Topic: FL Dept. of Citrus

The State Board of Education meets this week to consider, among other things, Education Commissioner Tony Bennett's plan to ease up on school grading as Common Core standards are implemented. There will also be revenue estimating conferences to consider the state's income from gaming, tobacco taxes and school trust funds, and the state of the Florida Economy. And there will be a teleconference to discuss finding sponsors for seven state trails.

This week the Board of Governors meets, the citrus industry holds its annual conference, the Bob Graham Center gives its citizen of the year award, there are meetings about coral reefs, and the Florida Democratic Party holds its Jefferson-Jackson Weekend.

The Florida Current summarizes the 2013 legislative session as Democrats push Scott to call a special session for health care and environmental groups question whether the state can sell enough of its land to make the $70 million allocation for land acquisition to work.

This week the EDR discusses Medicaid costs, the PSC talks about the Crystal River nuclear power plant, there will be an education summit in Orlando, a panel discussion about PPACA, and several revenue conferences by the Office of Economic and Demographic Research.

This week the Florida Public Service Commission has a week of hearings about the nuclear cost recovery clause, the Task Force on Citizen Safety and Protection, and the Board of Governors hold meetings as well as the Joint Legislative Budget Commission and several water management districts.

In 2011 the Legislature made Senate confirmation part of the process to pick the Department of Citrus' executive director, a move viewed as a power play by JD Alexander, the powerful chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. HB 1237 would return appointment authority to the Florida Citrus Commission and is moving in the House as an industry consensus bill.

It this short week, the full Senate will consider congressional redistricting and reapportionment, the House Redistricting Committee will workshop its redistricting maps, House committees will consider special districts and reclaimed water legislation, Senate Rules will look at prison privatization and the Everglades Foundation holds an Everglades Water Supply Summit.

The Legislature's requirement that the executive director be confirmed by the Senate was viewed by some as a power play by Senate Budget Committee Chairman JD Alexander. Rep. Ben Albritton, a Florida Citrus Commission chairman, filed HB 1237, which deletes the 2011 law change and requires the director to serve at the pleasure of the commission.