PALM COAST, Fla. – Closing out his final term in the Florida Legislature, as Speaker of the House, no less, Paul Renner had achieved many of the goals he set out to tackle nearly a decade ago.
From the connection to human trafficking to devastating mental health issues, it was an education on the nearly unbreakable addiction to social media that opened his eyes to what every day Americans are experiencing that resulted in what he deemed some of his most important work during his time as the Representative for Florida’s 19th District.
Addressing the Flagler Tiger Bay Club for the June 2024 meeting, Renner closed out the Spring Speaker Series as has become the Club’s tradition. While this would be his last legislative address as the Speaker of the House, this year it was a look at the issues that seemed especially close to his heart.
There was no denying the genuine concern in his voice as he spoke about the statistics from the Center for Disease Control regarding social media and mental health. An attorney by trade, the legislation crafted reflected his support for the First Amendment while addressing the issue of addiction to the technology.
Not the only issue on a full plate, Renner discussed the importance of the gambling compact with the Seminole Tribe. Working with Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, the Legislature committed the funds, an estimated $750 million or more per year, to a variety of environmental programs.
“Let’s make sure all this money is given to help the environment,” said Renner. “We committed to that.” The breakdown puts $100 million into land conservation, $100 million for state managed land, $100 million for resiliency, recurring, annually.
“The $750 (million) I’m talking about is money on top of what we’re already spending for the Everglades, for springs, for all the other environmental things, and that’s important to know because we want it to be basically a leap ahead. Some of the issues that we have, which are major issues, very costly issues, even with that money will not be enough to get us where we want to go on every category, just know that. But it will close a lot of gaps.”
Indirectly addressing the recent water project vetoes, Renner illuminated an opportunity for astute listeners on how to address municipal funding needs.
“The balance of that the $450 (million) will be a major grant program for water so if you’re Flagler Beach or whomever, you can then apply for those grants and that will be $450 million or so, the balance of what’s left out of that compact will serve every single year,” said Renner.
Members and guests eagerly lined up to thank Speaker Renner for his work in the district.
“Flagler Tiger Bay Club has just wrapped up its 2023-2024 speaker series with an outstanding sold-out presentation by Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, Paul Renner. Over the course of this series, our members and guests enjoyed a diverse group of highly-regarded regional and national speakers and informative topics affecting our community, state, and beyond. Over 60% of our meetings were sold out, with 40% being close to capacity,” said Flagler Tiger Bay Club President Jay Scherr.
The dynamic speaker lineup continues to draw interest across the community from an eclectic demographic including students and young professionals who appreciate the opportunity to hone their networking skills and connect with potential mentors.
“Our Young Tigers from Flagler County schools, Bethune-Cookman University, and other area colleges and universities attended each meeting,” added Sherr.
“We are looking forward to two upcoming events before we kick off our new season. Our Candidate Meet & Greet is on June 27th from 5:30-8:30pm, and our 2024 Annual Meeting and Wine Tasting Meet & Greet Social is on August 22nd from 5:30-8:30pm. We will unveil next season’s speaker lineup during the Annual Meeting’s big reveal. Both events are being held at the Palm Coast Community Center,” he said.
The 2024 Flagler Tiger Bay Club Candidate Meet & Greet on June 27 is free and open to the public.
Visit www.flaglertigerbayclub.com for details.
PalmCoastNow.com contributed video to this report.
