Rep. Michael "Mike" Caruso (R-Delray Beach) criticized House Speaker Danny "Daniel" Perez after the lower chamber canceled plans to name a substance abuse center at the University of South Florida (USF) after Florida Democrat Sen. Darryl Rouson.
"The Speaker of the House’s decision to vote down naming a mental health center after Senator @darrylrouson, a dedicated mental health advocate and addiction survivor, adds to the troubling legacy of the 2025 session," Caruso said. This pettiness is disheartening. Shame on the Florida House."
Sen. Rouson (D-St.Petersburg) recently celebrated his 27th year of sobriety. The Senate attempted to honor Rouson by dedicating the Darryl E. Rouson Center for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Research at USF.
Instead, the House axed the move. The bill, SB 1620, is also sponsored by Rouson.
Rep. Caruso wasn't the only one to criticize the decision. The move reached the very top with Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has often clashed with the Republican House leader during this year's legislative session.
"The Florida House of Pettiness in all its glory," DeSantis said.
But Perez is holding steady, for now.
In a statement, Perez said the Senate was using a "backdoor appropriations project” to strong-arm the House into doing their bidding. He also mentioned the center's $5 million cost in the Senate's proposed budget.
After the center's plans were scrapped, Perez called the Senate's tactics "emotional blackmail."
But back to Caruso, the relationship between him and Perez hasn't exactly been warm. A DeSantis ally, he was the only House Republican to vote against the "TRUMP ACT," saying it was a weak pro-amnesty bill and disingenuously titled.
Apparently, for that, Caruso was kicked as chair of the House Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee.
