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Elected Officials Respond To Abrupt Ending Of House Session
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Tuesday, Florida House
Speaker Steve Crisafulli
abruptly ended the 2015 ses- sion after declaring they had reached an impasse. The im- passe mainly concerns $4 bil- lion in proposed health care funding, but the abrupt end- ing of the session could also affect other bills that are pending.
State Senate President Andy Gardiner said House members violated the State Constitution by ending the session early quoting, “Nei- ther House shall adjourn for more than seventy-two con- secutive hours except pur- suant to concurrent resolution.”
The two legislative bodies, both Republican-controlled, are divided over Medicaid ex- pansion. Local officials have shared their comments about the sudden ending of the House’s session.
State Rep. Janet Cruz
said, “After the chaos that House Republicans stirred this Session, Tuesday's devel- opments should be no sur- prise. Instead of working together for the people of Florida – finding a way to de- liver health coverage to al- most about 800,000 people - they threw a tantrum.
“They failed working fami-
JANET CRUZ State Representative
lies. When the House Repub- licans did not get what they wanted, they took their ball and went home. This is the Florida House not grade school.”
State Rep. Ed Narain
said, “I am deeply concerned with the way the Florida House ended the 2015 regular legislative session. We are here to do the work of the people and the House has failed our most vulnerable cit- izens. Too many working Floridians don’t have health care coverage.
“The expansion of Medicaid should have been a top prior- ity and instead has become an ideological wedge that has stopped this session from being productive.
“In the words of Dr. King, ‘The time is always right to do the right thing.’ Let’s stop the
ED NARAIN State Representative
games and do the right thing by Floridians, no matter how long it takes.”
State Senator Arthenia Joyner released the follow- ing statement on Wednesday:
“Barring the House’s re- turn, this legislative session will likely be remembered not so much for what it accom- plished, but for what it didn’t.
“A small cadre of insular House Republicans managed to derail not only legislation that would have delivered some badly needed reform to our deeply troubled prison system, but programs to help disabled Floridians attend college and find work. They doomed bills to boost sur- vivors’ benefits for police and firefighters felled in the line of duty, a program to help care for law enforcement dogs re- tired from faithful service,
ARTHENIA JOYNER Senate Democratic Leader
and legislation to break the bureaucratic logjam bottle- necking medical marijuana from the desperate patients who need it. Even water pro- tection was added to the casu- alty list.
“Long on radical rhetoric and short on meaningful com- promise, the Speaker and his top budget lieutenant – in likely violation of the Consti- tution - gaveled down the House in a brazen display of their disdain for the 1 million Floridians left to expensive hospital emergency care, and hospital emergency rooms left to their own devices to pay for that care. This fight is not about accepting federal money. Neither the governor nor the House leadership has said a single peep about re- turning a dime of the $26 bil- lion in federal funds on which
Mrs. Miller’s family mem- bers, Karen Anderson and Au-
the current state budget rests. Rather, this fight is about po- litical dogma and their open hostility to anything associ- ated with Obamacare.
“To its credit, the Florida Senate has been intent on crafting a healthcare policy bridging the principles of Re- publicans with that of Democ- rats, carefully weaving a compassionate compromise blending an extension of med- ical care with personal re- sponsibility. And it delivered. The Senate’s plan is a self- funding, job creating and tax saving boon to the people of this state – no matter the House’s mind-numbing spin. The Senate’s FHIX plan not only makes good sense, it rep- resents real help to the 1 mil- lion uninsured abandoned by the House, and the many mil- lions more still paying with their tax dollars for healthcare the House and governor ob- stinately refuse to let the peo- ple of Florida have.
“Once negotiations begin to convene a special session to reach a budget compromise, I urge the Senate to remain committed to our healthcare expansion plan. Because standing alongside you are not only the voices of Repub- lican and Democratic Sena- tors - along with House Democrats - but the voices of 1 million Floridians looking to you to stand strong for them. Do not let them down.”
Mrs. Miller received a bou- tique of flowers from Keith An- derson.
Former City Councilwoman Gets Prestigious Award
During Women’s History Month, former City Councilwoman Gwendolyn “Gwen” Miller re- ceived the prestigious Josephine Howard Stafford Award during the 19th annual celebration honor- ing the accomplishments of women in the City of Tampa. This year’s theme was “Weaving the Stories of Women’s Lives.”
drey Dawson attendance.
were in
Honoree, Mrs. Gwen Miller is shown with her husband, County Commissioner Les Miller.
Jeanette Fenton, left, and Shirley Foxx-Knowles attended the celebration.
Former City Councilwoman Mary Alvarez was also in at- tendance..
Mindy Synder was at the cel- ebration to congratulate Mrs. Miller.
PAGE 4 FLORIDA SENTINEL-BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015