LOCAL LEGISLATOR RETURNS TO POSITION OF INFLUENCE...SORT OF

Earlier this year, Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio (R - Coral Gables) punished Lakeland Republican Representative Dennis Ross by stripping him of his influential chairmanship of the Safety and Security Council after he bucked the majority GOP leadership on a vote dealing with property insurance reform. Ross was demoted to vice-chairmanship of the panel.

Today, he regains at least a small bit of his former influence.

Rubio today names the Lakeland attorney as chairman of the Courts Committee as one of a number of council and committee assignments made for the 2007-08 year. He replaces Representative Mark Mahon (R - Jacksonville), who was recently appointed by Governor Charlie Crist to become a Circuit Judge effective September 1. Ross retains the vice-chairmanship of the Safety and Security Council, under whose jurisdiction the Courts Committee falls.

The moves were due to the fact that under House rules, all such appointments made by the Speaker expired August 1.

Small steps toward redemption, I guess. Probably had to promiss to tow the line from now on...