Ralph Haben
Encyclopedia
Ralph H. Haben, Jr. is an American
attorney, lobbyist, and politician who served as the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives
from 1980 to 1982. Haben graduated from the University of Florida
in 1964 and Cumberland School of Law
in 1967, and began working as a government prosecutor, first for the city of Palmetto, Florida
and then for the Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida
. He eventually became a judge before running for the Florida House of Representatives
in 1972. In the House, he served on numerous committees, including the Criminal Justice Committee, and eventually became Speaker. He left the legislature to run for Florida Comptroller
in 1982, but lost the only election in his electoral history. He briefly considered a run for Governor of Florida, but decided instead to become a lobbyist for many large interests in the state legislature.
Haben was known as a fairly conservative Democrat who focused on criminal issues; his tenure including multiple attempts to increase the penalties on criminals and create new task forces and funding to combat organized and violent crime. He also sought a number of tax increases to help pay for transportation costs, and opposed both the state Sunshine Amendment requiring that politicians disclose their financial assets, and the Equal Rights Amendment
.
. Haben graduated from Palmetto High School
. He went on to earn a Education degree from the University of Florida
in 1964, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta
. In 1967, he received his Juris Doctor
from Cumberland School of Law
, where he was a member of Phi Delta Phi
.
He served in the National Guard of the United States. He is an outdoorsman, and his hobbies include fishing
, skiing
, and tennis
. He also piloted his small plane often. He is a member of the Kiwanis
organization and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
. He nearly died from a serious case of hashimoto's thyroiditis
in 1991, but was stabilized at Shands at the University of Florida
. This was the fourth time he nearly died, following a black widow bite, the sinking of a boat 12 miles offshore, and a plane crash.
, and then Assistant State Prosecutor for the Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida
. He later became a judge for the Palmetto and Anna Maria, Florida
area. He left the bench and opened a private practice that he continued to operate while in the Florida legislature
.
in 1972. He represented the 71st district, which encompassed parts of Manatee County
, Hardee County
, and three precincts of Sarasota County
. He received numerous awards during the his tenure, including 1977 Unified Sportsmen of Florida
legislator of the year, 1979 Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers Outstanding Legislative Contribution, 1976 Florida Sheriffs Association
Distinguished Service Award for Law Enforcement, and 1980 University of Florida
Outstanding Alumnus.
primary, and Republican Don Miller, Jr. in the general election
. He was re-elected without opposition in 1974 and 1976. He only ever lost one election, when he tried to unseat incumbent Democrat Florida Comptroller
Gerald Lewis in 1982. At the time, it was the most expensive Florida Cabinet
race ever run, with over $1.7 million spent.
Haden had hoped to use the position as a stepping stone to the position of Governor of Florida; he considered taking on many different incumbents, but decided on Lewis, believing him vulnerable. He also briefly considered a run for United States Congress
and also a switch to the Republican Party
to run for their gubernatorial nomination. He briefly considered running for Governor in the 1986 election
, but eventually decided not to.
, and Alamo Rent a Car
. He helped the cruise ship casinos oppose allowing the expansion of gaming by the Seminole Tribe
, who they viewed as competition. He ran a firm named Pennington & Haben, which lobbied for bills from both major parties, and currently runs the mediation company Ralph Haben & Associates.
commission to handle rises in mob related crime in the state. While chairing the Criminal Justice Committee, Haben pushed two pieces of legislation that allowed police officer to shoot fleeing subjects and gave those who carried a gun while committing a crime a mandatory three-year sentence. Haban argued against nearly all forms of gun control, and specifically opposed a bill that would have made it illegal to own inexpensive guns, commonly known as saturday night special
.
by removing certain exemptions, citing the need caused by decreased gasoline consumption and the increasing cost of building roads. However, President of the Florida Senate Wyon Childers blocked the special session. He pushed strongly for a measure to increase the state sales tax
from 4 cents on the dollar to 5 cents on the dollar.
provides that all elected officials and candidates for public office provide a full disclosure of their private assets in a government form available to the public. Haben was highly against the Sunshine Amendment, calling financial disclosure laws the "greatest fraud ever perpetrated on the people of Florida." He felt that the amendment was an unconstitutional invasion of his privacy, and that it did little to inform voters on who would be a good and honest elected official.
, which only meets for a few months out of the year, closer to a full-time legislature.
, not for the content of the amendment, but because he felt that lawsuits involving women's rights should be left up to Florida courts. Amending the United States Constitution
would make any questions fall mainly within the jurisdiction of federal courts.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attorney, lobbyist, and politician who served as the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives
Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives
The Speaker is the presiding member of the Florida House of Representatives...
from 1980 to 1982. Haben graduated from the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in 1964 and Cumberland School of Law
Cumberland School of Law
Cumberland School of Law is an ABA accredited law school at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. The 11th oldest law school in the United States, it is 160 years old and has more than 11,000 graduates. Its alumni include two United States Supreme Court Justices; Nobel Peace Prize recipient...
in 1967, and began working as a government prosecutor, first for the city of Palmetto, Florida
Palmetto, Florida
Palmetto is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was listed as 12,606 It is part of the Bradenton–Sarasota–Venice Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Palmetto is located at ....
and then for the Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida
Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida
The Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida is a Circuit Court comprising DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota Counties on the western coast of Central Florida.-External links:*...
. He eventually became a judge before running for the Florida House of Representatives
Florida House of Representatives
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at...
in 1972. In the House, he served on numerous committees, including the Criminal Justice Committee, and eventually became Speaker. He left the legislature to run for Florida Comptroller
Florida Comptroller
The Florida Comptroller was the state comptroller of Florida from 1845 to 2003...
in 1982, but lost the only election in his electoral history. He briefly considered a run for Governor of Florida, but decided instead to become a lobbyist for many large interests in the state legislature.
Haben was known as a fairly conservative Democrat who focused on criminal issues; his tenure including multiple attempts to increase the penalties on criminals and create new task forces and funding to combat organized and violent crime. He also sought a number of tax increases to help pay for transportation costs, and opposed both the state Sunshine Amendment requiring that politicians disclose their financial assets, and the Equal Rights Amendment
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution. The ERA was originally written by Alice Paul and, in 1923, it was introduced in the Congress for the first time...
.
Life
Haben was born on November 25, 1941 in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. Haben graduated from Palmetto High School
Palmetto High School (Florida)
Palmetto High School is a high school located in Palmetto, Florida. The school's athletic teams are known as the Tigers, and the school colors are red, white, and black. The school's principal is former NFL player Willie Clark. The school currently serves over 2,000 students in grades 9 through 12....
. He went on to earn a Education degree from the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in 1964, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S...
. In 1967, he received his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Cumberland School of Law
Cumberland School of Law
Cumberland School of Law is an ABA accredited law school at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. The 11th oldest law school in the United States, it is 160 years old and has more than 11,000 graduates. Its alumni include two United States Supreme Court Justices; Nobel Peace Prize recipient...
, where he was a member of Phi Delta Phi
Phi Delta Phi
Phi Delta Phi, ΦΔΦ, is the world's second largest legal fraternity. Phi Delta Phi is the second oldest legal organization in continuous existence in the United States and third oldest in North America...
.
He served in the National Guard of the United States. He is an outdoorsman, and his hobbies include fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
, and tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
. He also piloted his small plane often. He is a member of the Kiwanis
Kiwanis
Kiwanis International is an international, coeducational service club founded in 1915. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Current membership is 240,000 members in 7,700 clubs in 80 nations...
organization and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is an American fraternal order and social club founded in 1868...
. He nearly died from a serious case of hashimoto's thyroiditis
Hashimoto's thyroiditis
Hashimoto's thyroiditis or chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease in which the thyroid gland is gradually destroyed by a variety of cell- and antibody-mediated immune processes. It was the first disease to be recognized as an autoimmune disease...
in 1991, but was stabilized at Shands at the University of Florida
Shands at the University of Florida
Shands at the University of Florida is a teaching hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida and Jacksonville, Florida and is two of many hospitals in the Shands HealthCare system.-History:...
. This was the fourth time he nearly died, following a black widow bite, the sinking of a boat 12 miles offshore, and a plane crash.
Legal career
For the majority of his legal career, Haben served as a government prosecutor. He was City Prosecutor for Palmetto, FloridaPalmetto, Florida
Palmetto is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was listed as 12,606 It is part of the Bradenton–Sarasota–Venice Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Palmetto is located at ....
, and then Assistant State Prosecutor for the Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida
Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida
The Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida is a Circuit Court comprising DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota Counties on the western coast of Central Florida.-External links:*...
. He later became a judge for the Palmetto and Anna Maria, Florida
Anna Maria, Florida
Anna Maria, is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,814 at the 2000 census. According to the 2005 U.S. Census Bureau's estimates, the city grew slightly to 1,867. The city occupies the northern part of Anna Maria Island and is one of three municipalities on the...
area. He left the bench and opened a private practice that he continued to operate while in the Florida legislature
Florida Legislature
The Florida State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Florida Constitution states that "The legislative power of the state shall be vested in a legislature of the State of Florida," composed of a Senate...
.
Political career
Haben was first elected to the Florida House of RepresentativesFlorida House of Representatives
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at...
in 1972. He represented the 71st district, which encompassed parts of Manatee County
Manatee County, Florida
Manatee County is a county in the state of Florida. According to the 2010 census by the U.S. Census Bureau there are 322,833 people living in Manatee Country.Manatee County is part of the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Hardee County
Hardee County, Florida
Hardee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 26,938. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 28,286 . Its county seat is Wauchula, Florida. The county comprises the Wauchula, Florida, Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :It...
, and three precincts of Sarasota County
Sarasota County, Florida
Sarasota County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county was 372,057. Its county seat is Sarasota, Florida....
. He received numerous awards during the his tenure, including 1977 Unified Sportsmen of Florida
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
legislator of the year, 1979 Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers Outstanding Legislative Contribution, 1976 Florida Sheriffs Association
Florida Sheriffs Association
The Florida Sheriffs Association is a non-profit professional association of Florida’s 67 elected Sheriffs, along with approximately 3,500 business leaders and 70,000 citizens throughout the state. The FSA’s mission is to enhance law enforcement through educational and charitable purposes within...
Distinguished Service Award for Law Enforcement, and 1980 University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
Outstanding Alumnus.
Speaker of the House
Haben ran for the 1980 through 1982 Speakership in 1978. At first, he had an opponent for the position, but won his bid when the other candidate Franklin Mann dropped out of the race.Committees
Haben served as the chairman of the House Criminal Justice Committee; when he first began, he was the youngest committee chair in the House at 35. He also chaired the Subcommittee on Banks and Banking, as well as serving on the Finance and Taxation, Tourism and Economic Development, and Transportation and Commerce Committees.Electoral history
Harben was first elected to the House in 1972. That year, he defeated Floyd Price in the DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
primary, and Republican Don Miller, Jr. in the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
. He was re-elected without opposition in 1974 and 1976. He only ever lost one election, when he tried to unseat incumbent Democrat Florida Comptroller
Florida Comptroller
The Florida Comptroller was the state comptroller of Florida from 1845 to 2003...
Gerald Lewis in 1982. At the time, it was the most expensive Florida Cabinet
Florida Cabinet
The Florida Cabinet is a body of the government of Florida that engages in the collective governance of the state.Created following Reconstruction, when there had been a widespread distrust of the governors appointed by the federal government, the cabinet was designed to decentralize authority from...
race ever run, with over $1.7 million spent.
Haden had hoped to use the position as a stepping stone to the position of Governor of Florida; he considered taking on many different incumbents, but decided on Lewis, believing him vulnerable. He also briefly considered a run for United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and also a switch to the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to run for their gubernatorial nomination. He briefly considered running for Governor in the 1986 election
Florida gubernatorial election, 1986
The Florida gubernatorial election of 1986 took place alongside the midterm congressional elections. The Democratic Party won many victories across the country...
, but eventually decided not to.
Lobbyist
While in office, Haben fought attempts at lobbying reform pushed by advocacy groups. After leaving elected office, Haben became a business lobbyist for a number of interests. These include the Day Cruise Association, a gambling cruise ship company, the Florida Cable Telecommunications Association, the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research InstituteH. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute opened on October 26, 1986, on the Tampa campus of the University of South Florida. The current President/CEO is Dr. William S...
, and Alamo Rent a Car
Alamo Rent A Car
Alamo Rent a Car is the third-largest car rental agency in the United States. Based in Clayton, Missouri, it has branches across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, South America, parts of Africa, Europe, and Australia, and various Caribbean islands...
. He helped the cruise ship casinos oppose allowing the expansion of gaming by the Seminole Tribe
Seminole
The Seminole are a Native American people originally of Florida, who now reside primarily in that state and Oklahoma. The Seminole nation emerged in a process of ethnogenesis out of groups of Native Americans, most significantly Creeks from what is now Georgia and Alabama, who settled in Florida in...
, who they viewed as competition. He ran a firm named Pennington & Haben, which lobbied for bills from both major parties, and currently runs the mediation company Ralph Haben & Associates.
Crime and gun control
Haben was seen as a fairly conservative Democrat who built his career on "law-and-order" issues. He supported the establishment of a permanent anti-organized crimeOrganized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
commission to handle rises in mob related crime in the state. While chairing the Criminal Justice Committee, Haben pushed two pieces of legislation that allowed police officer to shoot fleeing subjects and gave those who carried a gun while committing a crime a mandatory three-year sentence. Haban argued against nearly all forms of gun control, and specifically opposed a bill that would have made it illegal to own inexpensive guns, commonly known as saturday night special
Saturday night special
The phrase Saturday night special is pejorative slang used in the United States and Canada for any inexpensive handgun. Saturday night specials have been defined as compact, inexpensive handguns with low perceived quality; however, there is no official definition of "Saturday night special" under...
.
Taxes
In 1980, Haben called the legislature into special session to increase transportation taxes. In particular, he advocated raising the fuel taxFuel tax
A fuel tax is an excise tax imposed on the sale of fuel. In most countries the fuel tax is imposed on fuels which are intended for transportation...
by removing certain exemptions, citing the need caused by decreased gasoline consumption and the increasing cost of building roads. However, President of the Florida Senate Wyon Childers blocked the special session. He pushed strongly for a measure to increase the state sales tax
Sales taxes in the United States
There is no federal sales or use tax in the United States. 45 states and the District of Columbia impose sales and use taxes on the retail sale, lease and rental of many goods, as well as some services. Many cities, counties, transit authorities and special purpose districts impose additional local...
from 4 cents on the dollar to 5 cents on the dollar.
Sunshine Amendment
The Sunshine Amendment to the Florida ConstitutionFlorida Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Florida is the document that establishes and describes the duties, powers, structure and function of the government of the U.S. state of Florida, and establishes the basic law of the state....
provides that all elected officials and candidates for public office provide a full disclosure of their private assets in a government form available to the public. Haben was highly against the Sunshine Amendment, calling financial disclosure laws the "greatest fraud ever perpetrated on the people of Florida." He felt that the amendment was an unconstitutional invasion of his privacy, and that it did little to inform voters on who would be a good and honest elected official.
Legislative pay
When the legislature sought to increase their pay in the 1970s, Haben opposed the efforts. While he believed that legislatures deserved a pay increase for their hard work, he feared that raising the salary would attract career politicians who would treat the position as a job, leading to less diversity in the House. This, he claimed, would move the Florida legislatureFlorida Legislature
The Florida State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Florida Constitution states that "The legislative power of the state shall be vested in a legislature of the State of Florida," composed of a Senate...
, which only meets for a few months out of the year, closer to a full-time legislature.
Equal Rights Amendment
Haben opposed the Equal Rights AmendmentEqual Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution. The ERA was originally written by Alice Paul and, in 1923, it was introduced in the Congress for the first time...
, not for the content of the amendment, but because he felt that lawsuits involving women's rights should be left up to Florida courts. Amending the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
would make any questions fall mainly within the jurisdiction of federal courts.