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2023 Florida legislative session
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| 2023 Florida legislative session |
|---|
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| General information |
| Session start: March 7, 2023 Session end: May 5, 2023 |
| Leadership |
| Senate President Kathleen Passidomo (R) House Speaker |
| Elections |
| Next Election: November 5, 2024 Last Election: November 8, 2022 |
| Previous legislative sessions |
| 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 |
| Other 2023 legislative sessions |
In 2023, the Florida State Legislature was scheduled to convene on March 7, 2023, and adjourn on May 5, 2023.
The legislators serving in this session took office following the 2022 elections. Republicans won a 28-12 majority in the Senate and a 85-35 majority in the House. Republicans also controlled the governorship, creating a Republican state government trifecta. At the start of the 2023 session, Florida was one of 18 state legislatures where Republicans had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers.
Leadership in 2023
Florida State Senate
- Senate president: Kathleen Passidomo (R)
- Majority leader: Ben Albritton (R)
- Minority leader: Lauren Book (D)
Florida House of Representatives
- Speaker of the House: Paul M. Renner (R)
- Majority leader: Michael Grant (R)
- Minority leader: Fentrice Driskell (D)
Partisan control in 2023
- See also: State government trifectas
Florida was one of 22 Republican state government trifectas at the start of 2023 legislative sessions. A state government trifecta occurs when one political party holds the governor's office, a majority in the state Senate, and a majority in the state House. For more information about state government trifectas, click here.
Florida was also one of 18 state legislatures where Republicans had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers. Veto overrides occur when a legislature votes to reverse a veto issued by an executive such as a governor or the president. If one party has a majority in a state legislature that is large enough to override a gubernatorial veto without any votes from members of the minority party, it is called a veto-proof majority or, sometimes, a supermajority. To read more about veto-proof supermajorities in state legislatures, click here.
The following tables show the partisan breakdown of the Florida State Legislature in the 2023 legislative session.
Florida State Senate
| Party | As of January 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 12 | |
| Republican Party | 28 | |
| Total | 40 | |
Florida House of Representatives
| Party | As of January 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 35 | |
| Republican Party | 85 | |
| Total | 120 | |
Regular session
The list below shows up to 25 pieces of legislation in the 2023 legislative session that most recently passed both chambers of the legislature, were signed by the governor, or were approved by the legislature in a veto override. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation met these criteria in 2023. This information is provided by BillTrack50.
Standing legislative committees
A standing committee of a state legislature is a committee that exists on a more-or-less permanent basis, from legislative session to session, that considers and refines legislative bills that fall under the committee's subject matter.
At the beginning of the 2023 legislative session, there were 34 standing committees in Florida's state government, including 5 joint legislative committees, 19 state Senate committees, and 10 state House committees.
Joint legislative committees
- Collective Bargaining Committee
- Joint Administrative Procedures Committee
- Joint Committee on Public Counsel Oversight
- Joint Legislative Auditing Committee
- Joint Legislative Budget Commission
Senate committees
- Agriculture Committee
- Banking and Insurance Committee
- Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Committee
- Commerce and Tourism Committee
- Community Affairs Committee
- Criminal Justice Committee
- Education Committee
- Environment and Natural Resources Committee
- Ethics and Elections Committee
- Finance and Tax Committee
- Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee
- Health Policy Committee
- Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security
- Reapportionment Committee
- Regulated Industries Committee
- Senate Appropriations Committee
- Senate Judiciary Committee
- Senate Rules Committee
- Transportation Committee
House committees
- Commerce Committee
- Education & Employment Committee
- Health & Human Services Committee
- House Appropriations Committee
- House Judiciary Committee
- House Rules Committee
- Pandemics & Public Emergencies Committee
- Public Integrity & Elections Committee
- State Affairs Committee
- Ways and Means Committee
Legislatively referred constitutional amendments
In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.
The methods by which the Florida Constitution can be amended:
The Florida Constitution provides five mechanisms for amending the state's constitution—a citizen-initiated process, a legislative process, a state constitutional convention process, and a commission-referral process with two commissions that have the power to refer amendments. Florida requires 60% supermajority vote for voters to approve constitutional amendments.
Article XI of the Florida Constitution provides for amendments to the constitution.
Initiative
- See also: Initiated constitutional amendment
An initiated constitutional amendment is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends a state's constitution. Eighteen (18) states allow citizens to initiate constitutional amendments.
In Florida, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to 8% of the votes cast in the last presidential election. Proponents must obtain signatures equaling at least 8% of the district-wide vote in the most recent presidential election in at least half (14) of the state's 27 congressional districts. A 60% vote is required for voter approval. In 2006, voters passed an amendment for the 60% vote requirement.
Legislature
A 60% vote is required during one legislative session for the Florida State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 72 votes in the Florida House of Representatives and 24 votes in the Florida State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot. Amendments on the ballot must be approved by 60% of voters to pass.
Convention
According to Section 4 of Article XI of the Florida Constitution, a constitutional convention can be called through an initiative petition. Proponents must collect signatures equal to 15% of the total number of votes cast in the last presidential election.
Commission-referred constitutional amendments
- See also: Commission-referred ballot measure
According to Article XI of the Florida Constitution, the Florida Constitution Revision Commission can refer constitutional amendments to the ballot. The Constitution Revision Commission convenes every 20 years, beginning in 1977. The Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission is also empowered to refer constitutional amendments related to taxation and the state budget to the ballot. The Taxation and Budget Reform Commission convenes every 20 years beginning in 2007. Florida is the only state with commissions empowered to refer constitutional amendments to the ballot.
Historical partisan control
The table below depicts the historical trifecta status of Florida.
Florida Party Control: 1992-2024
One year of a Democratic trifecta • Twenty-six years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | I | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | S | S | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Historical Senate control
From 1992 to 2022, the Florida State Senate was mostly under Republican control. This was new for the chamber because prior to 1992 it was under solid Democratic control (like most southern state legislatures). The partisan change in the chamber coincided with the American South's shift from nearly 175 years of Democratic dominance to being solid Republican by the early 21st century. The table below shows the partisan history of the Florida State Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2020. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Florida State Senate election results: 1992-2022
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 20* | 19 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 12 |
| Republicans | 20* | 21 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 28 |
Before 1992, Democrats had controlled the Florida State Senate since the 1876 elections, which came in the aftermath of the Civil War and Reconstruction. After 1876, Democrats enjoyed large majorities in the chamber, much like they did in other southern legislatures. From 1894 to 1965, Republicans never controlled more than two seats. By the 1970s and 1980s, Republicans had established themselves as a formidable minority party, but they still could not win control of the chamber. In the late 1980s, they narrowed the Democratic majority to just a few seats and were within reach of a majority. In 1992 they won half of the chamber's seats and gained partial control of the chamber through a power-sharing agreement with Democrats.[1]
Starting in 1994, Republicans took control of the Florida State Senate. By 1998 they controlled 25 of the chamber's seats and did not fall below that threshold through the 2016 elections. Eight of the 10 elections between 2002 and 2022 left the chamber with at least a 26-14 Republican advantage. Republicans briefly expanded beyond that number in 2010 when they took control of 28 seats.
Prior to the 2016 elections, there was a court-ordered redrawing of the state Senate districts. The map was redrawn due to a lawsuit filed by the League of Women Voters of Florida. They claimed that the state Senate district maps that were passed in March 2012 violated a 2010 constitutional amendment prohibiting the drawing of district lines to create a partisan advantage or deny racial or language minorities "the equal opportunity to participate in the political process and elect representatives of their choice." The amendment also required that districts be contiguous and use existing political boundaries, such as city and county lines, when possible.
In December 2015, Circuit Court Judge George Reynolds approved a new map that was used in the 2016 elections. Because of the redistricting, all 40 seats in the chamber were up (in a normal election, only 20 of 40 seats are up for election). The Republican majority dropped to 25-15. In a special election held September 26, 2017, Democrats flipped a seat previously held by a Republican, and the party gained a seat in the 2018 election, bringing the chamber's partisan breakdown to 23-17, the closest margin since the 1996 elections. After the 2022 election, Republicans had a 24-16 majority, which expanded to a 28-12 veto-proof majority in 2022.
Historical House control
From 1992 to 2022, the Florida House of Representatives flipped from Democratic control to a Republican majority, with the chamber changing hands in the 1996 elections. Prior to 1996, the chamber had been under solid Democratic control since the years immediately following the Civil War. The partisan change in the chamber coincided with the American South's shift from nearly 175 years of Democratic dominance to being solid Republican by the early 21st century. The table below shows the partisan history of the Florida House of Representatives following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Florida House of Representatives election results: 1992-2022
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 71 | 63 | 59 | 48 | 43 | 39 | 36 | 41 | 44 | 39 | 46 | 37 | 41 | 47 | 42 | 35 |
| Republicans | 49 | 57 | 61 | 72 | 77 | 81 | 84 | 79 | 76 | 81 | 74 | 82 | 79 | 73 | 78 | 85 |
Before 1996, Democrats had controlled the Florida House of Representatives since the 1874 elections, which came in the aftermath of the Civil War and Reconstruction. After 1874, Democrats enjoyed large majorities in the chamber, much like they did in other southern legislatures. From 1890 to 1960, Republicans never controlled more than seven seats in the chamber. From 1962 to 1986, they added to their numbers, averaging 30 to 40 seats, and broke Democrats' two-thirds supermajority (80 members) four times. In 1986, Republicans won 45 seats and began putting themselves in a position to take control of the chamber.
In 1994, the Democratic majority narrowed to 63-57. In 1996, Republicans picked up four more seats and took a 61-59 lead in the chamber. In the next four elections, they added 23 seats to their majority and held a two-thirds supermajority from 2003 through 2006. Democrats gained some ground back in the 2006 and 2008 elections and brought the Republicans down to 76 seats, less than a two-thirds majority.
Elections from 2010 to 2022 often decided whether Republicans would hold a supermajority in the chamber. The 2010 election put the Republicans back into supermajority status with 81 seats. They lost seven seats in 2012 but then regained a supermajority in 2014 when they captured 82 seats. Democrats made gains in 2016 and 2018, and Republicans created a veto-proof majority in 2022. Nationally, there was a trend toward Republican state legislatures during the presidency of Barack Obama (D). From 2009 to 2017, Democrats experienced losses in state legislative elections, totaling 968 seats all together.
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job.
Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. But that's just the beginning of what it can do:
- Ballotpedia's election experts provide daily updates on bills and other relevant political developments
- We translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries written in everyday language
- And because it's from Ballotpedia, our Tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan
See also
| Elections | Florida State Government | State Legislatures | State Politics |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
