Florida House District 72: Drake Buckman

Name: Drake Buckman

Age: 52

Family: Married, with three children

Bio: N/A

Why are you running for office? 

Because I love where we live, and I hate red tide.

What are three priorities you hope to accomplish if elected? 

1. COVID-19 response;
2. Protection of the Philippi Creek watershed; and
3. Protection of our excellent public schools.

With Florida revenues expected to finish the year at $1.6 billion below expectations:

What budget cuts would you propose? 

Any cuts for project that do not address our COVID-19 response.

What would be your position on raising taxes to close any gap? 

I do not think we will need to raise taxes, if our cuts are prudent.

What’s your position on calls for the state to expand its Medicaid spending? 

In favor—health care is a basic human right.

How would you rate Florida’s public education funding: too little, just right, too much? What would you change? 

Too little. We need to allocate more to teacher expenditures and creative learning programs.

Gov. Ron DeSantis made the environment a top priority when elected, committing to spend/invest $2.5 billion during his term to help clean up and protect Florida’s water systems. How would you describe your position toward this spending? 

It is political window-dressing. The governor needs to stand up to his corporate donors/polluters on this issue.

Visit Florida’s budget went from $76 million to $50 million in the last legislative session. Given the pandemic and its effects on Florida tourism, what would you propose in the next session? 

Using the money to fight COVID-19. The tourists will return when it’s demonstratively safe.

The November ballot will have an amendment to require a $15 minimum wage by 2026, increasing by inflation every year after. What’s your position on the minimum wage? 

In favor.

For the past three years, the issue of who should regulate short-term residential rentals has come before the Legislature. What’s your position: Should the state or local governments regulate them? Why? 

I believe that you should be able to use your property for whatever lawful use you want to. At the same time, I think local governments should be able to tax the owners of these homes to pay for extra clean-up, noise abatement, etc.

State funding for the arts increased from $2.6 million two years ago to $21.2 million in the most recent session. Arts groups requested $62 million. What’s your position on state taxpayers funding the arts? And if you support it, how much should they get? 

Art funding makes economic sense, through tourism and related business interaction. I don’t have enough information to intelligently answer an amount.

Florida’s unemployment insurance compensation system was roundly criticized during the pandemic. It pays one of the lowest amounts in the nation — a maximum of $275 per week for 12 weeks. Should that be changed, and if so, to what? 

It should be doubled to $550.00 per week for 12 weeks. People who have lost their health insurance should receive health department vouchers for themselves and their children for that period of time, if necessary.