Bob SparksOver the years, Florida has been home to some well-known public servants. Some have had Tallahassee government buildings named after them. Leroy Collins, Claude Pepper, Doyle Conner and Ralph Turlington are just a few. All were Democrats.
Republican Gov. Bob Martinez has one of the Department of Environmental Protection buildings named after him, but that’s about it. The lack of Republican-christened memorial masonry can be traced to a century of the GOP roaming Florida’s political wilderness.
We should not expect ground breaking on the Jeb Bush Office Complex anytime soon. A lot of people in Tallahassee still remember his second inaugural address envisioning many government buildings being “empty of workers” as a testament to smaller government.
While some governors, senators, congressmen and cabinet officers are remembered through taxpayer-funded construction, this is not true of any Florida lieutenant governor.
The men and women who served as Florida’s LG are not likely to take up much space in history books. No, it is not the most important office in state government, but it does have a purpose and right now it may be getting more attention than it would normally.
The office is vacant now and the lights have been off since Jennifer Carroll resigned in March. For those looking on the bright side, they can point to the governor’s suite being on a five-month energy conservation program. That being said, Gov. Rick Scott should appoint a new lieutenant governor much sooner rather than later.
We have some recent history. When Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan resigned to become President of Florida Atlantic University in 2003, the office was vacant for just four days when Gov. Jeb Bush appointed former Senate President Toni Jennings to serve out the remainder of Brogan’s term. To be fair, Gov. Bush had about a month’s notice to fill the position, allowing for a proper vetting period and a solid appointment.
Appointing a new lieutenant governor is not just something that should be done; it is required. After an 80-year absence, the office was restored to the Constitution in 1968.
Article IV, Section 2 might well have been crafted on a cocktail napkin during a Happy Hour in 1968 (back in the good old days when lobbyists still paid for the drinks). The establishment and responsibilities of the office are contained in ONE sentence, but it does require that a living, breathing Floridian be a heartbeat away from the governorship.
The key words are: “There shall be a lieutenant governor.”
The governor clearly does not disagree with “shall.” It’s the unwritten “when” part. I would guess most of my fellow Republicans will like the choice. There are some good possibilities in the rumor mill.
Yes, this is a Tallahassee issue. Floridians mostly care about pocket book issues and jobs, not whether there is a No. 2 official on the plaza level. I can safely predict we will not see a group called Defenders of the Constitution occupying the governor’s office lobby vowing not to leave until a swearing-in ceremony takes place.
Instead, we will look forward to a press conference soon. Please accelerate the process, Governor. You have many good choices.
