Janelle Irwin Taylor
The Tampa Bay region is well-represented in Tallahassee for the upcoming 2019 Legislative Session, at least in the Senate.
Not only is Senate President Bill Galvano from the region — his district covers parts of southern Hillsborough County and Manatee County — but several other senators from the region have been posted to leadership positions.
With a Tampa Bay-area Senate President in place and several locals sitting on Transportation and Appropriations committees, the region appears poised to draw down state matching funds for local transportation projects, including the 41-mile rapid transit route proposed to connect St. Pete to Wesley Chapel along Interstate 275.
The Tampa Bay Partnership, a coalition of local business CEOs, has pushed the timing of Tallahassee leadership from the region as a crucial political opportunity to further the project.
GOP Sen. Jeff Brandes, who represents parts of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County, nabbed the most committee posts. Brandes will chair the Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice and will serve as Alternating Chair of the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee.
Brandes also will serve as Vice Chair of the Criminal Justice Committee. And he’ll also serve on the most influential legislative committee, Appropriations.
Other committee assignments of his include Banking and Insurance; Innovation, Industry and Technology; Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development and Rules committees as well as the Joint Legislative Budget Commission.
Republican Ed Hooper, a former House member now representing Senate District 16, also nabbed some key assignments: chair of the Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee and alternating chair of the Joint Select Committee on Collective Bargaining.
Hooper will also sit on the Health Policy; Infrastructure and Security; Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture; Environment and General Government; Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services and Joint Administrative Procedures committees.
The region’s two Democrats, Sens. Janet Cruz and Darryl Rouson, also landed key committee assignments including two vice-chair positions.
Cruz, a new Senator in District 18, will serve as vice chair of the Military and Veterans Affairs and Space Committee. She’ll also serve on the Health Policy, Education, Infrastructure and Security and Joint Administrative Procedures committees.
Galvano tapped Rouson, who represents Senate District 19, to serve as vice chair of Banking and Insurance as well as spots on Appropriations, the Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice and the Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services.
Other appointments include:
— Tom Lee, Senate District 20: Chair, Infrastructure and Security
Banking and Insurance
Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development
Rules
Appropriations
Joint Legislative Auditing Committee
— Wilton Simpson, Senate District 10: Chair, Innovation, Industry and Technology
Vice Chair, Appropriations
Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development
Rules
Joint Legislative Budget Commission
— Kelli Stargel, Senate District 22: Chair, Appropriations Subcommittee on Education
Appropriations
Judiciary
Education
Ethics and Elections
Finance and Tax
Joint Committee on Collective Bargaining
— Ben Albritton, Senate District 26: Chair, Agriculture
Vice Chair, Environment and Natural Resources
Governmental Oversight and Accountability
Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Environment and General Government
— Joe Gruters, Senate District 23: Chair, Commerce and Tourism
Vice Chair, Finance and Tax
Banking and insurance
Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice
Joint Committee on Public Counsel Oversight
