Bert J. Harris, Jr.
Known as a champion of private property rights in Florida, former State Representative Bert J. Harris Jr., made the promotion of agriculture his life’s avocation. A 1943 honors graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in agriculture, Harris served as a corporal in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. A citrus grower and rancher himself, Harris owned Rainbow Caladiums and was an independent farming consultant until his election into the Legislature. Harris’ efforts with the passage of private property rights to protect landowners from excessive government resulted in the naming of the bill the “Bert J. Harris Jr. Private Property Rights Protection Act.” He also sponsored legislation to settle citrus canker cases, passed legislation to prevent the disparagement of perishable food products and worked to meet the Greenbelt Law.