by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
State Rep. Mike Weinstein took a break from the Legislature and serving on Gov.-elect Rick Scott’s transition team Monday to share some thoughts about politics and the new administration with the Rotary Club of Jacksonville.
Weinstein was the director of the City’s Administration and Finance Department under mayors Ed Austin and John Delaney and also led Jacksonville’s successful campaign to bring the Super Bowl here in 2005.
In addition to representing District 19 in the Florida House of Representatives, he’s also executive director of the State Attorney’s Office for the Fourth Judicial Circuit.
Weinstein said since he was elected in 2008, he has gained an understanding of how the lawmaking process works in the state capital. “It’s as political as it is in Washington,” he said, referring to the nation’s capital.
Weinstein said he and his colleagues are prompted from the floor on how to vote on every bill and they are fully expected to follow instructions.
“After I voted against Senate Bill 6, I was called into the speaker’s office and told I couldn’t be trusted,” said Weinstein.
In another instance, he said, a committee chair expressed an opinion that went against the party line. By the next day, “Not only was he no longer chair, he wasn’t even on the committee.”
One issue is the volume of legislation that’s introduced and must make its way through the process during the 60-day session. He’d like to see that changed.
“There were 1,200 new bills filed in the House and 1,500 filed in the Senate. Three hundred of them were passed and 280 were signed by the governor,” said Weinstein, who would support a limit of no more than 500 new pieces of legislation to be filed for each session.
He also said the state is involved with issues that could be better handled by neighborhoods, families, churches and synagogues.
“Name an ailment that has a nonprofit organization, and the state’s in it. If the state is going to be the safety net, we have to take in more revenue,” said Weinstein.
He described a culture of “redistributing wealth.”
“We take money from the citizens and then the Legislature decides which charities benefit. Maybe we need to take a look at that,” he said.
Weinstein also talked about his experience on the transition team and made a few predictions.
“You’re going to see some bold moves from this governor,” he said.
“There will not be any new taxes or new programs, and a moratorium on impact fees is on the table,” said Weinstein.
He said Scott looks at every issue from a business standpoint.
“He wants to study the return on investment on every decision he’s going to make,” said Weinstein. “He’s pure, 100 percent business and he doesn’t have a political bone in his body. It’s going to be very exciting for business.”
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