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 As
I began planning for my term as Speaker, I was struck
by a historical change taking place – the departure,
due to term limits, of dozens of members whose decades
of knowledge,
experience, institutional insight and wisdom would no longer
guide us in our daily business. I thought about what we
could do to help members consider the past and facilitate
their
ability to make decisions about the future. I also thought
about how we might better welcome the public to our legislative
process.
I set out to accomplish these things by physically
changing the Chamber in which members of the Florida House
of Representatives conduct their public business.
We began with a vision of being surrounded by
our state’s
great history. We would encircle the members gathered to
publicly debate, deliberate and make decisions shaping
Florida’s
future with visual reminders of Florida’s past and
present.
We selected the gifted Tarpon Springs-based artist Christopher
Still to complete a pictorial narrative, from the discovery
of our shores and the first New World settlement to our
journey to the stars from Florida’s Gateway to Space.
He succeeded in creating a richly symbolic account of the
struggles and
pioneering spirit of those who helped form this great state.
The backgrounds of these remarkable paintings feature the
incredible beauty of our diverse
water- and landscapes, and the details provide extraordinary
links across time and place.
My successor, Speaker Tom Feeney, completed Florida’s
story, adding two paintings by Christopher highlighting
the watery resources
so vital to our state. One depicts
the springs
that bubble up from our fresh water sources, the other
the coral reef symbolizing the sea that surrounds our
peninsula. Both teem with sealife, reminding
us of the
fragile, diverse
ecosystems that feed our economy and deserve our vigilance
and protection.
Our second task was to create a comfortable workplace
that would invite deliberation and encourage the free
exchange
of ideas among members. The old Chamber, with long,
tightly placed tables, limited expressions of individuality
as
well as lawmakers’ ability to interact. Now separate
desks give members of this diverse, deliberative body
a sense of
individuality they deserve. At the same time, desks
are grouped to keep legislators mindful of their connections
to the constituents
they serve and to one another. Enhanced interaction
has
improved communication among members during the long
hours of presentations,
consideration and decision-making.
Finally, but foremost in our planning, was how to make
the Chamber a more public place. All of us
who served had
the
pleasure of taking visiting constituents to the floor of
the House. Schoolchildren, neighbors, interest groups,
friends and family can sit in the members’ chairs
and cast make-believe votes. The old Chamber felt cold
and uninviting,
with portraits on the wall and names on the board that
were unfamiliar to most visitors.
How different it has become, comfortable and inviting!
Visitors can watch their legislators in action or scan
the panoramic
history of our great state. The paintings are meant to
be viewed from the gallery as well as up close. In the
public
gallery, we even removed the glass barrier separating the
people from their Legislature.
The members and I were inspired by Florida’s history
and people in rededicating the House Chamber. History
will continue to be made there and citizens welcomed. It
is
my hope that what
we have done will inspire future members
to
remember our past and consider our many blessings as
they lead us into the future.
— John Thrasher, 2004
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