Ken Pruitt | |
---|---|
President of the Florida Senate | |
In office November 21, 2006 –November 18, 2008 | |
Preceded by | Tom Lee |
Succeeded by | Jeff Atwater |
Member of the Florida Senate | |
In office November 21,2000 –2009 | |
Preceded by | William G. "Doc" Myers |
Succeeded by | Joe Negron |
Constituency | 27th (2001–2003) 28th (2003–2009) |
Member of the FloridaHouseofRepresentatives | |
In office 1993–2000 | |
Preceded by | Chuck Nergard |
Succeeded by | Gayle Harrell |
Constituency | 79th (1991–1993) 81st (1993-2000) |
Personal details | |
Born | Miami,Florida | January 24,1957
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Aileen Kelly |
Residence | Fort Pierce,Florida |
Occupation | Business Development |
Ken Pruitt (born January 24,1957) is an American politician who served as a member of the Florida Senate. A Republican,he represented the 28th District from 2000 to 2009,which included portions of Indian River,Martin,Okeechobee,Palm Beach and St. Lucie Counties. [1] [2] [3] He was previously a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1990 through 2000. [4] [5] [6]
On November 21,2006,Ken Pruitt was chosen by the unanimous vote of his colleagues to serve a two-year term as President of the Florida Senate. He succeeded Tom Lee and preceded Jeff Atwater in this capacity. From 2006 to 2008,Pruitt served as the 78th President of the Florida Senate. His other prominent leadership roles have included committee chairmanships of the Senate Rules Committee (2004–2006),Senate Appropriations Committee (2002–2004) and House Appropriations Committee (1998–2000).
After the 1996 general election,with Republicans the majority party in the Florida House of Representatives,Rep. Pruitt was able to shepherd through the Bright Futures Scholarship Act (CS/CS/SB 858 –1997) during the 1997 legislative session. The bill was responsible for creating the state's popular merit based aid programs for college students known as Florida Bright Futures Scholarships. These lottery funded scholarships have helped more than 300,000 Florida students attend a post-secondary institution and Pruitt has remained an ardent supporter of the program throughout his political career.
In late 2003,Senator Ken Pruitt embarked on a statewide tour of all eleven state universities and all 28 community colleges in an effort to draw up support for higher education in Florida. [7] The Brighter Futures Express Educational Tour traveled to the various state institutions of higher learning with the intention of reminding fellow lawmakers to "keep the promise" they had made to Floridians on programs like Florida Bright Futures and Florida Prepaid. Most notably from the tour was that Pruitt traveled from school to school in a used yellow school bus. The tour concluded on March 17,2004 with a gathering on the steps of the historic state capitol. Over 3,000 students,teachers,and parents attended the political rally which was addressed by numerous speakers,including Senator Pruitt and Miss America 2004,Ericka Dunlap. The crowd was also treated to a performance by the Florida A&M University Marching 100. [8]
The Florida Legislature created the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program to reward students for their academic achievements during high school by providing funding to attend postsecondary education in Florida. [9] The Bright Futures Scholarship was inspired by the Hope Scholarship. Originally the Program dispersed just above 42,000 scholarships for about $70 million. Over the last decade the cost for the scholarship has increased substantially as more students remain in Florida to receive higher education thereby,stopping the brain drain. [10] The Scholarship currently costs the Florida Lottery more than $436.1 million,with about 170,000 students taking advantage of the program this ensures the promise that lottery money will be used to supplement education. [11] [12] [13]
During the 2000 Florida Legislative Session,Pruitt sponsored and passed the landmark Lake Okeechobee Protection Program (LOPP). The act (CS/CS/HB 991 –2000) called for the implementation of phosphorus load reductions,construction of stormwater treatment areas (STA),monitoring of water quality in the Lake Okeechobee watershed,and the development of "Best Management Practices" (BMP) for both agricultural and non-agricultural sources within the watershed. [14] The enactment of LOPP has helped Florida protect and preserve the largest fresh water lake in the southern United States and contributed to the overall health of the Everglades. This important legislation (along with the 2005 Lake Okeechobee &Estuary Recovery Program (LOER)) has helped earmark tens of millions of dollars to the restoration of Lake Okeechobee,the St. Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon.
In 1992 as a Republican and member of the minority party in the Florida House,Pruitt teamed with veteran Representative and Democrat,Bert J. Harris Jr.,in an effort to address the over-regulation and ownership rights of privately owned property. After two unsuccessful pushes to pass their Private Property Rights Protection Act,the two Representatives caught the break they needed in the third year. Prior to the 1995 Florida Legislative Session,Governor Lawton Chiles,having recently experienced a regulatory roadblock when he attempted to build a "cook shack" on his own private property,was ready to support the lawmakers' efforts. [15] The Governor's momentum helped enabled the two representatives to pass the bill (CS/HB 863 - 1995) through both chambers with only a single dissenting vote. Representative Pruitt honored his partner and friend by renaming the bill the Bert J. Harris Jr. Private Property Rights Protection Act. Governor Chiles signed the act on May 18,1995 and the Bert Harris Act has since served as a model to other states addressing environmental and land use regulation in respect to the rights of private property owners.
Furthermore,the Governor's "cook shack" difficulties and crusade against superfluous rulemaking,government red-tape and over-regulation set the stage for an overhaul of Florida's Administrative Procedures Act,reforms the legislature had been attempting for several years. In addition to sponsoring the Bert Harris Act in 1995,Pruitt was the prime sponsor of the APA legislation. While the act was vetoed by Chiles in 1995 as being too burdensome for the implementing agencies,it was passed the following year,making the first major reforms to Florida's APA since its inception in 1974. [16]
On March 30,2004,Governor Jeb Bush signed Executive Order No. 04-61 creating the Committee for a Sustainable Treasure Coast,Pruitt's proposed 37-member,three-county regional commission designed to increase cooperation and coordination between St. Lucie,Martin,and Indian River counties. [17] The committee's main objective was to provide local governments with the tools to plan for and create incentives for responsible and sustainable growth on the Treasure Coast of Florida. A final report was adopted in late September 2005 and delivered to the Governor,Speaker of the House,and Senate President.
The following legislative session in 2006,Senator Pruitt was a fervent supporter of legislation introduced and passed by Senator Mike Fasano creating Florida's Innovation Incentive Program (CS/CS/2728–2006). [18] This economic development initiative provides resources for the recruitment or expansion of major research and development entities and innovation businesses in Florida. With the groundwork already laid by the CSTC,Pruitt and a motivated group of local leaders,both public and private,were able to attract the Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies to Port St. Lucie to set up an east coast operation. Two years later,in April 2008,the Innovative Incentive Fund also helped bring the Oregon Health and Science University Vaccine Gene Therapy Institute (VGTI) to the area. The development of this biotech cluster,in addition to the cluster including the Scripps Research Institute and the Max Planck Institute in Jupiter,Florida,has allowed the area to become known as Florida's "Research Coast," a designation first given by Senator Ken Pruitt. [19]
Ken Pruitt married Aileen Kelly in 1982. They have five children,Kenneth Jr. (deceased) Steven,Ashley,Michelle and Mark. Aileen Pruitt was 1st Lady of the Florida Senate from 2006 to 2008. She is involved in numerous volunteer organizations,is a two-time breast cancer survivor and is Executive Director of National City Corp. Community Development Association for Central &NE Florida. [20] Mrs. Pruitt was also appointed by Governor Charlie Crist to serve on the Governor's Commission on Volunteerism &Community Service. [21]
Ken Pruitt worked with the law firm Weiss,Handler,Angelos and Cornwell [22] as Senior Advisor for Governmental Affairs and Public Policy. [23] He was elected Property Appraiser for St Lucie County,Florida in November,2010 following the death of then-Property Appraiser,Jeff Furst. Pruitt's term expired in 2016
Park Monroe Trammell,was an American attorney and politician from the state of Florida. Trammell represented Florida in the United States Senate from 1917 until his death in 1936. As chair of the Senate Naval Affairs Committee,Trammell was essential in the creation of several laws that revitalized the United States Navy. Trammell previously served as the Governor of Florida and Florida Attorney General.
John Wellborn Martin was an American politician who served as the 24th Governor of Florida,from 1925 to 1929. He also served as Mayor of Jacksonville,Florida,from 1917 to 1923. Born in Plainfield in Marion County,Florida,Martin and his family moved to Jacksonville in 1899. Despite only about four years of formal education,he studied law and was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1914. Three years later,Martin ran for Mayor of Jacksonville and easily defeated incumbent J. E. T. Bowden,becoming the city's youngest mayor at age 32. He was easily re-elected twice in landslide victories and served three consecutive terms.
Joseph Negron,Jr. is a Republican politician from Florida. He served as a member of the Florida Senate from 2009 to 2018,representing parts of the Treasure Coast. In his last two years in office,he served as Senate President. Previously,Negron served three terms in the Florida House of Representatives,representing the Martin County-based 82nd district from 2000 to 2006.
Gary Anthony Siplin was a Democratic member of the Florida Senate,representing the 19th District from 2003. Previously he was a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2000 through 2002.
Steven Anthony Geller is an American attorney and politician who serves on the Broward County Commission for District 5. As of November 2020,Geller was the mayor of Broward County from November 2020 till November 2021. He was the former vice mayor from November 2019 till November 2020.
The 1990 Florida gubernatorial election took place on November 6,1990. Incumbent Republican Governor Bob Martinez ran for a second term in office,but was defeated by Democratic challenger Lawton Chiles,a former U.S. Senator.
Dennis K. Baxley is a state legislator in Florida who has served in the Florida Senate since 2016. A Republican,he represents the 12th district including Sumter County and parts of Lake County and Marion County in Central Florida. He previously served in the Florida House of Representatives,representing parts of Marion County from 2000 to 2007 and again from 2010 until his election to the Senate. He served on the Belleview City Commission and as its mayor.
The 2000 United States Senate election in Florida was held on November 7,2000,on the same date as the U.S. House of Representatives and presidential election. Incumbent Republican Senator Connie Mack III decided to retire instead of seeking a third term. Democrat Bill Nelson won the open seat,even as Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush narrowly triumphed over Al Gore in the state by a mere 537 votes. Bill McCollum's 46.19% popular vote percentage is the highest for a losing Republican United States Senate candidate in Florida.
The 2010 United States Senate election in Florida took place on November 2,2010,concurrently with other elections to the United States Senate in other states,as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
Van B. Poole is a former Republican politician from Florida.
Dwight Bullard is a Democratic politician and teacher from Florida. He served one term in the Florida State Senate,representing parts of South Florida from 2012 to 2016,and before that served two terms in the Florida House of Representatives,representing a district in southern Miami-Dade County from 2008 until his election to the Senate.
John E. Thrasher is a former state legislator,businessman,lawyer and lobbyist who served as the 15th President of Florida State University. He was approved by the Florida Board of Governors on November 6,2014 and took office on November 10,2014. On September 11,2020,Thrasher and the university board of trustees announced his retirement in a joint statement. In May 2021,Richard McCullough was chosen by Florida State University’s Board of Trustees to succeed Thrasher.
The St. Lucie County Library System,based in St. Lucie County,Florida,has branches in the cities of Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie.
Randolph Bracy III is an American politician who is a member of the Florida Senate from the 11th district. Bracy's district includes parts of central and northwest Orange County. Bracy is the first African American to serve as Chair of the Criminal Justice Committee. As a member of the State Senate,Bracy pushed for the establishment of Juneteenth as a state holiday.
Raymond Wesley Rodrigues is the 12th chancellor of the State University System of Florida since 2023. Previously,he served four terms in the Florida House of Representatives,representing southern and coastal Lee County from 2012 to 2020 and one term in the Florida Senate from 2020 to 2022. His campaign website describes him as conservative.
Carlos Guillermo Smith is an American community activist,lobbyist,and politician. A Democrat,he served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from District 49,which covered the University of Central Florida area.
The 2018 United States Senate election in Florida was held on November 6,2018,alongside a gubernatorial election,elections to the U.S. House of Representatives and other state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic Senator Bill Nelson ran for re-election to a fourth term,but was narrowly defeated by Republican Governor Rick Scott. The election was the closest Senate race in the state's history.
Erin Grall is an American politician who has served in the Florida House of Representatives from the 54th district from 2016 to 2022 and Florida Senate since 2022. Grall has played an active role in the Florida Legislature,sponsoring a significant number of bills that have become law in recent years.
James A. "Jim" Scott is a former member of the Florida Senate and former member of the member of the Broward County Commission. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Senate Bill 86,also titled SB 86:Student Financial Aid or An act relating to student financial aid was a proposed 2021 Florida educational funding bill that would have made major changes to the implementation and administration of the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. The bill drew considerable controversy due to its proposals.