The Florida Senate

Today, Florida Senate Majority Leader Ben Albritton (R-Wauchula) released the following statement on the conclusion of the Florida Legislature’s 2023 Regular Session.

“Freedom reigns in the Sunshine State. Last fall, hardworking families across Florida elected Republicans to every level of government by overwhelming margins. We got the message loud and clear. Floridians expect our 28-Senator Republican Supermajority to stand up to the Biden economic agenda that is ruining our economy, and the Hollywood social scheme that is trying to shorten childhood and replace the role of parents.

Over the last 60-days our Republican Senators delivered meaningful legislation that respects the dignity of work and the rights and responsibilities of parents. We passed common sense tax cuts that will increase access to workforce housing, so more hardworking folks can live locally, in the heart of the communities they serve. We expanded school choice opportunities so the money taxpayers dedicate to education now actually follows the student, and every parent in every family across Florida can decide where it is spent. We also defended the right of life for innocent unborn children, with resources and support for parents who chose life for their babies.

While Joe Biden plans another campaign from his basement, the Republican-led Florida Legislature passed strong legislation to keep Florida free from masking, testing, and vaccination mandates. Individual rights and liberties are worth fighting for, and we will never allow one-size-fits-all mandates that threaten parental rights and the ability of Floridians to provide for their families. The Florida Legislature has always been a voice for hardworking Floridians across our state who are just trying to provide for their families and don’t have the time or the resources to fight back against unconstitutional mandates. Florida stands strong as a refuge for families and businesses who want to live in freedom.”

Leader Albritton further highlighted specific policy areas below.

Hurricane Relief and Resiliency

“Late last year, Florida experienced two devastating Hurricanes, Ian and Nicole, that destroyed communities across our state, including many in my home district. I am thankful Senate President Kathleen Passidomo had the foresight to establish the Senate Select Committee on Resiliency, which she appointed me to chair. In this committee, we worked to identify legislative steps that can be taken to provide additional tools to assist state and local governments with preparation for and response to future storms. The legislation produced from the Select Committee provides local governments with the necessary tools to respond to natural disasters and makes the Local Government Emergency Bridge Loan Program a revolving program with funds made available for local governments. In total, in the months following Ian and Nicole, your Legislature has directed more than $4 billion to hurricane relief and recovery.”

Supporting Florida Agriculture

“Through this year’s budget we placed a specific emphasis on increasing funding for both agriculture and aquaculture in Florida. We invested $35 million into Florida’s citrus industry so that our citrus growers, who produce Florida’s signature crop, have the tools they need to meet the challenges they face on a daily basis. We also invested $10 million for the construction of artificial reefs in the Florida keys to enhance Florida’s vibrant fishing industry and maintain our good stewardship of our beautiful natural environment.”

Balanced Budget with Historic Reserves and Record Tax Relief

“Our 2023-2024 balanced budget provides for critical and historic investments in workforce housing, hurricane recovery and preparedness, and agriculture and the environment, all while providing $2.7 billion in tax relief for Floridians and $10.9 billion to bolster our state reserves. Unlike in Washington, we keep it simple, spend less money than you make and give back what you can.”

Child Protection

“We took critical steps to protect the innocence of our children and stand firm in defense of the right to life. We protected children from harmful gender reassignment surgeries and prohibited these surgeries for our children, we prohibited harmful material from being taught in our schools and further empowered parents to be in the driver’s seat on their children’s education, and we recognized the value of all life by prohibiting abortions after six weeks.”

Education: Your Kids, Your Choice

“We expanded opportunities for every Florida Student through historic legislation establishing universal school choice in the State of Florida. Students and families will now have a full array of educational pathways to choose from as they decide the education best fit for their unique needs. We also recognized the dignity of work and the value of our trades as we enacted critical workforce education legislation that will give Florida students the opportunity to enter into a high-paying career immediately after graduating high school.”