Good news, while I did get lost in the Capitol on more than one occasion this week, I got some good work done in Tallahassee and now that I’m safely back home, I wanted to report in:

Because of COVID protocols, only two of my committees met this week, the Judicial sub-appropriations committee and the Early Education subcommittee. In Judicial, the main event was wrapping our heads around what a $3 billion dollar budget shortfall will look like for our prison system and judiciary overall (*spoiler* we could eliminate every prison and we’d still have a problem). But, as they say, with great challenges come great opportunities and I think the time is right for a productive conversation on the economic benefits of criminal justice reform.

The Early Education Subcommittee focused on early literacy efforts in our state revolving around the CARES act dollars. Many of our students simply went missing from the roles when schools closed back in March. Some are woefully behind as a result and the divide in our education system is becoming more like a chasm. There is much work to do for these students and our teachers that STILL can’t get vaccines.

I’m looking forward to working on these important issues and those that will cross my desk as I serve on the full Judiciary Committee and the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Subcommittee. As always, if you need anything don’t hesitate to ask.