State Rep. Doug Bankson, R-District 39, highlighted 12 bills he sponsored and five that passed during remarks to the Northwest Orange Republican Women Club, Federated (NORWF) last week at the Apopka City Center Hilton Garden Inn.  

Bankson, who is currently serving his second term, also encouraged club members to get involved, stay informed, and make their voices heard in order to help shape policy that impacts communities. 

“First of all, grow this group,” Bankson said. “Talk to your friends. Be appealing. We have the answers. This party has answers, common sense answers, and you can be approachable. When you get things online, it may shut them off, but they know you. It’s like, ‘Well, wait a minute. I know you, and you’re awesome.’” 

He began his keynote with the assassination and legacy of Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA CEO and co-founder. Bankson was at an honor ceremony for Kirk at the University of Central Florida the previous night, where he spoke about the power of truth because “the truth proves itself, so this is what we need to not worry about.”  

UCF has a Turning Point USA chapter. 

“Charlie Kirk was a man who sought to bring change to open and civil discourse, knowing that when freedom of speech dies, freedom also dies,” he said. “His sacrifice on the altar of freedom, literally, has inspired people. No longer should we hide behind and cower because of those who shout. It seems those who shout seem to be the loudest voice in the room, yet it’s truly a minority of where true Americans are.” 

Bankson discussed the five bills he either sponsored or 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 the transportation bill (HB 1397). 

The gold and silver legal tender bill recognized precious metals, both physical and digital, as legal tender in Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law in May at Highland Manor in Apopka. 

The tax exemption on sales of bullion seeks to repeal a sales tax on the sales of bullion by creating an exemption for its purchase. HB 6021 was passed in the tax package bill, which gets rid of the state sales tax on commercial leases. 

The tag flipping bill escalates unauthorized police lights from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony, and creates new misdemeanors and felonies for possessing, selling, or using license plate-obscuring devices. 

The fentanyl testing bill requires hospitals that are doing non-overdose urine drug tests to check for fentanyl, confirm positives, and record both results. 

The passing of the transportation bill creates the Florida Transportation Research Institute and Academy, revises Florida Department of Transportation structure, and updates rules for project funding, seaports and airports. 

Bankson also touched on property tax reform, insurance issues, parental rights, and the need for artificial intelligence safety and age-appropriate content to protect Florida’s homeowners and children. 

“I think one thing that’s really important is that we really value the amount of actual work that Representative Bankson does,” Loretta Forlaw, NORWF president, said in an interview after the event. “The fact that he sponsored or co-sponsored 12 bills really motivates us to know that we should support him, because he is definitely there, working very hard on our behalf.” 

One thing Forlaw learned from Bankson’s keynote was that the representative has been addressing offenses involving Xylazine, which was in HB 57. Bankson prime-co-sponsored the bill, but it died in returning messages, a part of the legislative process in which a bill in revision goes back and forth between the House of Representatives and the Senate. 

“That is so new, and although his bill was not successful, the fact that they will continue to address that is very important,” Forlaw said. 

Kirk’s assassination has had an impact on NORWF. The club has supported his organization for many years, Forlaw has donated to the organization, and people from her church attended a recent Turning Point USA event in Tampa, a topic that NORWF discussed.  

“We were more personally affected because we had had conversations about Turning Point and its value,” Forlaw said.  

Bankson, an Apopka resident and founder/pastor for Victory Church on South Park Avenue, previously served as Apopka city commissioner. He was elected to his first term as House District 39 representative in 2022 and was re-elected in 2024. 

House District 39 covers 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.