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Florida House Majority Leader Makes Personal Case For Doing Away With Enterprise Florida

Ray Rodrigues for Florida State House's Facebook page
Florida House Majority Leader Ray Rodrigues and his family

During Tuesday’s Developmental Disabilities Awareness Day, Florida’s House Majority Leader made a personal case as to why he believes the state’s business recruitment agency should be eliminated.

Rep. Ray Rodrigues (R-Fort Myers) says he’s a big supporter of the developmental disability community.

“Because I have a son who has a developmental disability,” he said. “Typically, when we’re out in public and we’re in the world away from people who are familiar with the community, folks see my son, but they don’t see my son. They see his disability.”

And, Rodrigues says that’s part of the reason why he decided to vote to do away with Enterprise Florida.

“We have a waiting list that is 20,000 individuals long in the Agency for Persons with Disabilities,” he added. “How can I in good conscience give money to for-profit corporations, when we’re not serving the needs of our most vulnerable?”

The debate surrounding Enterprise Florida has been controversial, since Governor Rick Scott and House Republicans are at odds over the need for the agency.

For more news updates, follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter: @SaschaCordner.

Sascha Cordner has more than ten years of public radio experience. It includes working at NPR member station WUFT-FM in Gainesville for several years. She's worked in both radio and TV, serving in various capacities as a reporter, producer and anchor. She's also a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in telecommunications. She is the recipient of 15 awards from the Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and Edward R. Murrow. Her award-winning stories include her coverage on the infamous “Dozier School for Boys” and a feature titled "Male Breast Cancer: Lost in the Sea of Pink." Currently, Sascha serves as the host and producer of local and state news content for the afternoon news program "All Things Considered" at WFSU. Sascha primarily covers criminal justice and social services issues. When she's not reporting, Sascha likes catching up on her favorite TV shows, singing and reading. Follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter:@SaschaCordner.