Simpson takes the reins of Florida Senate – Citrus County Chronicle

Wilton Simpson was sworn in Tuesday as president of the Florida Senate and that means Citrus County residents now have a powerful force in the highest levels of state government going to bat for them.

Citrus County has been very good to me as a person and very supportive of me as their local senator, Simpson said. What I will do in the next two years is do the best I can to continue to fund our priorities.

The COVID-19 pandemic has cut deeply into state budget reserves and some priorities might be harder to get through going forward. He expects a state budget of $88-90 billion heading into next year, about $3-5 billion less than originally envisioned all due to the economic upheaval from the pandemic.

Goal one is to right-size our government to continue to have a booming economy and we have to do that with a balanced budget and replenish our reserves, he said.

Simpson, 54, was elected to the Senate in 2012 and served as majority leader in 2016 and 2017. He succeeds President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, and takes on the coveted position of president for the next two years.

The Chronicle interviewed Simpson just days before he took the helm of the Senate. Heres what he had to say:

What are your goals as Senate president?

Simpson said he will continue to fight for the environment, and that includes continued cleanup efforts of Kings Bay and Homosassa waterways. It also means advancing the septic-to-sewer initiative.

To cut back on cost, Simpson said the state needs to explore incentives to local government for replacing outdated, pollution-causing septic systems.

Streamline the states foster-care system and make it easier for people to adopt children. Being adopted, this issue is personal to the senator.

You can eliminate a lot of future education and mental health problems by bringing permanency to a child, he said.

Simpson said fixing the problem will cost money and plans to partner with First Lady Casey DeSantis, who is one of the top advisers to her husband, Gov. Ron DeSantis. This year, she has worked on a number of initiatives aimed at helping Florida children.

Promote better mental health options. He supports efforts to build a LifeStream Baker Act facility in Lecanto. He will work with State Rep. Ralph Massullo, R-Lecanto also a project supporter to make sure that happens.

I fully intend to make sure thats funded, he said.

Continue to fund road infrastructure improvements.

Business can only thrive in Citrus County if you have clean water and good connector roads, he said.

Continue to attract top teachers which, he said, should be easier now that the starting pay for beginning teachers is $47,500 a year.

Could the pandemic affect these goals?

The pandemic, he said, has changed this state in ways that will affect it long into his tenure.

Anything that costs money is going to be tougher to get things done, he said.

For example, reports sent last week to state lawmakers advocate putting the brakes on three toll-road projects.

The projects would extend the Suncoast Parkway from Citrus County to Jefferson County near the Georgia border, extend Floridas Turnpike from Wildwood to connect with the Suncoast Parkway and create a new road linking Polk and Collier counties.

Simpson said road infrastructure is the lifeblood of industry and small-business in Citrus County and makes it easier for employers to transport goods.

There are a lot of roads in Citrus County that need widening and upgrading so thats a priority, Simpson said.

Weve got to get beyond this pandemic first and get our state back up to 100%, he said. Thats my focus right now.

One positive in navigating the rough waters: Simpson said his counterpart in the House, Palm Harbor Republican Chris Sprowls, should be easy to work with.

Were good friends, he said. We have a very good trust factor between the two of us.

Simpson also heaped praise on Gov. DeSantis who, he said, has done a masterful job guiding us through this pandemic.

Will a Joe Biden presidency affect your goals in the Senate?

I think it might make my job harder, he said. It will slow the national economy down, which will slow the Florida economy down over time. What happens at the federal level from an economic and regulatory and financial standpoint will affect Florida greatly. I know nothing that will be positive from a Biden administration.

For example, if Biden raises taxes and regulations again, the state is probably looking at a 1% growth as opposed to the projected 4%, he said.

If you raise capital gains taxes, everyone with a 401K or IRA would have their taxes raised, he added.

How do you want to be remembered and what are your plans when you term-out in two years?

Simpson called his tenure in the Florida Senate the last eight years the honor of a lifetime and a humbling experience.

What I hope is that folks who live and work here will look at the record of my accomplishments and say, It might not have been perfect but he did the best he could to represent Citrus County and he worked hard.

What will he do after he leaves the Senate?

I just might come back home and count (chicken) eggs, joked Simpson, referring to his Trilby agricultural operation.

But more seriously, Simpson said he will likely stay involved in various community organizations. Through the years, hes been involved with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Pasco County Fair, Habitat for Humanity and PACE Center for Girls.

Ill get back involved somehow, he said. I love to serve in my community and see things get better. Well see. Stay tuned.

Simpson, in his opening remarks on becoming Senate president Tuesday, had this to say:

This pandemic has been a strain on so many families and on our businesses. Some wonder if it is ever going to end. Senators, I believe it will. In the last few days we heard promising news about a new vaccine, and there is more good news on trials and therapeutics every day.

Better days are ahead, but we must continue to do what we can to personally prevent the spread. I want to thank all of you for taking our new protocols seriously. We will get through this together.

Material from the News Service of Florida was used in this report.

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Simpson takes the reins of Florida Senate - Citrus County Chronicle