Politics
Jake Raburn: Florida’s Youngest Legislator Prioritizes Agriculture and Education
Around the State
Birthplace: Plant City.
Residence: Lithia.
Education: University of Florida, Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education and Communication.
Occupation: Agricultural marketing/farming -- strawberries, blueberries, and vegetables.
Previous Public Office(s): None.
Family: Wife, son.
Did you know? Helped to create what was once, according to the Guinness Book of Records, the world's largest strawberry shortcake.
Jake Raburn, R-Lithia, has been a farmer his whole life, and he's bringing all 27 years of his life experience and education to Tallahassee as the Florida Legislature's newly-elected youngest representative.
“I’ve always been intrigued about politics,” District 57’s new legislator tells Sunshine State News. “My family owns and operates a small farming produce business, and I want my son to have the opportunity to take it over one day. I just wanted to be part of the process, to learn more about our government and how to deal with it.”
He’s already helped to make world history: In 1999, the son of Plant City strawberry farmers contributed to the creation of the world’s then-largest strawberry shortcake -- 827-square-feet and weighing in at 6,000 pounds. (As of 2004, the record is held by a city in the Philippines, which produced a cake weighing over 21,000 pounds.)
But naturally, dessert isn’t on Raburn’s legislative menu. Coming from a family of educators – his wife and both of his parents are teachers – he says he’s excited about using his placement on the House Education Appropriations and K-12 subcommittee to explore education reform.
Though he isn’t proposing a bill of his own on the subject, he tells the News he’s interested in working with other representatives to advance legislation that would increase access to career and technical education for public middle- and high-school students.
But one bill he says he will be proposing, while not directly related to education per se, does implicate the state’s public schools: he wants to empower school districts to open their facilities to the public by “removing some of the liability” these schools would suffer if people get injured while engaged in these public activities.
Raburn’s other priorities include a bill that would streamline statewide fertilizer regulations, giving less discretion to local governments. He also wants to introduce a housekeeping measure to correct some typos in a bill passed last year affecting the Florida Citrus Commission: some sections of state law refer to the “Department of Agriculture” where they are supposed to refer to the “Department of Citrus.”
"No, there haven’t been any problems yet, we just want to make sure it stays that way,” he tells the News. “As far as I know, no one is opposed to our going in there and fixing it.”
Raburn also sits on the State Affairs Committee and the Health Innovation and Transportation and Highway Safety subcommittees.
Reach Eric Giunta at egiunta@sunshinestatenews.com or at (954) 235-9116.
Comments (1)
"Raburn’s other priorities include a bill that would streamline statewide fertilizer regulations, giving less discretion to local governments."
Isn't that akin to what the state of Florida is complaining about with the EPA setting nutrient limits? Because our waters face different challenges and are for different purposes, that one size doesn't fit all?
Mr. Raburn, I would love to see the state of Florida streamline fertilizer regulations but keep in mind what may be good for inland counties might hinder say, the counties that the Indian River Lagoon runs through. (In case you haven't heard, the IRL is in serious decline due mostly to run-off and storm water management. We lose it, we lose an estimated $3.7 billion a year to our economy.)
That said, I appreciate the importance and value of agriculture to our state (and country's) economy and am especially fond of small farmers. But, I also appreciate the importance and value of our waters to our economy. Setting aside clean drinking water, they also provide a renewable source of food, sustainable jobs through commercial fishing and tourism, and recreational enjoyment for people of all ages.
I just ask that when you set out to streamline fertilizer regulations you take in the whole picture. And remember, I don't know about our green lawns, but I know we can have a thriving agricultural industry and clean water too.
(It might also be helpful to keep in mind that fertilizer is comprised of finite resources. To the degree where cartels are involved and where "fertilzer security" was actually on the Republican party's platform last election. While it may be better for farmers and lawn care companies to be allowed to let the excess they use get washed away in the short term, the less they're allowed to waste and let wash away will be better for them (and us) in the long term.)
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