TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) _ A major ethics and anti-corruption bill that advocates say is long overdue faces a rocky path in the Florida Legislature.
The legislation is now moving through the committee process in both the House and Senate and seeks to end what a 2010 grand jury called a “corruption tax” on Florida citizens.
The panel said that amounts to millions a year in extra taxes, government fees and even highway tolls because of the cost of waste, fraud and misconduct by public officials.
Most legislators praise parts that redefine corruption in criminal law to make it easier to prosecute, but some also say the bill amounts to excessive government regulation on companies that contract with the state.