State Home Minority Chief Fentrice Driskell Recaps The 2025 Legislative Session  — Neighborhood Information

NN: First, give me your basic impressions of this 12 months’s session. 

FD: To me, this felt like a session of missed alternatives, as a result of the Speaker set a tone firstly of the session, that it was going to be a member-driven course of and that we had been going to deal with affordability points, and principally there could be alternatives to collaborate on such points. However ultimately, this session was marked by, in-fighting amongst Republican management. The Speaker of the Home, the Senate President and the Governor simply couldn’t appear to get on the identical web page, so what was imagined to be a 60-day session wound up being over 100 days. And sadly, the price range was the largest bargaining chip and the price range course of was held up and it wasn’t as clear because it usually is, that means that there wasn’t actually the chance for the general public, I don’t assume, to advocate, as a lot as they particularly would have for his or her price range appropriations. It was actually robust — for the general public and for lawmakers — as a result of we additionally had been form of just about at the hours of darkness. It simply appeared like they couldn’t even agree on even whether or not or not they had been preventing, a lot much less what they had been preventing about. Finally, although, I believe, ultimately, it was an O.Okay. price range. Undoubtedly not an A+ price range, but it surely was an O.Okay. price range. 

NN: What’s lacking from the price range? 

FD: What I wish to have seen that was lacking had been extra funds for housing affordability. By my estimation, we really decreased funds for inexpensive housing and this isn’t a time to try this. Particularly right here, after we know the Tampa Bay space is without doubt one of the fastest-growing areas within the nation, and it’s changing into too costly for locals to stay right here. 

You’ll additionally discover that the Governor vetoed a variety of water initiatives, identical to he did final 12 months. The issue with that, as we proceed to endure stronger storms and flooding occasions, is that we have to have the proper infrastructure to attempt to defend human life and property. 

NN: What do you see as your caucus’ victories, regardless of the Republicans’ super-majority? 

FD: Ultimately, they really saved the funding for Superior Placement programs and Worldwide Baccalaureate packages and sure certifications for college students. And I believe that was the proper factor to do. And I give full credit score, each to the Democratic caucus and to the general public for actually springing into motion and embracing numerous noise about that, in order that they needed to reverse course. I’m actually pleased with our advocacy for college students and households on the AP lessons. We actually hammered them on that, which was good. 

NN: What about your individual successes? 

FD: I used to be actually proud to safe some important appropriations. For instance, in a previous session, I helped sponsor laws to ascertain what we imagine are the primary Sickle Cell Illness Facilities of Excellence within the nation. 

So this 12 months, we had been capable of safe $3.75 million for sickle cell illness initiatives — $1.25 million to ascertain a “explanation for loss of life initiative” geared toward addressing a long-standing hole in information surrounding sickle cell illness mortality. There hasn’t been sufficient research and focus to know the precise causes of loss of life for a lot of within the sickle cell inhabitants. We’re making an attempt to know extra about what occurs to sickle cell sufferers and attempt to strengthen advocacy efforts. 

Then, there’s one other $2.5 million that’s going to assist that inhabitants with non-emergency transportation entry as a result of what we discovered is that transportation is a big impediment to that affected person inhabitants from getting constant preventive care. They miss numerous appointments. When that occurs, you understand, issues that had been preventable grow to be actual issues, they usually have worse outcomes. 

That is going to permit for 2 transportation vans at every of the 15 sickle cell facilities, together with the one in my District on E. Fletcher Ave. 

The opposite factor that we did get was a $350,000 appropriation for the Hillel Jewish Pupil Middle of Tampa on the USF Tampa campus. We’ve heard tales of scholars feeling threatened on campus. In all probability like a month or two in the past, there was a gentleman discovered with weapons on campus, who was not a scholar, and he had a duplicate of I imagine it was Mein Kampf. 

There’s been an uptick of anti-Semitism, so we’re very proud to assist our college students really feel secure. The appropriation is for college “hardening” and a few expertise, plus academic and cultural programming to attempt to counter disinformation and anti-Semitic rhetoric. The daughter of one in every of my colleagues within the legislature is half-Jewish, half-Black, and she or he used to put on a Star of David in school. However, there have been some issues taking place in school and now, she doesn’t even really feel secure to put on to put on her star anymore. And, she’s solely in center college. 

There additionally was some drama this 12 months the place the Senate’s Democratic chief — Jason Pizzo — resigned his management place part-way by means of session and introduced that he’s changing into an NPA. It was very dramatic. I’ve been on this place now for about three years, and I’ll inform you that management is difficult. There’s no glory in it. It seems like a really good title, but it surely’s robust. And, for no matter motive, he’d had sufficient. So then, the Senate elected Lori Berman unanimously as its new chief and I’ll inform you that Sen. Berman and I work collectively rather well. And, from that time on, I’ve discovered that we’ve been very coordinated. The Senate and Home Democrats are already engaged on a joint platform for subsequent Legislative session, as a result of we acknowledge that we’re stronger collectively. 

And, we did have some platform payments that we labored collectively on this 12 months, notably associated to housing affordability, increasing Medicaid, secure gun storage and common background checks. These are issues that aren’t simple to move, however I do assume it’s necessary to boost them in order that we’re part of the dialog, and in order that we hold making an attempt to maintain the dialog centered on affordability, as a result of that’s what our constituents need. Essentially the most calls that we get are folks apprehensive about housing affordability and coping with property insurance coverage. And, regardless that we’re the minority social gathering, I believe it’s necessary that we uplift the voices of our constituents and our neighbors. 

NN: Which payments of yours didn’t move? 

FD: I had a invoice that was in search of to present readability and path to docs with respect to the six-week abortion ban as a result of we proceed to listen to experiences of docs being not sure of what they’ll do with respect to miscarriage administration as a result of, technically, that could possibly be thought of an abortion process generally. So, in session with physicians who apply on this space, we labored on a invoice that may simply give them some pointers. Sadly, it didn’t move. 

Just lately within the information, there was a Republican Congresswoman right here in Florida who suffered an ectopic being pregnant, and she or he was having difficulties getting well being care as a result of the docs weren’t positive what they may do. So, that is one thing that basically has a necessity. That’s a harmful factor to have an ectopic being pregnant and to have a physician not know if she or he can present look after that. I will not be the one who carries it, however we’ll positively deliver it up once more subsequent Session. 

There was additionally a invoice that I carried on water high quality enhancements. It really was a platform invoice for our caucus. I learn a report that Florida is without doubt one of the states with the best quantity of lead in our ingesting water. So, I used to be pushing for a research, in order that we might higher perceive the difficulty and begin to treatment this. The invoice is also principally asking for the state to implement the suggestions that had been made by the Crimson Tide Activity Power that checked out that problem. However, when one thing is an enormous sizzling subject within the second, the legislature will take motion, however then, possibly as soon as the information protection dies down, they simply put issues on the again burner. However, our seashores are crucial to our financial system, so possibly we must be extra preventive with it. That was an actual disappointment that we couldn’t get that to go wherever as a result of environmental points have been pretty bipartisan lately. 

NN: So, you will have yet another legislative session in your present position earlier than you’re term-limited out. What’s your subsequent political transfer? 

FD: I’ve simply “formally introduced my marketing campaign for Florida State Senate District 16,” which at present is occupied by Darryl Rouson, who additionally has reached his time period limits. (Notice-The Dist. 16 seat doesn’t embrace New Tampa.)