For too long, our community has been underrepresented and ignored in Tallahassee. We can not afford to continue to send empty suits to Tallahassee and expect things to change.

Throughout our municipalities in District 89, you will find elected officials who will tell you that we need someone to fight for our interests. Without an active and respected member of our community to fight for us, we will continue to be left out of the conversation at the state level.

Over the last few years, the pressure on our working-class citizens has increased to historic levels. It is time that we take action at the state level to relieve some of the stress placed on our citizens by the federal government.

We must act by lowering our homestead taxes and expanding our state tax holidays so that no Floridian has to choose between paying their mortgage, putting food on the table, or filling up their tank. As your state representative, I will work every day to fight for our community in Tallahassee and work with county and city leaders to ensure that we do all we can to bring economic relief to our neighbors.

Our students should be our top priority, and we must ensure they are prepared to be productive members of society. This is why I wholeheartedly support HB 1, which the legislature passed in the 2023 session. I will not stop fighting until every family has the option to send their student to the school that is the best fit for them.

Although I fully support the steps the legislature has taken, there is still more to be done, like continuing to expand access to vocational schools. Not every student wants to go to college, and that is okay. We must end the stigma against studying a trade, which would lead to an excellent, high-paying career path.

Over the years, we have seen small businesses become the targets of the left, and how they have been lumped into being treated like large corporations. Small mom and pop businesses are the backbone of our state making up 99% of all businesses, and employing 41% of the workers in Florida. I grew up in a family of hard working entrepreneurs, and I appreciate and understand the struggles that come with starting and maintaining your own business. Our government must support every person who risks it all to start their own business. Small business owners should not have their wings clipped or be weighed down with pointless and restrictive rules and regulations. Florida needs to become a business friendly state recognizing the value in the American dream.

Our state has experienced an influx of new citizens within the past few years that have driven our property prices through the roof. We must take action at the state level to help relieve the pressure on homeowners and renters by investing in affordable housing. We can do this by continuing the fight to fully restore the Sadowski fund to its original purpose. Along with this, we must increase funding to the Hometown Hero’s fund in order to ensure that these programs are as accessible as possible to anyone who needs it.

I will not claim to have the secret recipe to fixing this disaster facing our state, but I will tell you that I will work every day to make the changes that need to be made. We did not get into this mess overnight, and I will not pretend that we will get out of it overnight, either. We must incentivize companies to return to our state by continuing to crack down on frivolous claims and lawsuits.