Jeff Kottkamp
| Jeff Kottkamp | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 17th Lieutenant Governor of Florida | |
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In office January 2, 2007 – January 4, 2011 |
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| Governor | Charlie Crist |
| Preceded by | Toni Jennings |
| Succeeded by | Jennifer Carroll |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives |
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In office 2000–2006 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 12, 1960 Martinsville, Indiana, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Cyndie Kottkamp |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Religion | Christian |
Jeffrey D. "Jeff" Kottkamp (born November 12, 1960) is an American politician from Florida who served as the state's 17th lieutenant governor from 2007 until 2011.
Kottkamp, a Republican, served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2000 to 2006. In September 2006 he was selected as the running mate for Republican candidate for governor Charlie Crist. Crist and Kottkamp were elected in November 2006, and Kottkamp was subsequently sworn in as the 17th Lieutenant Governor of Florida on January 2, 2007. As lieutenant governor he served as chairman of the board of Space Florida, chairman of Florida's Children and Youth Cabinet, chairman of the Florida Sports Foundation, and had oversight responsibility for the Governor's Office of Drug Control, the Office of Adoption and Child Protection, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, as well as the Governor's Film and Entertainment Office.
During his term in office, Kottkamp pushed for the passage of the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) and other legislation designed to reduce the illegal sale of prescription drugs in Florida. In January 2010, Kottkamp announced a Statewide Prescription Drug Task Force called "Operation Pain Killer" to combat Florida's increasing prescription drug abuse in pill mills. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced in June 2010 that the anti-pill mill effort resulted in 172 arrests statewide and the seizure of more than 20,000 prescription pills.
Kottkamp was appointed as chairman of the Space Florida Board of Directors in 2007. Space Florida is a public-private partnership created by the Florida Legislature in 2006 to strengthen Florida's position as the global leader in aerospace research, investment, exploration and commerce. While he was chairman, Florida broke ground on a facility for Space Exploration Technologies (Space X) at Launch Complex 40 located at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The facility opened a new era of commercial space operations in Florida.
When President Barack Obama released his proposed budget for 2011 which proposed ending NASA's Constellation Program, Kottkamp became one of the leading voices in opposition to the proposal. In March 2010, Kottkamp challenged the President to a debate on the future of the space program.
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Wikipedia