Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Mitch Perry Report 3.5.13 - The 2013 Florida Legislative session has begun
Posted by Mitch Perry on Tue, Mar 5, 2013 at 7:59 AM
The day before the 2013 Florida Legislative session commencement, Congresswoman Kathy Castor held a brief news conference at Tampa General Hospital. She referred to positive comments about Medicaid expansion made by Tampa Bay area state senators like Tom Lee and Jack Latvala as evidence that they would follow Rick Scott's lead in approving his recommendation.
And the Florida House? Castor admitted that they "have been more subdued about it."
About an hour after she made that comment, the House committee looking into the Affordable Care Act (ACA) voted 10-5 to not expand Medicaid coverage, with all the Republicans rebuking their governor in rejecting the pact.
Now what? The Florida Senate's committee looking into the ACA was supposed to vote on the issue, but postponed it as they await more economic analysis of the deal, which will come later this week.
Will Gov. Scott mention his support of this huge deal later this morning when he addresses the Legislature? He might as well own it, despite its lack of popularity with substantial chunks of his own party.
Scott gives his State of the State Address this morning at 11. Initial excerpts released reveal that Scott is going to talk enthusiastically about public school teachers. There have been no press reports about him talking about Medicaid expansion.
Today begins day five of the sequester across this great land. In purely symbolic news, Congresswoman Castor told CL yesterday that she fully supports Sen. Bill Nelson's legislation that would cut lawmakers' pay to the same percentage as federal workers who are being furloughed.
And while talk about immigration reform continues to be a topic amongst Republicans as they look to recover from 2012, hardly any notice is being given to the fact that Asian-Americans are actually a faster growing demographic, and their support is hardening toward the Democrats.
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