As House Speaker Steve Crisafulli started the 2016 legislative session Tuesday, he couldn't avoid bringing up last year.
Bottom line, 2015 was a slog, with lawmakers holding a regular session and three special sessions amid sometimes-nasty disputes between the House and Senate.
"While the Senate begins their session and we wait to hear from the governor on his State of the State address, I would normally at this point in time say, 'Welcome back,' '' Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, told House members gathered Tuesday before a joint session with the Senate. "But I have to honestly say, I don't feel like we really ever left."
Crisafulli and Senate President Andy Gardiner, however, want the first week of the 2016 session to be different. The House and Senate are expected to quickly pass priorities of the two leaders --- a major water-policy bill and measures that would help provide job and educational opportunities for people with disabilities.
"I think it sets the tone,'' Gardiner, R-Orlando, said. "Last year was unusual."
Gardiner and Crisafulli, who will leave the leadership posts later this year, addressed their chambers before Gov. Rick Scott gave his annual State of the State address.
Gardiner, whose son has Down syndrome, has focused heavily on issues related to people with developmental disabilities or, as he calls them, "unique abilities." Crisafulli, whose family has a long history in the agriculture industry, has made a priority of passing water policies.
During his session-opening speech, Crisafulli touched on issues that have been a focus of House Republican leaders, such as seeking education reforms and taking steps to try to drive down health-care costs.
Crisafulli also said House Finance & Tax Chairman Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, will release a $1 billion tax-cut proposal. Scott is pushing for a similar amount of tax cuts, though it remains unclear whether the details of the House proposal will be similar to Scott's proposed cuts.
"This will allow businesses to hire more workers and give families meaningful relief so that they can reinvest into our economy,'' Crisafulli said.
Across the Capitol's fourth floor, Gardiner made an off-the-cuff speech to senators. He recalled his first campaign more than 16 years ago, saying no one expected him, a former legislative aide, to win.
"It's so easy to come up here and lose sight of why you ran for office in the first place," Gardiner said. "I didn't campaign on the most recent vendor fight or the most recent lobbyist issue. … I campaigned on things I believed in."
Gardiner said he "wanted to be a part of what Jeb Bush talked about … about being a compassionate conservative."
"Each of us come up here and we have ideas and values and goals," Gardiner said. "But over the next 60 days I want you to remember why you ran for office. What was the role of government that you campaigned on? … What was it that you wanted to accomplish?"
