Leon County state lawmakers hear from constituents ahead of legislative session
Dozens of Leon County residents recently spoke in front of members of the Leon County legislative delegation about schools, utilities, gun safety and more.
Gun safety. Distracted driving. Utility disconnections.
These were among the issues that Tallahassee-area residents spoke about on Friday during the Leon County Legislative Delegation meeting.
“Everybody that takes the time to come up here and sit in a meeting for two and a half hours – they all believe their issues are pivotal,” said state Sen. Corey Simon (R-Tallahassee). “It’s my job to listen and find ways we can advocate for them.”
More than a hundred residents attended the meeting, which was held inside the Knott building at the state Capitol. Dozens of them spoke on a range of issues that could come up during the regular legislative session, which begins on Tuesday, March 4.
In addition to Simon, the county’s legislative delegation members include: state Rep. Jason Shoaf (R-Port St. Joe), state Rep. Gallop Franklin (D-Tallahassee) and state Rep. Allison Tant (D-Tallahassee).
On the issue of gun safety, local members of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action called on state lawmakers to oppose proposed legislation that would lower the age to purchase a gun from 21 to 18.
Chloe Wilcox, who’s in the 10th grade, spoke on behalf of Students Demand Action, a gun safety advocacy group.
“I’ve grown up in the school shooter generation,” Wilcox said. “We’ve grown accustomed to active shooter drills and lockdowns.”
After the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, state lawmakers worked together across the aisle to pass a series of gun safety measures, including raising the minimum age to purchase a firearm to 21.
“We urge you to avoid attempts to go back on this progress and put us where we were seven years ago.”
Democrats have filed identical bills in the House and Senate that would prevent residents who are behind on their utility bills from losing power within 48 hours of extremely hot or cold weather.
Tallahassee resident Laura Pinto Alton, 19, spoke in favor of the proposal on behalf of ReThink Energy Florida, a nonprofit organization that advocates for affordable, clean energy.
“Tallahassee just had its hottest summer in recorded history last year,” she said. “It is predicted that these records will continue to be broken over and over again in years to come — extreme weather is a persistently growing threat to the lives of Floridians.”
It’s already a crime to text and drive in the state, but lawmakers will also consider whether to ban motorists from using handheld devices in any way while driving.
State Rep. Allison Tant (D-Tallahassee) plans to file a measure that would require hands-free driving. Other members of the local delegation expressed their support.
Demetrius Bronco’s son was killed by a distracted driver more than a decade ago. Now, he’s urging lawmakers to pass legislation “making it mandatory that people put their phone down while they're driving,” he said.
“Nobody can imagine what it's like to lose a child, and I don't want anybody to lose a child, and this will help,” he explained to lawmakers.
Another issue that came up during the hearing was the need for more funding for public schools.
A few local teachers spoke about the need to keep qualified educators in the state.
“It’s rooted not just in the salary stuff, but also the tone,” explained Scott Mazur, president of the Leon Classroom Teachers Association. “We know that we love them, we know that we value them. We have to figure out a way to work together.”
The state continues to rank at the bottom in the nation for teacher pay. According to the National Education Association, average teacher pay is $53,098, which ranks 50th lowest in the U.S.