Senate President Starts Session with Plea for Balanced Federal Budget

As session started today, Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, repeated his call for the state Legislature to demand the federal government balance its budget.

Atwater and Cretul, R-Ocala, proposed Monday that the state join 19 other states demanding a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Federal Constitution, which would require a balanced federal budget and limit federal restrictions on state spending.

Florida is on its way to becoming the third-most populous state in the nation and the tenth-largest GDP in the world.

But if people cannot buy homes, cannot start small businesses, cannot invest in their communities, cannot expand their enterprises and create employment opportunities because of Federal Debt, then we will be foreclosed from claiming our rightful place on the world stage, Atwater said.

Atwater said the Senate will be concentrating on eliminating barriers to entrepreneurship. It will also be discussing tightening high school graduation requirements and offering incentives for school programs that produce skilled workers. It is also important to cut down on tax fraud to save taxpayer money, Atwater said.