Posted on Sun, May. 11, 2008

This was supposed to be a golden era for South Florida, an unprecedented four-year period of political power where lawmakers with ties to Miami-Dade and Broward counties -- and the clout to bring the area money and push for local priorities -- were firmly in charge of the Florida Legislature.

But that era could be coming to a close sooner than predicted.

House Speaker Marco Rubio, whose two years in charge were tempered by a souring economy, is leaving office. Republican Alex Villalobos of Miami was in line to become Senate president for the 2009 session, but he was toppled after a bitter intraparty fight.

Sen. Jeff Atwater, a North Palm Beach Republican whose district stretches into Broward County, is next in line for president, but he could face a tough reelection fight in a year when war worries and economic hardships could drag down GOP candidates.

And along with Rubio, other veteran lawmakers from South Florida, including Senate Democratic Leader Steve Geller from Cooper City and Rep. Jack Seiler of Fort Lauderdale, also are leaving. In all, 10 South Florida legislators will not return.

`THE RIGHT PEOPLE'

''This year, we had the right people at the right time at the right place,'' said Rep. Juan Zapata, a Miami Republican and chairman of the Miami-Dade delegation. ``Next year is going to be tough. I don't want to say we're losing clout, but we will definitely be losing a lot of champions.''

Those champions are important because legislative leaders ultimately call the shots on everything from securing money for South Florida projects to pushing pocketbook problems like property insurance and property taxes that are more acute for South Florida residents.

Atwater, for example, pushed hard this year to extend a rate freeze for Citizens Property Insurance customers for another year, despite the grumblings of GOP lawmakers from the rest of the state who dislike the role of the state-created insurer.

Using simple math, Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe County lawmakers should hold tremendous sway in the halls of the Florida Legislature. Out of 160 legislators, 43 members have districts that take in parts of the three counties.

But geographical alliances have been trumped by other factors, including party affiliation, political ideology and infighting that has pitted lawmakers from the same region against each other in leadership struggles. Villalobos initially had enough pledges to become the GOP choice for Senate president until Diaz de la Portilla and other conservative senators orchestrated a move to elevate Atwater.

Rubio's departure could usher in an uncertain time for South Florida legislators, although some of them wave off talk that Rubio's departure automatically means a drop in influence.

Rep. Julio Robaina of South Miami points to a promise that Rep. Ray Sansom, a Destin Republican who will become the next speaker in November, made to Miami-Dade Republicans. Sansom pledged to tap a Miami-Dade lawmaker as his budget chief in exchange for the group's backing his bid for speaker.

POWERFUL JOB

The House budget chief, usually the person appointed to oversee the committee that writes the annual state budget, is traditionally one of the most powerful people in the Legislature.

Sansom said this week that he intends to keep that promise, adding that he trusts many of the senior Miami-Dade lawmakers who first got elected the same year he did, 2002.

''All of them will have very significant roles because I trust them,'' Sansom said. ``Miami is going to be well-represented.''

For the past two years, Miami was chiefly represented by Rubio, who managed to put together enough pledges among his fellow Republicans to become the first Miami-Dade legislative leader in more than a decade and the first Miami-Dade speaker in nearly 35 years.

SOME SUCCESSES

The West Miami Republican was instrumental in securing $80 million for the University of Miami last year and helped steer extra money to Jackson Memorial Hospital. Rubio also got $3.6 million to start a ''children's zone'' program in Liberty City, and he took the lead on trying to cut local property taxes, an issue that resonated heavily in urban areas like Miami.

But even with his clout, Rubio also was unable to undo a 4-year-old change to Florida's school funding formula, pushed through by North Florida Republicans, that has cost South Florida school districts millions.

House Democratic Leader Dan Gelber of Miami Beach, who is leaving the House because of term limits and plans to run for the state Senate, said Rubio was hamstrung by a bad economy that limited his ability to do more for his home county. This year's state budget is $6 billion less than the budget approved a year ago.

''Given the fact that Marco presided over the barest years to begin with, I'm not sure there's much to lose,'' Gelber said.

LESS INFLUENCE

But Steve Geller argues that South Florida, including Broward County, may lose out because of the key departures.

Seiler, for example, was a go-to guy on many complicated issues, from property insurance to funding for the courts system. This gave him an opening to push for issues important to Broward County residents with the GOP majority.

''Losing Jack Seiler from Broward is going to weaken Broward's ability to be a major player in Tallahassee,'' Geller said.

Seiler, a Democrat, said it might take Broward a year or two to rebound from the loss of some of its most influential legislators. But he said the delegation also has a lot of rising stars elected in 2006.

''I think the average voter is going to look and see we've got some good young talent in Broward County,'' Seiler said. ``This delegation, if they continue to grow and mature the way they have, they're going to be a force to be reckoned with in a couple of years.''

Miami Herald staff writers Laura Figueroa and Breanne Gilpatrick contributed to this report.