Yesterday, State Rep. Frank White was my guest on News Talk 1370 WCOA’s “Pensacola Speaks.” We discussed House Speaker Richard Corcoran and his rules that push back against the powerful lobbying industry.
“The Speaker is a deeply principled person,”said White. “He is somebody whose first step as Speaker has been reforming our own body and forcing us to hold ourselves to a higher standard.”
He supports Corcoran’s efforts to have city and county officials represent their constituents rather paying lobbyist to do so.
“Those are the rules that govern ourselves and the way that we interact with really with the special interests,” White said. “I love it. It is wonderful. I fully support it, proud to vote for it.”
White remarked that he has been most surprised since his election in the November by the number of lobbyists and special interests in the state capital.
“It’s eye opening and it kind of makes you worry a little bit about democracy. Then again, I see our Speaker Richard Corcoran who is really holding us down to a standard that we need to be held to. If you’re not going to be somebody who is deeply principled and understands boundaries and the ability to keep them when you’re doing the people’s business, then there are going to be consequences.”
