Integrity Florida hails ethics reform bills passed in Florida Legislature

You might recall that Speaker Weatherford called for the individual limits to be raised to $10,000, a figure that repulsed groups like the League of Women Voters. However, Integrity Florida takes the stance that there shouldn't be any limits on individual contributions — a stance that puts them in the same camp with a lot of Republicans, though former President Obama chief strategist David Axelrod recently expressed that same sentiment. In a February tweet Axelrod wrote, "Too much money in politics. But if it's inevitable, let it flow directly to candidates and demand full disclosure, with stiff penalties."

Also eliminated, thanks to Clearwater state Sen. Jack Latvala, are committees of continuing existence, or CCEs. Gaetz criticized CCEs as being slush funds for travel, meals and entertaining that have nothing to do with committees' political purposes. However, other political committees will still exist, and they can still take unlimited contributions. The bill, though, prohibits lawmakers from accepting gifts of any value from political committees.

But that wasn't enough for the good government group Common Cause of Florida, whose members criticized the bill. The group's Brad Ashwell said the bill did "nothing to lessen the flow of money pumping through the political process at every turn and creates little transparency which was supposedly leadership's main goal."

Krassner is also pleased with the new law that prevents lawmakers from lobbying government agencies for two years after they depart from their elected office. Previous law limited lawmakers from lobbying just the legislative and executive branches of Florida government.