Last November, Joe Saunders made history as one of two openly gay candidates elected to the Florida House of Representatives-a first for the 160-seat legislature in the nation’s fourth largest state. A few weeks later he was sworn into office at the State Capitol with his partner, Donald Rupe, at his side.
Saunders has mostly been in Tallahassee since, acclimating himself to his new position and participating in his first legislative session, from March thru early May. But now he’s back in town, moving into a house he just bought in East Orlando and otherwise recovering from the breakneck pace of representative government.
Over a two-hour lunch at Cityfish in Thornton Park, Saunders described the highs and lows of his first session and provided a unique glimpse at the surprising-often overwhelming-life of a freshman state legislator.
“You can watch it, you can be around it, you can even be involved in the process,” Saunders said, “but until you’re sitting on the other side of the desk you can have no real idea what it’s like.”
Saunders, 30, fought hard for the privilege of being there. Unlike David Richardson, the gay legislator elected in Miami Beach, he faced a tough primary and even more difficult general election. Republicans spent a million dollars in an attempt to claim the new District 49 seat surrounding the University of Central Florida. Building a broad coalition of support, Saunders defeated former UCF student body president Marco Pena 56% to 44%.
“I ran for office for a year,” Saunders said, his piercing brown eyes betraying fatigue. “The last eighteen months have been pretty relentless.”
After being sworn in, Saunders was assigned to the Education Committee and several education and health care-related sub-committees. He spent most of December, January and February learning the legislative ropes, attending presentations by state agencies, and participating in “committee weeks”-an exhaustive process whereby bills are prepared and heard.
Saunders and legislative aide Carlos Smith set up office on the 11th floor of the executive tower at the State Capitol Complex.
“Most Democrats are placed on the upper floors,” Saunders smirked. “You’re always waiting for elevators.”
And with an annual salary under $30,000, Saunders was determined to live within his small housing per diem. He found a studio apartment near Florida State University, just five minutes from the capitol, and spent most evenings there.
“There are different ways to be a successful legislator,” Saunders said, noting that some build relationships at as many as three to four social functions per night-mostly thrown by lobbyists. “I decided that I would make a name for myself by knowing what I was talking about.”
He dissected every bill considered by his committees; a time-consuming process that quickly reaped benefits.
“People-especially my Democratic colleagues-started to look at me as someone that would know the bills; someone they could ask questions and look to for guidance,” Saunders said.
But the pace was relentless. Saunders usually hit the ground running at 7 a.m. and rarely left the Capitol Complex before 9 p.m. Days were consumed by legislative sessions, committee and caucus meetings. Free time was filled in 15-minute increments with constituents, lobbyists and agency personnel.
“Tallahassee is the land of the ‘walk and talk,'” Saunders said. “There are so many demands on so little available time that you schedule walk appointments.”
Late nights were mostly reserved for catching up on email correspondence and reading. During session, legislators are provided with a list of bills-as many as 70 each day, some more than 100 pages long- to consider. They then get one day to ask questions on the floor before voting the following day.
“The information is coming at you so fast it’s like constantly drinking out of a fire hose,” Saunders said. “And the decisions you make impact 20 million people.”
As members of a 46 to 74 minority, Saunders noted that Democrats function differently than Republicans, who control the legislative agenda. Committee chairs-“For the most part brilliant, not that I agree with them.”-advance bills. Fellow Republicans make few waves.
“The only reason questions are raised-based on policy, values or just logic-is because Democrats ask them,” Saunders observed.
But he also noted that until there is more parity, the only way for Democrats to be effective is to have relationships with Republicans.
“If your goal is to shape or turn your ideas into policy, you have to have Republicans,” Saunders said. “The challenge is to do that in a way that honors your constituents and remains true to the values that got you elected.”
Since November, Saunders has developed a special relationship with Richardson. He recalled an episode that demonstrates the positive change their election has brought to Tallahassee.
When a bill was presented that would give foster parents more control, Richardson introduced an amendment to protect LGBT youth. Although the amendment failed, it was unprecedented.
“It turned into this moment where David talked about growing up gay, and then I did, and then ten more legislators told stories,” Saunders said. “Every day David and I are there, we’re opening minds.”
Saunders is discouraged that that the Competitive Workforce Act, which would provide non-discrimination protections for LGBT employees, didn’t advance out of committee. Ditto a statewide domestic partner registry
But he sponsored the Arts for All Students Act, and advanced a bill that would reign in compensation abuses at charter schools. And he successfully amended a bill that would have kept students from the classrooms of extracurricular teachers with low-and wholly inapplicable-FCAT evaluations.
Saunders believes Tallahassee remains disconnected from much of the state, but he says there’s never been a clearer road map for positive change: elect more Democrats, so that moderate Republicans have room to maneuver outside the shadow of party leadership.
“When that happens,” Saunders says, “I think all of our issues will break through at the same time.”
Saunders plans to be there. Reelection plans begin-just as soon as his batteries have recharged.
For a more detailed update of Joe’s accomplishments during his first six months in office, go to Joe Saunders for Florida House District 49 on Facebook.
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