Florida Senate President-Designate Ben Albritton (R-Wauchula) released today the following statement on the conclusion of the Florida Legislature’s 2024 Regular Session.
“Following the historic achievements of the 2023 Legislative Session where Senate Republicans delivered on key priorities focused on maximizing freedom, opportunity, and safety, our supermajority returned to Tallahassee ready to continue the record of success that has made Florida the envy of the nation.
Throughout the past 60 days, Senate Republicans have focused on the kitchen table issues that matter to all Floridians – growing our health care workforce; affirming school choice options for parents, while cutting public school bureaucracy and empowering neighborhood public schools; and providing law enforcement the tools they need to keep our communities safe. In addition, we passed a fiscally conservative, balanced budget that cuts taxes, pays down debt, and saves resources for a more challenging times. Contrary to Washington, we understand that every dollar spent comes from the pockets of hard-working Floridians, and it is our responsibility to spend state revenue wisely and give back every dollar that we can to the families who earned it. In fact, the tax relief package we passed cuts the taxes on property insurance by $500 million – that truly means something to a family trying to make ends meet.
While Washington is in turmoil and the disastrous Biden Administration has proven to be inept and incapable of leading, the Florida Senate, along with our partners in the Florida House of Representatives and the Governor, have shown what true leadership looks like. Instead of getting bogged down in petty partisan politics, we are laser-focused on delivering results for families and businesses across the State of Florida. I am grateful to Senate President Kathleen Passidomo for her leadership over the last two years, and I look forward to carrying on the legacy of conservative leadership in the Florida Senate.
President-Designate Albritton further highlighted specific policy areas below.
Protecting the Future of Florida Agriculture
“Food matters. Plain and simple. The survival of agriculture is the survival of humanity. I’m proud of the work we did to support and defend our farmers, our food supply, and our agriculture industry. We provided critical funding to revitalize Florida’s citrus industry, banned fake lab-grown ‘meat,’ and funded the successful Rural and Family Lands Protection program, expanding our Florida’s iconic Wildlife Corridor and empowering Florida’s farmers to continue farming while preserving Florida’s beautiful natural landscape. Remember – if you eat, you’re involved in agriculture.”
Growing Florida’s Health Care Workforce for All Floridians
“The Live Healthy Legislative Package, spearheaded by Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, provides strategic policy enhancements and critical investments to strengthen Florida’s health care workforce and stimulate innovation across the industry. As our state welcomes more than 1,000 new Floridians each day, it is imperative that we address key workforce shortages and ensure every Floridian has access to quality, efficient, and economical health care services.”
Empowering Neighborhood Public Schools
“Building upon historic legislation by Senator Corey Simon passed during the 2023 Legislative Session, which established universal school choice for every student, we passed a critical public school deregulation package that will level the playing field in education and ensure our neighborhood public schools remain the top choice for students and families. I appreciate Senator Simon for leading the way on expanding opportunities for Florida students.”