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As part of ‘Rural Renaissance,’ Senate appropriators slot $200M for Florida’s citrus industry

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The Senate’s proposed budget is out, providing plenty of green that the citrus industry will like.

Amid a promise by Senate President Ben Albritton to lead a “Rural Renaissance” this Session, the proposed budget would allocate $200 million to help the industry increase production levels.

The bulk of those funds, $190 million, would go toward “large-scale field trials that demonstrate the impact of utilizing a combination of grove management, therapeutic tools, and disease-resistant varieties for new plantings and the rehabilitation of existing trees,” according to a release announcing the initiative.

That includes “grove design, planting preparation, pest management, disease management, pest and disease exclusion structures, and post-planting production practices that promote increased production of citrus.”

Those efforts could help combat citrus greening, which, along with devastation from several severe storms, has been a primary driver in disappointing production levels in recent years.

“Mark my words, Florida citrus is not going down on my watch. This heritage industry is not only vital to our state’s economy, but it is truly a part of the DNA of Florida. To those growers who are left in the business, hear me when I say, you are not forgotten, you are not alone, and the Florida Senate is running to this fight,” said Albritton, a Wauchula Republican.

“Research and new technologies offer a renewed hope for the future of citrus. Florida will lead the way in pursuing these opportunities. We’re on the edge of something special. Florida Citrus is making a comeback, one tree at a time.”

According to the proposed budget, at least $125 million of that $190 million must go toward acquiring trees.

To begin with, 60% of funds would go to growers who maintain groves between five and 2,500 acres. The money would then be available to the remaining growers.

Wednesday’s Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget proposal comes from the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment and General Government, which Senate President Pro Tempore Jason Brodeur chairs. It’s the opening salvo in a process that will likely run until near the end of the 60-day Session.

“Preserving and expanding our iconic citrus industry is key to Florida’s overall economy,” said Brodeur, a Sanford Republican.

“Citrus production, harvesting, packing and shipping creates steady, good-paying jobs in rural, heritage communities across Florida’s Heartland. These are small, family-run operations that have a generational impact on local economies. We won’t stand by as these jobs are lost to foreign countries. Our citrus industry will adapt and overcome the current obstacles and challenges and come back better and stronger.”

The remaining $10 million slotted for the citrus industry will help the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services offer cost-sharing so citrus packinghouses can buy or refurbish equipment and acquire new technology. Only Florida packinghouses willing to cover the remaining 20% would be eligible.

Finally, the Senate proposes additional meetings and reporting on research to aid the citrus industry.

“The Citrus Research and Development Foundation must hold quarterly meetings at locations that best represent all geographic regions of the state with an emphasis on citrus production,” adds Wednesday’s release.

“The public meetings must include reporting on the results of non-confidential completed research projects, current research and planned research projects on citrus disease, including but not limited to citrus canker and citrus greening. Scientists, growers, industry representatives, and Citrus Research and Development Foundation administrators must be represented at the public meetings. Public meetings must provide the opportunity for public input, questions and comments.”

The proposed spending surge adds to “Rural Renaissance” legislation already moving through The Process. Last week, the Senate unanimously approved a bill from Tallahassee Republican Sen. Corey Simon (SB 110) as a cornerstone of Albritton’s “Rural Renaissance” push.


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Luis Viera to run for House, officially debunking mayoral rumors

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Tampa City Council member Luis Viera has filed to run for House District 67 to replace House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell, who is facing term limits in 2026.

Viera’s filing officially puts to bed rumors that he could run for Tampa Mayor in 2027, with incumbent Mayor Jane Castor unable to seek re-election due to term limits. Viera had previously said he would not run for Mayor, but didn’t offer specifics on his next political steps.

“As a public servant and lifelong Tampa resident, I know how strong communities are built. And as the son of refugees, I know how futures are made,” Viera said. “I’m running to invest in our public schools, protect civil rights, support workers, and ensure dignity and respect for all Floridians — no matter their background.”

Viera, a Tampa lawyer and a Democrat, has served on the Tampa City Council since 2019. He’s been active in the community for far longer, with service on the Hillsborough County Bar Association Diversity Committee and the Tampa Civil Service Board.

As a City Council member, Viera has helped secure funding for three new fire stations in New Tampa and north Tampa, and he was a champion for the city’s apprenticeship ordinance to help young people enter skilled trades. He has also fought diligently for expanded access to disability-inclusive recreational spaces, such as the All Abilities New Tampa Park.

Viera has also led efforts to expand the New Tampa Recreation Center and other north Tampa facilities, and he helped secure $3.2 million in housing assistance for families impacted by recent hurricanes.

“For eight years, I have fought to deliver real progress for New and North Tampa,” Viera said. “Whether it was improving emergency response times, securing disaster relief, or standing up for our most vulnerable communities, I have never backed down from a fight. I’m ready to bring that same dedication and energy to the Florida State House.”

Viera is also the founder and former President of Lawyers Autism Awareness Foundation, and serves on the Board for Tampa Bay Best Buddies, a group that advocates for and helps individuals with special needs and developmental disabilities, an issue for which Viera has been a vocal advocate himself.

“People want to believe in their government but don’t feel it fights for them. That’s especially true for our working class, middle class, and those striving to get ahead. Too many Floridians feel they don’t have a voice. Politics is about changing that. We need to remember how futures are made in Florida again,” Viera said.

Viera is already set up for a Primary. He’s the second Democrat to enter the race, joining Air Force veteran William Atkins, who joined the race in early February.

A Democrat is favored to hold the seat. Nearly 38% of the electorate are registered Democrats, compared to just 27% who are Republicans, according to the most recent L2 voter data.


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Jimmy Patronis makes appointment to key Gulf Coast Board before he heads to Congress

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Patronis had some work left before moving to Washington.

While Jimmy Patronis is on his way to Washington, D.C., after claiming victory in Tuesday’s election in Florida’s 1st Congressional District, he still had some final business to conduct as Florida’s Chief Financial Officer.

One of his final acts as CFO before resigning ahead of the election was appointing a key municipal Board member in the Gulf Coast. Patronis named Charles Rigdon of Destin to be a member of the Triumph Gulf Coast Board.

That panel oversees Triumph Gulf Coast Inc., a nonprofit group organized in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf in 2010. The nonprofit organization supervises the expenditure of some 75% of funds recovered by the state as a result of the disaster and administers the distribution of those funds in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, Franklin and Wakulla counties.

Rigdon was appointed to the Board due to his background in finance. He is a principal in Harbor Capital, a real estate firm tied to Okaloosa and Walton counties. He also has a background in accounting and banking and about four decades in private equity.

Rigdon is replacing Reynolds Henderson. Henderson began serving on the Board in July 2021 and became Treasurer of the panel in 2022, serving in that capacity until last year.

Triumph Gulf Coast Inc. Board Chair Jay Trumbull Sr. said he’s in agreement with the appointment of Rigdon by Patronis. Trumbull added that Rigdon has big shoes to fill in replacing Henderson.

“Reynolds (Henderson) was a dedicated member of our Board and an advocate for our rural communities,” Trumbull said. “He remains committed to the economic betterment of the eight disadvantaged counties affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.”

Trumbull said he looks forward to working with Rigdon in the coming years. “His background and knowledge will provide continuity and a fresh perspective.”


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House committee questions Lottery Secretary travel costs

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The House State Administration Budget Subcommittee is scrutinizing money spent on the comings and goings of Lottery Secretary John Davis.

The panel reviewed itemized travel costs of more than $50,000 between January 2021 and November 2024. Many of the trips were personal appearances, site visits and speaking gigs, though conference travel took him to Paris last October.

Chair Vicki Lopez, who wondered last week how “the Department in the state of Florida benefit by having the secretary in Paris away from day-to-day operations for so long,” contextualized the data in terms of the previous committee meeting, in which they wondered where Davis lived.

“Reimbursements are provided for planes, trains and automobiles. The Secretary’s total travel from January of 2021 through November of 2024 was over $50,000,” Lopez said.

“We’ve also provided a document for the travel that includes Orlando as part of the destination. These trips alone cost $27,840. Many of the destinations are simply Orlando and the transportation used is his personal vehicle, for which he is getting reimbursed. While we don’t know the originating city, it appears to indicate that the secretary is being reimbursed to commute home from Tallahassee to Orlando.”

The data leaves further open questions.

“The Secretary told us last week he would get his travel information back to us. We look forward to that response and hope it includes information regarding all the travel in this document,” Lopez added.

“I also want to note that we are not able to find any reimbursements made after November of 2024. We don’t know if he stopped getting reimbursed for travel, stopped traveling, or if this is a delay in information being posted. So I think the subcommittee would like to know any additional travel information for the last four months as well.”

As 12 News reported last week, lawmakers in the same committee scrutinized members of a Department of Management Services “enterprise cybersecurity data” group getting more than $56,000 in travel expenses. It was revealed then that Chief Data Officer Edward Rhyne lives out of state, and more than $40,000 was spent on his travel.


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