State House, District 72: Margaret Good

Age: 42

Education: University of South Carolina, BA; University of Washington, MA; University of Florida Levin College of Law, JD

Family: My husband, Richard Good, and my dog, Barney

Previous political experience: State Representative, Florida House District 72

Why are you running for the Florida House? I am running to protect our environment, to fully fund our public schools, to provide all Floridians with access to affordable healthcare, and to strengthen our economy.  In my first eight months in office, I pushed for the veto of the "Toilet to Tap" bill, a bill which would have pumped wastewater into our aquifer; I advocated for public school funding and spoke out and voted against the privatization of our public schools; and I offered an amendment to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Act to require universal background checks, a policy that 96% of Floridians support, but which was voted down on party lines. I promised to be accessible and accountable and I have been.  As soon as I got back from Tallahassee, I moved the district office into the district for the first time in a decade (we are now located at 2750 Stickney Point Rd., Unit 104); I’ve hosted 7 town halls and provided legislative updates to civic organizations around the district; and, in order to better understand the issues facing Sarasota, I’ve visited virtually every community organization, hospital, and college in Sarasota, including several of our public schools.

What’s an example of a bill you might file for the next session? I am concerned about environmental protection and water quality.  We must strengthen water quality standards.  We must reduce runoff from fertilizer and other chemicals.  We must support septic to sewer programs.  We must preserve environmentally sensitive lands that act as filters for our water supply. We must fund the Department of Environmental Protection, so that they can provide much-needed oversight.  I will also continue to advocate for the Competitive Workforce Act, a bill that I co-sponsored last session and which, when passed, will ensure Floridians are protected from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the workplace.

What’s the state’s responsibility in dealing with toxic algae blooms and red tide outbreaks? Over the past ten years, our legislature rolled back water quality standards, rolled back environmental protections, made it easier to develop wetlands, and cut the budget of environmental agencies. We must be good stewards of our environment. Our economy and way of life depend on it. Long term, we must strengthen our water quality standards, put key environmental protections in place to deal with pollution from development, agriculture, and septic tanks, and fully fund our land preservation efforts. Short term, we must help our local businesses, especially our tourism industry recover from the financial blow they are taking because of these algae blooms.

What would you do to work with a governor of another party? I’m willing to work with anyone that wants to do what’s best for Florida. In my short tenure in office, I have demonstrated my willingness to work across the aisle to help our community by hosting a bi-partisan town hall on Red Tide. I believe the best solutions come when people have diverse perspectives and are willing to work together to find solutions. However, our political system is broken and most politicians care more about themselves and special interests than they do about doing what’s best for Florida. We must change that. I will work with anyone that wants to find ways to strengthen our public education system, protect the environment, and provide access to affordable healthcare to the almost 2.5 million uninsured Floridians.

Is it possible to increase taxes to improve state services or teacher wages without harming Florida’s economy? Florida passed an almost $90 billion budget this year, the largest in the state’s history, but we remain at the bottom of national educational rankings and in teacher pay. Before we even begin to think about raising taxes, we need to re-prioritize how we allocate our current resources. We need to be better stewards of our citizens’ tax dollars and use the funds more efficiently and effectively. For instance, every year our Republican controlled legislature routes almost a billion dollars and counting into the pockets of private, for-profit education corporations and “voucher schools” at the expense of our public education system. I believe that once we re-prioritize our spending, we will have enough revenue to fully fund our education system and pay teachers what they deserve.

Why are you better qualified to represent this district than your opponent? I am a lawyer and a concerned citizen. I understand the law and want to make our community and Florida better. I have the energy and commitment to serve.  I am a strong vote for a clean environment. My opponent voted to roll back critical environmental policies put into place to protect our water. I will choose our environment over the special interests that are destroying our land and water. I will promote world class educational opportunities for our students. I will fight against routing our education tax dollars into for-profit corporate charter schools. I will fight every day to help build a robust economy where people are treated fairly and have access to affordable health care. I work thoughtfully and am an independent voice. I am willing to cross party lines, but I won’t sacrifice my values to do so. Twenty years of one-party rule is too long.  It is time for change.