- April 19, 2024
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State Rep, Paul Renner is looking forward to 2016 in the Florida House of Representatives.
“The biggest difference is I didn’t go for full session (in 2015). I showed up at 2 in the morning on election night, and there were dozens of bills I had to vote on that day. It was a trial by fire. This year is the first time I’ll go through the sponsorship process. I’ve been through the appropriation process so now I am familiar with it.”
“It’s really about increasing choices and opportunity. Choice in health care, choice in where you send your kids to school, and opportunity, meaning everybody has a chance to rise from where they started from.” Rep. Paul Renner District 24
Currently Renner is co-sponsoring a number of bills, mostly what he defines as, “under the rubric of good government,” reorganization to become more efficient, consolidate and squeeze out the excess.
He said the passage rate of bills that actually get passed is low, 20 % or less.
“Many are called, few are chosen,” he said.
A hot issue for Flagler County in 2015 was the sudden loss of funding for the adult with disabilities program in July.
“Adult ed is in appropriation,” Renner said. “I am absolutely trying to spearhead the appropriation with Sen. (Travis) Hutson. The challenge we have is the governor’s budget includes something that would be a fix for us. The Senate, and some specific Senators, have issues with the way the program was operated in their districts. It has nothing to do with Flagler County.”
The Senate proposal would address a population that is able to receive education and work independently outside a structured setting.
“Our adults with disabilities program, is in a structured setting where there is daily supervision, and where the individuals have a chance to still work and still receive some income in a supervised setting. The appropriation proposed by the senate this year does not do that, and that’s a problem.”
Renner said a “stand-alone appropriation,” will be considered.
“That’s a challenge in itself, for a county to ask for state dollars, for just our county, for a program that’s not treated statewide. We are trying to see if we can get the Senate to adopt what the governor wanted to fix last year. What the House wants to do is to return us back to what we had.”
“I am excited about the prospect of having a balanced budget, and providing some tax relief for all Floridians, so we continue to be a state that is pro-growth with economic opportunity for everybody. I met with Daytona State College and the Flagler Schools Superintendent, about courses we can offer and how we make sure that once we make Florida attractive to business, we actually have people with the skills to fill those jobs. It’s about giving everybody as much opportunity as possible.”
“From the 30,000-foot view, looking at what I want to do while I am here; it’s really about increasing choices and opportunity. Choice in health care, choice in where you send your kids to school, and opportunity, meaning everybody has a chance to rise from where they started from.”
