Summary
Florida is located in the Southern region of the USA with Tallahassee as its capital. Ron DeSantis (R) is Governor
The Florida legislature has 40 Senate members and 120 House members.
OnAir Post: Florida onAir Hub
News
The base content in each post in this Florida onAir Hub has been updated as of 12/20/23. In addition to the eight posts on the home page, in depth posts on each US House member and posts on Florida government and elections have been started. These posts have been shared with the US onAir Hub and will updated in the US onAir automatically when they are updated in this hub.
If your university or nonpartisan organization (such as a government focused research center, citizen engagement program or a League of Women Voters chapter) is interested in assisting the US onAir network to help curate new issue posts or other posts on this Hub and moderate the forums in each post, contact Ben Murphy at Ben.Murphy@onair.cc.
We are also supporting college students to start an onAir chapter on the their campus to coordinate the curation and moderation of posts especially on state and local representatives and government.
About
This Florida onAir Hub is managed by students supporting Floridians to become more informed about and engaged in local, state, and federal politics while facilitating more civil and positive discussions with their representatives, candidates, and fellow citizens.
- Florida onAir is one of 50 state governance and elections hubs that the US onAir Network is providing to help reinvigorate US democracy. This post has short summaries of current state and federal representatives with links to their complete Hub posts. Students curate post content from government, campaign, social media, and public websites. Key content on the Florida Hub is also replicated on the US onAir nations Hub at: us.onair.cc.
- Florida students will be forming onAir chapters in their colleges and universities to help curate Hub content. As more students participate and more onAir chapters are started, we will expand to include more state and local content as well as increase the number of aircasts – student-led, livestreamed, online discussions with candidates, representatives, and the public.
Find out more about Who Represents Me in Florida
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Democracy promoting Nonprofits
League of Women Voters of Florida
The League of Women Voters of (LWVFL) is a nonpartisan political organization encouraging informed and active participation in government, working to increase understanding of major policy issues, and advocating for legislative changes and policies for the public good.
Common Cause Florida is a nonpartisan grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process.
Free news sources
The Phoenix is a nonprofit news site that’s free of advertising and free to readers. We cover state government and politics with a staff of five journalists located at the Florida Press Center in downtown Tallahassee. We have a mix of in-depth stories, briefs, and social media updates on the latest events, editorial cartoons, and progressive commentary.
Reporters in many now-shrunken capital bureaus have to spend most of their time these days chasing around after more and more outrageous political behavior, and too many don’t have time to lift up emerging innovative ideas or report on the people who are trying to help solve problems and shift policy for a more compassionate world. The Florida Phoenix does those stories.
The Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers.
South Florida PBS, Florida’s largest public media company, includes public broadcasting stations WPBT2 and WXEL, serving approximately 6.3 million viewers of all ages and cultural backgrounds from Key West to the Sebastian Inlet and from the Atlantic Ocean west to Lake Okeechobee.
We are dedicated to bring our audiences a more textured and thorough understanding of our world, our community and the communities around them through the knowledge they need to make informed decisions; convene community dialogue; bring the arts to everyone; and engage audiences to share their stories. We are trusted by parents, grandparents, care-givers, and teachers and provide educational content that promotes the healthy development of our children.
We celebrate diversity, embrace innovation, value lifelong learning and partner with those who share our passion for public service.
We’re the PBS station serving the Tampa Bay, Sarasota and Lakeland regions. Watch us online and on TV with six channels dedicated to providing the best in arts, culture, news, history, science, and children’s programming. We also produce unique local shows, including: Florida This Week, WEDU Arts Plus, Greater Sarasota, WEDU Quest and others.
Web Links
State representatives
Governor Ron DeSantis
Current Position: Governor since 2019
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position: US Representative from 2013 – 2018
DeSantis is a candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. DeSantis won the Republican nomination for the 2018 gubernatorial election and narrowly defeated the Democratic Party nominee, Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum, in the general election by 0.4%.
Featured Quote:
Forcing kids to wear masks is bad policy. Parents are best equipped to decide whether they want their kids to wear a mask in school. Neither bureaucrats in Washington nor local authorities should be able to override the decision of the parents.
OnAir Post: Ron DeSantis – FL
US Representatives
Senator Marco Rubio
Current Position: US Senator since 2011
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position: US Representative from 2000 – 2008
Other positions:
Ranking Member, Select Committee on Intelligence
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women’s Issues – Committee on Foreign Relations
Featured Quote:
On Friday @CDCgov called #COVID19 “a pandemic of the unvaccinated” Four days later,they now want to force fully vaccinated people to wear masks again based on “new science related to the delta variant” Before stirring up fights over masks they should have released that science.
OnAir Post: Marco Rubio – FL
Senator Rick Scott
Current Position: US Senator since 2019
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position: Governor from 2011 – 2019
Other Positions: Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman
Featured Quote:
These vaccine mandates are just the latest attempt by @POTUS & the Democrats to control Americans. I got the vaccine & encourage others to as well, but that’s each person’s decision. We all must stand up against this gross overreach.
OnAir Post: Rick Scott – FL
Matt Gaetz FL-01
Current Position: US Representative of FL District 1 since 2017
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position: State Delegate from 2010 – 2016
District: state’s western Panhandle. It includes all of Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa counties, and portions of Walton county. The district is anchored in Pensacola.
Upcoming Election:
Featured Quote:
They call it “middle out” They mean “establishment out” On so many issues we should work “outside in” – end wars – stop trading w countries that destroy the environment – break up big tech – abolish FISA – end the drug war
Matt Gaetz Refutes Progressive Democrats Calling To Grant Citizenship To Undocumented Immigrants
OnAir Post: Matt Gaetz FL-01
Neal Dunn FL-02
Current Position: US Representative of FL District 2 since 2017
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position: Surgeon from 1980 – 2015
District: Eastern part of the Florida Panhandle along with much of the Big Bend region along the Emerald Coast. It straddles both the Eastern and Central time zones. It is anchored in Tallahassee, the state capital, and includes Panama City.
Upcoming Election:
Featured Quote: Dr. Neal Dunn is the conservative leader we need to continue fighting for us in Washington. He’s a Veteran, a skilled surgeon and a devoted family man. Since his election into Congress, he has kept the values and interests of his constituents at the forefront of his actions. He is honored to be your Congressman and will continue to fight for you
OnAir Post: Neal Dunn FL-02
Kat Cammack FL-03
Current Position: US Representative of FL 3rd District since 2021
Affiliation: Republican
District: north central Florida, including the entire counties of Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie Gilchrist, Hamilton, Levy, Suwannee, and Union, along with the majority of Lafayette and Marion County. The city of Gainesville is in the district as well as part of Ocala
Upcoming Election:
Featured Quote:
Only in our great country can someone like me go from homeless to the House, where I am now the youngest Republican woman in Congress. I’m fighting for Americans like you every day by pushing back on the far-Left.
OnAir Post: Kat Cammack FL-03
Aaron Bean FL-04
Current Position: US Representative of FL 4th District since 2023
Affiliation: Republican
District: northeastern Florida, encompassing Nassau and Clay counties and part of Duval County.
Upcoming Election:
Bean represents the 4th district in the Florida Senate, which included all of Nassau County and parts of Duval County, from 2012 to 2022. From 2000 to 2008, he represented the 12th district in the Florida House of Representatives.
OnAir Post: Aaron Bean FL-04
John Rutherford FL-05
Current Position: US Representative of FL District 5 since 2017 (formerly District 4)
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position: Sheriff of Duval County, Florida from 2003 – 2015
District: southeastern area of Jacksonville which comprises areas such as Arlington, East Arlington, Southside, Mandarin, San Jose, and the Beaches. It stretches south to St. Augustine in St. Johns County.
Upcoming Election:
Featured Quote:
Biden tells us the vaccine protects against COVID and prevents spread…while also telling us that vaccinated people must wear a mask to prevent contracting and spreading COVID…which the vaccine protects against. It makes no sense & we need clarity from the White House.
OnAir Post: John Rutherford FL-05
Michael Waltz FL-06
Current Position: US Representative of FL District 6 since 2019
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position: US Army from 1996 – 2021
District: Eastern Florida Coast and stretches from the southern Jacksonville suburbs to New Smyrna Beach. It includes the city of Daytona Beach.
Upcoming Election:
Featured Quote:
It’s time we get some transparency about who is buying Hunter Biden’s “artwork” – CCP influencers, Ukrainians, special interests – and what they’re really getting in exchange.
OnAir Post: Michael Waltz FL-06
Cory Mills FL-07
Current Position: US Representative of FL District 7 since 2019
Affiliation: Republican
District: the suburban area between Orlando and Daytona Beach and included St. Augustine.
Upcoming Election:
Cory Mills is an American businessman and defense contractor. Mills worked in various organizations as a security specialist and a business executive before being elected to Congress in 2022.
From 1999 to 2004, Mills served in the United States Army, where he was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division. n 2020 and 2021, Mills served as a member of the Defense Business Board. He is the co-founder of ALS Less-Lethal Systems, a company that manufactures equipment for military and law enforcement clients. He also co-founded and is executive director of PACEM Defense, a private security company.
OnAir Post: Cory Mills FL-07
Bill Posey FL-08
Current Position: US Representative of FL District 8 since 2009
Affiliation: Republican
Former Positions: State Senator from 2000 – 2008; State Delegate from 1992 – 2000
District: Titusville, Melbourne, Cocoa, and Cape Canaveral, Florida. The district includes all of Brevard County, as well as all of Indian River County and parts of Orange County. The district also includes the Kennedy Space Center.
Upcoming Election:
Featured Quote:
Exciting and historic launch and landing by @blueorigin New Shepard spacecraft – another great milestone for commercial space and USA #NewShepard #NSFirstHumanFlight
OnAir Post: Bill Posey FL-08
Darren Soto FL-09
Current Position: US Representative of FL District 9 since 2017
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Positions: State Senator from 2012 – 2016; State Delegate from 2007 – 2012
District: eastern Orlando south-southeast to Yeehaw Junction. It also includes the cities of Kissimmee and St. Cloud.
Upcoming Election:
Featured Quote:
The #AmericanRescuePlan put shots in arms, money in pockets, & created a plan to #BuildBackBetter. Now, @HouseDemocratsare working with Republican members of the @ProbSolveCaucus & a bipartisan group of 67 senators to improve our infrastructure.
OnAir Post: Darren Soto FL-09
Maxwell Frost FL-10
Current Position: US Representative of FL District 10 since 2023
Affiliation: Democrat
District: entirely within Orange County, and covers most of its western portion. It is situated along the Interstate 4 corridor. It includes most of the western half of Orlando.
Upcoming Election:
Maxwell Frost was previously the national organizing director for March for Our Lives. Elected at age 25, Frost is the first member of Generation Z to serve in the United States Congress.
Frost was an organizer with the American Civil Liberties Union and worked to support Florida’s 2018 Amendment 4 and to pressure Joe Biden to stop supporting the Hyde Amendment in 2019. He was the national organizing director for March for Our Lives
OnAir Post: Maxwell Frost FL-10
Daniel Webster FL-11
Current Position: US Representative of FL District 11 since 2011
Affiliation: Republican
Former Positions: State Senator from 1998 – 2008; State Delegate from 1980 – 1998
Committees: House Transportation Committee
District: Orlando’s western suburbs.
Upcoming Election:
Featured Quote:
I ran for office pledging to do my part to stop the spigot of spending and get our fiscal house in order. These spending bills do the opposite of that and I will not break my pledge to my constituents…My full statement:
OnAir Post: Daniel Webster FL-11
Gus Bilirakis FL-12
Current Position: US Representative of FL District 12 since 2007
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position: State Delegate from 1998 – 2006
District: Citrus County and Hernando County counties, as well as most of Pasco County, including the places of New Port Richey, Dade City, Spring Hill, and Homosassa Springs.
Upcoming Election:
Featured Quote:
This week, this topic took on even more meaning as my friend & constituent, Doug, recently lost his battle with ALS. ALS disproportionately impacts Veterans, like Doug. We must encourage innovation & research at the NIH, & remove barriers to developing better treatments at FDA.
OnAir Post: Gus Bilirakis FL-12
Anna Paulina Luna FL-13
Current Position: US Representative of FL District 13 since 2023
Affiliation: Republican
District: Florida’s Gulf Coast, assigned to Pinellas County. The district includes Largo, Clearwater, and Palm Harbor.
Upcoming Election:
In a November 2018 Fox NewLuna became the Director of Hispanic Engagement for Turning Point USA in 2018. She unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the U.S. House in 2020. She was elected in 2022 with the support of Donald Trump and Marjorie Taylor Greene. Luna supported Jim Jordan and Byron Donalds for Speaker in the January 2023 election.
OnAir Post: Anna Paulina Luna FL-13
Kathy Castor FL-14
Laurel Lee FL-15
Current Position: US Representative of FL District 15 since 2023
Affiliation: Republican
District: northeastern suburbs of Tampa, including parts of Hillsborough, Pasco, and Polk counties. The district includes Plant City and Zephyrhills, as well as parts of Tampa city proper, Brandon, and Lakeland.
Upcoming Election:
Laurel Frances Lee was a judge on Florida’s Thirteenth Judicial Circuit from 2013 to 2019 and was the 30th Secretary of State of Florida from 2019 to 2022. Lee was appointed Florida Secretary of State by Governor Ron DeSantis on January 28, 2019, replacing Mike Ertel
OnAir Post: Laurel Lee FL-15
Vern Buchanan FL-16
Current Position: US Representative of FL District 16 since 2007
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position: Businessman from 1987 – 2007
District: encompasses eastern Hillsborough County and the entirety of Manatee County. In the 2020 redistricting cycle, the district was drawn out of Sarasota and Sarasota County to include more of Tampa’s eastern suburbs, including Riverview and parts of Brandon south of Florida State Road 60.
Upcoming Election:
Featured Quote:
I’m pleased to see three of my top priorities pass the House this week. The three provisions include efforts
OnAir Post: Vern Buchanan FL-16
Greg Steube FL-17
Current Position: US Representative of FL District 17 since 2019
Affiliation: Republican
Former Positions: State Senator from 2016 – 2018; State Delegate from 2010 – 2016
District: Coastal counties of Sarasota and Charlotte as well as northeastern Lee County, including most of Lehigh Acres.
Upcoming Election:
Featured Quote:
The CDC is giving us whiplash with their ever-changing guidance, but don’t back up their arbitrary rules with any sound science. The American people are tired of this.
OnAir Post: Greg Steube FL-17
Scott Franklin FL-18
Current Position: US Representative of FL 18th District since 2021
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position: Member of the Lakeland City Commission from 2018 – 2021
District: inland counties of DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, and Okeechobee, as well as most of Polk County (including Bartow, eastern Lakeland, and Winter Haven) and some of Immokalee in Collier County.
Upcoming Election:
Franklin spent 26 years in the Navy, 14 on active duty and 12 in the Naval Reserve, including being mobilized/recalled to active duty with U.S. Central Command after the September 11 attacks. He retired with the rank of Commander.
In 2000, Franklin joined Lanier Upshaw, an insurance agency, and became its chief executive officer.[8] In 2017, he was elected as a city commissioner for the Southeast district of Lakeland.
OnAir Post: Scott Franklin FL-18
Byron Donalds FL-19
Current Position: US Representative of FL District 19 since 2021
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position: State Delegate from 2016 – 2020
District: cities of Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Bonita Springs, Naples and Marco Island, as well as unincorporated areas in Lee and Collier counties.
Upcoming Election:
Featured Quote:
Humbled by the outpouring of support from thousands of Conservatives who want to join the fight to protect America from radical policies being pushed by the Left. We’re just getting started!
OnAir Post: Byron Donalds FL-19
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick FL-20
Current Position: US Representative of District 20
Affiliation: Democrat
District: The district includes most of the majority-Black precincts in and around western and central Broward County and small portion of southeastern Palm Beach County, including places like North Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale, Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes, Tamarac, Lake Park, Riviera Beach, Plantation, and Dania Beach, along with parts of Pompano Beach, and Sunrise. It also includes a vast area inland to the southeastern shores of Lake Okeechobee, including the community of Belle Glade.
Upcoming Election:
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is an American businesswoman and politician serving as the U.S representative for Florida’s 20th congressional district.
A member of the Democratic Party, she won a special election in 2022 to fill the seat left vacant after the death of Alcee Hastings
OnAir Post: Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick FL-20
Brian Mast FL-21
Current Position: US Representative of District 2017
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position: US Army from 2000 – 2010
District: all of St. Lucie County and Martin County as well as the northeastern part of Palm Beach County, and includes Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, Stuart, Jupiter, and Palm Beach Gardens, as well as Treasure Coast International Airport.
Upcoming Election:
A veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom, Mast lost both his legs while serving as a U.S. Army explosive ordnance disposal technician in Afghanistan in 2010.
Featured Quote:
Time spent outdoors has proven to be therapeutic for many veterans. That’s why the Alexander Lofgren VIP Act is so important. The bill grants veterans and Gold Star Family members a free pass to view our beautiful national parks.
OnAir Post: Brian Mast FL-21
Lois Frankel FL-22
Current Position: US Representative of FL District 21 since 2013
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Positions: Mayor of West Palm Beach from 2003 – 2011; State Delegate from 1986 – 1992
Other positions: Chair, AIDS Task Force; Select Committee on Child Abuse & Neglect
District: Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, Boynton Beach and Delray Beach, as well as unincorporated Palm Beach County.
Upcoming Election:
Featured Quote:
It is officially #HurricaneSeason. Protect yourself and your loved ones by being prepared. @PBCGOV’s hurricane homepage is a one stop shop for zone maps, emergency levels, the status of stores/shelters/gas stations, & more:
OnAir Post: Lois Frankel FL-22
Jared Moskowitz FL-23
Current Position: US Representative of FL District 23 since 2023
Affiliation: Democrat
District: includes Boca Raton, Coral Springs, most of Deerfield Beach and Fort Lauderdale, and parts of Pompano Beach.
Upcoming Election:
Moskowitz served on the Broward County Commission from 2021 to 2022 and as director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management from 2019 to 2021. Before his appointment, he served in the Florida House of Representatives, representing the Coral Springs area in northern Broward County from 2012 to 2019.
Moskowitz worked as an intern for Vice President Al Gore, served as an assistant on Joe Lieberman’s 2004 presidential campaign, and was a Florida delegate pledged to Barack Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
OnAir Post: Jared Moskowitz FL-23
Frederica Wilson FL-24
Current Position: US Representative of FL District 24 since 2011
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Positions: State Senator from 2002 – 2010; State Delegate from 1998 – 2002
District: parts of Miami north of Florida State Road 112, including Little Haiti, as well as Brownsville, Biscayne Park, North Miami, Miami Gardens, and Opa Locka, along with the southern Broward County communities of Pembroke Park, West Park, and parts of Miramar.
Upcoming Election:
Featured Quote:
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your undying support, @SpeakerPelosi
! The commission’s work is going to change lives! In response to Nancy Pelosi tweet: With my signature, @RepWilson’s landmark legislation creating a commission on the social status of Black men and boys nationwide heads to the President’s desk.
Rep. Frederica Wilson Recounts Trump’s Call To Widow Of Fallen Soldier | The View
OnAir Post: Frederica Wilson FL-24
Debbie Wasserman Schultz FL-25
Current Position: US Representative of Fl District 23 since 2005
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Position: State Delegate from 1992 – 2000
Other positions: Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
District: much of southern Broward County, including Weston, Davie, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, and parts of Miramar and Plantation.
Upcoming Election:
Featured Quote:
.@GovRonDeSantis is not a public health leader, he’s a #Florida public health threat.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz Calls Out DeSantis, State GOP Over ‘Florida Voter Suppression Bill’
OnAir Post: Debbie Wasserman Schultz FL-25
Mario Díaz-Balart FL-26
Current Position: US Representative of FL District 25 since 2003
Affiliation: Republican
Former Positions: State Delegate from 2000 – 2002; State Senator from 1992 – 2000
Other positions: Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
District: most of inland Collier County as well as the northwestern suburbs of Miami, including Doral, Hialeah, Miami Lakes, and some neighborhoods in Miami itself, such as Allapattah and Wynwood.
Upcoming Election:
Díaz-Balart was elected to the Florida House in 1988 and to the Florida Senate in 1992. He returned to the Florida House in 2000. He is a founding member of the Congressional Hispanic Conference, a caucus of Hispanic Republican congressmen.
OnAir Post: Mario Díaz-Balart FL-26
María Elvira Salazar FL-27
Current Position: US Representative of FL 27th District since 2021
Affiliation: Republican
Candidate: 2022 US Representative for District 27
Former Position: Journalist and author from 1983 – 2020
Other positions: Subcommittee on Contracting & Infrastructure
District: within Miami-Dade County includes parts of Miami south of the Dolphin Expressway, including Downtown and Little Havana, Coral Gables, and Kendall.
Upcoming Election:
Featured Quote:
Thank you to all of my @HouseGOP friends & colleagues who stand with the freedom-loving people of #Cuba in their fight against the savage Castro dictatorship
OnAir Post: María Elvira Salazar FL-27
Carlos Giménez FL-28
Current Position: US Representative of FL 26th District since 2021
Affiliation: Republican
Former Positions: Mayor of Miami-Dade County from 2011 – 2020; Other from 2005 – 2011
District: Monroe County, home to the Florida Keys, and many of Miami’s outer southwestern suburbs, including all of Homestead, The Hammocks, Kendale Lakes, Tamiami, and others. All three of Florida’s national parks – the Everglades, Biscayne, and the Dry Tortugas
Upcoming Election:
Featured Quote:
We need more people to vaccinate against #COVID19, and one of the ways to do that is ensuring existing American vaccines are fully and permanently approved by the FDA. I just sent a letter to @US_FDA
Commissioner Woodcock urging her to expedite permanent approval.
OnAir Post: Carlos Giménez FL-28
More Information
Wikipedia
Contents
The government of Florida is established and operated according to the Constitution of Florida and is composed of three branches of government: the executive branch consisting of the governor of Florida and the other elected and appointed constitutional officers; the legislative branch, the Florida Legislature, consisting of the Senate and House; and the judicial branch consisting of the Supreme Court of Florida and lower courts. The state also allows direct participation of the electorate by initiative, referendum, and ratification.
Executive branch
The executive branch of the government of Florida consists of the governor, lieutenant governor, Florida Cabinet (which includes the attorney general, commissioner of agriculture and chief financial officer), and several executive departments.[1] Each office term is limited to two four-year terms.[2]
Governor
The governor of Florida is the chief executive of the government of Florida and the chief administrative officer of the state responsible for the planning and budgeting for the state and serves as chair when the governor and the Florida Cabinet sit as a decision-making body in various constitutional roles.[3] The governor has the power to execute Florida’s laws and to call out the state militia to preserve the public peace, being commander-in-chief of the state’s military forces that are not in active service of the United States. At least once every legislative session, the governor is required to deliver the “State of the State Address” to the Florida Legislature regarding the condition and operation of the state government and to suggest new legislation.
Cabinet
Florida is unique among U.S. states in having a strong cabinet-style government. Members of the Florida Cabinet are independently elected, and have equal footing with the governor on issues under the Cabinet’s jurisdiction. The Cabinet consists of the attorney general, the commissioner of agriculture and the chief financial officer. Along with the governor, each member carries one vote in the decision-making process. In the event of a tie, the side of the governor is the prevailing side. Cabinet elections are held every four years, on even numbered years not divisible by four (such as 2010, 2014, etc.).
The Florida attorney general is the state’s chief legal officer. As defined in the Florida Constitution,[4] the attorney general appoints a statewide prosecutor who may prosecute violations of criminal law occurring in or affecting two or more judicial circuits. The attorney general is responsible for the Department of Legal Affairs.[5] The attorney general is head of the Florida Department of Legal Affairs.[6][7]
The Florida chief financial officer‘s duties include monitoring the state’s finances and fiscal well-being, auditing and assuring that state programs are properly spending money and overseeing the proper management of the revenue and spending of the state.[8] The chief financial officer is the head of the Florida Department of Financial Services (FDFS).[6]
The Florida commissioner of agriculture is the head of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS).
Agencies and departments
The purpose of agencies is to promulgate rules to implement legislation. In April 2014, there were 25,362 administrative rules, and eight agencies have over 1,000 rules each, of which the most heavily regulated agencies are the Department of Financial Services and Department of Health.[9] The Florida Administrative Register (FAR) is the daily publication containing proposed rules and notices of state agencies.[10] The regulations are codified in the Florida Administrative Code (FAC).[11] There are also numerous decisions, opinions and rulings of state agencies.[12]
The state had about 122,000 employees in 2010.[13][14]
Legislative branch
The Florida Constitution mandates a bicameral state legislature, consisting of a Florida Senate of 40 members and a Florida House of Representatives of 120 members.[15] The two bodies meet in the Florida State Capitol. The Florida House of Representative members serve for two-year terms, while Florida Senate members serve staggered four-year terms, with 20 senators up for election every two years.[16] Members of both houses are term limited to serve a maximum of eight years.[17] There are also state auditors led by the Florida auditor general who is appointed by the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee,[18][19][20] the utility-regulating Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC),[21][6] and the Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA).[6]
The legislature’s session is part-time, meeting for 60-day regular sessions annually. The regular session of the Florida Legislature commences on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March with the governor’s State of the State speech before a joint session and ends on the last Friday in April or the first Friday in May. The Florida Legislature often meets in special sessions, sometimes as many as a half dozen in a year, that are called for particular purposes, such as budget reduction or reforming property insurance. A special session may be called by the governor,[22] by joint proclamation of the speaker of the House and senate president or by three-fifths vote of the members of both houses.[23] Outside of these regular and special sessions, the members of both houses participate in county delegation meetings and interim committee meetings throughout the year, mostly from November to February in advance of the regular session.
Its session laws are compiled into the Laws of Florida,[24] and the Florida Statutes are the codified statutory laws of the state which have general applicability.[24]
Judicial branch
The Florida State Courts System is the unified state court system. The Florida State Courts System consists of the:
- Florida Supreme Court, the state supreme court;
- five District Courts of Appeal, which are intermediate appellate courts; and
- two forms of trial courts: 20 circuit courts and 67 county courts, one for each of Florida counties.
The Supreme Court of Florida is the highest court of Florida and consists of seven judges: the chief justice and six justices. The Court is the final arbiter of Florida law, and its decisions are binding authority for all other state courts. The five Florida District Courts of Appeal are the intermediate appellate courts.
The 20 Florida circuit courts are trial courts of original jurisdiction for most controversies.[25] The circuit courts primarily handle civil cases where the amount in controversy is greater than $15,000, and felony criminal cases, as well as appeals from county courts. Circuit courts also have jurisdiction over domestic relations, juvenile dependency, juvenile delinquency, and probate matters. The 67 Florida county courts have original jurisdiction over misdemeanor criminal cases, including violations of county and municipal ordinances, and in civil cases whose value in controversy does not exceed $15,000.
Budget
Each civil entity has its budget: state, county, and municipal.
State
In June 2015, the state’s debt was $25.7 billion.[26]
Capital city
The commissioners charged by the government of the unified Florida to select a permanent capital selected Tallahassee, then between the two major cities of Florida, Pensacola and Saint Augustine, as the state capital, in 1823.[27] The White people expelled the Native Americans, who were opposed to leaving their land, before settling Tallahassee.[28] The commissioners were Dr. W.H. Simmons, from St. Augustine, and John Lee Williams, from Pensacola. Richard Keith Call and a founder of Jacksonville, John Bellamy, wanted the capital in what is now Lake County but their efforts failed.[27]
From the beginning of Tallahassee’s history there were multiple attempts to move the state capital. A July 1957 Florida Historical Quarterly article stated that this was because of Tallahassee’s distance from other settlements.[29]
As Florida’s size and population grew and spread south, the center of the state’s population and the geographic center of the state changed. Using data from the 2010 U.S. Census, according to the Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research, the state’s center of population was southern Polk County. The geographic center of the state is Brooksville. Because Tallahassee became increasingly far from many Floridians, there were additional proposals to move the capital to Orlando, a more centrally-located city, in the late 1960s.[30] The City of Orlando, in 1967, passed a referendum stating that it would accept becoming the capital.[29] These proposals stopped after the new Florida Capitol opened in Tallahassee in 1977. Politicians from North Florida had opposed the idea of moving the state capital. Adam C. Smith of the Tampa Bay Times argued in 2016 that Tallahassee is no longer an appropriate location for the capital, and he cited an American Economic Review article that stated that state capitals far from their populations are more prone to corruption than those that are not.[30]
Local government
There are four types of local governments in Florida: counties, municipalities, school districts, and special districts.[2]
Florida consists of 67 counties. Each county has officers considered “state” officers: these officials are elected locally, and their salaries and office expenses are also paid locally, but they cannot be removed from office or replaced locally, but only by the governor. The state officers subject to this requirement are the sheriff, state’s attorney, public defender, tax collector, supervisor of elections, clerk of the circuit court (though styled as such, each circuit having multiple counties within its jurisdiction has a separate elected clerk within each county, and the office also handles official county records not pertaining to judicial matters), property appraiser, and judges.
There is one school district for each county; the Florida Constitution allows adjoining counties to merge their districts upon voter approval.[31] The superintendent is by default an elected official; however, the Florida Constitution allows county voters to make the position an appointed one.[32]
Municipalities in Florida may be called towns, cities, or villages, but there is no legal distinction between the different terms. Municipalities often have police departments, and fire departments, and provide essential services such as water, waste collection, etc. In unincorporated areas of a county, the county itself can provide some of these services. Municipalities may also enter agreements with the county to have the county provide certain services. Each county has a sheriff who also tends to have concurrent jurisdiction with municipal police departments.[2]
Both counties and cities may have a legislative branch (commissions or councils) and executive branch (mayor or manager) and local police, but violations are brought before a county court. Counties and municipalities are authorized to pass laws (ordinances), levy taxes, and provide public services within their jurisdictions. All areas of Florida are located within a county, but only some areas have been incorporated into municipalities. All municipalities are located within a county and the county jurisdiction overlays the municipal jurisdiction. Usually, if there is a conflict between a county ordinance and a municipal ordinance, the municipal ordinance has precedence within the municipality’s borders; however, the overlaying county’s ordinances have precedence if the overlaying county has been designated a charter county by the Florida Legislature.[2]
In some cases, the municipal and county governments have merged into a consolidated government. However, smaller municipal governments can be created inside of a consolidated municipality/county. In Jacksonville, the municipal government has taken over the responsibilities normally given to the county government, Duval County, and smaller municipalities that exist within it.
Among special districts are “community development districts” which have virtually all the power of a city or county (except, notably, they do not have police power). Chapter 190 of the Florida Statutes governs these districts. Notable CDD’s include the Reedy Creek Improvement District (the location of Walt Disney World) and substantially all of The Villages (the giant Central Florida retirement community).
Many counties have a “Soil and Water Conservation District,” a residue of Dust Bowl politics. Elected officials are unpaid. Much of their budget is spent on engineering staff. Critics are trying to dismantle these districts, as being obsolete.[33][34]
See also
- Administrative divisions of Florida
- List of counties in Florida
- Elections in Florida
- Florida Democratic Party
- Law of Florida
- Politics of Florida
- Political party strength in Florida
- Republican Party of Florida
- Surface Water Improvement and Management Program
References
- ^ Article IV, Section 6, Florida Constitution, limits the number of executive departments to no more than 25. The constitutional limitation specifically excludes departments authorized in the Constitution such as the Fish and Wildlife Conservation (Article IV, Section 9), the Department of Veterans Affairs (Article IV, Section 11), and the Department of Elderly Affairs (Article IV, Section 12). Further, the Legislature has housed totally independent agencies under other departments (such as the Agency for Workforce Innovation being housed under the Department of Management Services pursuant to section 20.50, Florida Statutes), which prevents the independent agencies from being counted toward the constitutional limit of 25 departments. See, e.g., Agency for Health Care Administration v. Associated Industries of Florida, 678 So.2d 1239 (Fla. 1996), where the Florida Supreme Court found that the Agency was created as an independent agency within the Department of Professional Regulation and that the Agency did not count toward the “25 department” limit.
- ^ a b c d Dye, T.R., Jewett, A. & MacManus, S.A. (2007) Politics in Florida. Tallahassee: John Scott Dailey Florida Institute of Government.
- ^ Article IV, Sections 1(a) and 4, Florida Constitution.
- ^ Article IV, Section 4(b), Florida Constitution.
- ^ MyFloridaLegal.com, accessed May 21, 2008.
- ^ a b c d “State of Florida Organizational Chart”. Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
- ^ Office of the Attorney General (Department of Legal Affairs). Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability.
- ^ Article IV, Section 4(c), Florida Constitution.
- ^ Dockery, Paula (April 4, 2014). “Regulatory reform easier said than done”. Florida Today. Melbourne, Florida. pp. 11A. Retrieved April 5, 2014.
- ^ “Florida Administrative Register – Florida Administrative Law – Guides @ UF at University of Florida”. University of Florida Libraries. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
- ^ “Florida Administrative Code – Florida Administrative Law – Guides @ UF at University of Florida”. University of Florida Libraries. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
- ^ “Agency Adjudication – Florida Administrative Law – Guides @ UF at University of Florida”. University of Florida Libraries. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
- ^ Cervenka, Susanne (24 October 2010). “Workers stockpile unused leave time”. Melbourne, Florida: Florida Today. pp. 1A.
- ^ The Conference Report on Senate Bill 2800, the General Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2011-2012, authorizes 122,235.75 positions (before gubernatorial vetoes). That number includes 4,322.5 positions for judges, justices, and employees of the state court system (judicial branch). It does not include employees of the state university system, the legislative branch (except for 296 positions for the Public Service Commission) or employees of local governments — counties, municipalities, school districts, Florida colleges, water management districts, etc.
- ^ These are the maximum numbers allowed. Article III, Section 16(a), Florida Constitution, provides that the Senate shall be apportioned into not less than 3, nor more than 40 Senate districts, and the House shall be apportioned into not less than 80 nor more than 120 House districts.
- ^ After dicennial apportionment of the Legislature, one-half of the Senators are elected to two-year terms to comply with Article III, Section 15(a), Florida Constitution, which requires staggered terms in the Senate (one-half of the senators elected every 2 years).
- ^ The concept of “term limit” is commonly misunderstood in Florida. Article VI, Section 4(b), Florida Constitution, prohibits a person from appearing on the ballot for re-election if, by the end of the current term, the person will have served for eight consecutive years. The most obvious exception to the common understanding of “term limit” occurs immediately following dicennial apportionment. Twenty of the forty Senators are elected for initial terms of 2 years. They subsequently may be elected to two additional four-year terms, serving a total of ten years. At the time of the second reelection, a Senator will have served six years and is thus not precluded from serving by the eight-year limitation. Another exception that has been discussed but never tested is that a statewide elected official, after serving eight years, might run as a write-in candidate, thus not having his or her name appear on the ballot. See How to Defy Term Limits, Lakeland Ledger, August 9, 1999. [1]
- ^ Sections 11.40, 11.45, and 11.51, Florida Statutes.
- ^ Florida Auditor General, Ballotpedia
- ^ General, Florida Auditor. “Florida Auditor General”. www.myflorida.com. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
- ^ Section 350.001, Florida Statutes.
- ^ Article III, Section 3, Florida Constitution.
- ^ Section 11.011, Florida Statutes, and Article III, Section 3(c)(2), Florida Constitution.
- ^ a b “Statutes & Constitution: Online Sunshine”. Florida Legislature. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
- ^ Fla. Stat. § 26.012(5) (2007)
- ^ “Debt debate: Do we borrow enough? – December 8, 2015 – Lloyd Dunkelberger – HT Politics”. politics.heraldtribune.com. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
- ^ a b Powers, Ormund. “County Never Made It As Florida’s Capital” (Archive). Orlando Sentinel. April 8, 1998. Retrieved on May 27, 2016.
- ^ Clark, James C. “How Tallahassee Became The Capital Of Florida” (Archive). Orlando Sentinel. March 13, 1994. Retrieved on May 26, 2016.
- ^ a b Andrews, Mark. “Tallahassee Has Had Shaky Capital Tenure” (Archive). Orlando Sentinel. May 3, 1992. Retrieved on May 27, 2016.
- ^ a b Smith, Adam C. “Tallahassee no longer fits as Florida’s capital” (Archive). Tampa Bay Times. Saturday August 9, 2014. Retrieved on May 26, 2016.
- ^ http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?Mode=Constitution&Submenu=3&Tab=statutes#A9 Archived 2008-12-08 at the Wayback Machine Florida Constitution, Article IX, Section 4
- ^ http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?Mode=Constitution&Submenu=3&Tab=statutes#A9 Archived 2008-12-08 at the Wayback Machine Florida Constitution, Article IX, Section 5
- ^ White, Gary. “Unpaid officials rescue obscure agency from demise”. theledger.com. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
- ^ “Hopefuls run to end funding for Dust Bowl-era conservation districts”. The Tampa Tribune. 29 October 2010. Archived from the original on 2012-08-03. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
External links
- MyFlorida.com (Official website)
- State of Florida recipient profile on USAspending.gov