Reps. Lawrence McClure and Susan Valdés will continue leading the House Budget committee, with McClure as Chair and Valdés as his No. 2, House Speaker Daniel Perez announced Monday as part of his committee reassignments.
Valdés, who represents the Tampa-based House District 64, was named co-Chair of the committee last year just days after she changed her party affiliation[1] from Democrat to Republican.
McClure, who represents House District 68 in East Hillsborough County, led the chamber in this year’s Legislative Session through a tough budget challenge that saw weeks of overtime before a budget was agreed upon.
Traci Koster, who also represents parts of the Tampa Bay area in House District 66, will also serve on the Budget Committee. Two Democrats from the region will sit on the committee — House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell and Rep. Michele Rayner, an interesting pairing considering both are vying for the Democratic nomination[2] for Sen. Darryl Rouson’s seat being vacated next year.
Valdés, meanwhile, will continue service on the Education and Employment Committee and subcommittees for Government Operations, Education Administration, Industries and Professional Activities, and Insurance and Banking.
McClure will continue to serve as the Alternating Chair for the Joint Legislative Budget Commission, a key position that allows the House and Senate to reconcile budget priorities.
Linda Chaney, whose House District 61 covers much of the Pinellas County Beaches, will chair the Government Operations Subcommittee and co-chair the State Administration Budget Subcommittee. Chaney was also named to the Health and Human Services and State Affairs Committees, as well as the Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee.
Rep. Berny Jacques, who represents House District 59 in mid-Pinellas County, is swapping his committee leadership. After chairing the Careers and Workforce Subcommittee for the 2025 Legislative Session, Jacques will now instead chair the Intergovernmental Affairs committee, while remaining a member of Careers and Workforce. He’ll also continue serving on the Justice Budget subcommittee, Insurance and Banking subcommittee and the Security and Threat Assessment Special Committee.
He will no longer serve on the Education and Employment committee or the Criminal Justice subcommittee. Jacques will now also serve on the State Affairs Committee, the Higher Education Budget subcommittee, and the Select Committee on Property Taxes.
Other members representing parts of the Tampa Bay area received or are continuing important posts, too.
House District 58 Rep. Kim Berfield, whose district includes parts of West and North Pinellas, will continue serving as the Whip for the Education and Employment Committee.
Berfield will no longer serve o the subcommittees for Careers and Workforce or Transportation and Economic Development Budget. She’ll remain on subcommittees for Student Academic Success and Civil Justice and Claims.
New to her this year, Berfield will serve on the subcommittees for Health Care Budget and Economic Infrastructure, as well as on the Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting.
Rep. Randy Maggard, of House District 54 in parts of Pasco County, is changing out several roles. He will no longer serve as Whip for the State Affairs Committee, and will instead serve as Alternating Chair for the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee. Maggard will also no longer serve on the Transportation and Economic Development Budget subcommittee, but will serve on two new committees, Commerce and the State Administration Budget subcommittee. He will continue serving on subcommittees for Natural Resources and Disasters and Health Professions and Programs.
In addition to serving on the Budget Committee, Koster, who represents parts of Hillsborough County, will now serve as the Justice Budget subcommittee Vice Chair, after serving as a member of the committee this past Session. She will no longer serve as Chair of the Civil Justice and Claims subcommittee, but will remain a member, and she’ll continue serving on the Judiciary Committee and the Careers and Workforce subcommittee.
Rep. Michael Owen, whose House District 70 includes parts of Hillsborough and Manatee counties, still won’t hold any committee leadership posts. But he’s been named to the new Select Committee on Property Taxes. While he’ll only maintain one committee post from this Session, the Student Academic Success subcommittee, he’s adding several new ones, including State Affairs and Insurance and Banking, as well as the Transportation and Economic Development Budget subcommittee.
Democrats in the region have sparse assignments.
In addition to Budget, Driskell will also continue to serve on the Security and Threat Assessment Special Committee.
Rayner, in addition to serving on the Budget Committee, will continue to serve o the Commerce Committee, as well as subcommittees for Civil Justice and Claims, Justice Budget, and Natural Resources and Disasters. She was also named to the Select Committee on Property Taxes.
Rep. Lindsay Cross, who represents parts of St. Petersburg, will maintain the same committee assignments she had this Legislative Session, including the State Affairs Committee and subcommittees for Housing, Agriculture and Tourism; Information Technology Budget and Policy; Natural Resources and Disasters; and Transportation and Economic Development Budget.
Rep. Dianne Hart will continue to serve on the Health and Human Services Committee and Ways and Means, as well as subcommittees for Criminal Justice, Insurance and Banking, and Transportation and Economic Development Budget. She will also continue serving on the Rules and Ethics subcommittee, which in the 2025 Session was named the Rules and Ethics Special Committee. Hart was also named to the Select Committee on Property Taxes.
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References
- ^ changed her party affiliation (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ vying for the Democratic nomination (floridapolitics.com)