‘What are you willing to risk?’: Chris Sprowls says dream big for Session

Chris Sprowls gives Ron DeSantis cover in the dustup with Disney.

House Speaker Chris Sprowls encouraged lawmakers to challenge themselves and get outside their comfort zones during this year’s Session.

Sprowls’ speech Tuesday came as the Legislature kicked off the first of 60 days of the 2022 Legislative Session. The Speaker implored lawmakers to ask themselves what they are willing to risk to improve the lives of Floridians, and he said they would be rewarded for thinking grander.

“Politics encourages us to talk big and act small,” Sprowls said. “It pushes us inside our comfort zones and builds walls to keep us from noticing that the world around us has changed. It asks the converted to preach only to the faithful.”

Encapsulating his message about dealing with risk is the COVID-19 pandemic. Conversations around the pandemic have at times been dominated by extremes, Sprowls added. Some believe the virus is a conspiracy theory to “microchip the masses” while others want to lock everyone at home, he continued.

Sprowls highlighted the state’s current generous surplus as an opportunity to make critical long-term investments, but he warned against wasting resources on short-term wants.

While he mentioned little of his priorities for the Session, Sprowls said the House would look at the state’s “risk portfolio,” including improving cybersecurity infrastructure and addressing the threat of hurricanes.

“We have the power to make this state a better, safer, more prosperous place for all Floridians,” Sprowls said. “The only question that remains is, to make that happen, what are you willing to risk?”

Be skeptical of what activists and lobbyists say, he continued, because they see the world from one perspective.

“It’s our job as legislators to see the entire horizon, the full spectrum,” Sprowls said. “It’s our responsibility to appreciate the complexities and balance perspectives, to see both the risks and the opportunities presented in every issue, and to find a right path forward.”