Abortion, elections, secrecy, saying gay: How Central Florida lawmakers voted
Party-line votes on emotionally-charged issues are nothing new in Tallahassee, but the 2022 legislative session featured an unusually high number of them. What should matter most to you, the voter, is how your individual lawmakers voted and whether they are representing your interests. The Orlando Sentinel has compiled roll call votes on nine of the most controversial issues to spotlight how our local lawmakers voted.
Eight are bills that were priorities of the Republican majority, and the 9th was the Senate vote to confirm Dr. Joseph Ladapo as surgeon general. For the most part, our lawmakers voted with the majority of their party members, so we’ve highlighted names in bold italics when they broke away from their fellow caucus members.
ABORTION (HB 5)
Abortion would be illegal in Florida after 15 weeks with no exceptions for rape, incest or human trafficking. Passed House, 78-39 and Senate, 23-15.
House
YES: Fred Hawkins, R-St. Cloud; Scott Plakon, R-Longwood; Anthony Sabatini, R-Clermont; David Smith, R-Winter Springs; Josie Tomkow, R-Auburndale; Keith Truenow, R-Tavares
NO: Kristen Aston Arrington, D-Kissimmee; Kamia Brown, D-Orlando; Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando; Joy Goff-Marcil, D-Maitland; Tray McCurdy, D-Orlando; Daisy Morales, D-Orlando; Rene Plasencia, R-Orlando; Carlos Guillermo-Smith, D-Winter Park; Geraldine Thompson, D-Orlando
SenateDennis
Baxley, R-Ocala; YES: Jason Brodeur, R-Lake Mary; Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland
NO: Randolph Bracy, D-Orlando; Linda Stewart, D-Orlando; Victor Torres, D-Kissimmee
ALIMONY (SB 1796)
Permanent alimony would end in Florida divorce cases and the change would apply retroactively and a 50-50 presumption of time-sharing of children is codified in law. Passed House, 74-42 and Senate, 21-16.
House
YES: Hawkins, Plakon, Sabatini, D. Smith, Tomkow, Truenow
NO: Arrington, Brown, Eskamani, Goff-Marcil, McCurdy, Morales, Guillermo-Smith, Thompson
NOT VOTING: Plasencia
Senate
YES: Baxley, Brodeur, Stargel NO: Bracy, Stewart, Torres
BUSINESS LAWSUITS (SB 620)
Allows businesses to sue a local government for decisions that cost them at least 15 percent of their profits. The bill’s final version significantly narrowed the original proposal, including limits on the kinds of decisions that could trigger lawsuits and requirements for businesses that could take advantage of it, but could still have a chilling effect on local communities’ decision-making. Passed House 69-45 and Senate, 22-14.
House
YES: Hawkins, Plasencia, Plakon, Sabatini, Tomkow, Truenow
NO: Arrington, Brown, Eskamani, Goff-Marcil, McCurdy, Morales, Guillermo-Smith, D. Smith, Thompson
SenateBaxley,
Brodeur, Stargel YES: Stewart, Torres NO:
NOT VOTING: Bracy
‘DON’T SAY GAY’ (HB 1557)
Bans classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in grades K-3 and prohibits such discussion if not “age appropriate or developmentally appropriate,” regardless of grade. Opponents and media called it the “Don’t say gay” bill. Passed House, 69-47 and Senate, 22-17.
House
YES: Hawkins, Plakon, Sabatini, D. Smith, Tomkow, Truenow
NO: Arrington, Brown, Eskamani, Goff-Marcil, McCurdy, Morales, Plasencia, Guillermo-Smith, Thompson
Senate
YES: Baxley, Brodeur, Stargel NO: Bracy, Stewart, Torres
ELECTIONS (SB 524)
Creates an Office of Election Crimes and Security; raises fines for late voter forms; replaces term “drop box” with “secure ballot intake station;” bans private funds for voter outreach, including free legal assistance for election supervisors. Passed House, 76-41 and Senate, 24-14.
House
YES: Hawkins, Plakon, Plasencia, Sabatini, D. Smith, Tomkow, Truenow
NO: Arrington, Brown, Eskamani, Goff-Marcil, McCurdy, Morales, Guillermo-Smith, Thompson
Senate:
YES: Baxley, Brodeur, Stargel NO: Bracy, Stewart, Torres.
DR. JOSEPH LADAPO (SENATE CONFIRMATION)
Senators voted 24-15 to confirm Dr. Joseph Ladapo as Surgeon General after hearings at which he faced criticism for his response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including his opposition to face masks and vaccines. House members do not vote on confirmations of the governor’s appointees.
YES: Baxley, Brodeur, Stargel NO: Bracy, Stewart, Torres
ROOFTOP SOLAR (HB 741)
This bill, which many say could gut Florida’s thriving solar-power industry, raises the amount power companies can charge customers who have installed rooftop solar panels, and reduces the amount utilities must credit those customers for excess power that is transferred back into the power grid. However, existing owners of solar arrays would not be affected for 20 years.
House
YES: Brown, Plakon, Plasencia, D. Smith, Tomkow, Truenow
NO: Arrington, Eskamani, Goff-Marcil, McCurdy, Morales, Sabatini, Guillermo-Smith, Thompson
DID NOT VOTE: Hawkins
Senate:
Baxley, Bracy, Brodeur, YES: Stargel, Torres
NO: Stewart
’STOP W.O.K.E. ACT’ (HB 7)
This legislation, a priority for Gov. Ron DeSantis, puts sharp but poorly defined limits on companies that “subject” their employees to diversity training that emphasizes problems related to systemic racism or sexism. It also limits the scope of diversity education in public schools.
House
YES: Hawkins, Plakon, Plasencia, Sabatini, D. Smith, Tomkow, Truenow
NO: Arrington, Brown, Eskamani, Goff-Marcil, McCurdy,
Morales, Guillermo-Smith, Thompson
Senate:
YES: Baxley, Brodeur, Stargel NO: Bracy, Stewart, Torres
UNIVERSITY SECRECY (SB 520)
Creates a new public-records exemption that cloaks all identifying information (including race and gender) of candidates for president at Florida public universities and colleges — which are among the state’s highest-paid jobs and often regarded as political plums. The names of candidates would be hidden until the final group of candidates is named, or 21 days before the final pick is announced.
House
YES: Arrington, Brown, Hawkins, Plakon, D. Smith, Tomkow, Truenow
NO: Eskamani, Goff-Marcil, McCurdy, Morales, Sabatini, Guillermo-Smith, Thompson
DID NOT VOTE: Plasencia
Senate:
YES: Baxley, Brodeur, Stargel, Stewart
NO: Bracy, Torres
Note: Votes listed are on final passage, and we included every lawmaker with a substantial portion of their districts in Orange, Osceola, Seminole or Lake counties. The House had 118 members with one or two seats vacant during the session. The Senate had 39 members with one seat vacant.