Florida鈥檚 legislative leaders are laying out their priorities for the upcoming lawmaking session. House Speaker Paul Renner and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo are in their final year of leadership and, at the top of their agendas are expanding healthcare access and cracking down on social media.
Renner has his sights set on building out the legislature鈥檚 efforts to protect kids online. A growing body of research shows the dangers of unchecked social media 鈥� from mental health problems to bullying to exposure to pornography, and internet addiction.
鈥淲e gotta think about kids. We tell them they can鈥檛 drink until they鈥檙e 18, they can鈥檛 smoke until they鈥檙e 18, they can鈥檛 get tattoos or earrings without their parents鈥� consent, all of these things. But an 8-year-old kid can get online and see pornography with an adult and an 8-year-old kid. That doesn鈥檛 make sense. How do we let happen?鈥� Renner said during a recent address to the Capital City Tiger Bay club.
Renner said he doesn't believe in the government getting in the way, but the time has come to intercede when it comes to social media.
鈥淲e have to regulate social media in a meaningful way cause our kids鈥� lives depend on it," he told reporters.
That focus on kids, and by extension, their families is something Senate President Kathleen Passidomo is also leaning into. During a recent discussion with reporters, Passidomo built upon growing the state鈥檚 healthcare workforce. The state鈥檚 population continues to climb, but its healthcare workers aren鈥檛 keeping pace with the demographic changes.
"It doesn鈥檛 matter if you have insurance or don鈥檛 have insurance," she said, "if we don鈥檛 have enough people to see you, it鈥檚 not going to make a difference. So our whole goal is to make sure we have enough healthcare practitioners so that every citizen, every resident of our state has the opportunity to have effective, efficient, and economical healthcare.鈥�
Part of the plan for encouraging that efficiency is by backing innovation. That鈥檚 where Republican Sen. Gayle Harrell comes in. She鈥檚 pitching a council that would fall under the Florida Department of Health and would have the ability to issue loans. $75 million a year, for the next decade.:
鈥淭hat would be $750 million into this load fund. Now this council will have a great deal of responsibility. It鈥檚 going to go around the state and hold meetings, hear new ideas鈥t then will really鈥ecognize those innovative ideas," Harrell said.
Renner and Passidomo鈥檚 full plans will be unveiled before the legislature when lawmakers reconvene in Tallahassee in January.
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