An Interview With State Representative Jennifer Webb
Jennifer Webb won the State House seat for District 69 vacated by Kathleen Peters. We asked her for comments about her first term, and what it means for the people of her district. (i.e. most of us)
Q: Tallahassee laws can be a mixed bag for our beach communities. What is one bad bill you helped to defeat for our beaches?
A: Slaying Bad Bills: I worked closely with our beach mayors – Mayor Cookie Kennedy even flew up to Tallahassee – to protect our ability to create residential zones by killing the short-term vacation rental bill. Our cities have worked hard to strike a balance between building community and promoting commerce. I heard from many residents who wanted to keep their neighborhoods intact. Fortunately, when the Senate saw our fierce resistance to this bill in the House, they took the bill off of the table. For my work with our cities and my advocacy for home rule, I received awards from Suncoast League of Cities and the Florida League of Cities.
Q: What’s some of your proudest accomplishments from your first year as a Representative?
A: Keeping Promises: I promised our community that I would continue Commissioner Peters’ work on mental health and substance abuse. I sponsored a bill to re-establish the Office of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention. Everyone who works in this arena agreed that having someone to spearhead our efforts to combat the drug abuse epidemic was essential. I worked diligently with Senator Rouson and the Governor’s office. Within the first half of session, I received a call from the Governor’s office that he thought this bill was so important that he would include it in his Executive Order for combating the Drug Abuse Epidemic. I also promised I would promote career and technical education and keep our costs of living down. My policy solutions that would do just this are awaiting July 1st to become law. One would make sure we are investing in vocational/technical education and that this training is linked to jobs that are actually available or sectors we are working to attract to our area. And, I hope to keep more money in our pockets by improving our home warranties. We all know how vital our AC systems are in Florida. Now, when you buy a new home and a home warranty and your AC units go out, it will be replaced without the surprise of additional expenses.
Q: What are some key points from the 2019 Session that you think will most impact our beach communities?
A: Enjoying our beaches and waterways are our birthright here in paradise. But last year many of us couldn’t even go outside. Our favorite businesses nearly had to shut their doors because tourists were cancelling trips. I promised then to work across the aisle to create policy that would promote red tide and algae mitigation research. I also promised to sponsor appropriations for infrastructure improvement projects. Although only half of my infrastructure projects were funded, we saw great investment in combating red tide. I proudly cosponsored one of these bills. When signed into law, the state will have to invest $3 million/year for the five years to monitor red tide, and sponsor research that develops technology to mitigate and prevent future red tide blooms. The health of our beaches is inextricably linked to the health of our economy and our families.
Q: As you stated above, tourism and the money tourists bring is always on the minds of business in our beach communities. Are you supportive of the Visit Florida program, and do you believe it should continue to receive funding?
A: Tourism is the lifeblood of our Pinellas economy, and Visit Florida helps keep it pumping. Indeed, 1,300 of our businesses here benefit directly from the marketing and advertising of Visit Florida. So, I proudly fought alongside its CEO, Dana Young, to fund Visit Florida this session. And, my pledge to the hardworking business owners and employees is to continue this fight as long as I am your State Rep.
Q: What was your favorite way to relax in Tallahassee?
A: Surprise visits from constituents who bring that beach vibe up to the Capitol and remind me of home. Bragging about how beautiful, laid back, and cool our district is to other House Members.
Q: What’s one thing about life in Tallahassee that you wished people knew about?
A: You’d never guess it from hard-hitting news outlets, but the majority of the time we work in a bipartisan manner and the vast majority of bills are passed with near unanimity. Also, I cannot think of a single House Member with whom I don’t get along personally even if we have policy disagreements.
Q: What do you like best about serving the people of House District 69?
A: Our love of our little cities, neighborhoods, and — for the most part – each other. Because everyone is out enjoying our slice of paradise, I always have opportunities to chat with people at our many beaches, bars, coffee shops, festivals, and parades. We have such a great community!