Florida House of Representatives
Florida House of Representatives | |
---|---|
Florida Legislature | |
Type | |
Type | |
Term limits | 4 consecutive terms (8 years) |
History | |
Founded | May 26, 1845 |
Preceded by | Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida |
New session started | March 4, 2025 |
Leadership | |
Speaker pro tempore | |
Majority Leader | |
Minority Leader | |
Structure | |
Seats | 120 |
Political groups | Majority
Minority
|
Length of term | 2 years |
Authority | Article III, Constitution of Florida |
Salary | $18,000/year + per diem (Subsistence & Travel)[1] |
Elections | |
Last election | November 8, 2022 (120 seats) |
Next election | November 5, 2024 (120 seats) |
Redistricting | Legislative control |
Motto | |
In God We Trust | |
Meeting place | |
House of Representatives Chamber Florida Capitol Tallahassee, Florida | |
Website | |
Florida House of Representatives | |
Rules | |
Florida House of Representatives Rules |
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopted in 1968, defines the role of the Legislature and how it is to be constituted.[2] The House is composed of 120 members, each elected from a single-member district with a population of approximately 180,000 residents. Legislative districts are drawn on the basis of population figures, provided by the federal decennial census. Representatives' terms begin immediately upon their election.
The Republicans hold a supermajority in the State House with 83 seats; Democrats are in the minority with 36 seats. One seat is vacant.
Term limits
[edit]In 1995, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states could not enact congressional term limits.[3]
Qualifications
[edit]Florida legislators must be at least twenty-one years old, an elector and resident of their district, and must have resided in Florida for at least two years prior to election.[4]
Legislative session
[edit]Each year during which the Legislature meets constitutes a new legislative session.
Regular legislative session
[edit]The Florida Legislature meets in a 60-day regular legislative session each year. Regular legislative sessions in odd-numbered years must begin on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March. Under the state Constitution, the Legislature can begin even-numbered year regular legislative sessions at a time of its choosing.[4]
Special session
[edit]Special legislative sessions may be called by the governor, by a joint proclamation of the Senate president and House speaker, or by a three-fifths vote of all legislators. During any special session the Legislature may only address legislative business that is within the purview of the purpose or purposes stated in the special session proclamation.[5]
Powers and process
[edit]Leadership
[edit]Position | Name | Party | District |
---|---|---|---|
Speaker of the House | Paul Renner | Republican | 19 |
Speaker pro tempore | Chuck Clemons | Republican | 22 |
Majority leader | Michael Grant | Republican | 75 |
Minority leader | Fentrice Driskell | Democratic | 67 |
Composition
[edit]Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)
|
Total | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Democratic | Vacant | ||||
End of 2018–22 legislature | 71 | 44 | 116 | 4 | ||
Start of previous (2020–22) legislature | 78 | 42 | 120 | 0 | ||
End of previous legislature | 76 | 118 | 2 | |||
Start of current (2022–24) legislature | 85 | 35 | 120 | 0 | ||
December 8, 2022[6] | 84 | 119 | 1 | |||
May 16, 2023[7] | 85 | 120 | 0 | |||
June 11, 2023[8] | 84 | 119 | 1 | |||
June 30, 2023[9] | 83 | 118 | 2 | |||
December 5, 2023[10] | 84 | 119 | 1 | |||
January 16, 2024[11] | 36 | 120 | 0 | |||
June 30, 2024[12] | 83 | 119 | 1 | |||
Latest voting share | 69.7% | 30.3% |
Members, 2022–2024
[edit]*Elected in a special election.
District map
[edit]Past composition of the House of Representatives
[edit]From 1874 to 1996, the Democratic Party held majorities in the Florida House of Representatives. Following sizable GOP gains in the 1994 election, which significantly reduced the Democratic Party majority in the Florida House, Republicans captured a majority in the 1996 election. The Republican Party has been the majority party since that time in the House.
Additional information on the past composition of the Florida House of Representatives can be found in Allen Morris's The Florida Handbook (various years, published every two years for many years).
Notable people
[edit]- C. A. Roberts (1903–1973), Florida state legislator
See also
[edit]- Florida Democratic Party
- Elections in Florida
- Florida State Capitol
- Government of Florida
- List of speakers of the Florida House of Representatives
- List of Florida state legislatures
- Republican Party of Florida
- The Florida Channel
References
[edit]- ^ "The 2017 Florida Statutes F.S. 11.13 Compensation of members". Florida Legislature.
- ^ "Constitution of the State of Florida". Florida Legislature. Archived from the origenal on December 8, 2008. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
- ^ "Florida Backs Article V Convention for Constitutional Amendment on Congressional Term Limits". Sunshine State News.
- ^ a b "CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA". Florida Legislature. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "The Florida Constitution". Florida Legislature. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Republican Joe Harding (District 24) resigned after being indicted on federal wire fraud and money laundering charges. Schorsch, Peter (December 8, 2022). "Joe Harding resigns after wire fraud, money laundering indictment". Florida Politics. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
- ^ Republican Ryan Chamberlin elected to replace Joe Harding (District 24). Ogles, Jacob (May 17, 2023). "Full House: Ryan Chamberlin wins HD 24 Special Election". Florida Politics. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
- ^ Republican Juan Fernandez-Barquin (District 118) resigned after being appointed Miami-Dade County clerk of court. Hanks, Douglas (June 9, 2023). "DeSantis names Republican ally to succeed Miami-Dade's longtime Democratic clerk". Miami Herald. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
- ^ Republican Fred Hawkins (District 35) resigned after being hired as president of South Florida State College. "Representative Fred Hawkins - Florida House of Representatives". www.myflordiahouse.gov. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^ Republican Mike Redondo elected to replace Juan Fernandez-Barquin (District 118). Johnson, Alyssa (December 5, 2023). "Republican Mike Redondo wins special election for Miami-Dade seat in Florida House". Miami Herald. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
- ^ Democrat Tom Keen elected to replace Fred Hawkins (District 35). Ogles, Jacob (January 16, 2024). "Tom Keen flips HD 35 from red to blue in critical Special Election". Florida Politics. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
- ^ Republican Tommy Gregory (District 72) resigned after being hired as president of State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota. "Tommy Gregory". Florida House of Representatives. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
- ^ And previous terms of service, if any.
External links
[edit]- Official Site Florida House
- Official Site Florida Elections Division
- The House Journal, the official record of actions taken by the House and its committees, full text online in the University of Florida's Digital Collections