Florida GOP Lawmakers Weary of New Administration
January 20th, 2021 by Jake StofanWith a new administration comes new optimism or pessimism for state lawmakers, depending on which side of the political aisle they fall on.
Legislators are already setting expectations for how the new President may impact the state.
It was no secret that under the Obama Administration, the Republican Florida Legislature and Governor often found themselves at odds with the federal government.
Now the conservative controlled state government is gearing up for at another four years under a liberal President.
“I just hope we don’t see a Federal Government that tries to push the state farther to the left than it’s ready to go like we saw with the administration of President Obama,” said State Senator Ray Rodrigues.
Rodrigues worries the work to expedite everglades restoration under the Trump administration could be impacted by President Joe Biden.
“We could see the Federal Government go back to the ways that they did under President Obama and just put Everglades restoration on the back burner,” said Rodrigues.
The Governor has also raised some concerns.
As Trump goes, so does his tight personal relationship with the Oval Office.”
“I may not be a phone call away from getting everything done soon,” said Governor Ron DeSantis in a December interview.
Florida Republicans are also critical of Biden’s plan to involve FEMA in vaccine distribution.
“We don’t need additional bureaucrats to get the vaccine out and into the arms of Floridians. What we need are more vaccines,” said Rodrigues.
But Florida Democrats like State Senator Lori Berman argue the state should take help wherever it’s offered.
“And I don’t know why the Governor would in any way not be in favor of something that’s going to get more vaccines in peoples’ arms,” said Berman.
And while Republican state legislators may have their concerns at the federal level, what happens here in Florida ultimately is still in their hands, as it has been since Republicans took control of both the Florida House and Senate in 1997.
And some State Lawmakers are looking to honor the outgoing President here in Florida.
Legislation filed on Inauguration Day would rename U.S. Highway 27 the “President Donald J. Trump Highway”.
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