On Friday, March 26, 2010,
HB 303 passed the Florida House
Government Operations Appropriations Committee with a unanimous vote. (The Staff Analysis link has not yet been updated with the vote tally)
The favorable vote is actually for a Committee Substitute (CS) bill. This is due to amendments suggested as a result of negotiations late Thursday evening. A group of opponents, including Bank of America, SunTrust and headed by a team from
LPS (owners of
LSI) posed a threat to the bill. LPS had been meeting with one of the members of the committee and she was leaning towards opposition. The Committee Chair suggested we meet and attempt to work things out.
After a nearly four hour meeting, changes were agreed to, an amendment drafted and sent to the committee staff for drafting. We shook hands close to 10:00 P.M.
Although the meeting started at 8:30 A.M, HB 303 was the last bill heard. Believing we had a deal, the proponents of the bill waived speaking in support. To our surprise, the LPS representative rose and spoke in opposition. After fielding questions from several of the committee members, including several stinging inquiries from
Rep. Workman, a co-sponsor of the bill, the Chair weighed in.
Rep. Alan Hays, Chair of the Committee, had poked his head in on the negotiating meeting around 9:30 P.M. the night before. At that time, he asked how things were going and was pleased to hear we were all in agreement and had resolved a number of issues. When he addressed the LPS representative at the committee meeting, he reminded him of the comments made the night before, asked if they were true, and expressed his amazement at his change of mind and opposition to the deal he agreed to the night before.
There was no debate on the bill, and the vote was unanimous in favor.
If possible, express your gratitude to the bill's sponsor,
Rep. Hudson, the cosponsors,
Rep. Nehr and
Rep. Workman. Include the Committee Chair,
Rep. Hays and Committee member
Rep. Wood.
Appraisers should also know the Florida Association of Realtors really stepped up to the plate on this one too. There were four FAR Legislative Team Staff members attending.
Florida Realtors also facilitated the negotiating session on Thursday evening. This bill is one of their Legislative Priorities for 2010. Trey Goldman of FAR is really helping on this bill.
