Florida legislative sessions have been contentious things for the last few years, with conservative super-majorities running both houses and calling all the shots. The 2013 session opens tomorrow, and this year, the balance has shifted slightly; It's just enough to make Republicans and Democrats think they may get things done together.
Last year at this time, Democratic Representative Perry Thurston of Fort Lauderdale was steeling himself for another session under the heel of a Republican majority with an archconservative agenda. Now he's the House Minority leader, and he thinks things may be different in Tallahassee.
"And right now we're gearing up for battle, but we know there won't be so may red meat issues, things the average citizen don't [sic] think we should be dealing with", said Thurston.
Red meat issues - abortion, school prayer, banning Islamic law - issues that tickle conservative base voters but keep serious lawmaking from happening. But the November election reduced the Republican majorities in both houses and changed the priorities of the leadership. Don Gaetz of North Florida, the new Senate president, said, "The concerns I brought to the presidency are first ethics reform".
Republicans want ethics reform. It was the best news Democratic political consultant Ben Wilcox has heard in years.
"They've got a pretty good ethics bill moving through the senate and it'll probably come up on the floor in the first week of the session", Wilcox said. "We haven't seen real ethics reform in Florida since the 70's."
Gaetz is also hoping for campaign finance and election law reform. The political climate isn't the only thing changing. The economy is recovering, revenue is poring into the state treasury and Gov. Rick Scott -- elected two years ago as a Tea Party budget cutter -- is proposing a record $74.2 billion budget with pay raises for teachers and bonuses for state workers.