TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – When lawmakers return to the Capitol in January to prepare for the 2019 legislative session, four Senate committees will delve into the impacts of Hurricane Michael, according to a Senate calendar.
The Senate Agriculture Committee on Jan. 7 will discuss the hurricane’s effects on agriculture. Later that day, the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee will receive a presentation on the recovery from the storm, which made landfall in October as a Category 4 hurricane and caused massive damage in parts of Northwest Florida.
The Senate Community Affairs Committee on Jan. 8 is slated to receive a presentation from the Florida Housing Finance Corp. on Michael-related housing issues.
Also, the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee will discuss the storm’s environmental impacts. Environment and Natural Resources Chairman Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, represents areas that were hard-hit by the hurricane, including Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf and Liberty counties.
The Senate and House will hold numerous committee meetings the week of Jan. 7 as they start working on issues in advance of the session, which will start March 5.