Florida Cabinet
From Freepedia
The Florida Cabinet is a state agency unique to Florida which engages in collective governance of the state. Created following Reconstruction, when there had been distrust of the military governors appointed by the federal government, it was designed to decentralize authority from the governor.
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Cabinet Agencies
The Cabinet consists of four members, who each carry one vote in the decision making process. In the event of the tie, the side of the governor is the prevailing side. The Cabinet serves as the board of directors of several state agencies and during their bi-weekly meetings discuss agency business and make policy decisions for the agencies. The members of the Cabinet, all statewide officials, also oversee the separate offices and agencies under their departments. The Cabinet oversees the following agencies:
- State Board of Executive Clemency
- State Board of Administration
- Division of Bond Finance
- Department of Veterans' Affairs
- Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
- Department of Law Enforcement
- Department of Revenue
- Administration Commission
- Florida Land and Water Adjudicatory Commission
- Electrical Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Board
- The Board of Trustees Internal Improvement Trust Fund
- Financial Services Commission
Cabinet Members
The current members of the Cabinet are:
- Governor Jeb Bush (Chairman)
- Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher
- Attorney General Charlie Crist
- Commissioner of Agriculture Charles H. Bronson
Cabinet Aides
Each member of the Cabinet has a office dedicated to Cabinet affairs. These issues are headed by a chief cabinet aide, who is assisted by other aides. The week prior to a Cabinet meeting, the Cabinet aides meet to discuss the agenda and conduct preliminary discussion for a variety of issues coming before the full Cabinet. Cabinet aides meetings are considered an important part of the Cabinet process.
Cabinet Reform
In 1998, Florida voters voted to amend the state constitution to shrink the Cabinet to its present size. This amendment took effect in 2003, following the 2002 election. The governor, attorney general, and agriculture commissioner were original members of the Cabinet. Former Cabinet members were the Secretary of State, Commissioner of Education, Comptroller, and Treasurer/Insurance Commissioner/Fire Marshal.
Under the reforms adopted the Secretary of State and Education Commissioner became appointed officials under the governor, while the Comptroller and Treasurer/Insurance Commissioner/Fire Marshal was combined into the Office of the Chief Financial Officer.
The Cabinet lost its control of state education policy, which was shifted to a new state Board of Education and to a new higher education panel. Some environmental policy powers of the Cabinet were shifted to other officials as well. The reforms were seen as a way to strengthen the power of the Governor.
