As the Florida Legislature gathers again in Tallahassee to prepare for the next session set to begin in January, one of the items on the agenda for this fall will include a Designation day for the Speaker of the House for the 2017-2018 term, Rep Richard Corcoran (R-Land O’ Lakes), named Speaker of his incoming class in 2010. Rep Corcoran brings with him a wealth of experience in a variety of legislative and legal endeavors leading him up to his election in 2010. Often called “the smartest guy in the room”, Corcoran is a reform-minded Speaker designate in the manner of Congressman Daniel Webster (R), who in 1996, became the first Republican Speaker of the Florida House in over 100 years. He was also Chief of Staff for Marco Rubio, when he was Speaker of the House. Said Rep Mark Pafford (D-West Palm Beach), “He knows the system and he comes to work with a full set of tools. He’s a strategic thinker and he knows the rules. He knows how to talk behind the scenes and work with people”.
In the last 5 years, Corcoran has been as responsible as anyone for the promoting structure and discipline in the House, a long term strategy that allows members to grow into leadership positions. Corcoran has reforms in mind for the Legislature itself and also for an ambitious set of reforms for working with lobbyists. A few of the lobbying reforms Corcoran wants to implement include a ban against lawmakers from becoming lobbyists for at least 6 years after they leave office, which would require a change to the State constitution. Another major reform would require lobbyists to disclose which bills, amendments and budget items they support or oppose, which could result in more transparency in the lobbying process. Other reforms, although not aimed directly at lobbyists, would prohibit lawmakers from taking a job with an agency or company that receives state funding while in office. Stated Corcoran, “We must remove temptation and ban special interests from hiring legislators. Period”.
Working in tandem with these proposals are reforms he would like to make within the legislative process itself. A plan developed by the Class of 2010, “The Manifesto”, proposes a plan to eliminate the top-down process of House leadership that can allow for special interests to drive a wedge between lawmakers. In an interview, Corcoran stated, “the special interests are the biggest cowards in the process. They split up the head and go after the weak ones, and even the big ones if they think they can”. He proposes to change the way of delegating and setting agendas by sharing power in a way that gives all legislators equal footing and empowers committee chairs to set the agenda, and tasks legislators with the responsibility of pushing their initiatives. Corcoran hopes these reforms will flatten the “pyramid of power” currently in place so that even rank & file members can get a bill up for a floor vote.
Rep Dan Webster ushered in many of these reforms during his tenure as House Speaker, and although they have been whittled away in the ensuing years, many feel that Corcoran will be the man to not only to re-establish reforms, but make sure they stay in place long after he leaves the Florida House. Many feel that if Corcoran is successful during his tenure, as Rep Pafford (D-West Palm Beach), said, Corcoran could be “the most powerful speaker in Florida’s modern day history”.
