Due to term limits, nearly 40 percent of the legislature is made up of new members, sworn in just last week. Committee assignments have yet to be made, and many members have just figured out where their offices are. This is no time for Armageddon. But TIME interviews with both Democratic and Republican legislators show a growing concern that the continuing legal challenges might prevent Florida from meeting its Dec. 12 deadline for choosing electors. If court contests are still unsettled by the end of next week, the legislature may have little choice but to act on its own.
Members say they are waiting to take their cues from the leadership.
As speaker of the state house, Feeney has full control of the legislative agenda, and nothing becomes law without his approval. With a 100 percent rating from the Florida Conservative Union and regular accolades from the Christian Coalition, Feeney is a true-blooded conservative. In fact, it was his hard-line views that helped cost Jeb Bush the governorship when the two shared the ticket in 1994. This year Feeney ran for speaker on a platform of cooperation, promising to end the bitter partisan wrangling that has recently bottled up legislation. Since his angry press conference last week, Feeney has softened his tone.