Ryan Ray
The Gaetz father-son team of Florida lawmakers will appear at a forum put together by Florida State University grad students at the Old Capitol in Tallahassee next week.
Former Senate President Don Gaetz and his son Rep. Matt Gaetz – who attended FSU as an undergraduate – will speak on a range of issues and answer questions from students at a forum organized by students at FSU’s Masters of Applied American Politics and Policy program.
Students in Kevin Cate‘s Earned Media class will quiz the Gaetzes about what it’s like to perfectly embody the metaphor of a tight-knit family at odds with itself playing out in the new Capitol.
“We’re going to recap last session and their expectations for the upcoming special sessions, individually at first and then a couple of open-ended questions that they can both answer,” said MAAPP student McClain Houston on Wednesday. “We’ll have a brief introduction by [FSU political science professor] Dr. Bob Crew and then we’ll get right to the questions.”
“I think it’ll be interesting on top of the father-son dynamic, especially when the House and Senate ended up being so divided this last Session,” Houston added.
Houston said they are expecting an audience of around 50 based on attendees who have signed up via a Facebook event page, mostly students and poli-sci faculty at nearby Florida A&M University and Tallahassee Community College besides their fellow Seminoles.
The students said the event was in keeping with the overall mission of their program, designed for students often already working in politics or public administration.
“At the MAAPP program, we’re really into getting into the nitty-gritty parts of campaigns, lobbying and political work. We’re looking forward to this event as an inside look at what’s going on in the Florida Legislature right now,” said McClain.
Fellow student David Pearce agreed, saying he looked forward to learning more next week about the “greater nuances” of Florida’s ever-relevant politics.
Though the House may have come out on top in this year’s (re-)redistricting fiasco, the event will be held on the Senate side of the Old Capitol Building. Doors open at 11 am next Wednesday, August 5.
