Palm Beach-led bill to allow some virtual meetings dies in Florida House of Representatives

Diego Diaz Lasa, Palm Beach Daily News
·2 min read
The town's Lobbyist Mathew Forrest said that while the bill, which would've allowed government bodies to hold limited online meetings, garnered some support in the Florida Senate, opposition in the state's House of Representatives led to the bills demise.
The town's Lobbyist Mathew Forrest said that while the bill, which would've allowed government bodies to hold limited online meetings, garnered some support in the Florida Senate, opposition in the state's House of Representatives led to the bills demise.

A push by the Palm Beach Town Council to allow government bodies to hold limited online meetings died this past season in the Florida House of Representatives, but lobbyist Mathew Forrest told members they should be commended for the effort.

"I do think the Town's to be commended for having the idea," Forrest, a partner in the Ballard Partners lobbying firm, told the Town Council Tuesday.

Forrest said the bill's sponsors continually referred queries from interested parties to him, signaling that lawmakers and others recognized the town as the leader and force behind it.

"So, the town is definitely leading the forefront of this," he added.

Under current state law, members of a government body must be physically present in order to conduct public business. House Bill 157/ Senate Bill 894 would have allowed government bodies to conduct limited online meetings twice a year.

The bill had its origins in the Town Council's meeting last August. Members voiced concern that the requirements for in-person meetings could deter otherwise qualified candidates from running for office. They noted that a significant portion of residents reside elsewhere during the summer.

During that meeting, the Town Council approved a motion that allowed Forrest to work with then-Town Attorney John Randolph to draft what would become HB 157/SB 894.

Support from outside Palm Beach came quickly, Forrest said Tuesday, noting that the Senate bill was sponsored by state Sen. Jennifer Bradley, R-Fleming Island, and co-sponsored by Sen. Clay Yarborough, R-Jacksonville.

The House bill was sponsored by state Rep. Michael A. Caruso, a Republican whose jurisdiction includes Palm Beach.

While the bill found some traction in the Senate, Forrest said, it made little progress in the House.

"We could not get the bill moving in the House, there is still a lot of opposition to virtual meeting on the local level," he said. "A lot of them (Representatives) see it as, 'The pandemic's over, we're all in person now.'"

However, Forrest said that with time that opinion will likely change.

"As we get further away from that kind of thinking and get more into more of this (bill) is for flexibility ... flexibility for the (town) council but also flexibility for the residents," Forrest said.

Palm Beach may have a better chance next session if Caruso is reelected, said Forrest, noting that he would be considered a senior ranking representative.

"Nothing will start in Tallahassee until November, but most notably, it is the start of what I call the next two-year cycle. We'll have a new Speaker of the Florida House, we'll have a new Senate president, new committee chairs," Forrest said. "I'm proud to say if Rep. Caruso is reelected, he will be a senior ... which is usually the most influential time they have."

Diego Diaz Lasa is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at dlasa@pbdailynews.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach-led bill to grant virtual meeting dies in state legislature