Senate President-Designate Jim Boyd releases the details of his inner circle

Senate President-Designate Jim Boyd released on Thursday released details about his planned inner circle during his two-year rein as leader of the Florida Senate and confirmed an organizational session will be held in Tallahassee on Tuesday, Nov. 17.

There was no mention of a special session on a taxpayer bill of rights, as Gov. Ron DeSantis advocated, in Boyd’s announcement.

During the organizational session, new and returning senators will be sworn in and Boyd, a Republican from Bradenton, will officially be elected to preside over the chamber. The Senate also will adopt rules that it will follow during Boyd’s two-year term.

Incoming House Speaker Republican Sam Garrison, meanwhile, had made no announcement about any of his appointments to leadership positions.

Boyd tapped Miami Republican Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez and Sen. Nick DiCeglie, a Republican from Indian Rocks Beach, to serve as Senate president pro tempore and Senate majority leader, respectively.

In terms of high-profile committee assignments, Boyd announced that Zephyrhills Republican Sen. Danny Burgess will head the powerful Senate Committee on Rules.

Republican Jay Trumbull, of Panama City, who is anticipated to succeed Boyd as Senate president, was named chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations.

It’s a role he is familiar with, having served as chair of the House Appropriations Committee between 2020 and 2022 under former House Speaker Chris Sprowls.

Lakeland Republican Sen. Colleen Burton was named chair of the Committee on Fiscal Policy.

In a prepared statement, Boyd said that panel will provide an “alternative path to the Senate Calendar for bills with a fiscal impact. This structure allows time for robust discussion and debate on both budget items and policy initiatives prior to consideration by the full Senate.”

The announcement didn’t include any other committee assignments.

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