Oliva removes Hill from Ethics Committee

Florida House Speaker Jose Oliva has removed Rep. Mike Hill, R-Pensacola, from the House Public Integrity & Ethics Committee. Hill drew bipartisan criticism after he laughed this spring when asked if he could file legislation that would impose the death penalty for men who have affairs with other men. The exchange, which took place at a political event, was condemned in a joint statement by Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, and Rep. Chris Sprowls, a Palm Harbor Republican who is slated to become House speaker after the 2020 elections. A text message later showed that Hill was angry about the joint statement. “You should have called me before you joined the mob,” Hill texted June 1 to the House GOP leaders. Oliva on Friday released committee assignments in advance of the 2020 legislative session, with changes including removing Hill from the Public Integrity & Ethics Committee, which investigates ethical issues. “There were a myriad of moving parts in everyone’s requests and strengths and the final product reflects the consensus that people are in the committee slots where they can be most effective,” Fred Piccolo, a spokesman for Oliva, said about the committee-assignment decisions. Among other changes, Oliva eliminated the PreK-12 Quality Subcommittee and moved its chairman, Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Naples, to the chairmanship of the House Insurance & Banking Subcommittee. He appointed former Insurance & Banking Chairwoman Cyndi Stevenson, R-Saint Johns, as chair of the House Oversight, Transparency & Public Management Subcommittee, which had been headed by Rep. Scott Plakon, R-Longwood. Plakon will chair the House Local Administration Subcommittee.

From The News Service of Florida