It is official. The RLC and other liberty organizations including the Campaign for Liberty will be converging on Tallahassee again on March 22-23 with the message that government is best when it governs least.

Political consultant John Hallman of the Florida Taxpayers Union is once again in charge of our legislative briefing, securing inexpensive accommodations, setting up meetings with legislators and the governors office and to show us around the capitol.

At the top of the Liberty Day agenda is the Health Care Freedom Act. Based on model legislation crafted by the American Legislative Exchange Council, the act would permit Florida to opt out from any particular national health care plan and, most importantly, protect individual Floridians from individual mandates to buy health insurance a la RomneyCare/ObamaCare. Other issues include taxes, spending, 10th amendment, property insurance reform and term limits.

Jason Hellenberg of the North Central Florida RLC has volunteered to coordinate the 2010 Liberty Day at the Capitol and is working with Hallman. The annual grassroots lobbying trip to Tallahassee has become a signature project of the RLC that has yielded some legislative successes over the years and trained many RLCers on how to lobby effectively.

The plan is for all participants to meet at the plaza between the old and new capitol buildings at 1 p.m. for a briefing and then walk over together to Morris Hall for the 1:45 p.m. Healthcare Regulation Policy Committee hearing on the Healthcare Freedom Act.  Then we'll go for a meeting with Sen. Cary Baker and perhaps Rep. Scott Plakon, sponsors of the legislation.

There will be a discounted block of rooms for us at the Baymont Inn near the Capitol.

After lobbying on Monday, March 22, there will be a social get-together for us on Adams Street, just north of the Capitol. We'll start at Clydes and Costellos for cocktails at six pm, and move one door south to Andrew's (see menu at http://www.andrewsdowntown.com/) for dinner at seven thirty.

For a recap of last year's trip, go here. For 2008, go here. 2007? Try here.

For more info and to RSVP, contact John Hallman at (352) 200-1915 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .