REP. CHRIS LATVALA
FLORIDA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
REPUBLICAN, DISTRICT 67 (PART OF PINELLAS)
CHAIR, EDUCATION & EMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE
SPEAKER TOPIC
State Representative Chris Latvala serves as Chairman of the Education and Employment Committee in the Florida House of Representatives. In this role, he is an influential statewide leader on education policy in Florida. He will be discussing the major issues involved with Florida’s education system and policies on the eve of the 2021 general session of the Florida Legislature, including the impact of the pandemic on our state's education system and how the projected budget shortfall will affect school funding.
ABOUT OUR SPEAKER
State Representative Chris Latvala (R- Clearwater) was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2014 and subsequently re-elected in 2016 and 2018. A former legislative aide, Latvala has been involved in the political process for a good portion of his life. Currently, Latvala serves as the Chairman of the PreK-12 Innovation Subcommittee and is a member of the PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee, Criminal Justice Subcommittee, Government Accountability Committee, and Education Committee.
This past legislative session, he worked diligently to work with industry experts to craft and pass Jordan's Law, in honor of 2-year-old Largo toddler, Jordan Belliveau who died in 2018 from head trauma inflicted by his birth mother. The bill, now signed by the Governor, will decrease the caseload of case managers, improve and streamline communications between agencies, and increase training for parents, law enforcement, and caseworkers.
In previous legislative sessions, he proudly sponsored, and the Governor subsequently signed, a bill aimed to help children who are the victims of sexual assault and other sexual crimes, by making sure that the perpetrator is unaware of subpoenas during the ongoing case. A strong supporter of our children and second chances, he sponsored and got signed into law, a bill designed to seal and expunge criminal records of juveniles who are non-habitual or non-violent offenders. This bill was one of his first pass as a legislative member.
A tireless advocate for Pinellas County and the constituents of House District 67, Latvala is a member of the 2014 Leadership Pinellas class, a Board member for the Pinellas PACE Center for Girls and the Boys and Girls Club. In previous legislation sessions, he has been a champion for his constituents who are mobile homeowners (a large portion of the district) and continuously works to bring back funding to the district to assist programs and organizations within House District 67 and beyond.
A proud University of Central Florida Knight, Latvala works professionally as a consultant, a small business owner, and as a Realtor for Smith & Associates.