Florida Banking April 2023

The Florida Bankers Association's Government Relations team meets with 2023 legislative leaders. Pictured, from left: Kenneth Pratt, FBA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs; Kathleen Passidomo, Senate President; Paul Renner, House Speaker; Anthony DiMarco, FBA Executive Vice President of Government Affairs; Gina Rotunno, Assistant Vice President of Government Affairs.

Q&A with House Speaker Paul Renner

Q: What inspired your desire to serve as House Speaker? When I was young, my dad was a minister and was involved with missionaries who lived behind the Iron Curtain. Learning that people were imprisoned, tortured or killed because of their religious beliefs made a strong impression on me, and it’s something I’ll never forget. History is full of people who have lost their freedom. When I came back home from serving in Afghanistan, I saw a culture that seemed oblivious to how easy it is to lose the freedoms we take for granted. It’s important to me that I do my part to ensure my children grow up in a world that is better off than I found it, ensures their freedoms, and creates more opportunity and prosperity for future generations. Q: What are some of the life guiding principles that you live by? Throughout my life and especially in taking on this role as Speaker, I try to measure my decisions

against whether or not an action provides more freedom and opportunity for individuals. President Reagan once said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." Freedom isn’t some mystery for us to unravel; it’s about maximizing people's decisions over major issues in their lives, like healthcare and education, and making sure we knock down barriers to work and opportunity. Q: How do you see Florida’s current economic and financial outlook? Florida’s sustained fiscal responsibility has put us in a much better economic position than the nation as a whole. Responsible spending decisions by the Florida Legislature and our Governor have made Florida stronger than ever. Each year, we balance our budget, addressing the needs of our state and lowering our debt. We’ll do that again this session, all while setting aside record reserves

Legislative Leaders, Continued on page 12

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