Gaetz believes legislation he has introduced, if passed, could significantly lessen the time Walls will have left before his date with the executioner.

“If the Timely Justice Act becomes law, Mr. Walls is going to have to start thinking about what his last meal is going to be,” Gaetz said.

The Fort Walton Beach Republican last week sought to add language to the Timely Justice bill that would require the governor to sign execution warrants within 30 days of the conclusion of a death row inmate’s appeals.

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Bills sponsored by state Rep. Matt Gaetz and state Sen. Greg Evers appear to have cleared all significant hurdles in the Legislature.

H.B. 4001 passed the House with a 77-39 vote and S.B. 320, amended to mirror the House bill, faces no significant opposition as it awaits a final vote on the Senate floor.

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Florida has 405 inmates on the death row, more than any other state except California, which has 724. It takes an average of 13 years to get from sentencing to execution.

But legislators will have to walk a high wire between speed and fairness. Twenty-four men have been exonerated from Florida’s death row since 1973, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

“If we can’t get that right, what confidence do we have that any part of our criminal justice system is working?” said Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Fort Walton Beach Republican sponsoring the Timely Justice Act in the House.

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Please wait for details to come regarding this committee meeting.

Our own Commissioner Nathan Boyles doesn’t want to spend another day in Tallahassee. He’s upset that the state’s Auditor General and the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee are probing the seven figure TDC corruption scandal.

Mr. Boyles says he wants to heal the county. So do the rest of us. But before the healing can begin, the infection of incompetence has to be surgically removed. If we just patch our wounds without removing their causes, abscesses will continue to erupt in the future.

That’s the reason law enforcement authorities came to me requesting an investigation by the State Auditor General. The Tallahassee hearings which Mr. Boyles scoffs at are one result of that investigation. By law, the Auditor General must report its findings to the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee, a bi-partisan group of senators and representatives from across the state. By law, those reports are made in public. The surgery Okaloosa County needs cannot happen in the dark.

The facts are not in dispute. A luxury house, expensive cars, a yacht and motorcycles were purchased with public money. Chauffeurs were paid – even when they didn’t drive anyone anywhere. $80,000 was spent for AV equipment no one can find and a concert that never happened. A million dollars worth of “gift cards” were handed out and no one knows for sure who got them or how they were used. A $42,000 party fed and watered county officials. No one objected. Every one of these transactions went through county books. Every contract was reviewed by county attorneys. Every check was written by county officials. Every dollar wasted, stolen, mismanaged or missing belonged to the public.

Sixty-four times state auditors described county government actions as “contrary to law.” The conclusion of the Auditor General, who has examined hundreds of public agencies: “This was as bad as we’ve ever seen.” Those who were supposed to be watching were so incompetent that they should never be allowed to manage public money again. They are the infection, and they haven’t been removed.

So, where do we go from here? How do we ensure that this never happens again? Frankly, the county commission would prefer that the Legislature merely accept that they will “do better next time.” I’m skeptical.

Their solutions? Fire nobody. Keep the same crew in charge of the county checkbook. Keep the same county attorney. Refuse to confess conflicts of interest inherent in having politicians steer public money to entities that pay them. Pass policies promising to not engage in the very behavior that was illegal when it first occurred. Point fingers at volunteers. Blame “the Gaetzes” for “flexing political muscle.” Call for “healing” in lieu of real reform and accountability.

I too want Okaloosa County to heal. But the same people cannot be left in the same positions with an expectation of different results. Surgery sometimes helps the healing process more than denial. Immediately, Okaloosa Commissioners should pull out the scalpel and:

· Admit that public officials violate conflict of interest laws if they steer money to entities that pay them;

· Determine exactly who in county government made payments for mansions, Porsches, yachts and motorcycles – and fire them;

· Fire the county attorney who failed to protect taxpayer interests;

· End the practice of elaborate county parties funded by public money;

· End the use of “p-cards” that allowed thousands of dollars to be spent on alcohol, gifts and entertainment;

· Identify every individual who wrongly used debit cards for themselves– and report those individuals for prosecution;

· Identify every contractor who submitted fraudulent requests for reimbursement – and report them for prosecution;

· Fully cooperate with the Auditor General in a top-to-bottom audit of all Okaloosa County activities – even beyond the TDC.

The Florida Legislature has no authority to remove local government officials from office. Only the Governor – or the people in an election – can do that. If county commissioners want to change the subject instead of changing their ways, healing cannot occur and the past is bound to repeat itself.

As your state representative, I’m sickened by the failures of our county government. The difference is that I’d rather undergo a painful reckoning today than be complicit in the next episode of “Okaloosa County Government Gone Wild.” You deserve no less. You should never be embarrassed by Okaloosa County ever again.

I’ll keep fighting to deliver the tough medicine – even if it’s tough for some politicians to swallow.

Thank you for your support.

Doing so would slash the nearly 14 years victims’ families wait on average for the condemned to get the needle.

When you’re right, you’re right. And the Fort Walton Beach Republican is correct: Florida’s system is out of order.

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The Civil Justice Subcommittee voted 11-1 to approve HB 55, which would require consumers to give written notice to dealers at least 30 days before filing lawsuits. Customers would not be able to pursue cases if dealers agree to pay the amounts sought in what are known as “demand letters” and pay surcharges up to $500.

Sponsor Matt Gaetz said the bill, which is backed by the Florida Automobile Dealers Association, is aimed at resolving disputes before they wind up in court. Rep. Cynthia Stafford, a Miami Democrat who voted against the bill, said she was concerned about how low-income people would be able to navigate the process and whether it would give an unfair advantage to dealers. But Rep. Jose Oliva said he thinks the bill could help low-income people, as it would give them a way to make demands to dealership owners and get vehicle problems resolved. “I don’t think this limits access,” Oliva said. “I think it actually grants it.”

Gaetz sponsored a similar measure in 2012, but it did not pass. This year’s bill is also slated to go to two additional House panels.