Incoming Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, tapped Rep. John Legg, R-Port Richey, as speaker pro tempore on Friday, and named Rep. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, R-Miami, as House majority leader.
Legg, who represents parts of Pasco County, was first elected to the House in 2004 and served as deputy majority whip. Part of Leggs task, besides wielding the gavel when Cannon is off the floor, will be to handle communications issues.
No legislative chamber in the country provides more raw information than the Florida House, and yet the legislative process remains muddy, and substantive information remains difficult to understand, said Cannon. As an officer of the House and the head of the Houses Office of Public Information, the speaker pro tempore for 2010-12 will be charged with bridging that information divide, not only for the members but also for the public.
I can think of no member who can better rise to that challenge than Rep. John Legg, added Cannon. In his home district, Rep. Legg is known for his accessibility and his diligent service to his constituents. Among his colleagues in the House, he is known for his honesty, intelligence, seriousness of purpose, and humility.Rep. Legg embodies the ideal that holding public office is about: public service, not public honors.
Responded Legg, I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to serve as speaker pro tempore of the Florida House. I understand that members of the public are often frustrated by the lack of clarity within the legislative process, and I am looking forward to heading up the Office of Public Information as we work to improve our communication with the various constituencies the Florida House serves.
Legg, who was one of the sponsors of the Houses version of SB 6, a measure to reform teacher performance pay, had no opposition in Tuesdays elections.
Cannon named Lopez-Cantera, who has been in the House since 2004 and served as majority whip, to replace term-limited House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, R-Delray Beach.
I am pleased to announce my intention to appoint Rep. Carlos Lopez-Cantera as the majority leader and chairman of the House Republican Conference, said Cannon. Rep. Lopez-Cantera has established a reputation as a skillful legislator and a forceful advocate. He understands that success comes from teamwork, and I am confident that he will lead the House Republican team to great success.
I have selected Rep. Lopez-Cantera in no small part because of his genuine respect for the institution of the Florida House, added Cannon. He understands that elected leaders can disagree over public policy without abandoning civility and decorum. It is my hope that his counterpart, the House minority leader, will join Rep. Lopez-Cantera in establishing a tone of civility and mutual respect as we tackle the important issues that the people of Florida have sent us to Tallahassee to address.
Said Lopez-Cantera, who represents parts of Miami-Dade County, The opportunity to serve as the majority leader of the Florida House is a great privilege, and I am grateful to Speaker-designate Cannon for the trust he has placed in me to work with our Republican members." Lopez-Cantera held off a challenge from Democratic candidate Alex Cruzet Tuesday, winning a fourth term with 63 percent of the vote. We have a strong team of conservative leaders, and I look forward to working with the minority leader in a civil and detailed discussion of the important issues we face.
In assembling the structure and leadership team for the 2010-12 Florida House of Representatives, I am committed to doing more than publishing a list of roles and assigning members to those roles, said Cannon, who already chose Rep. Denise Grimsely, R-Lake Placid, to head up Appropriations, and Rep. Gary Aubuchon, R-Cape Coral, to lead Rules. I intend to define responsibilities and communicate expectations in the hope of bringing to our institution a culture of clarity and accountability.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
