One in a series of profiles on state representatives and senators leading to the opening of the legislative session Jan. 22.
Stan Jordan is a representative for District 17, which includes parts of Arlington and Southside. Jordan was elected to the Florida House in 2000 after serving 16 years on the Duval County School Board. He owns Rhino Linings by Sterling and is a retired U.S. Army colonel with 39 years of service, both active duty and reserves.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST YEAR IN THE LEGISLATURE LIKE?
“This has been an interesting tour for me. It could only happen to me. Little did I know that we would have a special session to determine the next president of the United States. And then after that, we had the regular session. And then after that, we had our first emergency financial session. And then after that one, we had our second emergency financial session. And now, instead of having a session in March, we’re going to begin in January because we have reapportionment. All in one tour. That’s almost unbelievable. That’s why I kind of enjoy the fact that some of the papers and pundits called us freshmen, which we are being first year. I’m not a freshman now. But we somewhat resented the label of ‘rookie’ because we’re not rookies. We’re more of expansion team players. We’ve played ball before — many of us. We’re definitely not rookies.”
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON REAPPORTIONMENT?
“I think with reapportionment coming up, it’s about the closest to making sausage it think you’ll ever get. It’s not pretty, but I think in our area it’s not going to be complicated. We are aware that Denise Lee and Terry Fields in their districts are short 56,000 people because of the shift in population. We’re working very hard as a delegation to see if we can accommodate the boundary changes to meet that deficit. The thing that kind of surprised us is that Mark Mahon’s district is short 22,000. So when you add up Denise and Terry’s districts and add Mark’s district, we’re looking at 78,000 people we’ve got to readjust the boundaries for.”
HOW WILL YOUR DISTRICT CHANGE?
“In my district, I was over. In the old configuration, you had to have 106,000 people in a district. Because of the growth in the state, now it is 133,000. I have about 15,000 left over.”
IS IS EASIER TO GIVE UP CONSTITUENTS THAN GAIN THEM?
“Probably, I’d say, it’s less painful. It’s not painless. At least I’m not being forced to take on new turf. I kind of compress what I have.”
WHICH CONSTITUENTS DO YOU THINK YOU WILL LOSE?
“The problem we’ve got is the shift requirement and I’ll probably have to give up some of my southern boundary.”
WILL EDUCATION BE ONE OF YOUR TOP PRIORITIES?
“You’re right on target. I think we’ve got to make the appropriate corrections to education, be it funding or be it latitude. I am a prime sponsor on a bill called ‘No Strings Attached.’ It gives the local districts that latitude on where to spend the money.”
WHAT OTHER ISSUES ARE ON THE FRONT BURNER?
“Transportation is an on-going issue. This high-speed rail the people voted for. Should I say, from a political standpoint, that the people did not know what they were voting for? No. I think what they thought they were voting for, though, was to unload I-95. I don’t know that the people knew the price tag that’s going to be tied to it and that it will not unload I-95 or I-75. I’m not even sure we’re going to be hooked into the network, Jacksonville is. This is a great idea, but if we can privately fund it, which is what the current concept is suggesting, then I don’t have any problem with it. But if we have to take it out of the highway funds and potholes and overpasses, then therein lies where I think the public should have to make a decision. There are members of the House and the Senate that feel another referendum with clarification as to what the impact of this would be is probably going to be put before the voters again.”
— by Glenn Tschimpke