Q: Can you give us an idea of where we are currently in the legislative calendar?
A: Committee Weeks for next session will start the week of Sept. 20. Session starts on Jan. 11, 2022 and runs for 60 days, with a conclusion date of March 11. We have also set our legislative delegation meeting for St. Johns County, which features the county’s state representatives (myself, Sen. Travis Hutson and Rep. Paul Renner) for Friday, Oct. 1 at the St. Johns County Auditorium. At this meeting, citizens can let us know their thoughts and priorities for the upcoming session. I just finished a series of mobile office hours around the county in August. Going forward, people can contact me at my office with any questions or concerns.
Q: Redistricting is on a lot of people’s minds. Can you let us know what citizens can expect?
A: We will be working on redistricting this session, utilizing the 2020 Census data. It is constitutionally mandated that we complete the redistricting during the 2022 regular session. It is of utmost importance that the process is seen as fair and transparent.
My understanding is that the House will have a tight procedure and we have many state and federal laws with which we must comply. To the extent possible, we try to nest our districts with state senate and congressional districts. This is difficult, as the district lines must be drawn to as close as one to two people.
There will be a Redistricting Committee as well as subcommittees that will do a lot of the work, such as using the sophisticated software available to us (as well as the public) to help draw the district boundaries. Members of this committee are expected to be announced, along with other committee members for the upcoming session, in early September.
Q: Florida will be gaining a U.S. Congressional district, but how about the state districts?
A: In Florida, we will keep our 120 house districts, we will just move the district lines to keep up with the population. Again, the districts need to be the same size down to just one to two people. At present, my district is the second largest one in the state, so I expect some changes to my district lines.
Q: What are some other session priorities?
A: Every year we have to present a balanced budget. So far, the numbers look promising, but we will have an increase in costs due to increases in Medicaid and social services costs.
Q: What is the best way for our readers to contact you?
A: Readers can email me at Cyndi.Stevenson@myfloridahouse.gov or call my local office at (904) 823-2300.
