Bill Heller - A Lifetime of Service

I have been proud to represent our community in the Florida House for the last two years. My extensive service as a community leader and my decades of experience in education prepared me well to serve you in Tallahassee.

When I campaigned in 2006, improving our public schools was one of my top priorities. In the 2008 session, we passed the first major school accountability reform legislation since the creation of the FCAT, broadening high school grades to include a wide range of academic indicators. I'm looking forward to returning to Tallahassee next year to work on much-needed additional changes, especially at the elementary and middle school levels. Our children deserve a school accountability system that ensures they are learning, not one that handicaps their teachers by forcing them to teach a test and penalizes struggling schools.

Another one of my priorities was to address the property insurance and property tax crises by passing meaningful reform. I was disappointed with the legislation my colleagues passed, and I think the situation is even worse than before. We need legislation that offers innovative, long-term solutions that protect homeowners, renters and business owners (without gutting education funding). Several respected local business leaders have offered a comprehensive property insurance reform proposal that I believe is worth a serious look (for more information, visit www.floridareinsurance.com). I will fight hard to ensure that this proposal receives serious review next session.

With your help, I will continue my lifetime of service by representing our community in the Florida House of Representatives. I look forward to the next few months of campaigning, and I will use this opportunity to hear your thoughts, suggestions, and concerns so that I can return to Tallahassee even better prepared to serve.

I hope I can count on your support for my re-election.