Florida's Turnpike Enterprise ( FTE ) is a unit of the Florida Department of Transportation that operates toll roads in Florida. The current executive director is Nicola Liquori.
41-741: The Florida State Turnpike Authority was authorized by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Dan McCarty as the Turnpike Authority Act on June 11, 1953. The Authority was reorganized and incorporated into the newly formed Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in July 1969. The Turnpike’s functions became part of the FDOT pursuant to the reorganization of the State Government Act. At that time, individual FDOT Districts managed
82-783: A lower chamber , the House of Representatives . Article III, Section 1 of the Florida Constitution , adopted in 1968, defines the role of the legislature and how it is to be constituted. The legislature is composed of 160 state legislators (120 in the House and 40 in the Senate). The primary purpose of the legislature is to enact new laws and amend or repeal existing laws. It meets in the Florida State Capitol building in Tallahassee . The Senate
123-653: A 60-day Regular Legislative Session each year. Regular Legislative Sessions in odd-numbered years must begin on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March and on the second Tuesday after the first Monday in January of each even-numbered year. Before 1991, the Regular Legislative Session began in April. Senate Joint Resolution 380 (1989) proposed to the voters a Constitutional Amendment (approved November 1990) that shifted
164-608: A height of 345 feet (105 m). However, including the three underground floors, it is a 25-story building (though the sixth floor is only accessible through the freight elevator). The Governor and the Cabinet members have their offices on the Plaza Level of the Capitol. Floors two through four of the base structure of the Capitol are used for the chambers of the Senate and House of Representatives;
205-503: A legal name. When it was planned, the Capitol Complex (which is a legal name) was going to consist of the House and Senate chambers, and the twenty-two-story office building. Tallahassee was named Florida's capital in 1824, midway between the then-largest cities in the state, St. Augustine and Pensacola . The first territorial government met in a log building. A capitol building was constructed in 1826 but never completely finished. It
246-495: A marble interior. Finally, large wings for the House and Senate chambers were added to the north and south ends of the building in 1936 and 1947, respectively. The 1902 Capitol building was the last statehouse in which all of Florida's political business was housed under one roof. A decade later, the Florida Supreme Court moved into its own building just west of the Capitol Complex, across S. Duval Street. The 1960s were
287-574: A self-guided tour pamphlet, and related information. The public viewing galleries for the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate are on the fifth floor. A series of murals of Florida's history by Christopher Still encircle the House chamber floor. Outside of the Senate galleries is the Five Flags Mural by Renee Faure depicting people from Florida history. The Observation Deck
328-694: A statement of the project’s significant environmental impacts. Fifty road projects were submitted for consideration and, ultimately, ten new roads were identified for possible construction, subject to meeting the feasibility requirements, and 15 new interchanges. On April 11, 2002, Gov. Jeb Bush signed House Bill 261, creating Florida's Turnpike Enterprise, and directing the Turnpike to pursue innovation and best private-sector business practices, to improve cost-effectiveness and timeliness in project delivery, to increase revenues and expand its capital program, and to improve quality of service to its customers. At that time,
369-604: A time of political renewal in Florida that led to the Constitution of 1968 and the end of the Pork Chop Gang . The thrust of the renewal was to force conservative, north Florida politicians to cede power to the greatly expanded (in population and economic power) central and south Florida, until then seriously underrepresented in the legislature. As part of this discussion, the possible relocation of Florida's capital (convenient only to
410-482: Is a cafeteria on the lower level, a snack bar on the tenth floor, and the Florida Welcome Center just inside the west Plaza Level entrance. Florida Welcome Center staff conducts guided tours for groups of 15 or more and self-guided tours are available during business hours. The Senate office building and the House office building are each four stories high and on either end of the Capitol Complex. The bridges on
451-508: Is an architecturally and historically significant building listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The Capitol is at the intersection of Apalachee Parkway and South Monroe Street in downtown Tallahassee, Florida. The Historic Capitol, sometimes called "The Old Capitol", built in 1845, was threatened with demolition in the late 1970s when the new capitol building was built. Having been restored to its 1902-version in 1982,
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#1732852351251492-501: Is authorized by the Florida Constitution to create and amend the laws of the U.S. state of Florida , subject to the Governor's power to veto legislation. To do so, Legislators propose legislation in the forms of bills drafted by a nonpartisan, professional staff. Successful legislation must undergo Committee review, three readings on the floor of each house, with appropriate voting majorities, as required, and either be signed into law by
533-519: Is the top or twenty-second floor of the Capitol building. The deck is 307 feet (94 m) above the Plaza Level and 512 feet (156 m) above sea level. In the east wing is an art gallery featuring a rotating display of artwork by Florida resident artists and a series of bronze plaques on the inductees of the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. The southern side is the Freedom Shrine. The capitol
574-498: Is the upper house of the state legislature. As of 2024, Republicans hold the majority in the Senate with 28 seats; Democrats are in the minority with 12 seats. The House of Representatives is the lower house of the state legislature. As of 2024, Republicans hold the majority in the House of Representatives with 85 seats, and Democrats hold 35 seats. All terms were truncated again in 2016, with all 40 Senate seats up for election, due to court-ordered redistricting. Members of
615-674: The Florida Constitution . The House of Representatives is headed by the speaker of the House , while the Senate is headed by the Senate president . The House speaker and Senate president control the assignment of committees and leadership positions, along with control of the agenda in their chambers. The two leaders, along with the governor of Florida , control most of the agenda of state business in Florida. Florida State Capitol 30°26′17″N 84°16′54″W / 30.43811°N 84.28160°W / 30.43811; -84.28160 The Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee , Florida ,
656-578: The Historic Capitol Building (Restoration) on its list of Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places . The New Tower houses executive and legislative offices and the chambers of the Florida Legislature (consisting of the Florida Senate and Florida House of Representatives ). The Florida Department of Management Services maintains the Capitol Complex, which is open to the public Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (excluding state holidays ). The buildings are informally known as
697-524: The Beachline East (State Road 528), all FDOT-owned roads and bridges. It also provides toll collection services for the Garcon Point and Mid-Bay Bridges in Florida's Panhandle. Florida Legislature Minority Minority The Florida Legislature is the legislature of the U.S. state of Florida . It is organized as a bicameral body composed of an upper chamber , the Senate , and
738-478: The Governor or enacted through a veto override approved by two-thirds of the membership of each legislative house. Its statutes, called "chapter laws" or generically as " slip laws " when printed separately, are compiled into the Laws of Florida and are called " session laws ". The Florida Statutes are the codified statutory laws of the state. In 2009, legislators filed 2,138 bills for consideration. On average,
779-653: The Historic Capitol is directly behind the new Capitol building. Its restored space includes the Governor's Suite, Supreme Court, House of Representatives and Senate chambers, rotunda, and halls. Its adapted space contains a museum exhibiting the state's political history, the Florida Historic Capitol Museum , which is managed by the Florida Legislature. On April 18, 2012, the AIA 's Florida Chapter placed
820-590: The House of Representatives are elected for terms of two years in each even-numbered year. In 1992 voters passed Amendment 9 to amend the State Constitution to limit federal and state officials to eight-year terms. In 1995, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states could not enact congressional term limits. Florida legislators must be at least twenty-one years old, an elector and resident of their district, and must have resided in Florida for at least two years before an election. The Florida Legislature meets in
861-799: The King Memorial is The Florida Fraternal Order of Police Law Enforcement Memorial (dedicated in 2000). The memorial has the names of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. Outside of the Senate Office Building is a monument dedicated to Floridians who have received the Purple Heart medal. On the lawn of the Old Capitol sit two marble obelisks . The northern one is the Leon County Civil War Memorial; The memorial commemorates Floridian Confederate soldiers who fought in
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#1732852351251902-471: The Legislature has passed about 300 bills into law annually. In 2013, the legislature filed about 2000 bills. About 1000 of these are "member bills." The remainder are bills by committees responsible for certain functions, such as budget. In 2016, about 15% of the bills were passed. In 2017, 1,885 lobbyists registered to represent 3,724 entities. The Legislature also has the power to propose amendments to
943-782: The Office of Toll Operations, formerly a separate division of the State of Florida, was folded into the FTE and is exempt from FDOT policies, procedures, and standards, subject to the secretary having the authority to apply any such policies, procedures, and standards to the FTE from time to time as deemed appropriate. The flagship route of the FTE is Florida's Turnpike along with the Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike . The FTE also operates Polk Parkway (SR 570), Suncoast Parkway (SR 589), Veterans Expressway (SR 589), Sawgrass Expressway (SR 869),
984-463: The Old Capitol — which had to remain in use until the New Capitol was completed — would be removed. Therefore, the design of the New Capitol in no way reflected the style of the old one. The site design, also, was prepared under the assumption the space occupied by the Old Capitol would be vacant. Since the preservation movement did not begin until after the New Capitol had been completed, and
1025-620: The Old Capitol and the New Capitol; the former is sometimes called the Historic Capitol, or also, the Florida State Capitol. The latter was its official name prior to the construction of the New Capitol in 1977, and was so called by the National Park Service even after the New Capitol was operating. Its legal name today, however, is the Florida Historic Capitol Museum. The New Capitol, as a whole, does not have
1066-779: The Rotunda is the Heritage Chapel, an area designed to serve as a meditative space. Opposite to the Chapel is a plaque that states: "This plaque is dedicated to Senator Lee Weissenborn whose valiant effort to move the Capitol to Orlando was the prime motivation for the construction of this building." The west Plaza Level is the Florida Welcome Center and the "Images of the Sunshine State" murals by Florida artist James Rosenquist . The Florida Welcome Center offers maps, brochures, including
1107-590: The Seminole Expressway and Southern Connector portions of SR 417 , the southern 11 miles (18 km) of Daniel Webster Western Beltway (SR 429) and the western eight miles (13 km) of Beachline Expressway (SR 528), known as Beachline West. The FTE collects tolls on the portion of Interstate 75 known as Alligator Alley , the Sunshine Skyway Bridge , the Pinellas Bayway System and
1148-492: The Turnpike work program, operations, and maintenance in their areas. In 1988, the Florida Legislature created the Office of Florida's Turnpike. In 1990, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 1316, authorizing the expansion of Florida's Turnpike to include construction of non-contiguous road projects as an alternative to assist in meeting the state’s backlog of needed highway facilities. The Legislature set environmental and financial feasibility standards, authorized toll increases on
1189-651: The U.S Civil War. The Capitol Complex grounds are maintained by the Florida Department of Management Services . The Plaza Level holds several items of note besides the offices of the Governor and the Cabinet . In the Rotunda, a copy of the State Seal cast in bronze is mounted on terra verde marble sits. This is not the current seal, but one in use when building was completed. It is surrounded by five smaller seals representing
1230-465: The demolition was being prepared for, it was too late to make any changes to either the New Capitol or the site. The Historic Capitol was saved through citizens' action led by Secretary of State Bruce Smathers and then wife Nancy McDowell. The efforts were successful and the building was restored to its 1902 appearance, the final House and Senate chambers having been demolished (though there are no surviving drawings or photographs to inform restoration of
1271-482: The existing system, and allowed higher rate per mile tolls on the new projects through Chapter 339.2275(3) of the Florida Statutes. The Legislature approved expansion projects and new interchanges subject to verification of economic feasibility, determination that the projects are consistent, to the maximum extent feasible, with approved local government comprehensive plans were projects are located, and completion of
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1312-539: The interior). Architectural highlights include the elaborate art glass dome, red and white striped awnings, and a representation of the Florida State Seal over the entry columns. In 2011, the Florida Department of Management Services , in conjunction with MLD Architects, began restoration of the Historic Capitol's cupola , which included new copper roofing, and Tallahassee's most photographed landmark unveiled its new dome in April 2012. The Capitol Complex design
1353-539: The legislative elections in the Fall. Special Legislative Sessions may be called by the governor, by a joint proclamation of the Senate president and House speaker, or by a three-fifths vote of all Legislators. During any Special Session, the Legislature may only address legislative business that is within the purview of the purpose or purposes stated in the Special Session Proclamation. The Florida Legislature
1394-638: The nations and kingdoms that exerted sovereignty over all or parts of Florida ( France , Spain , Great Britain , the Confederate States of America , and the United States ). North of the Rotunda is the Florida Women's Hall of Fame and the Fallen Firefighters Wall of Honor. To the south are the Florida Artists Hall of Fame and a memorial for Florida's Medal of Honor recipients. Southwest of
1435-462: The north Floridians) closer to the state's center of population was considered. A ballot question asked Florida voters to decide on the location of Florida's capital. Other major contenders were Ocala , Orlando , and Jacksonville . Through the ballot process, the voters decided the capital would remain in Tallahassee. The architects who designed the New Capitol were given the starting assumption
1476-534: The offices of the Senate President, Secretary and Sergeant at Arms; the House Speaker, Clerk, and Sergeant at Arms; some legislative committee offices and meeting rooms; and Member offices. The Legislative Chambers are on the fourth floor with their respective public viewing galleries on the fifth floor. The floors between the observation deck and the first five floors are executive and legislative offices. There
1517-516: The second and third floors allow people to walk between the Capitol and office buildings. These buildings contain primarily committee meeting rooms and legislative offices. The Knott Building was attached to the Capitol by a skywalk in 1999. The west front is known formally as Waller Park, for Curtis L. Waller , Judge of the United States Circuit Court of Appeals. In 2003, the dolphin statue "Stormsong" by Tallahassee artist Hugh Nicholson
1558-422: The starting date of Regular Legislative Session from April to February. Subsequently, Senate Joint Resolution 2606 (1994) proposed to the voters a Constitutional Amendment (approved November 1994) shifting the start date to March, where it remains. In recent years, the Legislature has opted to start in January to allow lawmakers to be home with their families during school spring breaks, and to give more time ahead of
1599-408: Was a joint venture of the architectural firms of Edward Durell Stone of New York City and Reynolds, Smith & Hills of Jacksonville . It was built according to Stone's signature style of " Neoclassicism ", with an ornate grill surrounding a white- columned box. The design symbolized the growth and development of Florida. The Capitol is usually referred to as a twenty-two-story building with
1640-838: Was added within Waller Park's Florida Heritage Fountain. On the northeast corner of the Capitol Complex is the Florida Sri Chinmoy Peace State Marker. East of the House Office Building is a replica of the Liberty Bell. The replica was a gift to the citizens of Florida as a symbol of the 1950 United States Savings Bonds Independence Drive. Within the Capitol Courtyard is a memorial in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. , dedicated in 1984. South of
1681-467: Was torn down in 1839 to make room for the erection of the present structure, which was completed in 1845, just prior to Florida's entry into the United States as the 27th state. Several additions to the historic capitol have been made throughout the years. Frank Pierce Milburn made the first expansion in 1902 by adding the classical style dome. In 1923, Henry Klutho additions included two new wings and