Florida House convenes special session Jan. 27–31 under governors proclamation; chamber works around infrastructure damage

The Florida House convened a special session on Jan. 27, 2025, under a proclamation from Gov. Ron DeSantis that limits the special session to Jan. 27Jan. 31 and enumerates five topics for consideration: illegal immigration, condominium regulation, agricultural relief in response to natural disasters, replenishing the Mi Safe Florida Home program, and changes to the citizen initiative petition process.

The proclamation, read in the chamber, cites Article III, Section 3 of the Florida Constitution as authority for the governors call and declares the legislature is convened at 9 a.m. on Jan. 27 and extends no later than 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 31, 2025. "Now therefore, I, Ron DeSantis, governor of the state of Florida, by virtue of the power and authority vested in me by article 3 section 3 c 1 of the Florida Constitution, do hereby proclaim as follows," the proclamation states.

Speaker (name not specified), Speaker of the House, told members the chambers planned infrastructure upgrades were incomplete when the governor issued the special-session proclamation and that temporary workarounds were in place. "Your microphones do not have a mic on indicator light, your chamber desk phones do not work," the Speaker said, adding that some voting buttons do not light and members should check the vote board to confirm their votes. The Speaker credited the sergeant's office and House IT for restoring basic functionality.

Why it matters: The proclamation sets the legal scope of what may be considered during the special session; items outside those five topics require separate authority. The procedural constraints and the Speakers comments also explain how the chamber will operate while some physical and electronic systems remain under repair.

Details from the proclamation and chamber remarks include the special session purpose language and timing; the five topic areas listed by the governor were recited verbatim in the chamber. The Speaker said some issues cited in the proclamation could be handled during the regular session in a few weeks and urged deliberation rather than rushed changes on complex items.

During the proceedings, Representative Garrison moved that the House "adjourn, sine die." The motion was put by voice vote and was approved; the clerk announced the motion approved and that the House was adjourned, sine die. The transcript does not include a roll-call tally for that motion. Earlier the clerk reported "110 members voting" and the presence of a quorum.

The session also included a brief invocation and pledges. Representative Duggan led the pledge of allegiance; Representatives Cassell and Ben Roach gave the opening observance and prayer. The clerk unlocked the voting machine to record presence at the start of the proceedings and later locked it after the quorum was announced.

Less-critical details: The Speaker said President Albritton and the Speaker filed with the secretary of state a call for a special session to convene at 10:45 a.m., and that the House would gavel out of the governor-called special session A and immediately gavel into a legislatively called special session B. The Speaker urged that special sessions be used sparingly and not as stunts to generate headlines.

Reported quotes are taken from the proclamation text and the Speakers remarks recorded in the chamber transcript.