Five questions with State House candidate Kim Kline

Early voting is underway in Santa Rosa County and will continue until Nov. 2, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Below are Kim Kline’s answers to our questionnaire:

NP: Tell us about your campaign platform, and your top focuses if elected.

My campaign platform is focused on four primary issues: property insurance reform, housing affordability, public education, and the responsible development of Northwest Florida. I have spoken to thousands of voters in District 2 since filing to run last year, and these are the overwhelming concerns of local residents in Escambia and Santa Rosa counites. Good government addresses the most pressing problems first, and currently, our state is not focused on the right issues.

NP: What needs to be done to maintain Florida’s resiliency in the coming years?

The largest insurer in Florida is owned by Florida residents, Citizens Property Insurance. It is a non-profit entity; however, it covers too many aspects of home insurance. A better approach would be to scale it back to only wind coverage and make that coverage available for purchase to all homesteaded Floridians. HB 1213, a bipartisan bill presented last session, is a great starting point. The
incumbent does not support it, but I will.

NP: Affordable housing has been a hot topic statewide as the cost to purchase a new home continues to climb. What would you do to help solve this problem?

Funding for county and municipal governments to offer builder incentives, first time buyer programs and housing assistance already exists in the state’s Sadowski Trust, but only 70% of it is used each year. The legislature also “sweeps” unused project funds away from local governments if they don’t use them all, which leads to wasteful spending. Let local governments keep their allotted funding and work with local nonprofits to solve our housing issues.

NP: What measures would you like to see taken to improve education and make our schools safer?

Every school needs to have better mental health resources. Last session’s chaplain bill was an inadequate Band-Aid, and the existing delivery system at the county level is underfunded. I will not vote for any preemptive bills that move local district control to Tallahassee or create unfunded mandates. We are not Miami or Tampa, and one size fits all education policy does not work. Less standardized testing, less technology; we should invest in good teachers and back to basics instruction.

NP: Voters will soon go to the polls to vote on Amendment 4. What is your opinion on this amendment and what abortion law should look like in Florida?

While I support reasonable restrictions on the procedure, I believe the 6-week ban poses a whole host of problems and will not produce the desired result of fewer abortions. There will only be fewer legal abortions in the state, and it may even prevent doctors from providing life saving measures in emergencies. If Amendment 4 passes, I will support more funding for pregnancy centers for women who want to have their babies but lack the necessary resources.