A truly special session: House meets in Old Capitol to mark Tallahassee bicentennial
On Thursday morning, 112 members of the Florida House of Representatives scrunched into the Historic Capitol's House chamber in Tallahassee. Instead of their usual blue leather chairs, they sat in wooden seats with cane webbing.
There were no microphones. As the roll was called, each representative had to yell "here" instead. It was 2024, but it felt like 1901.
To celebrate Tallahassee's bicentennial, the Florida House hosted a ceremonial session with House Resolution 8001, which recognizes the Tallahassee and Leon County bicentennial and envisions the "powerful next chapter of Florida's Capital community."
"It is a profound, profound honor for me to be able to celebrate the rich history of this community that I treasure so much," said the resolution's sponsor, Democratic state Rep. Allison Tant of Tallahassee.
The resolution garnered a strong unanimous "aye" from House members and a standing ovation.
House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, congratulated Tant, and in front of a painting of President George Washington, he said Tallahassee had been "at the center of new ideas" for 200 years.
A small white box wrapped with a gold bow was placed on every wooden desk in the House chamber. Each representative received a pin made of copper melted from the old dome of the Historic Capitol, which began restoration in 2011.
"There's a special piece of history as we walk into the future whenever, you always carry with you a piece of the past," Renner said.
Rep. Jason Shoaf, R-Port St. Joe, introduced the city's bicentennial committee and Mayor John Dailey and Leon County Commission chair Carolyn Cummings, who were in attendance.
The bicentennial steering committee has been planning since December 2022 and, along with Visit Tallahassee and the city, they will host events to commemorate and celebrate the 200th birthday of Tallahassee throughout the entire year.
Many of the events planned have been posted to the official website for the bicentennial, tallahasseeleoncounty200.com, which hosts their evolving calendar.
The last time the House had met in the Historic Capitol was in 1977, Renner said.
"We're building a strong foundation that Florida is built upon, embrace the challenges and opportunities ahead, rely on each other and champion critical issues on behalf of your constituents for those are the priorities set for us," Renner said.
Arianna Otero is the City Solutions Reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact her via email at AOtero@tallahassee.com or on Twitter/X: @ari_v_otero.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida House recognizes Tallahassee bicentennial at Old Capitol session
