Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, who has headed past legislative efforts on Medicaid reform in Florida, will lead the Senate committee looking into the federal health-care law, while Sen. Garrett Richter, R-Naples will chair the gaming committee.
The gaming committee, expected to be a two-year endeavor following last years high-profile fight over the establishment of a statewide gaming commission and casinos, has its first meeting Monday afternoon as the first legislative committee weeks get under way.
Meanwhile, Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, also offered five Democrats committee chair or vice chair positions as he rounded out the appointments Wednesday.
Gaetz, in setting the committee positions for the 2013 session, noted that each senators subject areas of expertise and interests were considered and that he took input from Senate Minority Leader Chris Smith, D-Oakland Park, to set the appointments.
As you know, nearly 40 percent of the body is comprised of new senators. Additionally, the entire Senate has turned over since 2006. We are fresh off redistricting, with 40 brand new Senate districts and even returning senators may represent new constituents and different areas of the state, Gaetz stated in a release.
As I indicated in my remarks during the organization session last week, this combination of factors is conducive to taking a look at all areas of the budget.
My goal is to ensure that all senators, new and returning, understand what is included in the base budget so that each senator can be equipped with the information necessary to make decisions on what should be funded moving forward. I am confident these appropriations assignments will allow all senators to participate in a meaningful way with the preparation and finalization of funding priorities at the subcommittee level.
Gaetz announced his leadership team on Monday, with Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Fort Myers, to serve as majority leader and Sen. Tom Lee, R-Brandon, the deputy leader and whip.
The following committee appointment list is sorted by senator:
Joseph Abruzzo
Joint Legislative Auditing Committee;alt. chair
Commerce and Tourism;vice chair
Communications, Energy and Public Utilities
Appropriations Subcommittee on Education
Appropriations Subcommittee on Finance and Tax
Military Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security
Environmental Preservation and Conservation; vice chair.
Thad Altman
Joint Administrative Procedures Committee
Criminal Justice
Children, Families, and Elder Affairs
Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice
Appropriations Subcommittee on Finance and Tax
Military Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security; chair
Environmental Preservation and Conservation.
Aaron Bean
Select Committee on Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Commerce and Tourism
Communications, Energy and Public Utilities
Appropriations Subcommittee on Education
Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services
Health Policy; chair
Governmental Oversight and Accountability
Appropriations.
Lizbeth Benacquisto
Gaming
Ethics and Elections
Education
Appropriations Subcommittee on Education
Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services
Banking and Insurance
Rules
Governmental Oversight and Accountability
Appropriations; vice chair.
Rob Bradley
Joint Legislative Auditing Committee
Criminal Justice
Judiciary
Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice; chair
Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government
Community Affairs
Governmental Oversight and Accountability
Appropriations.
"Jeff" Brandes
Select Committee on Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Agriculture
Education
Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development
Appropriations Subcommittee on Finance and Tax
Health Policy
Transportation; chair.
Oscar Braynon
Gaming
Ethics and Elections
Children, Families, and Elder Affairs
Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice
Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government
Health Policy
Regulated Industries; vice chair.
Dwight Bullard
Joint Administrative Procedures Committee
Agriculture; vice chair
Education
Appropriations Subcommittee on Education
Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government
Military Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security
Environmental Preservation and Conservation.
Jeff Clemens
Gaming
Ethics and Elections
Children, Families, and Elder Affairs
Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice
Appropriations Subcommittee on Finance and Tax
Banking and Insurance; vice chair
Transportation.
Charlie Dean
Gaming
Criminal Justice
Children, Families, and Elder Affairs
Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice
Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government
Military Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security
Environmental Preservation and Conservation; chair.
Nancy Detert
Joint Administrative Procedures Committee
Commerce and Tourism; chair
Children, Families, and Elder Affairs
Appropriations Subcommittee on Education
Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government
Banking and Insurance
Regulated Industries.
Miguel Diaz de la Portilla
Joint Committee on Public Counsel Oversight
Ethics and Elections
Children, Families, and Elder Affairs
Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice
Appropriations Subcommittee on Finance and Tax
Banking and Insurance
Rules
Transportation.
Greg Evers
Joint Committee on Public Counsel Oversight
Criminal Justice; chair
Communications, Energy and Public Utilities
Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development
Appropriations Subcommittee on Finance and Tax
Military Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security
Transportation.
Anitere Flores
Select Committee on Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Ethics and Elections
Communications, Energy and Public Utilities; chair
Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice
Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services;vice chair
Health Policy
Regulated Industries.
Bill Galvano
Gaming
Agriculture
Education
Appropriations Subcommittee on Education; chair
Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services
Health Policy
Rules
Regulated Industries
Appropriations.
Rene Garcia
Joint Administrative Procedures Committee; alt. chair
Agriculture
Communications, Energy and Public Utilities; vice chair
Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice
Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services
Health Policy
Transportation.
Andy Gardiner
Gaming
Ethics and Elections
Judiciary
Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development; chair
Appropriations Subcommittee on Finance and Tax
Military Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security
Rules
Environmental Preservation and Conservation
Appropriations
Joint Legislative Budget Commission.
Audrey Gibson
Select Committee on Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Criminal Justice
Communications, Energy and Public Utilities
Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development
Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services
Military Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security; vice chair
Regulated Industries.
Denise Grimsley
Select Committee on Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Agriculture
Children, Families, and Elder Affairs
Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice
Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services; chair
Health Policy
Environmental Preservation and Conservation
Appropriations.
Alan Hays
Joint Legislative Auditing Committee
Commerce and Tourism
Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; vice chair
Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice
Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government; chair
Banking and Insurance
Governmental Oversight and Accountability; vice chair
Appropriations
Joint Legislative Budget Commission.
Dorothy Hukill
Joint Committee on Public Counsel Oversight
Commerce and Tourism
Communications, Energy and Public Utilities
Appropriations Subcommittee on Education
Appropriations Subcommittee on Finance and Tax; chair
Community Affairs
Governmental Oversight and Accountability
Appropriations.
Arthenia Joyner
Joint Committee on Public Counsel Oversight; alt. chair
Ethics and Elections
Judiciary
Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice; vice chair
Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government
Health Policy
Transportation.
Jack Latvala
Gaming
Ethics and Elections; chair
Judiciary
Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development
Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government
Community Affairs
Rules
Environmental Preservation and Conservation
Appropriations.
Tom Lee
Gaming
Ethics and Elections
Judiciary; chair
Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development
Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services
Banking and Insurance
Rules
Transportation.
John Legg
Select Committee on Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Ethics and Elections
Education; chair
Appropriations Subcommittee on Education
Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government
Military Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security
Regulated Industries.
Gwen Margolis
Gaming
Commerce and Tourism
Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development; vice chair
Appropriations Subcommittee on Finance and Tax
Banking and Insurance
Rules
Transportation; vice chair
Appropriations
Joint Legislative Budget Commission.
William Montford
Gaming
Agriculture; chair
Education; vice chair
Appropriations Subcommittee on Education; vice chair
Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services
Banking and Insurance
Rules
Governmental Oversight and Accountability
Appropriations.
Joe Negron
Select Committee on Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; chair
Banking and Insurance
Rules
Appropriations; chair
Joint Legislative Budget Commission; alt. chair.
Garrett Richter
Gaming; chair
Commerce and Tourism
Judiciary
Appropriations Subcommittee on Education
Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services
Banking and Insurance
Rules
Transportation
Appropriations
Joint Legislative Budget Commission.
Jeremy Ring
Joint Legislative Auditing Committee
Commerce and Tourism
Judiciary
Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development
Appropriations Subcommittee on Finance and Tax; vice chair
Banking and Insurance
Rules
Governmental Oversight and Accountability; chair
Appropriations.
Maria Sachs
Gaming; vice chair
Agriculture
Education
Appropriations Subcommittee on Education
Appropriations Subcommittee on Finance and Tax
Military Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security
Regulated Industries.
David Simmons
Select Committee on Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Criminal Justice
Education
Appropriations Subcommittee on Education
Appropriations Subcommittee on Finance and Tax
Banking and Insurance; chair
Rules
Governmental Oversight and Accountability.
Wilton Simpson
Joint Legislative Auditing Committee
Commerce and Tourism
Communications, Energy and Public Utilities
Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development
Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government
Community Affairs; chair
Environmental Preservation and Conservation.
Chris Smith
Select Committee on Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Criminal Justice; vice chair
Communications, Energy and Public Utilities
Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice
Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services
Community Affairs
Rules; vice chair
Governmental Oversight and Accountability
Appropriations
Joint Legislative Budget Commission.
Eleanor Sobel
Select Committee on Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; vice chair
Ethics and Elections; vice chair
Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; chair
Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development
Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services
Health Policy; vice chair
Rules
Regulated Industries
Appropriations.
Darren Soto
Select Committee on Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Ethics and Elections
Judiciary; vice chair
Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice
Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government
Community Affairs
Environmental Preservation and Conservation.
Kelli Stargel
Joint Committee on Public Counsel Oversight
Commerce and Tourism
Education
Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development
Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government
Community Affairs
Regulated Industries; chair.
Geraldine Thompson
Joint Administrative Procedures Committee
Commerce and Tourism
Children, Families, and Elder Affairs
Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development
Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government; vice chair
Community Affairs; vice chair
Transportation.
John Thrasher
Gaming
Ethics and Elections
Judiciary
Appropriations Subcommittee on Education
Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services
Community Affairs
Rules; chair
Regulated Industries
Appropriations
Joint Legislative Budget Commission.
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.
