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House Debate on Bill Ends for the Evening

Posted Jun 13, 2007 by Jerome R. Stockfisch, Tallahassee Bureau

Updated Jun 13, 2007 at 10:32 PM

The Florida House ended its discussion on property tax reform just after 10 tonight.

Representatives met for a rare 6 p.m. House session and discussed the legislation following a day of caustic discourse that reflected how blatantly partisan the tax debate has turned. Republicans support a package, unveiled last Friday evening, that could roll back tax bills an average of 44 percent, while Democrats say the cuts go too deep and could gut school spending. Democrats also complained that the legislation surfaced late and has been rushed through the special session without adequate review.

“Opponents of property tax relief have opposed every plan that has been offered to date,” said House speaker Marco Rubio, R-West Miami, one of the authors of the legislation. “Every single plan has been too big a cut. Every single plan has been too complicated. Every single plan has been the same, ‘We need to slow down, we need to be deliberate.’ Well, you know what? The time for talking is done.”

Rep. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, shot back: “We may have been talking about this for six months, but if that’s the case, why are we waiting until Friday night to provide details, and why are we waiting until the beginning of session to literally get the bill itself? It just seems to me that this is too important to play games with the process.”

The Senate is scheduled to take up the legislation beginning at 9 a.m. tomorrow and the House resumes debate at noon.