Florida House, Senate leaders postpone sessions ahead of winter storm

With the Tallahassee area braced for snow and ice, Florida House and Senate leaders canceled committee meetings scheduled for this week on Monday.

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House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, and Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, sent memos to lawmakers canceling meetings scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday. But they said lawmakers will return to Tallahassee on Jan. 27 because of a special session called by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

“Weather forecasts predicting snow and ice in Tallahassee Tuesday night and into Wednesday have not improved over the weekend, and schools in Tallahassee are closed Wednesday in anticipation of severe winter weather,” Albritton wrote in his memo. “I am concerned that senators, staff and visitors are out on the roads traveling to and around the Tallahassee area under these conditions. Out of an abundance of caution, the Senate offices in Tallahassee will be closed on Wednesday.”

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Perez said House meetings scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday will be moved to Jan. 28 and Jan. 29 “with some small adjustments.”

Lawmakers are holding committee meetings ahead of the regular legislative session, which starts on March 4.

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They were not scheduled to be in Tallahassee next week, but DeSantis called a special session on a number of issues, including making changes to help implement President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

Perez and Albritton balked at holding the special session, saying it would be premature and pointing to the upcoming start of the regular session. But Perez noted in Monday’s memo that lawmakers are “constitutionally required to be in Tallahassee” on Jan. 27 after DeSantis called the special session.

It remains unclear what lawmakers will address during the special session. In addition to immigration enforcement, DeSantis has said he wants to use the special session to address issues such as providing aid to hurricane victims; top-up funds for the My Safe Florida Home Hardening Program; updating the rules for ballot initiatives; and revision of condominium security laws.

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Lawmakers were scheduled to hold about 40 committee and subcommittee meetings this week, though the meetings largely involved presentations and overviews of issues — not actual legislation. Perez and Albritton said in their memos that they consulted with each other before deciding to cancel the meetings.

“Weather forecasts continue to predict snow and ice in northern Florida from Tuesday evening into Wednesday, creating conditions that would make holding committee meetings impractical and travel to and in Tallahassee uncertain,” Perez’s memo said.

Lawmakers are also scheduled to hold committee meetings during the first three weeks of February.

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