Goin’ back to Tally Part IV

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Posted January 21, 2022 | By Matthew Cretul
matthew@ocalagazette.com

[Editor’s note: Two members of the Marion County Legislative Delegation, Representative Stan McClain and Senator Jennifer Bradley, did not return multiple attempts to coordinate and schedule interviews, and as such will not be featured in the series.]

The fourth and final part of this ongoing series highlights a member of the Marion County Legislative Delegation in the Florida House of Representatives, Rep. Brett Hage.  Below, Hage discusses some of his individual priorities, considerations for policy creation and support, as well as thoughts on various areas as Florida’s legislative session gets underway in Tallahassee.

Visit https://bit.ly/hagebills for a full list of bills sponsored by Representative Hage for the 2022 session.

Brett Hage represents Florida House District 33, which contains all of Sumter as well as parts of Lake and Marion Counties.  In addition to being a legislator, Hage lists his occupation as a Residential Developer.

He received his Bachelor’s Degree from Samford University in 1997, where he also played collegiate baseball.

 On what he believes are the major overall priorities for the session

Hage says the previous legislative session was a busy one, and as a result, he does not see the current session moving at such a breakneck pace.

“I think you’re gonna see a very slow policy [session],” he said. “I think that the speaker accomplished 99% of his priorities last session, and the last session was a big one for us all, myself included. So I feel like you can’t have a big session every session.”

While he said he doesn’t expect to see a large amount of legislation making its way through the process, Hage echoed previous lawmakers featured in the series when he highlighted two main tasks that must be accomplished before the session ends in March.

“The two major responsibilities that we have, really the only things we have to be successful on this year is passing a balanced budget, and then redrawing these redistricting lines. So I think you’re gonna see less policy go through the system because the efforts are going to be spent on those two major, major priorities that we have to do and we’re called to do as Florida legislators,” he said.

In addition to passing a balanced budget and finalizing a redistricting plan, Hage says his focus will be on getting Governor Ron DeSantis’s plans passed.

“I’m going to support the governor and his initiatives, I can tell you that,” he said.  “I believe in him, and I believe in the initiatives that he runs this year, so you will see me support that.”

Hage detailed areas where his priorities are in line with the governor’s proposals.

“They are continuing to keep Florida free, continuing to protect our rights, protect us from more voter fraud, potentially, and we will be addressing abortion after 15 weeks. I am a pro-life guy, so whatever I can do to support that I will certainly be doing,” he said.

 On his individual priorities

Hage said, unlike many other lawmakers, he doesn’t have a long list of individual priorities when it comes to proposing legislation.  Instead, he looks for legislation he feels will adversely affect his district, and then the state as a whole, and works to make sure it does not pass.

“My priorities are very simple. I joined the Florida Legislature to play defense and to block laws that don’t make sense from the common-sense perspective,” he said. “A lot of people come to Tallahassee with a big, big agenda. This is my fourth session. I’m one of those representatives that just sits back and watches legislation pass or not pass, and then I jump in to protect my constituents to ensure the best possible lifestyle that we can have. And I think too much government’s bad. I’m a big conservative and I think less is more.”

In Hage’s view, the government does have a role in everyday life, albeit a limited one.

“I think you’ve got to have government to protect us and to keep us safe with our state law enforcement officers. Society needs rules and guidelines to follow and I don’t disagree with that, but I think that it should be as minimal as possible,” he said.

He specified he doesn’t look to only block bills proposed by the party opposite, but any bills that he believes will harm his district.

“My colleagues can run bills that can negatively affect the constituents in the tri-county area that I represent. And that’s what I look at.”

While he respects his fellow legislators, Hage says his allegiance is to his district, not them.

“My constituents sent me to Tallahassee, not these other lawmakers that I’m blessed to work with, they didn’t send me up here,” he said. “So if I’ve got to slow something down that’s got some momentum that can negatively impact us in Marion County, then by golly, it’s my job to step up, regardless of if it aligns me or not with other House members.”

On HB 145 Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Weight Limits (Added to Tourism, Infrastructure & Energy Subcommittee agenda)

 While he is trying to limit the legislation he introduces in this session, one specific bill Hage proposed is the House companion bill to SB 474, Recreational Off-highway Vehicles, which Senator Keith Perry proposed in the Senate.

Hage says the bill is an attempt to look forward at where off-road vehicles are headed and afford the newer, electric vehicles the same considerations as older, gas-powered ones.

“Well, the focus of this for me is to run a cleaner side by side. This bill, if passed, would allow those specifications and the weights of those units to be legal to run [on the trails],” he said.  “I just think it’s cleaner, and I think it’s the direction that this country is going in. So it shows that we’re trying to stay ahead and keep up with the times in the direction that the state of Florida and the country’s going in, looking at cleaner ways to operate.”

 On growth and the economy

Hage said the growth that not only Marion County is undergoing, but the state as a whole is on a level rarely seen, and he credits leadership in Tallahassee for putting the state in the position to grow.

“The reality is the boom that Florida is experiencing now under the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis is unparalleled,” he said. “People are moving to the state of Florida because this is a free state. People are moving down here because we have a great governor in place, we have great legislators in the Florida House of Representatives and the state Senate.”

Hage said multiple areas of his district are seeing growth, adding that he thinks it’s a good sign, as long as there is balance.

“I’m a pro-economy guy.  I’m a small business guy, I’m a business person. So I want to help with all things that can help grow our local businesses and our economy. And we are certainly growing in The Villages in a big, big way, and so I want to try and support those efforts with a level of fairness.  Fairness between the businesses and the constituents.”

Progress, according to Hage, is much better than the alternative.

“I’m going to support the growth because that’s who I am and that’s what I believe in. I believe, if you’re not growing, you’re going backward,” he said.  “And so I feel like all things have to grow to prosper and to be something versus staying stagnant. If you stay stagnant, I think ultimately you wither up and die just like a plant without water.”

On working with the members of the Marion County Legislative Delegation

Hage said he’s been fortunate to be a part of the Marion County Legislative Delegation, and all its members share a common purpose, making the county the best it can be.

“I try to work side by side with the other delegation members to support Marion County and support their efforts to show my support to Marion County,” he said.

Hage said like other members of the delegation, he leans heavily on his faith. In addition, he says coming from the same party allows them to share a similar mindset.

“I’m very like-minded with [Rep.] Joe [Harding] and Senator Baxley and the other [Republicans]…I think you’ll find us all equally yoked in our conservative values and really, genuinely wanting to do what’s best for the people,” he said.

While the majority of the delegation are members of the Republican party, Rep. Yvonne Hinson is the single Democratic member.  Hage says that despite the party difference, he appreciates the opportunity to work with her as well.

“Representative Hinson is a big part of our delegation. And she’s grounded in that same commonality as us,” he said. “Yes, different paths, different ideology, different process, but at the end of the day, she lands where we do a good portion of the time, even from an ideological standpoint.”

 On committee assignments

The different perspectives are something Hage sees as a benefit to any proposed bill working its way through various committee stops.  He believes it is “the process created in the Florida Legislature for voices to be heard. It gives you the opportunity to take a product and make it better each step of the way,” he said.  “I think we have a great process, it works. And oftentimes a bill can start one way and ends up a totally different way due to the many minds and eyes that are able to see that particular piece of legislation through the entire journey,” he added, saying his committee work, much like his legislative approach this session, will be pared-down by design.

“I have a smaller set of committee assignments this year, by request to help with the workload that I’m carrying…I just can’t be on seven committees and do what I do,” Hage said.

One committee he has served on, dating back to his start in the legislature is the Commerce Committee.  Hage said it aligns well with his career as a businessman, and he appreciates that he can translate his real-world experiences into the policy creation process.

“I’ve been on [the Commerce Committee] from day one since I got into the House. And I hope I get to stay on it until my time runs out in the Florida House,” he said.

While he said he has a wealth of subject matter knowledge in the world of business, Hage says another of his committee assignments allows him to come in contact with an area he does not have near as much experience with.

“I’ve loved being on the Criminal Justice Committee because it’s a world that I don’t live in and I don’t get to see much of.  I love our law enforcement officers, I love learning about the legislation early on in the game that we’re trying to do to support that group of folks in our society,” he said.

Hage said another of his committee assignments is similar to the Criminal Justice Committee in that it’s not an area he’s fully immersed in.  But he says it’s an area that directly impacts his district.

“Same thing with the Insurance and Banking Committee. I don’t really run in the world of insurance and banking,” he said.  “And I’m trying very hard to help get the insurance rates in line, especially with fake subcontractors and roofing contractors, specifically in my area of The Villages, which is where these guys come in and try to take advantage of the elderly.”

The committees, according to Hage, are vital to the process.  But he says how the proposed legislation is worded is of equal, if not more, significance.

“It is of utmost importance that we get the language right. The language is what matters most in the way it is written in those bills because the interpretation can sometimes lead us to unintended consequences if we don’t get it right,” he said. “And let me tell you, we don’t get it right all the time. In sometimes we have to back up and punt. But that’s the beauty of the committee process.  Hopefully, when we get a product to the finish line we got the language as right as we can humanly possibly get it to have the best positive impact on all parties involved.”

 On the proposed Northern Turnpike Extension

 One issue that every member of the Marion County Legislative Delegation will be faced with is the proposed Northern Turnpike Extension (NTE).  Hage said conceptually the idea has merit, but he needs more details before moving forward.

“In theory, it makes great sense, right?  We do need another road north other than I-75 and I-95. But I do have concerns,” he said. “I voted for the study to be done in last year’s session, and I still support the study portion. I don’t know how I feel about it turning into a reality. I want to know more specifically where it’s going to travel, and I don’t know the answer to that yet.”

To Hage, the study portion of the project was necessary, but he said he’s still a bit hesitant to embrace the project all the way through.

“It really affects us in Marion County…I agreed to fund the study because you’ve got to do your due diligence, right? But I would like to understand more as it develops before I would say, ‘Okay, let’s go do this.’ I want to see the impact that’s gonna have on the people that I serve,” he said.

Hage agrees with Senator Dennis Baxley that he’s neither pro nor anti-road, but instead is focused on improving the process.

“I know they put out four proposed paths, and they really need to narrow the scope to two so we can see the true impacts on our constituents. I want to see the actual game plan, and we don’t need four different game plans,” he said.

He says also shares Representative Joe Harding’s frustrations that some don’t fully understand the process, and funding a study is not the same as approving the entire project.

“We just approved the study. We didn’t say go build the road. We said let’s study and bring it back to the legislation,” Hage said. “Let’s see the implications of this so we can make a better educated decision. And that’s where we’re at…I want to do the homework so we can understand what implications it has on our people.”