Senate panel unanimously OKs Jason Brodeur’s debate bill

There’s no debate: The Senate Appropriations Committee on Pre-K-12 Education is fully behind a bill to infuse $2.4 million in recurring state dollars for the Florida Debate Initiative.

The Committee unanimously approved the measure from Sen. Jason Brodeur (SB 1062) as lawmakers praised the bill for helping promote a civil discourse and critical thinking skills for public school students.

“Florida is a true national leader in high school speech and debate,” said Brodeur, a Lake Mary Republican.

But during the economic recession starting in 2008, the state’s funding support for high school debate and speech took a financial hit and slipped. More recently, private funding and lawmakers’ local funding initiative requests helped pay for the programs.

“Believe it or not, competing in debate is very expensive,” Brodeur said. “It’s not just buying the clothes, but it’s traveling, putting on the tournaments, and making sure that students of all backgrounds have the opportunity to participate in this.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis has been a staunch supporter of debate, but he is also on his way out. The term-limited Governor is in his final year in office, which sparked the need for a bill to put funding in place to support all 67 counties.

“Come January 2027, we’re going to have a new Governor,” Brodeur said. “Maybe that Governor loves debate as much as Gov. DeSantis does, but maybe they don’t.”

Under the bill, Feb. 1-7 would become Florida’s Speech and Debate Week. 

The Florida Debate Initiative (FDI), the state’s nonprofit statewide speech and debate organization, would educate and train coaches, students and judges. The FDI would also co-host annual events, including the National Civics and Debate Championship known as The Great Debate.

The FDI would be required to annually report how it spent the money to the Florida Department of Education and give updates on how successful Florida’s debate programs are doing.

SB 1062 has one last Committee hearing before it’s ready for the full Senate floor.

A similar companion bill (HB 1059) filed by Rep. Erika Booth is advancing through the House. It has one Committee stop remaining.

Brodeur’s original bill appropriated $4.6 million, including $750,000 for Florida Virtual School and $700,000 for School Districts to travel to debate competitions. However, that money was later removed during the Committee process, as the bill was amended to only fund $2.4 million for 2026-27.

Leading the debate Wednesday were high schoolers who descended on the Capitol, some dressed in three-piece suits, to advocate for lawmakers to support their passions.

AmandaLesly Miranda of Oxford remembered how she got kicked to the sidelines from golf and flag football after knee surgery in high school.

“Pretty sad, pretty rough, but I found something even better,” said Miranda, who ended up becoming a state champion in debate and now competes in debate at Florida State University. “It’s something that stays with you for the rest of your life.”

Several students speaking out in favor of the bill Wednesday called the state’s investment meaningful because they attend rural schools or schools serving families from low economic means.

“As a girl growing up in Tallahassee, the Capitol and Florida politics have always been in the background. I knew they existed but I never quite felt a connection with them,” said high school junior Mackenzie Fulton. “I was fascinated by how the government worked but I never really felt a part of it. That was until the Florida Debate Initiative.”