TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida lawmakers are again in Tallahassee this week for a short organizational session to formally elect House and Senate management for the subsequent two years. Republicans are celebrating supermajorities in each chambers, whereas Democrats are attempting to determine the way to keep related.
The GOP will now have simpler paths to approve payments, change chamber guidelines, or use their energy to override vetos from the governor.
“At the end of the day, we are all we have,” Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book stated. “We are all for one, one for all. We have to get better. We have to be stronger. We have to be tougher.”
Book was making an attempt to remain constructive when requested about her get together’s weakened place Monday. She stated members would work to search out common ground with Republicans, hopeful there could be loads of alternative.
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“We have all been talking about property insurance, affordability, affordable housing, workforce housing,” she stated. “Those are things we’ve been working on and agree with the other side of the aisle on.”
There’s loads of disagreement, too. This yr, Republicans pushed by new legal guidelines regulating intercourse and race training, controversial immigration reform and a 15-week abortion ban. Some GOP members stated they now really feel emboldened to go additional when returning for the 2023 session after election night time successes.
“This is a mandate that they like what we’re doing here in the state of Florida,” Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, stated earlier this month. “There is a reason that people are moving to this state in droves.”
Further abortion restrictions stay a chief concern for the minority get together. Democrats have vowed to combat any proposal ought to it come up and there are reports of Republicans mulling a 12-week ban.
Incoming House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell was hopeful nationwide political headwinds on abortion could be her get together’s saving grace.
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“There were five states that had abortion on the ballot around this country,” she stated. “Even Kentucky, which is far redder than Florida, voted to protect. Even the people of Kentucky did. So I think that (Gov. Ron) DeSantis has painted himself into a corner.”
Floridians will get a preview of how this new batch of lawmakers cooperates within the coming weeks. Members are anticipated to return for a particular session on property insurance coverage subsequent month — probably the week of Dec. 12.