Republican Sen. Corey Simon is keeping his focus on his constituents, not on the ongoing controversy surrounding the Special Session in Tallahassee this week, according to comments during a Lafayette County Legislative Delegation meeting Thursday.
Gov. Ron DeSantis called state lawmakers to a Special Session this week to realign Florida immigration law with President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda. This however, ended up in a political dogfight between some lawmakers and the Governor after the Legislature ultimately passed Senate Bill 2-B, better known as the “TRUMP Act.”
While addressing the ongoing squabble, the Quincy-based Senator told his constituents his top priority, first and foremost, is to serve the people of his district.
“I know the thing that has been on a lot of folks minds over the last few days is the immigration bill, and I will say this — I made a commitment to you all when I got into this space, (and that) was to always put the people of this district first.”
Simon added that people living in rural Florida can’t afford to be caught up in politics.
“For me, it has always been about the policy. We don’t have the luxury in this district of getting involved in the politics, nor do I want to, because the things that plague you all are the things that burden my heart as well … that’s making sure we can put a roof on our house, food on the table, and do the things that are most important.”
But Simon acknowledged strife can sometimes be normal.
“Now, what you’ve seen over the last few days, is family’s sometimes have a disagreement,” Simon said, adding he is proud of DeSantis’ leadership over the past several years.
“I’m a tremendous fan of what he’s accomplished, and it’s OK for us to disagree, and I’ve learned you can disagree without being disagreeable.”
Simon further noted the biggest focus he has right now is to help his district rebuild after it was been ravaged by multiple major hurricanes within the last year and a half.
“There are far greater issues that plague this district than to have the political fights that we sometimes see. And so that’s where I am, because there are students in our schools that need a quality education. There are farmers that need assistance and help rebuilding … after all the storms we’ve seen over the last 17-months, and that will remain the focus.”
While Simon said there will be room to find common ground on any policy issues that may arise in the future, he reiterated that his number one priority is to serve his district and to meet their needs.
“On the policy side of things, we’ll continue to work to make sure this is the right policy for the state of Florida,” Simon said.
The post Corey Simon comments on political dogfight over immigration bill: ‘It’s OK for us to disagree’ appeared first on Florida Politics – Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..
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