Florida Senate President Benjamin Albritton released a letter Monday announcing that legislative committee meetings are cancelled this week ahead of winter storm weather set to hit North Florida Tuesday and Wednesday.
As of Monday afternoon, the central portion of the Panhandle, including Tallahassee and the Big Bend area, is under a winter storm watch. When the cold weather and wet conditions hit Tuesday, it could mean up to 1.5 inches of snow and ice accumulations of up to a quarter of an inch.
In his letter, Albritton said he spoke with Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez and both agreed the meetings should be canceled out of concern for
“While I am always hesitant to cancel noticed committee meetings, the reality is that our transportation infrastructure is not built to accommodate accumulated snow and ice. Safety of Senators, staff and visitors is my top concern,” he said.
Due to the change, he also announced they would be moving back the deadline for requests for drafts of general bills, memorials, and joint resolutions from January 24th to January 29th.
A host of schools in the Big Bend region have also announced they will be closing school on those days due to the weather.