While many politicos have kicked back their feet and relaxed after the election, state lawmakers are just getting warmed up, diving headfirst into the next chapter with a new set of priorities for the 2017 legislative session. Next year’s legislative session doesn’t officially begin until March, but incoming Senate president Joe Negron and incoming House Speaker Richard Corcoran have already laid out their plans for 2017.
The first and foremost consideration for the 2017 session -- and technically the only “must-do” -- is the state’s $82 billion budget, but Negron and Corcoran have their own agendas in mind to make their marks and seal their names in Florida history.
Negron’s top priority in 2017 will be promoting the state’s higher education system. The Stuart Republican plans to set aside an additional $1 billion for Florida’s 12 public universities and for scholarships for college students.
Florida’s Bright Futures scholarship program, which helps high-achieving high schoolers in Florida attend state schools, will be one of Negron’s primary focuses.
The program, which once provided a full ride to high-performing teens heading off to college, suffered massive cuts as a result of the 2008 economic recession. Negron is aiming to restore the top tier of the scholarship program, which at one point offered 100 percent of tuition plus an additional $300 per semester for textbooks.
Negron toured state universities last month and said the Bright Futures program is a strong incentive for students to get good grades -- and that the program ultimately sets them up for success since the full ride gives them a reason to go to college since cost becomes less of an issue.
The new Senate president recalled speaking with a former guidance counselor who recalled the impact of a 100 percent scholarship on students.
"He said that when Bright Futures was at the 100 percent level, there was no better incentive in talking to students than letting them know that if they worked hard and succeeded in their academics, they had a Bright Futures scholarship waiting for them," Negron explained. "So I'm committed to getting Bright Futures back to where it should be."
Negron will also prioritize reducing discharges from Lake Okeechobee during his two years as Senate president. His plan would require the purchase of 60,000 acres south of Lake Okeechobee to build a reservoir to store the excess runoff water from nearby rivers. Water is a huge issue for Negron’s district, which covers parts of Martin, St. Lucie and Palm Beach counties.
Incoming House Speaker Richard Corcoran’s political ambitions include curbing special interests in the Florida legislature.
Corcoran recently announced a total overhaul of the lobbying industry and how lobbyists and legislators interact. Newly-announced rules include a six-year waiting period for former lawmakers to register as lobbyists and prohibiting legislators from flying around on lobbyists’ private planes.
Beyond cracking down on lobbying-legislator relationships, Corcoran will also promote school choice and a universal voucher system as Florida’s newest House Speaker.
Lawmakers will head to Tallahassee Tuesday for a one-day organizational session, the kickoff in a new era of Florida legislative politics. Sixty-six new members will begin their first terms in the Florida Legislature in 2017.
Republicans hold the majority in both the House and the Senate.
