2022 Florida Political Outlook By Chris Dudley
advancement of priority projects throughout the state. I would expect to see the Legislature continue these investments with the remaining $5 billion in federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan.
The year ahead promises to be an exciting one for politics and policy in Florida. As the Legislature gears up for an early Jan. 11 start of the regular legislative session, a number of significant and historical decisions loom over both chambers. We are also now less than a year out from the 2022 elections.
FTA Priorities As priorities for Florida Trucking Association in 2022, we are actively working on several fronts.
Redistricting The once-a-decade process of redrawing Florida’s Congressional, Senate, and House seats is always the most debated and watched process in the country. Given Florida’s growth, the state has been allocated one new Congressional seat, bringing our state’s Congressional delegation up to 28 members. In the decade since the last census in 2010, Florida’s population has grown to more than 21.5 million people. Following the redistricting process, all 28 members of Congress, all 120 House members, and all 40 Senators will run in newly drawn districts.
2022 Elections In addition to the requirement that all members of Congress, all State Senators and all members of the Florida House of Representatives run for re-election in newly drawn districts, all four statewide offices will also be on the November General Election ballot. Gov. Ron DeSantis, Attorney General Ashley Moody and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis have all announced their intention to seek another term. The Agriculture and Consumer Services seat will be vacant, with incumbent Commissioner Nikki Fried announcing her intention to run for the Democratic nomination for Governor. Senate President Wilton Simpson has announced his plan to run for the Commissioner of Agriculture seat. At the national level, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio will also be running for re-election.
State Oversight of Buildings The tragic collapse of the Champlain Towers in Miami on June 24, 2021 took the lives of 98 people. The 12-story condominium was only 40 years old. As the investigation continues, concerns remain about the structural integrity 20 | WINTER 2021
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and oversight of buildings throughout the state. The Legislature is committed to reviewing the current state oversight of buildings and potentially adding new requirements for regular structural and engineering review.
Consumer Data Privacy One of the few hotly debated topics from the 2021 legislative session that failed to pass dealt with consumer data privacy. A priority issue for Gov. DeSantis, President Simpson, and Speaker Chris Sprowls, the consumer data privacy proposal would have created new requirements for businesses that collect consumer data. The goal of the proposal is to better empower citizens to know what data is being collected and give the consumer the authority to control the collection and use of that data. The key difference between the House and Senate proposals will lie in the enforcement mechanism, with the Senate preferring to grant enforcement authority to the Attorney General and the House supporting the right of an individual citizen to bring a private cause of action.
Water and Road Infrastructure Investment in the state’s water and road infrastructure will remain a top priority for the 2022 Florida Legislature. The 2021 regular legislative session saw an investment of more than $1 billion to combat climate change, sea level rise, and water quality issues. In addition, the Legislature allocated an additional $2 billion into the state’s transportation trust fund. This additional investment in roads is already leading to a significant
FLORIDA TRUCK NEWS
IRP License Plates One proposal would create a multi-year International Registration license plate to negate the need to replace physical IRP plates each year. Interstate carriers would still be required to register each year as required by federal law; however, the physical license plate would be able to remain on the front of the truck for several years.
• Trucking Safety We are working on legislation that would encourage carriers to require the use of safety equipment (such as cameras) and additional safety training by independent contractors without impacting the employment classification of the independent contractor.
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State Partnership
We are working on a new partnership between the trucking industry and the state of Florida to promote freight efficiency, regulatory compliance, recruitment of drivers and technicians, and enhanced safety of the traveling public.
• Tort Reform Tort reform continues to be a top priority for the trucking industry. And while the Florida Supreme Court has continued to focus on cases that could reverse decades of antibusiness standards, the Legislature has been slower to address these issues. However, issues such as inflated medical damages, litigation financing reform, and the expansion of COVID-19 liability protections for businesses will still be on the radar for the 2022 session. Chris Dudley is a Partner at The Southern Group.
