Florida House Speaker and Republican gubernatorial candidate Paul Renner sat down with News 6\u2019s Lauren Melendez during a recent stop in Orlando to talk about artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n
Renner, who lives in Palm Coast with his family, served in the legislature from 2015 to 2024. He currently serves on the State University System Board of Governors.<\/p>\n
You can watch the full interview in the player above.<\/p>\n
Below you can read a summary of his stances on the six issues discussed and the corresponding portion of the interview.<\/p>\n
[WATCH: 6 questions with Paul Renner]<\/p>\n
NEWS 6 QUESTION 1: \u2018Affordability\u2019 seems to be a political buzzword right now. What are you doing about making sure that Floridians can live and enjoy a decent quality of life here in our state?<\/p>\n
SUMMARY: Affordability in Florida is more than just a campaign talking point\u2014it\u2019s a growing crisis he believes demands immediate action. After traveling the state and hearing concerns from residents, Renner argues too many Floridians are being priced out and even leaving altogether. His plan focuses on cutting costs at the core of daily life, including lowering property taxes, reducing insurance rates, and slowing rising utility bills. Renner also proposes eliminating homestead property taxes and says his approach would provide relief not just for homeowners, but also renters, small business owners, and those on fixed incomes.<\/p>\n
NEWS 6 QUESTION 2: What is your position on AI data centers coming to Florida?<\/p>\n
SUMMARY: Renner opposes the expansion of large-scale AI data centers in Florida, arguing they would put significant strain on the state\u2019s resources and drive up costs for residents. Renner points to the massive energy demand of these facilities\u2014comparing one example to the power usage of an entire city\u2014as well as their heavy water consumption, which he says could total billions of gallons annually. He is calling for a \u201cfull stop\u201d on new developments, warning they could increase electric bills and threaten environmentally sensitive land. Renner also draws a contrast with opponent Byron Donalds, accusing him of supporting rapid expansion without fully considering the impact on Floridians.<\/p>\n
NEWS 6 QUESTION 3: How will you expand Florida economic growth if larger companies require AI data centers and you oppose them? Wouldn\u2019t that deter companies from setting up shop here?<\/p>\n
SUMMARY: Renner says Florida can continue to grow its economy without relying on large AI data centers, which he argues are being oversold as a \u201csilver bullet.\u201d Instead, he is emphasizing support for small businesses and tax relief as the foundation for sustainable growth. He points to his record leading the Florida House, where he says policies helped attract businesses and strengthen the economy. Renner believes boosting job creation and increasing wages\u2014particularly through small business growth\u2014is the most effective way to address affordability and keep residents in the state.<\/p>\n
[WATCH: Paul Renner touts ties to DeSantis in governor bid, but lacks endorsement (from 2025)]<\/p>\n
NEWS 6 QUESTION 4: Where do you stand on the war with Iran and how would you address spiking gas prices?<\/p>\n
SUMMARY: Renner says rising gas prices tied to the conflict with Iran are a short-term strain on Floridians, but still require immediate relief. While emphasizing the broader national security goal of preventing a nuclear Iran, Renner acknowledges the financial pressure at the pump and says the state should act to ease the burden.<\/p>\n
His proposed solution includes temporarily suspending the gas tax and exploring other short-term cost-cutting measures for commuters until prices stabilize. Renner says those taxes could be reinstated once the conflict ends and fuel costs drop, noting they are important for infrastructure funding. He also stresses the need for stronger cooperation with the legislature to deliver meaningful affordability measures, pledging to push for broader cost reductions if elected governor.<\/p>\n
NEWS 6 QUESTION 5: Can you briefly explain your property tax relief plan and how you would protect homeowners without sacrificing the services that rely on those taxes like police and fire?<\/p>\n
SUMMARY: Renner is proposing a sweeping property tax overhaul that would eliminate roughly $34 billion in homestead property taxes to provide permanent relief for Florida homeowners. His plan relies first on cutting government spending\u2014arguing billions can be saved from the state\u2019s broader budget without raising new taxes.<\/p>\n
To cover any remaining gaps, Renner suggests shifting some of the tax burden to out-of-state buyers, tourists, and non-homestead properties like vacation homes, including a potential one-time charge on property purchases. He says the goal is to protect primary homeowners from losing their homes due to financial hardship, while still ensuring local governments can fund essential services like police and fire.<\/p>\n
NEWS 6 QUESTION 6: How will you protect Floridians from a vulnerable federal government and insulate them from the fallout tied to federal government shutdowns?<\/p>\n
SUMMARY: Renner says Florida should prepare for potential federal failures, including government shutdowns, by strengthening state-level emergency readiness. Drawing on his military background, he compares it to preparedness for major crises and argues that federal dysfunction makes it necessary for states to be self-reliant.<\/p>\n
In the event of a shutdown that disrupts critical services like airport security, Renner says Florida should be ready to deploy the State Guard or other state resources to temporarily fill essential roles and keep operations running. He frames the approach as a broader effort to ensure Florida can \u201ccount on Floridians\u201d rather than depend on an unreliable federal government during crises.<\/p>\n
NEWS 6 QUESTION 7: Given the recent slew of scandals plaguing elected leaders across the country and here in Florida, how can you assure voters they can trust you?<\/p>\n
SUMMARY: Renner argues Floridians can trust him based on his long record of public service, including more than 20 years in the military with a top secret clearance and his experience as a prosecutor handling violent offenders. He also highlights his personal life as a husband and father, presenting himself as steady and grounded in public service rather than personal gain.<\/p>\n
On ethics in politics, Renner says he is willing to hold members of his own party accountable, pointing to his repeated calls for the resignation of Congressman Cory Mills over what he describes as serious ethical concerns. He criticizes politicians who, in his view, prioritize personal enrichment and self-promotion over serving the public. Renner frames his approach as one centered on accountability, public safety, and putting \u201cWe the People\u201d first, arguing that his record shows he is committed to integrity in office.<\/p>\n
NEWS 6 QUESTION 8: What\u2019s your position on ICE agents wearing body cameras?<\/p>\n
SUMMARY: Renner says he supports ICE and law enforcement officers wearing body cameras, calling them a valuable tool for accountability and protection. Drawing on his background as a former prosecutor, Renner argues that body cameras help clarify what actually happened during encounters, often disproving false claims and protecting officers from unjust discipline or career damage.<\/p>\n
He also says the footage can strengthen criminal cases, particularly in violent or premeditated crimes, by providing clear evidence for prosecution. Overall, Renner frames body cameras as a transparency measure that benefits both law enforcement and the public, helping protect officers while improving trust in how they carry out their duties.<\/p>\n
Breaking News Alerts<\/p>\n
More Stories Like This In Our Email Newsletter<\/p>\n
Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Florida House Speaker and Republican gubernatorial candidate Paul Renner sat down with News 6\u2019s Lauren Melendez during a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":249998,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[8184,2715,28,30,29,7381,99],"class_list":["post-249997","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-florida","tag-election-2026","tag-elections","tag-florida","tag-florida-headlines","tag-florida-news","tag-paul-renner","tag-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249997","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=249997"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249997\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/249998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=249997"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=249997"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=249997"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}