Senate Approves 10 Gov Scott Agency Appointments

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The heads of 10 Florida state agencies will keep their jobs.

The Florida Senate voted Thursday to confirm top officials appointed by Gov. Rick Scott. They also confirmed Rick Swearingen who was appointed the head of Florida’s law-enforcement agency by Scott and members of the Florida Cabinet.

The vote was important because state law would have required the agency heads to leave their jobs if the Senate failed to confirm them this year.

Among those confirmed were Julie Jones, secretary of the Department of Corrections, Secretary of State Ken Detzner and Elizabeth Dudek, secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration.

The Senate also confirmed Mike Carroll, secretary of the Department of Children and Families.

The Senate hasn’t voted on whether to confirm John Armstrong, the state surgeon general. Some legislators have been critical of his job performance.