Patricia Sullivan

The tea party group that opened a "headquarters" in the Florida Senate building on Thursday says it intends to stay put for the 2012 session.

"This isn't the country club it used to be. We have the lowly people walking the hallways, and it's upsetting the apple cart," Tea Party Network leader Patricia Sullivan said.

Shortly after Sunshine State News reported on the tea party's open house at Room 227 of the Senate office building, opponents raised concerns about the propriety of a private group staking a claim to public space.

"Agree or disagree with the ideals of the Tea Party or Progress Florida or Sierra Club or any other political organization, but they do not belong in an office in the Florida House or the Florida Senate or anywhere else in the Florida Capitol," blogged Peter Schorsch at SaintPetersBlog.com.

Senate President Mike Haridopolos' office then swung into damage control.

“The Tea Party Network has not been sanctioned by the Senate to operate a headquarters in Senate Office Building Room 227, as has been reported by the media,” said Haridopolos spokeswoman Lyndsey Cruley.

“They are not going to have a full-time office in the Florida Senate,” Haridopolos said in a separate statement.

While the terms "headquarters" and "full-time" are open to semantic debate, the Tea Party Network, a coalition of 70 tea and patriot groups across the state, maintained it had laid legal claim to the room, per a reservation request submitted by Sen. Greg Evers, R-Crestview.

Cruley acknowledged that Evers' request was a "common occurrence" by a senator. But, she added, "This room has not been reserved beyond this week, as requests for room reservations are reviewed on a weekly basis.”

Sullivan bridled at that interpretation.

"I inquired if that [week-to-week] policy was written today. I'm still waiting for an answer," said the tea partier from Lake County.

Haridopolos' office did not respond to Sunshine State News' request for further clarification.

Sullivan confirmed that legislators "always have priority" on room reservations.

"Greg Evers is our Region 1 coordinator's senator [from Santa Rosa]. The room was reserved for committee weeks and for the 2012 session," Sullivan related.

"The senator will put in that request as often as he needs to," she vowed.

Evers was not available Thursday.

Thursday's open house, which attracted tea partiers hailing from Miami to Pensacola, will be followed up Friday by a meeting of the Tea Party Network board.

Since its 70-member board cannot squeeze into Room 227, the Network reserved larger space in the Knott Building that day.

Looking forward to committee weeks and the 2012 session, Sullivan said her group is "portable."

"Everything we need, we carry with us, including laptops and a printer. The purpose of the office isn't to have a place to sit, but to pick up information and meet up with people," she said.

Announcing the opening of its "headquarters," the Tea Party Network issued a statement saying it "recognizes the importance of not only fostering communication between organizations, but also between citizens and public servants. It is our desire that this headquarters will cultivate good working relationships.”

Despite the political blowback -- or perhaps because of it -- Sullivan called Thursday "a good day, a successful day."

"It's so funny that this buzz has been created. A lot of pressure was put on the Senate office today. I chuckle that this is the news going back and forth -- that the people are in the Capitol."

Contact Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 801-5341.