Ryan Nicol
As Senate leaders promote a “Rural Renaissance” this Legislative Session, lawmakers are set to spotlight Florida’s farming communities during Rural Counties Day.
Senate President Ben Albritton, a Wauchula Republican, and Sen. Corey Simon, a Tallahassee Republican, will headline the event Thursday.
Albritton, whose farming roots run deep, is the Senate’s “Rural Renaissance” leader. Simon, meanwhile, is carrying a major piece of legislation (SB 110) as part of that push.
The networking event will take place this Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Albritton and Simon will also be present at a noon press conference on the steps of the Old Capitol in the Capitol Courtyard.
The 29 participating counties include Baker, Bradford, Calhoun, Columbia, Dixie, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Holmes, Jackson, Lafayette, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Nassau, Okeechobee, Putnam, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Wakulla, Walton and Washington.
Representatives from those regions will “showcase their communities’ unique contributions to the state,” per a Wednesday release promoting the event.
Albritton has made it a point to help resuscitate the Florida Heartland during his two-year tenure as Senate President. That included a promise this month to ensure the Legislature aids the state’s citrus industry, which has dealt with serious challenges in recent years, including major storms and citrus greening.
Announcing his “Rural Renaissance” push late last year, Albritton said his connections to Florida’s farmers have made him acutely aware of their struggles.
“Technological advances have led to tremendous economic growth and innovation in other parts of Florida. It’s rural Florida’s turn,” Albritton said.
“With your support, I want to make certain that Floridians who call our rural communities home … have access to all the opportunities the rest of Florida has to offer.”
That effort has, in part, relied on Simon’s work. His legislation is heading to the Senate floor after sailing unanimously through its two assigned committee stops.
That bill would raise the threshold for counties to be declared “fiscally constrained,” allowing for extra financial support from the state. The total amount of distributions under that designation would also be increased to at least $50 million per fiscal year.
FloridaCommerce would also house an Office of Rural Prosperity under the proposed measure to assist with planning assistance and help rural counties acquire available government resources.
The legislation would also allocate $1 million block grants to Gadsden, Hardee, Taylor, Jackson, Calhoun, Liberty, Madison and Lafayette counties. All of those counties have lost population in the past decade.
