Rancor, political games take toll on Mike Haridopolos in lawmaking session
TALLAHASSEE —
The end of the lawmaking session Saturday should have been Mike Haridopolos#x2019; triumph #x2013; a celebration of the Republican agenda that the Florida Senate president touts in his US Senate race.
But Haridopolos was a model of dejection. It was the middle of the night #x2014; 3:35 am #x2014; and the session had unraveled in its final hours, with Republicans fighting Republicans, Senate vs. House.
To end this way is a major disappointment to me personally, he told reporters.
The man he called his #x201C;friend,#x201D; House Speaker Dean Cannon, helped put him in this predicament. The two are the Florida Legislature#x2019;s most powerful lawmakers. Legislating had given way to gamesmanship, settling scores and an embarrassing Republican Party family feud that overshadowed Gov. Rick Scott#x2019;s first session.
#x201C;I just candidly never saw this coming,#x201D; said Haridopolos, who tried to accommodate Cannon all session. But Haridopolos#x2019; concessions only sowed resentment with rank-and-file senators. They revolted ostensibly over seemingly obscure policy issues: regulating commercial interior designers and mold removers.
House members retaliated by killing Senate bills and stripping a gambling deal from a tax-cut bill that helped operators of amusement arcade games like Whac-A-Mole. That forced the Senate into the wee hours as bleary-eyed senators were rousted from bed, bars or their offices.
Cannon seemed to relish the spectacle. #x201C;Looking forward to watching the FL Senate pass $126 million in tax relief,#x201D; he said on Twitter, one of scores of House lawmakers who watched the conclusion of the political drama on their office televisions.
Two and half hours earlier, he suggested Haridopolos had no control over his Senate and that he broke his word because the Senate rejected previously agreed-upon bills.
#x201C;In light of the Senate#x2019;s inability to meet that obligation,#x201D; Cannon said just after 2 am, #x201C;I#x2019;ve decided that our chamber would take the high road #x2014;that we would live up to our agreement.#x201D;
Five minutes later, Cannon sent the House home, telling reporters that personality clashes Friday and Saturday were partly rooted in deep budget cuts. Still, Cannon said, the session was a #x201C;smashing success#x201D; and that the personality clash was a #x201C;hiccup.#x201D;
Haridopolos#x2019; criticized the House for refusing to compensate Eric Brody and William Dillon. The former, a Broward County man, was paralyzed by a sheriff#x2019;s deputy. The latter, from Brevard County, was wrongly imprisoned for 27 years for a murder he didn#x2019;t commit.
Amid the finger-pointing, Democrats were amused. They control less than a third of the membership in the House and Senate. Some gloated at the chaotic scene as the two friends clashed.
Haridopolos, 41, and Cannon, 42, share secrets. The two helped pressure Jim Greer to quit as former Republican Party of Florida Chairman by signing a contract, which gave him a generous severance and essentially cleared him of financial wrongdoing. Greer was later charged with ripping off party money #x2013; a charge Greer says was politically motivated by Haridopolos, Cannon and their Republican allies.
The lingering bitterness between Haridopolos and Cannon could endure and complicate efforts in January when lawmakers redraw congressional and legislative seats to reflect population changes.