The Alachua County Legislative Delegation will meet on Jan. 9 at Santa Fe College to discuss the Florida Legislature’s 2025 session and hear from local leaders about priorities. 

The meeting will start at 1 p.m. in the Joseph Fordyce Building (R-01).  

The delegation includes two state senators and three state representatives whose districts include portions of Alachua County—state Sen. Jennifer Bradley, R-Fleming Island, state Sen. Stan McClain, R-Ocala, state Rep. Yvonne Hayes Hinson, D-Gainesville, state Rep. Chuck Brannan, R-Macclenny, and State Rep. Chad Johnson, R-Chiefland.  

McClain and Johnson will be serving for the first time in their current positions after winning in the November elections.

Representatives from Alachua County government and each city in the county will have time to speak to the delegation and ask for support for certain projects or initiatives.  

After these officials, the meeting is also opened up for community groups and local citizens. 

Often, any local bills sponsored by the Alachua County delegation will also be brought up at these meetings. In 2021, the delegation voted to move forward with a bill to place a referendum on the Alachua County ballot concerning single-member districts.  

The meetings are streamed and recorded on The Florida Channel.  

The 60-day legislative session will start on March 4, and several local representatives have already filed bills.  

Hinson has refiled a bill to require gun owners to keep firearms locked when stored in vehicles. She’s tried to find support for the bill over the last couple of sessions.  

Bradley filed a bill to allow an exemption for buying prescription hearing aids through the mail. 

During the last delegation meeting, local requests included State Attorney Brian Kramer asking for more funding for assistant state attorneys and public defenders, the Alachua County School district asking for more transportation funding, and Santa Fe College President Paul Broadie asking for support for deferred building maintenance.