In the Florida Senate, we were charged with advising and consent on high level appointments made by the Governor. Most of them were routinely approved, but a couple come back to my memory:
Ollie Keller, Secretary of Health and Rehabilitative Services. Senate President Dempsey Barron made this appointment a personal grudge match with Governor Reubin Askew. Barron won, and Keller was not confirmed.
Alvin Taylor, Secretary of Health and Rehabilitative Services. Another appointment to this important agency, this one by Governor Bob Graham, that was opposed by many conservatives and most of the Republicans. Taylor was confirmed.
Jake Varn, Secretary of Environmental Protection. Although a good friend, I was upset with his failure to support the funding for Biscayne Bay’s Aquatic Preserve, which was a pet project of mine. Senate Dean Barron disagreed with me, and Varn was confirmed, over my objection.
Although the process is time consuming and no fun to go through, advice and consent by the legislative branch is an important safeguard built into our check and balances among the three branches of government.
