Florida Politics writer Janelle Irwin moderated the 2026 St. Petersburg Legislative Preview Dec. 17 at SkyBeach Resort, where Senator Darryl Rouson, State Representative Michele Rayner and State Representative Lindsay Cross outlined their priorities heading into the next legislative session. The discussion centered on public education, affordability and infrastructure and resiliency.
Irwin opened by noting that all three lawmakers operate in the minority in a predominantly Republican-led state, making it difficult to move legislation. Rouson agreed. “As a Democrat, it’s hard to pass anything,” he said, adding that he is approaching the next session “not strong on policy, but strong on the budget.”
Rouson serves as vice chair of the Appropriations Committee, making him the first Democrat to hold that position in 20 years. He said his focus will be on leveraging that role to make the biggest impact possible, while also working to “stop bad policy.”
As an example, Rouson pointed to Senate Bill 424, which he proposed this year. The bill would repeal what he called the “abhorrent” co-location mandate that allows charter “Schools of Hope” to occupy underused public school buildings. SB 424 would restore control and funding to public schools.
Charter schools were originally designed to improve student outcomes in underperforming districts. In recent years, however, state lawmakers expanded the law to allow charter schools to move into existing public schools even when those schools are not underperforming.
Rayner said her focus heading into the next session will be affordability and food insecurity. While she is “working on several bills right now,” House Bill 337 remains her primary priority.
HB 337 would give local governments the authority to approve small-footprint grocery stores in areas designated as food insecure. Rayner said the bill is designed to bring fresh produce and affordable food closer to communities that lack access.
“As individuals and families across our state continue to face rising costs and fewer resources to help them in times of need, we need to work together to ensure everyone has easy access to affordable, healthy food,” Rayner said last month.
Cross said her legislative priorities center on infrastructure and resiliency. One focus is Senate Bill 180, introduced by Republican Sen. Nick DiCeglie, which aimed to streamline rebuilding and permitting for businesses and homeowners affected by last year’s hurricanes by bypassing certain bureaucratic hurdles.
SB 180 drew criticism for limiting local governments’ ability to update comprehensive plans, zoning rules and environmental protections, even when changes are needed for safety, sustainability or resilience.
Cross also highlighted the need to rebuild voting locations damaged by storms and expand ballot access for residents still recovering. She said she supports expanding vote-by-mail options, early voting opportunities and the number of voting sites.
“When repairing your home or your business, the last thing you should need to worry about is whether your vote counts on election day,” Cross said.
She also raised concerns about the aging infrastructure of wastewater treatment facilities, noting that long-term resiliency requires addressing systems that are already under strain. In order to do so, she’s focusing on how grants and budgets will be best leveraged to ameliorate the aging facilities and systems.