Senate Majority Office — Press Release

Statement by Senate Majority Leader Andy Gardiner in Response to Claims by Senator Rich

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Senate Majority Leader Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, released the following statement today in response to claims made by Senator Rich:

“Leader Rich’s remarks today, a day after the full Senate began to discuss prison privatization, offered more of the same language used to incite anger rather than inspire workable solutions.

“Funding for education, healthcare and criminal justice comes from the same budget, and a decision in one area will inevitably affect another. Senator Rich’s solution of raising taxes is the knee-jerk, Democratic reaction to the state’s budget problems, but we were called to this elected office to make tough decisions in the long-term interest of Floridians.

“Prison privatization is a contentious issue. In order to balance Florida’s budget and work toward a stable economic future for our children, every dollar saved should be considered, and that includes opportunities like this one. It is irresponsible to trivialize a significant, multimillion-dollar savings.

“We do not need bills that raise taxes. I would remind her that Florida was recently ranked fifth in the nation forthe business-friendly environment ourstate’s tax system fosters, following legislation passed last year and current efforts to make our state more attractive for businesses and the jobs they bring. Let’s not take a step back.

“I cannot understand how in the same press release, Senator Rich claims she is interested in protecting Floridians but also advocates for raising taxes on the Floridians and businesses that do work here in Florida. It is my hope that we will soon see more solution-oriented language from the senator and less hot air.”