House Democrats gave themselves cover Friday by forcing Republicans to vote against a series of amendments to exempt police, firefighters, hurricane expenses, ambulance drivers and unfunded mandates from the GOP's property tax cut bill.
The GOP-stacked Policy and Budget Council naturally beat them all back. But the exercise prompted some interesting dialogue over who was the bigger fiend to local government.
Cities and counties have screamed for weeks that they'll shutter fire departments and lay off police if they lose billions of dollars in property tax.
"We need to send a message from Tallahassee that we care about local government," Democratic Rep. Jack Seiler of Broward County said during debate on exempting police from budget cuts.
"In order to afford my home, I don't want to say I'm the one who has to defend it myself," said Rep. Shelley Vana, a Palm Beach County Democrat who complained of gang activity in her neighborhood.
Republicans were ready to hit back by arguing the Democrats were trying to "micro manage" local budgets, and reminding them that the bill lets locals blow through the cap with a two-thirds vote of city councils or county commissions.
"This is absolutely micromanaging," an annoyed Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff said.
Democrats suggested locals might be happy for a little heavy-handedness from Tallahassee.
"What are we doing by this entire bill but micromanaging local government," said Rep. Curtis Richardson, D-Tallahassee.