TEACHERS UNION TOUTS POLL SUPPORT FOR PENNY TAX -- In a poll released by the Florida Education Association, 77 percent of Florida voters strongly or somewhat favor imposing a penny sales tax increase for three years if funds are dedicated to public education. "In the Legislature, there is no consensus on how to make our schools a priority and we only have three weeks to go," said Andy Ford, president of the FEA. "Florida's voters agree with us. We need to invest in our public schools." The poll of 800 registered Florida voters was conducted March 11-17 by Hamilton Campaigns and has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points. 

Other results:

On the issue of class size, 49 percent think the 2002 voter-approved class-size amendment should stand with final implementation set to occur next year. But 39 percent said the state should delay the final phase because it doesn't make sense in this economy. The poll did not assess support for the Senate's combined constitutional amendment proposal to loosen class size standards and impose a permanent penny sales tax for education.

Sixty percent say funding for public education in Florida should be increased, with 50 percent saying that increase should happen even if it means higher taxes.

The poll found that 74 percent didn't want more cuts to education, and 72 percent would be in favor of a sales-tax increase for schools -- though only 50 percent strongly in favor.

FEA President Andy Ford said the results show that Floridians are worried that continued budget cuts would be "disastrous" to public schools. "These polling results confirm that Floridians want to Make Our Schools A Priority," Ford said in a press release. "It is more important than ever that our state's political leadership make the investment in Florida's future -- it's children."

ONE PERCENT SALES TAX PROPOSALS FOR SCHOOLS FAILING -- Lawmakers sponsoring bills to increase statewide sales tax 1 percent to fund public education in Florida report their efforts are dying in committee, even while a survey released Tuesday reported the proposal enjoys broad public support. "I can't say it's dead, but it's definitely dormant," said state Rep. Dwight Bullard, D-Miami, sponsor of House Bill 731. Bullard said his bill will die for lack of support in about one week if it does not get a hearing by the House Finance and Tax Council. "Right now, it's up to the House Republican leadership where they want to take it," Bullard said. Treasure Coast affiliates of the Florida Education Association teachers union have lobbied since January to support a three-year, one-penny hike in sales tax. It would raise about $9 billion for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade public schools, community colleges and state universities. A regional FEA rally Jan. 31 in Fort Pierce drew an estimated 3,200 teachers, parents and other education supporters. A Feb. 26 FEA rally in Orlando, also attended by Treasure Coast teachers, drew 6,000 from across the state. Both events featured lobbying for the one-cent sales tax increase, including petitions and collecting symbolic pennies of support that were delivered to the Legislature last month. On Tuesday, the FEA released results of a survey of 800 Florida voters. Done by Hamilton Campaigns of Washington, D.C., and Fernandina Beach, it shows 50 percent of respondents "strongly favor" a three-year, one-cent increase of sales tax if revenues were invested exclusively in Florida public education. Another 22 percent said they "somewhat favor" such a tax, according to the survey. "Floridians are understandably worried about the impact of continued budget cuts on public education," FEA President Andy Ford said in a prepared statement. "Further damage to the already battered budgets of public schools at all levels threatens to halt the progress Florida has made on increasing student achievement."

POLL: FLORIDIANS SUPPORT SOME NEW TAXES -- Florida voters overwhelmingly support an increase in the cigarette tax, the imposition of some taxes on services and a fee on off-brand cigarettes, according to a new poll released Wednesday by a bipartisan alliance of former state leaders and policy advocates. The poll of 625 registered voters surveyed last week shows that 71 percent support a $1 per pack increase in the cigarette tax, 56 percent support elimination of some sales tax exemptions on services and 78 percent support imposing a fee on cigarette makers that are not included in the state's tobacco settlement. ''Lawmakers need to change the mantra that they've had for years from no new taxes to a new promise to get the highest value they can possibly get for every taxpayer dollar,'' said Virginia Wetherell, former secretary of the Department of Environmental Regulation and one of the founding members of the group, the Florida Alliance for Concerned Taxpayers. The group formed to persuade lawmakers that it's time to raise some taxes, revise some policies and shift the direction of Florida's economic free fall. ''After decades of tax cuts, of spending reductions and performance audits, Florida has succeeded in turning itself into probably the most efficient state government in the country in terms of per capita cost to the taxpayers,'' Wetherell said. ''Yet we believe that our state now is at a tipping point,'' particularly as it relates to education and health care spending.

 

ATTEMPTS TO CLOSE TAX EXEMPTIONS APPEAR DEAD THIS SESSION -- The long-shot effort to eliminate some of the 200-plus sales tax exemptions for various products and services appears in this year’s legislative session. Senate Finance and Tax Chairman Thad Altman, R-Melbourne, said that with the focus now on closing loopholes in the state's corporate income and documentary stamp taxes, there is little time left to pursue a review of exemptions. “We're just not going to get there this year," said Altman. Still, nothing is completely dead until the session ends May 1. House lawmakers may consider a bill to eliminate some exemptions in a revenue-neutral exchange to revive sales tax “holidays” on school and hurricane preparedness items. But the Senate has historically declined to approve the tax-free periods to purchase items like clothes and backpacks during bad economic times. The state is facing a $6 billion budget shortfall for the next fiscal year.