With their Senate colleagues taking the week off to observe Passover and Easter, House members this week did some heavy lifting as the Republican-led chamber pushed through controversial measures on growth management and elections over a cacophony of dissent from Democrats who could do little but pound their chests.

Championing it as an anti-fraud measure, House leadership placed tighter restrictions on get-out-the vote groups and made it tougher for voters who have moved to cast ballots that count. Democrats said the elections bill was a thinly veiled attempt to say “No You Can’t” to the re-election of President Barack Obama.

While clamping down on the elections process, the chamber also voted along party lines to ease growth restrictions on local governments by allowing city and county officials more flexibility in determining what their communities will look like and rolling back state oversight that has come under fire.

But despite their considerable clout, legislative leaders have been unable to come to agreement on the dimensions of the budget playing field, a disconnect that has stalled negotiations again and prompted even the most optimistic leader to warn lawmakers not to make too many plans for the month of May.

Gov. Rick Scott, Florida’s marketer in chief, brought his message of hope to the Panhandle this week, dining on seafood, slathering on sunscreen and strolling on sugar sand beaches, all the while urging tourists to return a year after a fire, explosion and 87-day spill from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig shut down the region at a cost of more than $1 billion in tourism-related revenue alone.

ELECTIONS

The 157-page election bill (HB 1355) cleared the House on a 79-37 vote after hours of questions and spirited debate over two days. It still needs Senate approval.