Happy Thanksgiving and Welcome to Advocacy Season.
David Coddington
Vice Chair of Advocacy and Communications
SVP Business Development
Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance
Welcome to advocacy season! The FEDC Advocacy Committee convened prior to the mid-term elections and will meet again on November 28 at 2:00 PM where we will hear from CareerSource Florida on the continued implementation of the REACH Act and the Florida Rural EDA (FREDA) on their priorities as we work to achieve the Florida 2030 goal of doubling the rural share of Florida’s GDP from 2.5 percent to 5 percent.
FEDC remains committed to becoming the most diversified state economy which involves becoming a Top 5 Manufacturing State and redesigning the Florida Economic Development Toolkit, as identified in the Trade and Logistics 2030 study released in April 2022. Earlier this year, FEDC’s eight regions unanimously elevated workforce housing as a priority and as such FEDC has joined 40 organizations as part of the Sadowski Coalition.
With the conclusion of the mid-term elections, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo R-Naples and Speaker of the House Paul Renner R-Palm Coast have named their leadership teams and made some committee changes. A GOP supermajority exists in both chambers making it procedurally difficult for the minority party to pose any obstacles when moving legislation. Both leaders support Parental Rights and School Choice. President Passidomo is focused on affordable housing and the expansion of a mid-Florida wildlife corridor. Speaker Renner has prioritized education and infrastructure investment. As the Dec 12 special session approaches, the focus will include Hurricane Relief and Property Insurance Reforms.
Senate Leadership
Kathleen Passidomo R-, Senate President
Dennis Baxley R-Lake/Orange, Senate President Pro Tempore
Ben Albritton R-Charlotte/DeSoto/Hardee/Lee/Polk, Senate Majority Leader
Travis Hutson R-Flagler/Putnam/St. Johns/Volusia, Chair of Committee on Fiscal Policy
Debbie Mayfield R-Brevard, Chair of Rules Committee
Doug Broxson R-Escambia/Santa Rosa/Okaloosa, Chair of Appropriations Committee
Keith Perry R-Levy/Marion/Alachua
Senator Lauren Book D-Broward has been elected the Senate (Democratic) Minority Leader.
House Leadership
Paul Renner R-Flagler/St. Johns, House Speaker
Chuck Clemons R-Gilchrist/Levy/Alachua, Speaker Pro Tempore
Michael Grant R-Charlotte/Sarasota, Majority Leader and Chair of Select Committee on HurricaneResiliency and Recovery
Daniel Perez R-Miami-Dade, Chair of Rules Committee
Tom Leek R-Volusia, Chair of Appropriations Committee
Representative Fentrice Driskell D-Tampa has been named the House (Democratic) Minority Leader.
New House Committee Structure
Speaker Paul Renner announced there will be nine full committees and 23 subcommittees in the upcoming legislative session. The House Pandemics and Public Emergencies Committee, set up during COVID, has been disbanded. The House is adding an Infrastructure Strategies Committee with responsibilities that include flood resilience and infrastructure planning.
Among other changes: the State Affairs Committee will now take on the Ethics, Elections and Open Government Subcommittee, which was
previously its own committee known as the Public Integrity and Elections Committee. The full Appropriations Committee will keep its seven subcommittees. The Tourism, Infrastructure and Energy Subcommittee will be replaced with an Energy, Communications and Cybersecurity Subcommittee. Education-related panels have been restructured with a main Education and Employment Committee and three subcommittees: Choice and Innovation Subcommittee, Education Quality Subcommittee and Postsecondary Education and Workforce Subcommittee.
Committee Weeks
Monday, December 12 – Friday, December 16, 2022
Tuesday, January 3 – Friday, January 6, 2023
Tuesday, January 17 – Friday, January 20, 2023
Monday, January 23 – Friday, January 27, 2023
Monday, February 6 – Friday, February 10, 2023
Monday, February 13 – Friday February 17, 2023
Monday, February 20 – Friday, February 24, 2023
Session Dates
Session begins on March 7 and is expected to conclude on May 5.
Mark Your Calendars
EFI Board and Stakeholders Council – World Golf Village St. Augustine, December 6, 10 AM through December 7 at 12:30 PM. FEDC will host a dinner at the World Golf Hall of Fame on December 6
presented by Duke Energy with remarks from Florida First Capital Finance Corporation.
Florida’s Rural Summit will take place immediately following the EFI meetings at the Marriott Renaissance in World Golf Village Dec 7-9.
FEDC’s Virtual Legislative Event is tentatively set for Friday, February 3, 2023 followed by a press event in the Capitol Rotunda on Thursday, Feb 9 to announce Florida Economic Development Week, which is planned for February 13-17.
EFI’s spring SHC and Board meetings are in Tallahassee, March 27-28.
Rural Days at the Capitol Plaza will take place on April 26 with a reception the evening before.
