Peter Schorsch
Rep. Tyler Sirois’ fourth Legislative Session was possibly his best yet.
The 2022 Legislative Session saw the Merritt Island Republican snag his first chairmanship, and it was a consequential one.
He was picked to lead the Congressional Redistricting Subcommittee in part because House leadership recognized his level-headed and collaborative approach to managing complex issues.
Their assessment — and the need for those character traits — proved accurate. The process for drawing new congressional maps in a reddish-purple state is about as complex as it gets, especially considering the outcome of the 2012 redistricting Session.
The process was not without controversy, of course. Though that was due to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ unprecedented decision to introduce his own recommendations and his threat to veto any map that didn’t incorporate them. The Legislature ended up passing a controversial plan that includes a fallback map if the Governor’s is deemed unconstitutional.
But congressional redistricting accounted for only a portion of Sirois’ work this Session.
For the past two years, the House District 51 lawmaker put in extensive work on derelict boat removal, a problem the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission describes as a “plague” on Florida waters.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a Senate bill last year to address the rise in derelicts, with Sirois serving as the measure’s sponsor in the House. He followed up this year by working to secure nearly $20 million in funding to help FWC remove abandoned boats from Florida waterways.
Sirois also secured millions for his Brevard County district in the budget, including appropriations for Indian River Lagoon projects. He also secured a $980,000 appropriation for a firefighting academy at Palm Bay High School — a huge win for Brevard County fire responders.
As he wraps up his second term, Sirois has positioned himself as a future leader in the chamber by building a reputation as a trustworthy, civil and collaborative lawmaker with integrity.
Expect to see his name a lot more as he enters his third term.
