Senate President Ken Pruitt, R-Port St. Lucie, is a 17-year veteran who urged his troops to look beyond short-term cures as they deal with a looming $2.5 billion budget shortfall this year and next.
"Any legislator who concentrates on focusing solely on the here and now is going to have a long session," Pruitt said in his opening remarks.Pruitt outlined comparatively modest goals, including stimulus packages to attract more high-tech and bio-tech industries, renewing Florida Forever — the $300 million a year land conservation purchase program — investing in energy independence and asking voters to restore the state education commissioner to an elective post.
Pruitt, 51, is spending his last year in the Legislature. So is 36-year-old House Speaker Marco Rubio, R-West Miami, who is also being forced by term limits to step down.
The two Republicans appear to have little else in common.
Rubio presented a far more aggressive agenda on Tuesday.
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