Legislative Update

Friends,

Session is fast approaching and the Florida Legislature has been hard at work preparing for the early Session, scheduled to begin in January. In anticipation of Session and the Legislature's work ahead, I wanted to provide you with an update regarding the State's budget and the Redistricting Process.

Budget

Last session our State faced significant challenges due to a $4.6 billion budget shortfall. Our budget conscientiously constrained spending and limited the scope of government, adhering to our principles and creating a conservative and responsible balanced budget. More importantly, we accomplished this goal by refusing to raise taxes on our economically burdened citizenry.

We made these difficult choices knowing that the road before us would not be quick or painless, but that the financial security of future generations of Floridians depended on the decisions we made. We have led boldly while many states and nations have been unwilling to make the tough choices today to ensure a brighter tomorrow. Our efforts were not in vain. The budget and policy choices we made last session were responsible for upgrading Florida to a stable AAA bond rating, resulting in lower interest rates, potentially saving our taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. However, there is still much work to do.

With an economy that is still on the long road to recovery, our state is facing a potential $2 billion dollar shortfall for FY 2012-2013. This is only an estimation of the projected shortfall as more concrete numbers will be available in the near future, but it is clear we will be facing another challenging fiscal year. We will continue to work hard and make the necessary decisions to keep our state on the path to prosperity. We must look at the choices before us and continue to use our best judgment to determine what reductions must be made.

Redistricting

This summer the Redistricting Committee Members traveled throughout the State in order to hear the thoughts and concerns from members of the public in their home towns on the subject of redistricting. These meetings have concluded, but that does not end your opportunity to remain involved! On Monday, September 19, 2011, the Florida House of Representatives' Redistricting Committee and its Subcommittees began the process of reviewing and discussing the public input gathered at this summer's community meetings.

During the Committee meeting, Redistricting Committee Chair Will Weatherford asked that the public submit any new ideas - via MyDistrictBuilder, through social media, in writing, etc. - for redistricting maps before November 1. Public comment will still be welcomed and needed beyond this date; however, input received after November 1 will be considered for and possibly incorporated into maps that are already being considered.

As Vice Chair of the Redistricting Committee I urge you to stay involved in the process. Listed below are some helpful resources:

•Public Participation - There are several resources available at www.floridaredistricting.org to help you learn about and get involved in the redistricting process. The entire Public Participation Toolkit can be found at http://mydistrictbuilder.wordpress.com/participation/ .
•Plan Explorer - Via MyDistrictBuilder , you can explore and share all map submissions via the Plan Explorer button at www.floridaredistricting.org . The Plan Explorer also includes written redistricting submissions from Florida residents.
•Maps and Data - If you want to study available data and maps before coming to a public meeting or using MyDistrictBuilder, visit the Current Maps and Data button at www.floridaredistricting.org .
•Social Media - To follow the Florida House's redistricting related activities, you can request to be added to the House Redistricting email list by sending an email to mydistrictbuilder@myfloridahouse.gov, or follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MyDistrictBuilder or Twitter at twitter.com/FLRedistricting .

Please do not hesitate to contact my office with any thoughts or concerns!

Sincerely,

Rep. Steve Precourt