Donalds targets housing costs, data center rules, and teacher pay in policy pitch

Byron Donalds has detailed a policy agenda focused on housing, education, and disability services during a recent interview.

The Republican nominee for governor spoke with FOX 13 Political Editor Craig Patrick about how his administration would handle state regulations, school standards, and utility costs for Florida residents.

Donalds has served as a state legislator and previously supported school choice initiatives, including a 2023 bill that expanded education savings accounts to all K-12 students. His wife, Erika Donalds, is also a known advocate for charter schools. He ran for office on a platform that emphasizes local control and economic growth.

The candidate addressed the placement of data centers, a topic of debate in rural and urban communities. He stated that local governments, not the state, should approve these facilities. Donalds noted that 27 counties or municipalities have already issued moratoriums or bans on data centers. He said he believes three of those jurisdictions have issued outright bans. He opposed state preemption on this issue, arguing that local officials issue the building permits for large facilities. He credited his running mate, Brian Avila, with authoring the legislation that allows local governments to say no. A state-commissioned study on data centers is scheduled to return its findings on June 1, 2027.

On transportation, Donalds expressed support for growing the state's transportation budget. He said he wants to build roads that all Floridians can use without paying toll fees, rather than relying on express lanes for new infrastructure. He linked road funding to a thriving and growing economy that generates additional tax dollars.

The nominee set specific goals for education, aiming to double the number of engineering bachelor's degrees awarded by Florida universities. He noted that the state awarded 540 fewer engineering degrees last year than it did four years ago. To achieve this, he proposed a mastery goal for math, reading, and writing by graduation. He also suggested giving school districts more flexibility in spending to help pay teachers, who currently rank 50th in average pay among states and DC. He said 20% of large public high schools did not teach physics in the past school year, and he believes districts should decide which schools offer the subject.

Regarding disability services, Donalds cited a waiting list of 23,000 people for the Agency for Persons with Disabilities. He noted that APD has accumulated $450 million in unspent funds, a figure that exceeds $1 billion when including the federal match. He said he would study the budget line items with his team to determine how to deploy these funds more effectively. He did not commit to moving all Medicaid-funded services to a managed care model but said he would study the option.

On climate and energy, Donalds stated he does not believe human activity is contributing to climate change. He proposed a state energy strategy centered on nuclear power and natural gas to keep costs low. He also said he would finish Everglades restoration during his term and implement a coastal corridor plan for waterways.

The next step in the campaign involves the release of the state-commissioned data center study. Donalds and his opponent, David Jolly, will continue to debate the specifics of local versus state control over infrastructure and education standards as the election approaches.