Reports have abounded lately about the acrimony in the Florida House over the selection of its speaker for the 2021 term. Accusations of power plays, threats to pull RPOF support for certain candidates, coups within the ranks seem to have dominated the 2015 legislative session. At issue is the process used to select a House Speaker within the incoming Freshman class of House legislators, keeping in mind that the person designated as Speaker will not actually become the Speaker for at least 6 years after the initial designation.
Not to be outdone, the Florida Senate seems to be engaged in a power play of its own this session. The President of the Senate is selected just before his or her term actually begins, and there seems to be no limit to the egos involved in this year’s selection. The latest skirmish, which has been ongoing for months, came to a head Wednesday when State Senator Joe Negron, R-Stuart announced that he had rounded up enough votes from the current caucus to secure the Senate Presidency for the 2016-2018 legislative term, and in fact named many of his supporters.However, State Senator Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, who is also eyeing up the Presidency, begs to differ and questioned the timing of Negron’s announcement. Latvala, who also has his share of supporters, said anything is still possible, especially with another special session coming in October to redraw the State Senate districts. Some of the senators could be termed out, or even voted out, depending on the final State senate district map. Latvala stated that Negron’s announcement and a demand for a GOP vote are “a very selfish disservice to the caucus, to the president and to the senate”.
He went to say the given the dysfunction shown by this year’s legislature that leadership in Tallahassee is needed now more than ever. Senator Greg Evers, R-Baker said he thought this was all “very premature and very childlike to come out.. like this at this stage of the game. It’s time for us to worry about doing the people’s work. We can worry about our internal politics at a later time.”
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Current Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, has scheduled a vote for Republicans to designate their next Senate president in December, during committee meetings in Tallahassee. The Senate president, a powerful position indeed, appoints all committee chairmen, directs the legislative agenda and can push or kill any bill.
The current tension in the Florida Senate, which rivals that of the Florida House, could lead to further division, making the upcoming special session to redraw the Florida Senate maps more a battle of wills and egos then in the People’s work being done. The drama continues to unfold.