual legislative session to a professional football season. We have the pre-season games that include the summer months during which legislators work on proposed bills, with some of them filed by September. The regular season runs from October to December as committees meet to hear the bills and give some of them a head start toward the approval process. Then, we have the Super Bowl: the actual legislative session.

Fans and sports commentators like to talk about what will happen throughout the season and who is expected to make it to Super Bowl Sunday, but the reality – as all frustrated fans know – is that any number of things can change in the leadup to the final game.

While there is little we can do to help our favorite football team win games, that situation is not necessarily the case with the legislative season. The Florida League of Cities legislative staff makes sure that members have the best information about what is happening with proposed bills and issues that affect cities in Florida so members can help their favorite bills. Staff members continually identify and monitor proposed or potential legislation to try to predict what big issues need the League’s focus and what other issues need to be monitored.

There are over 3,000 bills filed each session, and legislative staff members read each one, then flag any bills that directly or indirectly affect FLC members. The total is usually between 500 and 600 bills that include proposed rules that might impact a city. The most common issues relate to statewide laws that take away from a city’s local decision-making ability or impose mandates with no associated funding.

These are important issues that negatively impact a city’s ability to serve its residents. Statewide mandates are difficult because our cities have unique, differing needs that can’t be served with a one-sizefits-all law. The best decisions are made at the local level, where the people who live there and their representatives determine how to handle issues such as zoning, rules for business and guidelines for citizens.

Similarly, state-issued mandates that are not funded at the state level are challenging for some cities without the resources to implement the required programs. In many cases, the municipality has to look at increasing taxes on residents or pulling funds from another program, no matter how popular that park, recreation program or service might be.

One thing that will make this session unusual is the redistricting process that occurs after new U.S. census data is released. There will be a great deal of time spent on re-drawing districts, debating and voting on the new plan, which might limit the number of bills that make it to the floor for a vote. Another reason we may see some bills stall is the November 2022 election. Lawmakers are typically hesitant to push any bills that might appear controversial during an election year.

No matter how many bills are created, presented or considered, the FLC legislative affairs staff will continue to monitor progress to keep members informed and ask for help lobbying or educating lawmakers when needed.

Casey Cook is the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Florida League of Cities.

2022 LEGISLATIVE ACTION AGENDA

Florida League of Cities members adopted five legislative priorities for the 2022 Legislative Session at the League’s annual conference in August. The five priorities are:

▸ Short-Term Rentals

▸ Communications Services Tax Reform

▸ Tree Protection

▸ Transportation Funding

▸ Economic Development Incentives.

In addition to these five priority issues, the League adopted five policy positions:

▸ Local Business Tax Preservation

▸ Annexation

▸ Cybersecurity

▸ Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

▸ Affordable Housing.

The entire Legislative Action Agenda is enclosed in this issue of Quality Cities. For weekly updates on individual bills and opportunities to stay updated during the session, go to bit.ly/3CCEDeY. You can also text “LOCAL VOICES” to 50457 to receive text alerts on important issues.

Photo courtesy of Sydney Fraser