FLORIDA LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

During June, Florida candidates for various offices must file qualifying paperwork with the Florida Department of State, Division of Elections. Historically qualifying for office has occurred during the third week of June. The law has been changed to permit qualifying paperwork to be accepted between June 4 and June 22. The sitting Governor and entire Florida Cabinet, (Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer, and Commissioner of Agriculture), have reached their term limits and are not eligible to seek re-election to their current office.

As you can imagine, with the mandatory change in the Governor and Cabinet officials, there will also be many changes in state agencies between November 6 and the end of the legislation session in May, 2019. Frequently, to provide continuity in the administration of public policy, state agency heads will not be replaced before, or in the middle of, a legislative session. We will see.

In the Florida Senate, Senators in even-numbered districts must stand for re-election. With 20 of 40 Senators required to be on the ballot, there could be new faces, but this does not include open seats wherein the incumbent has either resigned or is seeking another office. By June 22 the numbers will become clear, and at this writing, there are 22 known Florida Senate races.

In the Florida House all eligible, incumbent, members must stand for re-election every two years. Many members are termed out and are not eligible to be re-elected. In this election cycle 19 are termed out. In addition to those who are termed out, many current members are seeking other offices or have chosen to not seek re-election. At this writing, 15 Representatives are leaving the House voluntarily (without being forced out by term limits). This total of 34 new members is slightly more than one-fourth of the 120.

After qualifying is complete, and before the primaries on August 28, POF will publish a list of our friends for your consideration at the polls,

What is a given is that we will all be sick and tired of political ads very, very soon. At this writing approximately $ 30 MILLION has been spent in Florida for political ad airtime. Good grief!

Nancy Stewart

Please use the first two lists below of the Senators and Representatives who are elected and going to Tallahassee because no one filed to run against them.  

FLORIDA SENATORS ELECTED without Opposition

 

District 2                              Senator-Elect George Gainer - Panama City

District 4                              Senator Aaron Bean - Fernandia Beach

District 5                              Senator Rob Bradley - Fleming Island

District 6                              Senator Audrey Gibson - Jacksonville

District 9                              Senator David Simmons - Altamonte Springs

District 10                            Senator Wilton Simpson - Dade City

District 20                            Senator Tom Lee - Brandon  

District 21                            Senator Bill Galvano - Bradenton

District 26                            Senator Denise Grimsley - Sebring

District 32                            Senator-Elect Lauren Book - Plantation

District 33                            Senator-Elect Perry Thurston, Jr. - Lauderhill

District 35                            Senator Oscar Braynon - Miami Gardens

 

FLORIDA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ELECTED without Opposition

 

District 7                              Representative Halsey Beshears - Monticello

District 17                            Representative Cyndi Stevenson - St. Johns

District 20                            Representative Clovis Watson - Alachua

District 32                            Representative Larry Metz - Yalaha

District 33                            Representative-Elect Don Hahnfeldt - The Villages

District 34                            Representative-Elect Ralph Massullo - Lecanto

District 37                            Representative Richard Corcoran - Land O’Lakes

District 38                            Representative Danny Burgess - Zephyrhills

District 44                            Representative Eric Eisnaugle - Windermere

District 55                            Representative Cary Pigman - Avon Park

District 57                            Representative Jake Raburn - Lithia

District 62                            Representative Janet Cruz - Tampa                 

District 64                            Representative J.W. Grant - Tampa

District 71                            Representative Jim Boyd - Bradenton

District 75                            Representative-Elect Michael Grant - Venice

District 77                            Representative Dane Eagle - Cape Coral

District 78                            Representative Heather Fitzenhagen - Ft. Myers

District 81                            Representative-Elect Joe Abruzzo - Boynton Beach

District 84                            Representative Larry Lee - Port St. Lucie

District 89                            Representative Bill Hager - Boca Raton

District 94                            Representative Bobby DuBose - Ft. Lauderdale

District 96                            Representative Kristin Jacobs - Coconut Creek

District 97                            Representative Jared Moskowitz - Coral Springs

District 98                            Representative Katie Edwards - Plantation

District 99                            Representative Evan Jenne - Ft. Lauderdale

District 100                          Representative Joe Geller - Aventura

District 101                          Representative Shervin Jones - Hollywood

District 102                          Representative Sharon Pritchett - Miami

District 109                          Representative Cynthia Stafford - Miami

District 117                          Representative Kionne McGhee - Miami

 

Some of our POF Friends could use your help and below you will find some recommendations.  They have helped us and now it’s our turn.  In the Senate Primary races we may have several of our Friends running against each other so vote your preference.  You can be a volunteer in any of the campaigns listed below.  That is invaluable to them and you have the opportunity to get to know them better.  Often a former legislator or staffer runs so many are included here because we know where they stand on our issues. Please remember these are recommendations, only, based on historical perspective.  As you support the candidates of your choice, and have information that I should have, please feel free to contact POF Headquarters.  Your “inside information” is very valuable because you live there!

 

Most importantly:  PLEASE VOTE!!

FLORIDA SENATE PRIMARY Races

 

District 1                              Representative Doug Broxson - Gulf Breeze

District 11                            Representative Randolph Bracy - Ocoee                  

District 12                            Representative Dennis Baxley - Ocala

District 15                            Representative Victor Torres - Orlando

District 17                            Representative Ritch Workman - Melbourne

District 23                            Former Representative Doug Holder - Sarasota

District 27                            Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto - Ft. Myers

District 28                            Representative Kathleen Passidomo** - Naples

District 28                            Representative Matt Hudson** - Naples

District 29                            Representative Kevin Rader - Boca Raton

District 30                            Representative Bobby Powell - W. Palm Beach

District 31                            Senator Jeff Clemons - Lake Worth

District 38                            Representative Daphne Campbell - Miami

District 40                            Senator Dwight Bullard - Miami

**Both of these candidates are running for an open Senate seat.  Each of them has been a POF friend.

 

FLORIDA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PRIMARY Races

 

District 5                              Representative Brad Drake - DeFuniak Springs            

District 8                              Representative Ramon Alexander - Tallahassee

District 9                              Former Representative Loranne Ausley - Tallhassee

District 10                            Representative Elizabeth Porter - Lake City

District 12                            Former Representative Stan Jordan - Jacksonville

District 14                            Former Representative Terry Fields - Jacksonville

District 16                            Former Representative Dick Kravitz - Jacksonville

District 19                            Mrs. Katherine Van Zant - Palatka

District 22                            Representative Charlie Stone - Ocala

District 31                            Representative Jennifer Sullivan - Mt. Dora

District 43                            Representative Ricardo Rangel - Kissimmee

District 46                            Representative Bruce Antone* - Orlando

District 50                            Representative Rene Plasencia - Orlando

District 51                            Representative Tom Goodson - Titusville

District 72                            Ms. Alexandra Miller - Sarasota

District 85                            Mr. Andrew Watt - Palm Bch Gardens

District 87                            Representative Dave Kerner - Palm Springs

District 91                            Former Representative Kelly Skidmore - Boca Raton

District 107                          Representative Barbara Watson - Miami Gardens

District 113                          Representative David Richardson - Miami Beach

 

                                                                                        Respectfully submitted,

                                                                                            Nancy Black Stewart

2017 SESSION DATES

 

August 1, 2016:

Deadline for filing claim bills (Rule 4.81(2)

 

January 27, 2017:

Friday, 5:00pm, deadline for submitting requests for drafts of general bills and joint resolutions, including requests for companion bills

 

March 3, 2017:

Friday, 5:00pm, deadline for approving final drafts of general bills and joint resolutions, including companion bills

 

March 7, 2017:

Regular Session convenes (Article III, section 3(b), Constitution) 12:00 noon, deadline for filing bills for introduction (Rule 3.7(1))

 

April 22, 20017:

All bills are immediately certified (Rule 6.8).  Motion to reconsider made and considered the same day (Rule 6.4(4))

 

April 25, 2017:

50th day - last day for regularly schedule committee meetings (Rule 2.9(2))

 

May 5, 2017:

60th day - last day of Regular Session (Article III, section 3(d), (Constitution)