Senate Democratic leader stripped of committee chair. Miami Republican takes spot.

Senate President Wilton Simpson on Thursday removed Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Lauren Book from a chairmanship role, a change that comes less than two weeks before the start of legislative committee hearings.

In a memo circulated to senators, Simpson said Sen. Ileana Garcia, R-Miami, would replace Book as chair of the Senate Committee on Children, Families and Elder Affairs, a committee the Plantation Democrat has led since 2018. Garcia was already a member of the committee.

Simpson said the change was due to “significant challenges” that can come about having dual leadership responsibilities as chair of a committee and leader of Senate Democrats. Book, whom Simpson described as a “tireless advocate for children,” will remain on the committee as vice chair.

“In my view, if anyone could take on a dual leadership role, it would be Leader Book. However, reassigning the role to another senator is in the best interest of the institution,” Simpson said in the memo, first reported by Florida Politics.

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