Florida Senate

Florida Senate
2016-18 Florida Legislature
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Term limits
2 terms (8 years)
History
Founded January 7, 1839
Preceded by Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida
New session started
March 7, 2017
Leadership
Joe Negron (R)
Since November 22, 2016
President pro tempore
Anitere Flores (R)
Since November 22, 2016
Majority Leader
Wilton Simpson (R)
Since November 29, 2016
Minority Leader
Oscar Braynon (D)
Since November 21, 2016
Structure
Seats 40
Political groups
Length of term
4 years
Authority Article III, Florida Constitution
Salary $29,697/year + per diem
Elections
Last election
November 8, 2016
(40 seats)
Next election
November 6, 2018
(20 seats)
Redistricting Legislative Control
Motto
In God We Trust
Meeting place
Senate Chamber
Florida Capitol
Tallahassee, Florida
Website
Florida Senate
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Florida

The Florida Senate is the upper house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. Along with the House of Representatives, it comprises the Florida Legislature. The Senate has 40 members, each elected from a single-member district with a population of about 470,000. The Senate meets at the State Capitol in Tallahassee.

Senators generally serve four-year terms and are restricted by term limits, barring them from running for re-election if they have served in office for the past eight consecutive years. This ordinarily limits senators to two four-year terms.

The Florida Constitution establishes the legislature’s powers and duties, which include passing laws, developing an annual state budget, and making investigations. Additionally, the Senate has the exclusive power to try officials impeached by the House, and to confirm some executive appointments.

The Senate has its origins in Florida’s territorial period, when the Florida Territorial Council was made bicameral in 1838.

Terms, qualification and districts

The Florida Constitution requires state senators to be elected to staggered, four-year terms.[1] Senators in odd-numbered districts are elected in U.S. presidential election years, while senators in even-numbered districts are elected in midterm election years. However, to reflect the results of the U.S. Census and the redrawing of district boundaries, all seats are up for election in redistricting years, with some terms truncated as a result. Thus, senators in even-numbered districts were elected to two-year terms in 2012 (following the 2010 Census), and senators in odd-numbered districts will be elected to two-year terms in 2022 (following the 2020 Census). All terms were truncated again in 2016, with all 40 seats up for election, due to court-ordered redistricting.

State senators must be at least 21 years of age, an elector and resident of their electoral district, and a Florida resident for at least two years prior to election.[1] They take office upon election.[1]

Powers and process

The Florida Constitution authorizes the state legislature to create and amend the laws of the U.S. state of Florida.[1] State senators propose legislation in the forms of bills drafted by a nonpartisan, professional staff.[2] Successful legislation must undergo committee review, three readings on the floor of each house, with appropriate voting majorities, as required, and either be signed into law by the governor or enacted through a veto override approved by two-thirds of the membership of each legislative house.[2]

The entire Florida Legislature meets every year in a session beginning on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March and lasting 60 calendar days. [3] Special sessions may be called either by the governor or by the leaders of both chambers acting jointly.

Composition

Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Republican Democratic Vacant
End of previous legislature 26 14 40 0
Begin (November 2016) 25 15 40 0
Latest voting share 65% 35%

Leadership

Position Name Party District
President of the Senate Joe Negron Republican 25
President pro tempore Anitere Flores Republican 39
Majority Leader Wilton Simpson Republican 10
Minority Leader Oscar Braynon Democratic 35
Minority Leader pro tempore Lauren Book Democratic 32

Members, 2016–2018

District Name Party Residence Counties represented First elected[4] Term up
1 Doug Broxson Rep Midway Escambia, Santa Rosa, part of Okaloosa 2016 2020
2 George Gainer Rep Panama City Bay, Holmes, Jackson, Walton Washington, part of Okaloosa 2016 2018
3 Bill Montford Dem Tallahassee Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Hamilton, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, Wakulla 2010 2020
4 Aaron Bean Rep Fernandina Beach Nassau, part of Duval 2012 2018
5 Rob Bradley Rep Fleming Island Baker, Bradford, Clay,Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Lafayette, Levy, Suwannee, Union, part of Marion 2012 2020
6 Audrey Gibson Dem Jacksonville Part of Duval 2011 2018
7 Travis Hutson Rep St. Augustine Flagler, St. Johns, part of Volusia 2015 2020
8 Keith Perry Rep Gainesville Alachua, Putnam, part of Marion 2016 2018
9 David Simmons Rep Altamonte Springs Seminole, part of Volusia 2010 2020
10 Wilton Simpson Rep Trilby Citrus, Hernando, part of Pasco 2012 2018
11 Randolph Bracy Dem Orlando Part of Orange 2016 2020
12 Dennis Baxley Rep Ocala Sumter, parts of Lake and Marion 2012 2018
13 Linda Stewart Dem Orlando Part of Orange 2016 2020
14 Dorothy Hukill Rep Port Orange Parts of Brevard andVolusia 2012 2018
15 Victor Torres Dem Orlando Osceola, part of Orange 2016 2020
16 Jack Latvala Rep Clearwater Parts of Pasco and Pinellas 2010,
1994-2002
2018
17 Debbie Mayfield Rep Vero Beach Indian River, part of Brevard 2016 2020
18 Dana Young Rep Tampa Part of Hillsborough 2016 2018
19 Darryl Rouson Dem St. Petersburg Parts of Hillsborough and Pinellas 2016 2020
20 Tom Lee Rep Brandon Parts of Hillsborough, Pasco, and Polk 2012,
1996-2006
2018
21 Bill Galvano Rep Bradenton Manatee, part ofHillsborough 2012 2020
22 Kelli Stargel Rep Lakeland Parts of Lake and Polk 2012 2018
23 Greg Steube Rep Sarasota Sarasota, part of Charlotte 2016 2020
24 Jeff Brandes Rep St. Petersburg Part of Pinellas 2012 2018
25 Joe Negron Rep Stuart Martin, St. Lucie, part of Palm Beach 2009 2020
26 Denise Grimsley Rep Sebring DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Highlands, Okeechobee, parts of Charlotte, Lee, and Polk 2012 2018
27 Lizbeth Benacquisto Rep Fort Myers Parts of Charlotte and Lee 2010 2020
28 Kathleen Passidomo Rep Naples Collier, Hendry, part of Lee 2016 2018
29 Kevin Rader Dem Delray Beach Parts of Broward and Palm Beach 2016 2020
30 Bobby Powell Dem Riviera Beach Part of Palm Beach 2016 2018
31 Jeff Clemens Dem Lake Worth Part of Palm Beach 2012 2020
32 Lauren Book Dem Plantation Part of Broward 2016 2018
33 Perry Thurston Dem Fort Lauderdale Part of Broward 2016 2020
34 Gary Farmer Dem Parkland Part of Broward 2016 2018
35 Oscar Braynon Dem Miami Gardens Parts of Miami-Dade and Broward 2011 2020
36 René García Rep Hialeah Part of Miami-Dade 2010 2018
37 José Javier Rodríguez Dem Miami Part of Miami-Dade 2016 2020
38 Daphne Campbell Dem Miami Part of Miami-Dade 2016 2018
39 Anitere Flores Rep Miami Monroe, part of Miami-Dade 2010 2020
40 Frank Artiles Rep Miami Part of Miami-Dade 2016 2018

District map

Current districts and party composition of the Florida Senate
  Democratic Party
  Republican Party

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Florida Constitution Online (accessed January 4, 2015)
  2. 1 2 Senate Handbook, 2012-2014, Florida Senate (accessed May 22, 2013)
  3. Florida Senate (accessed May 22, 2013)
  4. And previous terms of service, if any.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Florida State Senators.

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/29/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.