For the Florida Legislature
Kristin Jacobs fights for environment, schools
During her four years in the Florida House of Representatives, Democrat Kristin Jacobs has established herself as a hard-working, knowledgeable legislator capable of dealing constructively with the Republican majority.
The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board strongly recommends that District 96 voters send her back to Tallahassee for a third term.
She is opposed by Saima Farooqui, a newcomer to elective politics. Farooqui is an earnest, knowledgeable candidate, but her political credentials can’t compete with those of Jacobs, who has been a fixture in Broward County politics since 1998, when she was first elected to the County Commission.
There is no Republican primary, and Jacobs and Farooqui are the only candidates seeking election in this northwestern Broward County district. Consequently, all District 96 voters, regardless of party affiliation (or nonaffiliation) are eligible to participate in this election, which will decide who goes to Tallahassee.
Throughout her political career, Jacobs, 58, has been a staunch advocate of the environment. Her chief priority is addressing climate change, through programs that promote alternatives to carbon-based fuels and infrastructure measures that address the rising sea level and water quality.
Among her chief concerns are the algae blooms that threaten Lake Okeechobee and surrounding waterways. The noxious blooms pose a threat to public health and the tourist industry, the lifeblood of Florida’s economy.
The Legislature and governor must do a better job in dealing with the root causes of the blooms, Jacobs says. This would include addressing leaking septic tanks and agricultural runoff, as well as restricted water flow into and through the Everglades.
Jacobs is in a good position to influence measures that could help solve the algae bloom problem. She’s the Democratic ranking member on the Agricultural & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee and the Natural Resources and Public Lands Subcommittee.
District 96 includes Parkland, the site of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre. While wishing the gun legislation passed after the tragedy had gone further in addressing gun violence, Jacobs voted for the measure.
Jacobs, who successfully sponsored “living wage” ordinances while a Broward County commissioner, supports a $15 minimum wage for Florida workers. She’s an advocate of increased teacher salaries and objects to money being diverted from school infrastructure funds in large counties to charter schools in small counties. She’s also a strong supporter of a bill that would address sexual harassment in state government.
Jacobs is the executive director of Resiliency Florida, an organization that helps communities plan for the impact of changing weather patterns and a rising sea level. She lives in Coconut Creek.
Farooqui deserves credit for her enthusiasm and perseverance. A Muslim born in Pakistan, she has dived into the American political system. She’s a vice president of the the Broward chapter of the ACLU and secretary of the American Muslim Democratic Caucus of Florida. She is employed with Best Buy’s Geek Squad.
Farooqui lives in Coconut Creek. recommendations as we complete them. We beg your indulgence since the list of candidates was not known until qualifying ended June 22, with absentee ballots going out a