Committee reports several election bills and confirms multiple nominees, including APD director nominee

The Florida Senate Committee on Ethics and Elections advanced multiple bills and recommended several gubernatorial nominees after brief presentations and roll-call votes.

CS/SB 1180 (Arrington) — Recall framework and CDD updates: Sponsor Senator Arrington said the bill establishes a recall process for Community Development District (CDD) board members similar to municipal recalls and updates provisions related to synthetic turf and compact urban mixed-use districts. Arrington cited an alleged $2 million case at Concord Estates that prompted audit interest. The committee voted to favorably report the bill.

SB 460 (Polsky) — Special election scheduling: Senator Sarah Polsky presented a bill to require the governor to set special election dates within 14 days of a vacancy and hold the special election within 126 days (or 175 days if there is a conflict). The measure also requires at least eight weeks between primary and general special elections and authorizes judicial petitions if the governor does not comply. The committee voted to report the bill favorably.

SB 748 (Racie Davis) — Notice at sentencing for restoration of rights: Sponsor Racie Davis said the bill would add constitutional language about felony voting exclusions and restoration to the Criminal Punishment Code Sentencing Score Sheet used at sentencing, providing clarity and not changing eligibility. The committee favorably reported the bill.

Confirmations: The committee took individual oaths and questioned nominees presented under tabs 5–12. Jim Milliken and Alicia McShea were recommended for the Pinellas County Juvenile Welfare Board after brief Q&A. Bob Astellas, nominated to lead the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, described three priorities — reducing the pre-enrollment list, improving processes, and focusing on customer service — and said the pre-enrollment list declined from over 21,000 to about 16,600 since he began. The committee recommended Astellas to the full Senate.

Committee actions were handled largely by roll call or by unanimous consent where noted; the agenda resumed out of order to accommodate members’ schedules. Senators asked for continued staff work and consultation with supervisors of elections on technical implementation questions for election bills.

The committee’s favorable reports send the bills and nominations to the next stage of Senate consideration.