Post # 355, Bob McKnight's Florida Commentary
"Senator, a bill should be hard to pass. Full and complete debate is essential for a Democracy to flourish."
Florida Senator Jerry Thomas, D., Tequesta
Former Democrat Vermont Governor, Dr. Howard Dean has often said that the Democrats need to have a rebirth of the party at the local level before addressing national politics. I have often had similar feelings after being in the Florida House of Representatives and Senate as a Democrat in the '70s and '80s.
If Democrats want to win elections in Florida, how would they re-engineer themselves at the state legislative level?
First, I believe the Democrats should look at who should do it. Since leadership as the Chair of the Florida Democratic Party is currently under review, I will pass over that very important position and focus on the legislative leadership:
Senate Minority Leader Jason Pizzo, an attorney from Hollywood.
House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, an attorney from Hillsborough County.
Democrats in Florida are very fortunate to have these two legislative leaders because they are experienced, smart, and committed to the 'party of the people.' I offer the following agenda for their consideration:
Inventory the 3 issues of most importance to their colleagues based on aggressive canvassing of their constituents. I have volunteered these three to narrow the priorities and highlight their importance. Having only 3 to start with makes it easier to track them for accountability. In my mind, three priority issues for the Democrats could very well be:
Fund public education at a class size of 15.
Make reapportionment independent of the legislature.
Re-establish sunshine in government meetings.
These issues are some that I feel will immediately move the Democratic Party back into a major policy role. Other issues may be more important, based on individual preferences.
However, these will put public education back as a priority with a measurable metric. Reapportionment is the reason we have lost the cleansing benefit of bipartisanship. Yes, the Republicans, with a slight majority in registrations, should still control the process, but the balance will no longer be 70-30% denying any serious negotiations. The final issue of public disclosure has been ripped away to make it easier to govern. As my mentor, the late Senator Jerry Thomas (a Democrat, then a Republican) said to me once, "Senator, a law should be hard to pass. Thorough and exhaustive debate is essential for a Democracy to function." That is not the case today and the public has suffered because of it.
With the #1 Agenda of inventorying priority issues, the Democrats can take the next step of moving down the road of reform, which I propose to identify in future posts.
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