The 2011 Session of the Florida Legislature officially began last week, which means I will now spend the next two months in Tallahassee. I'll be working with other legislators from around Florida as we confront the many challenges that face our state.
Traditionally, the governor of Florida gives an important speech called the “State of the State Address” on the opening day of Session each year. This speech gives the people of Florida and their elected representatives the chance to hear the governor's priorities and judge for themselves.
Governor Rick Scott gave his first “State of the State” on Tuesday, March 8, so I wanted to take this opportunity to write down some of my thoughts about his speech.
Jobs creation our No. 1 priority for Floridians
Courtesy photo / Gov. Scott delivers his State of the State Address.Creating jobs and reviving Florida's economy is still priority number one. Our economy is based on growth.
When the economy expands, jobs are created, prosperity is shared, and everyone's quality of life increases.
When the economy slows down, we have to tighten our belts and make the tough choices.
Many of the problems that we face today are directly related to the uncertain economic climate.
The $3.6 billion budget shortfall is just one example.
Scott focused heavily on jobs during his speech, and I think his emphasis is sound. We must get our economic engines running again, so we can return to prosperity and create new opportunities for the future.
To create jobs, Scott plans to recruit out-of-state businesses to relocate to Florida and encourage existing businesses to expand their operations.
Another opportunity could be to strengthen our economic ties with Central and South America. In fact, I've heard that Scott will be traveling to Panama this week on his first foreign trade mission as governor.
We Floridians should encourage our elected representatives to engage in this kind of innovative economic thinking. When it comes to ideas for improving our economy and creating jobs, we must leave no stone unturned.
Decades-old regulations have to go
De-regulation is important, but not at the expense of consumer protection. In his speech, Governor Scott discussed his ambitious plans for de-regulation, which include “streamlining the functions of state agencies” and “modernizing our state government.”
When appropriate, we should absolutely retire any worn-out regulations that do nothing, except restrict our freedom and our economic growth.
Many regulations were written decades ago and are now unnecessary because they haven't been updated to reflect our present needs.
However, we must be careful to keep strong consumer protections in place. Consumer protections ensure that the most vulnerable among us are allowed to do business and engage in the economy without fear of being ripped off by con men or scam artists.
As chair of the House Economic Affairs Committee, I'll make sure that we achieve the correct balance.
Tort reform a must to unclog the courts and better serve citizens
Legal reform should pass. Our legal system is the best in the world. Every Floridian expects the courts to function correctly, and every Floridian should have access to the court system when their rights are infringed upon.
However, we must ensure that frivolous lawsuits and unreasonable awards do not damage the public's trust in our legal system.