Advocacy Report

AdvocacyReport

A True Champion

Chairwoman Government Relations Committee

Steven N. Kelly, Jeanne W. Reynolds, Senator Darryl Rouson, and Kathleen Sanz

In late October 2019, I went to a legislator’s home office for a scheduled meeting. As I arrived, the senator was walking into the building at the same time. I introduced myself and we immediately started to talk about arts and arts education before we even sat down in his office. I had always admired Senator Darryl Rouson’s work, but on that day, I got to see firsthand how he works each day to make our state a better place. On that day, this well-respected elected leader agreed to help us with our Seal of Fine Arts legislation.

Dr. Kathleen Sanz and I had drafted the bill language prior to this meeting. Senator Rouson read the draft language and quietly reflected for a moment. He asked knowledgeable, probing questions regarding the need for the legislation and what barriers we might face. We explained that, at present, there are not many incentives for strong arts programs given the current accountability system. The senator understood our interest in passing legislation to recognize high-quality achievement in the arts. The next thing I knew, Senator Rouson was making a phone call to gauge support for this initiative. In other words, in a span of a few minutes, he was doing the work to get this legislation moving.

That October meeting was more than two years ago, and Senator Rouson has worked on our behalf ever since. He filed and shepherded this bill through the Senate in 2020 and 2021. Before filing the bill in 2021, FMEA worked with the Florida Department of Education to make some changes to improve the bill. This year, Senator Rouson has filed the Florida Seal of Fine Arts, Senate Bill 318. You can read the bill here: flsenate.gov/Session/ Bill/2022/318/BillText/Filed/PDF. It is one thing to file a bill on your constituents’ behalf; it is quite another to champion the bill. Senator Rouson is a champion.

Senator Rouson is not a member of the Education Committee, so you may wonder why he is a strong arts education advocate. The senator represents southern Pinellas County (St. Petersburg) and parts of Hillsborough County (Tampa). There are strong arts communities and many arts institutions in his district. And if I remember correctly, he participated in a theatre program when he was in high school. Certainly, he understands the strong value of arts and arts education to the health of our communities, yet I don’t think this completely explains his support. Most people know Senator Rouson as an effective and transformative leader on issues related to criminal justice reform and funding for substance abuse and mental health issues. Prior to serving in the Senate, he served eight years in the House. I think what best describes his support is the verb to serve. He truly serves his community. In an age of image and sound bites, he does the hard work of democracy. It is not easy work. Senator Rouson is respected on both sides of the aisle. And I am certain he has the battle scars to prove it. He is serving his constituents and getting the job done.

In an age where there is so much talk of political polarization and despair that our systems are broken, Senator Rouson is a beacon of hope. He is an effective, wellrespected legislator who is making our state a better place. We are honored that he has championed our Seal of Fine Arts legislation. The 2022 Session begins on January 11. Let’s honor Senator Rouson’s work by helping him get the Seal of Fine Arts legislation over the finish line this year.