State Sen.-elect LaVon Bracy Davis, D-District 15, and Rep. Doug Bankson, R-District 39, recounted their achievements in this year’s legislative session and reaffirmed their commitment to represent Apopka in Tallahassee during the City Council meeting Wednesday.
Both lawmakers recapped the session, which set the record as the longest in the state’s history at 105 days, according to Bracy Davis. The 2024 regular session began on March 5 and ended on June 7. A session typically lasts 60 days.
Bracy Davis admitted her disappointment over the latest session’s focus on what she called culture wars and engineered controversies. She said her top priority this past session was cost of living issues, from groceries to property insurance, for constituents.
She touted successes like securing funds for the Orlando Museum of Art and Samaritan Village, a safe place for women survivors of human trafficking, and her commitment to various issues, including voting rights and “returning citizens,” or people who are released from incarceration.
“In closing, I’ll say this to you, my promise to you, to the commissioners and also to the citizens of Apopka, that I bring Apopka with me to Tallahassee,” Bracy Davis said. “When I was elected to Tallahassee, Apopka goes with me, so I say your name on the House floor and now on the Senate floor. Your families, your neighborhood, your hopes deserve more than rhetoric. They deserve results.”
Bracy Davis was elected senator in a Sept. 2 special election over Republican Willie J. Montague, succeeding Sen. Geraldine Thompson, who died in February at age 76. At the time, Bracy Davis was the House District 40 representative, which she had served in from her election in 2022 until her resignation on Sept. 1.
She won the June 24 Democratic primary, defeating four opponents including her brother former state Sen. Randolph Bracy.
Her former chief of staff RaShon Young ran for her old seat. He defeated Republican Tuan Le in the Sept. 2 special election. He accompanied Bracy Davis to the Oct. 1 Apopka City Council meeting.
Bracy Davis will be sworn into her new office on Tuesday, Oct. 8, in the Senate Chamber in Tallahassee.
Bankson discussed five of the 12 bills he either sponsored or prime co-sponsored that were signed into law this year: to recognize gold and silver as legal tender (House Bill [HB] 999), the tax exemption of sales of bullion (HB 6021), the tag flipping/offense involving motor vehicles (HB 253), hospitals testing patients for fentanyl (HB 1195), and a transportation bill that creates an institute, updates the structure of the Florida Department of Transportation, and updates rules for project funding, seaports and airports (HB 1397).
Bankson also spoke about the importance of protecting Lake Apopka and the progress made in restoring its water quality, and, for the next legislative session, his intent to continue working on property tax reform.
“Bottom line is we’re working very hard,” Bankson said. “We’re working together to get things done. I’m really excited about what we’ve done, and I’m ready to roll up the sleeves and get to work. We are going next week, starting again.”
Bankson is currently serving his second term. He was elected to his first term as House District 39 representative in 2022 and re-elected in 2024. He is an Apopka resident, founder/pastor for Victory Church on South Park Avenue and previously served as city commissioner.
House District 39 encompasses parts of Orange, Seminole and Lake counties, including the cities of Winter Garden, Ocoee and Apopka, the communities of Mount Plymouth and Zellwood, and a part of western Seminole County.
Senate District 15 includes northwest Orange County, including Apopka.