Same as Marriage Amendment?
Comparisons are being made between Amendment 2 in 2006 and a proposed amendment to ban oil exploration. The big differ- ence between the marriage amendment and the ban on drilling is that the marriage amendment was put on the ballot by over600,000 Floridians, not legislators, after a lengthy petition drive. The Florida Legislature refused to put the amendment on the bal- lot.
Also, supporters contended the need for the amendment was made necessary by the numerous legal challenges across the coun- try to various states’ marriage laws. Judges were overturning laws passed by elected officials. It is highly unlikely that judges will overturn the state’s long-standing ban on oil exploration in Florida waters.
Additionally, any cost comparisons are specious, as the money spent on Amendment 2 was private dollars, not the taxpayer dol- lars being spent this week by calling the Legislature into special session to ban an activity that is already banned in Florida.
Special Session Update
This week the Legislature convened for a Special Session called by Governor Crist to consider placing a constitutional amend- ment banning offshore oil drilling on the November ballot. I have been asked to share my thoughts about the Special Session w ith many of you and we thought it appropriate to communicate directly with you on this issue. Due to their costly nature, Special Sessions are typically reserved for emergency situations. Current state and federal law bans drilling off the shores of Florida and the Governor’s call did not include allow us to consider ANY assistance for those hurt by the current emergency in the Gulf. Thus, gathering in Tallahassee to debate a constitutional amendment for November’s election that simply duplicates current law andfails to address the current crisis did not in my opinion constitute an appropriate Special Session call. Read the rest of this entry »
McKeel Questions Crist Vetoes (The Ledger, July 12, 2010)
From The Ledger:
BARTOW | Gov. Charlie Crist’s budget vetoes heavily affected Polk County this year, indicating decisions were made for other than budgetary reasons, Rep. Seth McKeel said today. Read more…
Update from Seth McKeel
As we celebrate our nation’s independence, let us pause to remember the courage our founding fathers demonstrated for the sake of liberty and the promise of prosperity. As tyrants sought to keep control of the American colonies, tax them into oblivion and cut them off from all commerce and trade, many supported the path of least resistance and argued for unconditional submission to Britain. People thought the drafters of the Declaration of Independence were crazy to be taking such big risks at such a perilous economic time. But history has taught us this: it’s times like these when leadership and vision matter the most. Because of the bravery and boldness of a few strong leaders 234 years ago, our country was set on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. Read the rest of this entry »
Water Quality and House Bill HM 1589
For several months I’ve been speaking out against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s imposition of federal water standards for Florida. Despite our national leadership in water quality improvement and large-scale restoration programs, Florida is being singled out by the EPA. Read the rest of this entry »
Higher Education Make Top 10 Report
As I’ve often said, Florida’s economic recovery will depend on our ability to diversify the state’s economy. Our higher education system plays a key role in that effort. Last week, Community College Week’s annual Top 10 Report revealed that Florida colleges lead America’s more than 1,200 community colleges in providing a high-quality affordable education. Read the rest of this entry »
FCAT Scores Released
This week Florida’s long- awaited FCAT scores were released. You may have read about a delay due to a computer failure at NCS Pearson, the company contracted by the state to score the tests. The Department of Education is demanding remedies as they should. Read the rest of this entry »
Rep. Seth McKeel Response to Teacher Merit Pay Bill 6
Earlier this week the State House introduced our own version of education reform legislation that has significant differences from the original version of Senate Bill 6. I have attached a document addressing some of the concerns raised by teachers and clarifying some of the misconceptions as to what PCB PT 10-02 actually does and does not do. Read the rest of this entry »
Rep. Seth McKeel Supports Legislation Urging Washington to Stop Burdensome Regulation on Florida Fisheries
TALLAHASSEE, FL – Representative Seth McKeel (R-Lakeland) joined as a co-sponsor for House Memorial (HM) 553 which urges Congress to consider all available mechanisms to lessen the sudden impact of changes to Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation & Management Act and seeks to balance resource protection and economic prosperity in Florida. The Memorial passed the General Government Policy Council. It now moves to the Rules & Calendar Council for a vote. Read the rest of this entry »
Rep. Seth McKeel Congratulates Lakeland’s Mayor-Elect Fields, City Commissioner-Elect Walker
TALLAHASSEE, FL – State Representative Seth McKeel (R-Lakeland) issued the following statement regarding the run-off election results for Lakeland Mayor and City Commission District 1: Read the rest of this entry »
