State: Speaker blunts Murman's role on powerful House committee

TALLAHASSEE -- State Rep. Sandra Murman of Tampa followed her conscience when she split from her fellow Republicans and voted to accept federal money to promote women's health.

On Thursday, she paid the price.

House Speaker Johnnie Byrd, R-Plant City, assigned a trusted lieutenant, Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, to run the powerful Rules Committee with Murman.

It may seem like a small change -- she's now co-chairwoman with Ross -- but the message was obvious.

Byrd said Ross was "underutilized" and Murman had too much on her plate, as chairwoman of the House committee that oversees the $4-billion Department of Children and Families budget.

"Sandy's going to be spending a lot of time on DCF and we wanted to be sure we didn't have her spread too thin," Byrd said. Asked if Murman were being punished for not voting with her party, Byrd said: "Members can vote how they want to vote. It's a member-driven process."

Murman did not ask to have her role reduced. The Tampa lawmaker, who has been a steady ally of Byrd's and a member of the same Hillsborough delegation, downplayed the change.

"I'm just trying to work hard," said Murman. "I don't want to be the match that lights any fires."

Murman broke ranks with five House GOP colleagues last week on a budget amendment to allow the Department of Health to spend a $1-million federal grant. The money, part of a five-year, $5-million grant from the Centers for Disease Control, is partly to pay for a public awareness campaign to reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease in women.

Tom Arnold, deputy state health director under Gov. Jeb Bush, told lawmakers that Florida competed fiercely for the money and had applied for the grant twice before. He said the state wanted to "spend that money to better the health and prevention efforts of stroke and cardiac disease in women in the state of Florida."

Five House Republicans -- all but Murman -- said no. Unless they reverse their position, the state can't spend the money.

The opponents, including Reps. Leslie Waters of Seminole and Gus Bilirakis of Palm Harbor, said they were being careful stewards of how the state spends money. Democrats voted in favor of the grant and said GOP lawmakers were jeopardizing the health of women to score political points.

"I think one out of every four women are having strokes in this state. Minority women especially are at risk," Murman said at the Jan. 15 meeting.

She said she would feel "like a huge hypocrite" if she voted no because she has personally chided the Department of Health to aggressively seek federal money. She hinted at the political risk she was taking: "I feel awkward. I'm in a tough position here, because I have some history with this. I feel I have to follow my heart."

Rep. Allan Bense, R-Panama City, who's in line to succeed Byrd as speaker, hinted that Murman's vote could have been a factor in Byrd's decision. "He certainly wasn't pleased with the vote," Bense said. "But I don't know if that is consistent with his move." Bense added Byrd wanted a lawyer to help direct the Rules Committee, which decides which bills reach the full House.

Byrd issued a news release listing nearly two dozen cases in which House members were shuffled from one committee to another "at the request of the member."

The only change not listed was Murman's.

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Lucy Morgan

From the Times state desk