Wilton Simpson praises lawmakers for ‘historically successful’ legislative session

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson congratulated lawmakers for a “historically successful” 2023 Legislative Session.

“From supporting farmers by taking regulatory weights off their backs, to protecting consumers at the fuel pump, to preserving and protecting our lands for future generations, the 2023 Legislative Session included huge victories for Florida agriculture, its related industries, and consumers,” Simpson said.

He praised lawmakers for passing legislation he believes will help farmers. That includes legislation to create the TEAM Card to help farmers more quickly receive tax relief. 

“When our farmers came to me and my team expressing their frustration in the arduous process of claiming their tax exemptions for equipment afforded to them by law, we listened,” Simpson said.

He noted how the Department of Agriculture requested more money for the department’s Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, which lawmakers approved. 

“When landowners indicated their strong interest in preserving working agricultural lands from development to ensure our farmlands stay in the hands of farmers, we listened, and requested additional funding for the department’s Rural and Family Lands Protection Program,” Simpson said.

Simpson helped spearhead an effort to prevent countries of concern from buying important Florida lands.

“When it became alarmingly apparent that foreign adversaries were buying up our important lands, we acted,” Simpson said.

Another piece of legislation he helped champion included penalties for credit card companies that track gun purchases. 

“When we saw that the liberal elites in D.C. were attempting to coordinate with credit card companies to create a backdoor registry of law-abiding gun owners, we noticed, and we acted,” Simpson said.

Here are more details on legislation the commissioner supported.