Next Senate president embraces the Florida culture wars, agriculture, water quality

Florida’s next Senate president embraces the culture wars and rejects the idea that Gov. Ron DeSantis exerts too much control over the Legislature.

Wauchula Republican Ben Albritton, 55, will formally be named the Senate president designate in a ceremony Tuesday. He takes over the chamber from current Senate President Kathleen Passidomo at the end of next year.

A fourth generation Floridian whose mostly rural district includes Hardee, DeSoto and Charlotte Counties and portions of Polk and Lee Counties, Albritton comes from a family of citrus growers. He served as President of the Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association and Chair of the Florida Citrus Commission before winning a seat in the Florida House in 2010 and joining the Senate in 2018.

Albritton has been a champion for Florida’s agriculture community, which has been blamed for some of the state’s water quality problems. In an interview with USA TODAY Network – Florida, he said agriculture and environmental protection can “coexist.”

Albritton also discussed DeSantis’s relationship with the Legislature, the culture wars that have roiled Florida in recent years, skyrocketing property insurance rates and some of the fallout from a new affordable housing law – the Live Local Act – that is generating concerns about building heights and density.

Here is the interview with Albritton, which has been lightly edited.

Q: There's been a lot of really controversial bills coming out of Tallahassee in recent years – new abortion restrictions, some of these education laws on how schools can discuss race, sexual orientation and identity, that have gotten a lot of attention. Do you expect some of these culture war clashes to continue in the next legislative session, or do you think there's a desire among some GOP leaders to bring the temperature down a little bit?

A: I view those as good choices the Legislature made in partnership with the governor and it's moving the ball in the right direction for Floridians. I would certainly hope that we continue to work in that space.

Q: You mentioned the governor. A lot of these bills are being pushed by Governor DeSantis. And the legislature has been very deferential to what the governor wants to the point that there's a sense among some that DeSantis sort of has control over the Legislature. Do you think most GOP lawmakers are okay with DeSantis running the show? Or is there a desire to assert more independence?

A: I would suggest the governor is not running the legislative show. What you saw over the last two years, or last year and a piece, that's the specific window you're asking about, you saw an excellent partnership with the governor, and we all worked together to move the ball where it mattered. So that's my view. Most of the folks that I talk to, that's how they view it in the Legislature, and I'm looking forward personally to a solid relationship and a good partnership if the governor is here when it’s my turn.

Q: So you don't think that most lawmakers think the governor has had too much control over the (legislative) process?

A: I believe the governor has been a good partner with the Legislature and we've done important things. I do not believe that is a pervasive thought and topic inside the Legislature. Most of the folks that I talk to, quite frankly, are happy that we've done what we've done, happy that we've had a governor that would work with us on this. And we've been happy with the results.

Q: Let me just go back to the first question… you mentioned that you hope to continue to work in the space that we had discussed on some of these cultural issues. Is there anything in particular that is on your mind there that you would like to work on?

A: It's ... difficult for me to imagineer, or try to guess, what may be a challenge that will exist when it's my turn to be president, right? I don't have a crystal ball. But what I can tell you is that I will be supportive of protecting children and families. I'll be supportive of agriculture. We’ll continue to focus on water resources here in the state, and those will be important topics.

Q: Property insurance continues to be a huge issue in the state. Former President Donald Trump even brought the issue up last night in a speech, noting how high rates are in Florida. During a Senate committee hearing this week industry officials said they don't expect rates to come down. Is that acceptable to you after all the bills your chamber has passed recently to help the industry?

A: The Legislature has done, a huge amount of very important work over the last year in response to this insurance challenge that's affecting everyone in Florida. We had sweeping tort reform to a level we have, I think, maybe never have seen in Florida. That that was a huge, huge opportunity to bring a solution. And then secondly, the insurer accountability bill that we passed was very important to be sure about timelines and response scenarios and what's required of insurance carriers to be supportive of their insureds, their clients... I would expect the Legislature and the governor are going to continue to be focused on this because it is a super important topic and challenge that every Floridian is dealing with right now. So it is on the radar. We will continue to be laser focused on looking for solutions to help Floridians with this issue."

Q: Last year the legislature passed a bill called the Live Local Act that was meant to boost affordable housing. It has a lot of elements, some of which have been widely praised, but parts of the law that take away local control over certain zoning decisions are being criticized. There are concerns that bypassing local caps on density and height restrictions could cause traffic and infrastructure problems and allow developments that are far larger than communities currently allow or want really. Does this law need to be revisited?

A: The number one point is that this Legislature again with the governor has understood that affordable housing and workforce housing in Florida is a substantial challenge to Floridians. So we have stepped to the plate and we have put something in motion that is important to helping solve that problem. That's important. Number two, what I would say is that Florida is a very diverse place. And what can work in one area for a housing solution may not be able to work in others. So yes, I believe that – and not because there's anything flawed with the legislation. I applaud the president and the speaker and the governor for being supportive and leading the charge to help solve this challenge.

Q: So you do expect potentially some tweaks to that law?

A: I don't have any expectations. I know that we will learn every single day that that law is in place what works in it and what doesn't... What's important is that we're paying attention. And this is important to Floridians. It's an important challenge that's going on here in Florida and we are laser focused.

Q: Florida continues to have a lot of environmental challenges, especially problems with water quality. You're a farmer, somebody who is close to the agriculture community. Sometimes the agriculture community gets blamed for some of the water quality problems. Are you committed to improving Florida's water quality?

A: The two pieces that you just mentioned in that question, are immensely important to Florida. The first is agriculture. It is incredibly important to the economy and, quite honestly, the DNA of what Florida has always been and what Florida should be going forward. The second is that having clean water in Florida is really important to the economy, really important to folks that just want to enjoy nature, it's important for drinking water. What you will find is, I believe those two things can coexist and both be in a position to be successful. To answer specifically your question, I have every intention of being focused on both agriculture and water quality.