After nearly no legislation was passed in Fall, the Senate elected a president Tuesday who has never written legislation for UF.
Sen. Kyle Garner (District C) and former Budget and Appropriations Chair Sen. Cooper Brown (CALS) were elected as the new Senate president and president pro-tempore respectively. Both senators are affiliated with Gator Party.
When asked why he hasn’t authored legislation, Garner said he believed his time was better served in other ways.
“I believed that with my experience as the former Agricultural and Life Sciences College Council Treasurer and a member of the Budget & Appropriations Committee, my talents would be more beneficial in the area of funding and the Student Government budget process,” Garner wrote in an email.
Garner said he worked with state legislators when he was state president of the Florida Future Farmers of America on a bill that would contribute $2.28 million to agriculture education programs. It took effect and provided $250,000, according to the Florida Senate site.
He also intends to start a program to meet with Student Government authors after they submit bills to create a plan to follow through.
Garner beat Sen. Zachariah Chou (Murphree Area) for president, 55-29.
“My vision for the chamber is to help foster an environment where we are pushing each other to become the best versions of ourselves, and to ultimately serve the student body at our fullest potential,” Brown wrote in a text. “I’m very excited to get to know each Senator and build genuine relationships that will extend beyond the Senate Chamber.”
Contact Chasity Maynard at cmaynard@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @chasitymaynard0.
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