Rodney Long: My priorities include increasing funding for education, housing, health care

I am Rodney Long, your candidate for the newly created Florida Senate District 9 seat representing Alachua, Marion and Levy counties. There is no incumbent in this seat. 

I am running for this office for the following reasons:  

Protecting our democracy: I opposed House Bill 1 — “The Anti-Rioting Act.” This bill makes it a crime for two or more individuals to assemble on public rights-of-ways during a protest if it is deemed by law enforcement to be for an unlawful purpose. 

I opposed Senate Bill 90 — “The Voter Suppression Bill.” This bill makes it a crime if a person takes more than his/her ballot and one other family member’s ballots to the elections office. It reduced the hours of the Supervisor of Elections’ Office. It eliminates drop boxes and makes it a crime to provide water or other substance to voters in line on Election Day. 

I opposed “race-neutral legislation” that eliminated two congressional minority seats in Florida. And I opposed HB-7 — “The Stop WOKE Act”- which bans discussion of race in our schools and workplaces.  

Education: The Florida Constitution says that education for our children is paramount. Yet Florida ranks 45th in state education funding. We are ranked in the bottom percentile with Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and West Virginia. Florida ranks 48th in the nation in funding for teachers. 

As your next state senator, I will work to increase funding for public schools and teachers’ salaries with a goal to reach the top 10 percentile over the next decade. In addition, I will hold non-public schools that receive public funding accountable to the same standards as public schools.

As a licensed real estate broker, I am a staunch supporter of affordable housing. Currently the state is short more than 400,000 affordable/workforce units. Florida is facing some of the fastest-rising housing costs in the nation. 

Floridians are losing their property insurance. In a previous special session, insurers received a $2 billion bailout but consumers received no relief from being dropped by their insurance companies. As your next state senator, I will work to repeal SB 2512 and to fully fund the Sadowski Trust Fund for homeownership and rental housing assistance for local governments and housing providers.  

Health care is a major issue in our state. Florida is one of 12 states that have not expanded Medicaid to 2.6 million eligible Floridians. Florida is 49th in the nation when it comes to funding for people with disabilities. 

More than 20,000 people with intellectual and developmental disability services are on a waiting list. As your next state senator, I will fight to increase funding to reduce the waiting list. And work hard to expand Medicaid.  

I support a women’s right to make her own personal health care decisions. As your next state senator, I will oppose any legislation that further restricts a woman’s personal freedoms and rights, including reproductive rights. 

I oppose building a toll road in Levy and Marion counties. As your next state senator, I will vote to defund any future dollars for the study or construction of the toll road. 

Finally, I support protecting our environment, equality for all, local government home rule authority and criminal justice and police reform. 

Please visit my website at www.rodneylongsenatedistrict9.com to review my campaign issues, qualifications and experience. 

On Nov. 8, I ask that you vote for “A Voice For The People.” Vote Rodney Long, Florida Senate District 9.

Rodney Long is running for the Florida Senate, District 9. This piece is part of a series of opinion columns written by candidates for office that are being published before November's election.

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