Senate President Ben Albritton offered a simple message at the start of Session: “Agriculture matters.”
Handing out challenge coins marking the Florida Heartland, the Wauchula Republican touted his own personal and professional roots in citrus country.
“I was born and bred in Florida citrus and this vital industry is not going down on my watch,” Albritton said. “Research and new technologies are offering a new hope for the future of Florida citrus. We’re on the edge of something special. Florida citrus is making a comeback, one tree at a time.”
Months after he took the gavel as Senate President with a promise of a “Rural Renaissance,” Albritton repeated the phrase and made clear that his priorities include expanding education, health care and infrastructure resources in the undeveloped parts of Florida that long held up its largest industry.
He said Sen. Corey Simon, a Tallahassee Republican, would carry a key legislative proposal advancing rural Florida’s interests.
“This comprehensive package creates opportunities for our rural communities to expand education offerings, increase health care services and modernize commerce, in addition to an investment in farm-to-market roads to support the agriculture supply chain that feeds communities across the state,” Albritton said.
He also jumped on the federal theme of efficiency, and noted that Florida for nearly two decades has had its own Government Efficiency Task Force, on which Albritton has served. That has recommended various ways of simplifying and providing flexibility to government processes.
“These enhancements will allow our agencies to respond to changing situations quickly and efficiently, spending less time on bureaucratic paperwork and more time on their core mission to get the job done for Floridians,” Albritton said. “It’s not enough to know government is completing a task or providing a service, we need to know if that service is being provided well, which means we need to have new, innovative ways to measure performance.”
He also said the state needs to beef up its cybersecurity, and said that can be done without creating government waste.
“Under no circumstances, and I repeat, under no circumstances, do I want to create an expensive, bloated bureaucracy of former C-Suite executives from Silicon Valley,” Albritton said. “But, without fail, we must have top talent to win this battle against those who seek to use technology to harm us.”
He also promised accountability to insurance companies, something demanded by voters in the wake of several major hurricanes in recent years.
“We’ll hold insurance companies accountable for the rates they charge and the services they provide when disaster strikes,” Albritton said. “They aren’t going to manipulate the system. And neither is any other industry. Not on my watch.”
Albritton also spotlighted several pieces of legislation he wants advanced this year. That included bills on early autism diagnosis sponsored by Sen. Gayle Harrell, veteran support by Sen. Danny Burgess, mental health by Sen. Jennifer Bradley, child exploitation protections by Sen. Erin Grall, and Everglades restoration by Sen. Jason Brodeur.
He also spotlighted another Simon bill furthering efforts to reduce bureaucracy in public education.
And Albritton took time to remember a Democratic colleague, Sen. Geraldine Thompson, who died unexpectedly weeks before Session. New Senate handbooks this year were dedicated to Thompson, and he made special note of the Windermere Democrat’s efforts to preserve Florida Black history.
“I’m sure when Geri went home, she heard the words, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant,’” Albritton said.
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