The Florida House Democratic caucus, its numbers reduced by five after this year’s elections, pledged to seek common ground with the Republicans’ veto-proof majority.
“We may not have the quantity, but we’ve got quality,” state Rep. Ron Saunders, D-Tavernier, the caucus’ newly elected leader, said of the 39 surviving Democratic members.
Saunders told reporters that “the good old days,” when members of the minority party could expect to at least chair a few committees, were likely over. The Republicans, he said, now “have 81 mouths to feed.”
Newley elected caucus pro tempore state Rep. Joe Gibbons, D-Pembroke Park, echoed a pledge by Saunders to work together with the new Republican leadership (especially, of course, when it comes to creating jobs). The Democrats may have little choice.
“We won’t throw rocks at people who can throw boulders at us,” Gibbons said.
In that spirit, Saunders noted that most of the bills up for veto overrides during today’s special session have bipartisan support. Democrats voted for the measures, many of which passed unanimously. If he voted for something during the regular session, he said, he would likely vote for it again.
