State representatives who gathered in Tallahassee Wednesday for the official Republican Conference designation ceremony heard Richard Corcoran, next speaker of the Florida House, talk about a grab bag of education and bread-and-butter issues, but above all, commit to limiting the influence of special interests in the Capitol.
Corcoran, R-Land O' Lakes, 50, has served in the Florida House since 2010, but has worked hand-in-hand with some of the biggest names in Florida politics over the years, serving as advisor to former House Speakers Dan Webster (now a congressman), Tom Feeney, and now-U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.
A crowded room of men and women, including some Democrats and senators, gathered in the House chamber to watch Corcoran officially take the reins of the 2016-2018 speakership. Other politicians attended, including Gov. Rick Scott and U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla.
Corcoran, in accepting his party's nomination, said he was “humbled," but wasted no time telling lawmakers they needed to reform.
“The enemy isn’t the special interests. The enemy isn’t the press,” he said. “The enemy is us. It always has been and always will be.”
Corcoran proposed closing the “revolving door” between lobbyists and legislators and urged lawmakers to pass a constitutional amendment banning any elected state official from lobbying the legislative or executive branch for six years. Florida law currently bans state officials from lobbying for two years.
“We need to restore the distance between those who seek to influence the laws and those of us who make the laws,” he said.
Corcoran also said Florida needs to promote a more transparent process in the lobbying business.
“In a free open democratic society, everybody has the right to petition government, but nobody has the right to do so in secret,” he explained.
Corcoran promoted education issues and dived headfirst into the healthcare issue which so starkly divided the House and Senate during this year’s regular session. The speaker designate said the House would promote a “free-market, patient-driven system.”
“It’s time people realized that conservatives aren’t against health care for poor people, we’re against giving them poorly run government health care,” he said.
To close, Corcoran said lawmakers have a huge opportunity to create a name for themselves in pursuing the right course.
“Let us prove we are not the enemies of this story but the heroes,” he said. “And, let our true legacy be this: We told the truth and we fought for justice. And, maybe, just maybe, long into the future, someone will ask one of you to come back to this chamber so they can tell your heroic story.”
In his nomination speech, Rep. Jose Oliva, R-Miami Lakes -- due to follow Corcoran as speaker -- praised Corcoran’s sharp mind and political tactics.
Oliva said he had been “warned” about Corcoran’s fierceness, but noted none of the warnings ever said Corcoran couldn’t get the job on.
“All of [these comments] made quite an impression on me,” said Oliva. “I had not heard a single warning saying ‘look out for Richard Corcoran, he’s ineffective.’”
Oliva also noted Corcoran’s deep faith as one of the reasons he is such an effective lawmaker.
“He is a man of deep, unwavering faith...it’s truly his defining trait,” he said.
Rep. Carlos Trujillo, R-Miami, who seconded the nomination, agreed.
“His litmus test for decision-making is principle-based,” he said. “Richard is that friend you want to call late at night when things go wrong ... he’s there for you.”
Reach Allison Nielsen at allison@sunshinestatenews.com
