Jacob Ogles
Senate President Ben Albritton is promising a “Rural Renaissance” during the new legislative term.
At an Organizational Session in Tallahassee, the Wauchula Republican formally took the gavel in the upper chamber of the Legislature. And while he made clear he will pursue a conservative mandate delivered by Florida voters on Nov. 5, the longtime citrus grower promised special attention on his Heartland home and similar regions of the state not normally featured on postcards.
“I’m a proud son of rural Florida, Florida’s Heartland, six generations deep,” Albritton said.
“Our small, tight-knit, legacy communities are filled with some of the nicest, hardworking people you will ever find. Rural communities look after one another. They’d give their last dollar and even the shirt off their own back to help a neighbor in need. Our rural communities are full of opportunity. When I travel across the Panhandle, the Big Bend and the Heartland, I see so much of that unrealized opportunity.”
He said rural communities in the state don’t look first to the public sector for answers. But he said the Legislature can do plenty to help agrarian economies in the state.
“Technological advances have led to tremendous economic growth and innovation in other parts of Florida. It’s rural Florida’s turn” he said.
“With your support, I want to make certain that Floridians who call our rural communities home, they have access to all the opportunities the rest of Florida has to offer.”
He also noted many of those communities were severely impacted this year by Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton.
“In the days following Hurricanes Helene and Milton, I spent time with several Senators whose constituents were catastrophically impacted,” he said. “The devastation is heartbreaking. Florida agriculture was heavily impacted. Many of our coastal communities suffered from tornadoes, wind and flooding. What’s worse is that many of these communities were still recovering from Hurricanes Idalia, Debby and Ian.”
He also said the storms brought into clear focus needs within Florida’s insurance climate. He said changes to law passed in recent years will help consumers, but more action is needed.
“Be assured, together, we are going to recover, and we’re going to rebuild. However, we know that when a family loses everything, the first place they’re going to look for help is not the government — it’s their insurance company,” he said.
“Floridians have been faithfully paying insurance premiums for years, sometimes decades, and now they expect their insurance company to keep up its end of the bargain. I want to make sure that impacted Floridians and insurance companies hear me loudly and clearly: We are watching.”
That line drew a bipartisan round of applause.
“We’ve made changes insurance companies said they needed to improve competition and stabilize rates. And we’ve enacted pro-consumer transparency to protect homeowners. The proof will be in the results. I’m not going to sit idly by if legitimate claims get denied while rates continue to rise.”
A citrus farmer, he said the state has an obligation to help those growers who for decades produced the oranges that defined the state’s identity.
“An important part of Florida’s Rural Renaissance includes an increased focus on our amazing farmers and the food supply chain in Florida,” he said.
“Farm families always have played, and continue to play, an important role in our state. They serve all of Florida’s families, protect our environment, strengthen our national security, and, importantly, they feed the nation and our state. As a fourth-generation grower, please join me in the fight to support our Florida farm families, our Florida food supply chain, and to save from extinction our iconic Florida citrus industry.”
Elections this month kept intact a Republican supermajority in the Senate. Albritton starts the legislative term with the same size caucus as his predecessor, former Senate President Kathleen Passidomo. Notably, Passidomo will remain a member of the chamber.
“I’m so proud to have you on my team. I’m looking forward to your valued input. You are the big sister I never had. I have but one thing to say to you: ‘God save the queen,’” Albritton said.
While the GOP has the majority, Albritton said many actions will remain bipartisan.
“For the past several years, our balanced budgets and family-friendly tax measures passed unanimously,” he said. “Together, we can continue to fight to keep Florida’s economy No. 1.”
He closed his speech quoting scripture.
“1 Corinthians 13:13 is very clear to me in my walk of faith,” he said.
“It reads, ‘And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.’ That’s exactly right. As you begin this new term, I leave you with this. Let your faith guide you. Have hope in Florida’s future, and love one another. Senators, know this: I value each one of you. I respect each one of you. And I love each one of you.”
