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Lawmaking Session Could Start Earlier In Election Years

WFSU
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WFSU

A pair of Miami lawmakers want Florida’s legislative session to start earlier during election years.

In odd-numbered years, the session would still begin in March and run through early May. But in years where lawmakers have to stand for election, it would begin about six weeks earlier – officially the first Tuesday after the second Monday in January. Rep. Jeanette Nunez (R-Miami) is the bill’s House sponsor. She talked it up Monday, reminding lawmakers that in years past when the session started earlier to accommodate redistricting, the advanced schedule caused few problems.

“Some of you sat through the redistricting process. The sun continued to rise in the east and set in the west and no major catastrophic events happened with us starting in January," she says.

The bill passed the committee easily, but could run into one natural hurdle Nunez didn’t mention: the weather. Some lawmakers may not want to come to North Florida in January – an area that saw snow and ice during the first month of this year.