Payne recaps session success, encourages vaccinations

State Rep. Bobby Payne told the Rotary Club of Palatka the 2021 legislative session was a success as he helped Putnam County secure $58 million in state funding.

During his talk at the club’s lunch meeting Tuesday, Payne also stressed the importance of residents getting the COVID-19 vaccination as virus cases increase in the area and statewide.

Payne, R-Palatka, said along with state Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, the Putnam delegation secured $58,031,518 for Putnam during the session. The Palatka Daily News initially reported on the appropriations in June, with Payne recapping the session’s success to Rotary members.

Payne sponsored bills that secured $1 million for the East Putnam Drainage and Flooding Mitigation Project and $425,000 for a vacuum truck for the city of Palatka. He also advocated for $1,225,000 the Putnam County Fairgrounds received to help fund agricultural promotions and educational facilities.

Since being elected to represent District 19 in 2016, Payne said the county has received over $425 million in state funds. District 19 is made up of Putnam, Bradford, Union and a portion of Clay counties. He said the funding is significant because of what it means to rural counties such as Putnam.

“Through those years, if you look at where we were with those counties and this particular year, it’s a five-year total of $1.577 billion dollars to District 19,” Payne said. “That’s each of the legislators and senators working toward project goals with different associations. It’s a pretty big number.”

Payne said he also supported $18 million in funding for various road projects, $11 million for primary education and $25 million for secondary education in Putnam County, specifically for St. Johns River State College.

Payne said he was also proud to be the sponsor of a gaming compact bill with the Seminole Tribe of Florida that’s expected to bring $2.5 billion of revenue to the state during the next five years.

He said the session was a successful one, especially given economic concerns because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The fact the (state) speaker (of the House) called me on a Thursday night to run the gaming compact bill for the special session the following Monday, that was a huge deal for me,” Payne said.

Payne said as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, he was also pleased the state expanded tax-free holidays for back-to-school shopping and disaster preparation.

The state added a new tax holiday, Freedom Week, through a bill Payne sponsored. The week gave consumers an opportunity to save on outdoor recreational supplies and other entertainment options, saving Floridians more than $50 million in taxes.

Payne also encouraged residents to get the COVID-19 vaccine, using an illustration that if someone runs a red light every day, they’re eventually going to get hurt or hurt someone else.

“Not only are you putting your life at risk, you’re putting someone else at risk,” Payne said afterward. “It may not be the driver, but it may be the passenger. You may spread COVID (if you’re not vaccinated). I have anti-vaxxers I know very well who say, ‘Nobody’s going to tell me what I can put into my body.’

“But we’ve eradicated so many diseases through inoculations and vaccines. If we have an opportunity to protect ourselves and those around us through an altruistic mentality, use that opportunity. I believe what I can do to protect myself, my family and other people, that should be part of what individuals should be aware of in trying to be a better citizen.”

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