It was all pomp and circumstance inside the legislative chambers of the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee as lawmakers returned to begin the first day of the legislative session.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis led the morning as he delivered his final state-of-the-state address. But before he began his speech, cameras caught him shaking the hand of the senate president, but avoiding the hand of Speaker of the House Daniel Perez.
The governor then began touting his leadership skills and accomplishments.
“We have set the standard for the rest of the country to follow,” he said.
He then went down a laundry list of things he sees as promises kept for Floridians.
“In the past seven years, Florida has attracted more income than any other state has ever attracted over a similar period of time in the entire history of the United States of America,” said DeSantis. “We’ve also provided rebates on tolls for commuters and a sales tax holiday on firearms and ammunition for our Second Amendment enthusiasts.”
In another instance, he made a point to contrast with democratic policies seen in blue cities.
“People have voted with their feet. We can confidently say that Americans prefer the warmth of Florida freedom to the frigidity of New York collectivism,” said DeSantis.
Following his speech, Perez addressed the snubbing by the governor.
“Obviously, personally, we are not on the same page. But politically, we have a job to do,” he said.
Tuesday marked the start of 60 days of work for lawmakers to tackle significant issues such as property taxes and overall affordability.
“If it’s a good bill that we believe is going to help the state of Florida, not just today, but long after we’re gone, it will be heard,” said Perez.
Democrats say they will push hard to lower costs for Floridians.
“The people of Florida are in an affordability crisis. The people of Florida need help,” said State Rep. Fentrice Driskell.
“We don’t think the legislature has done enough on insurance. We’re going to continue to push, and also when you lower insurance rates, you put money in people’s pockets,” said State Sen. Lori Berman.
DeSantis has long pushed for property tax reform, calling for a special session and even advocating for the all-out elimination of the tax. These taxes fund local government programs and public schools.
A House committee has come up with a long list of proposals that don’t cut school funding and minimize the impact on police and fire.
One of the proposals being discussed would boost the homestead exemption from $50,000 to $200,000, but would not affect school budgets and would limit impacts on police and fire departments.
However, the Florida League of Cities said the change could cost local governments around $8 billion a year. They say local governments may have to raise taxes to break even after the losses.
But no matter which path lawmakers choose, the issue will ultimately be in voters’ hands via a ballot referendum in November.
Lawmakers, however, are hopeful they could reach a bipartisan deal on the topic.
“The reality is we have to govern as a legislative body and decide what actually works and what’s actually feasible,” said State Rep. Dan Daley.
“We are absolutely committed to putting something on the ballot that can help Florida homeowners. Period, end of story,” said State Sen. Ben Albritton.
Multiple pathways remain on the issue, and it’s unclear if lawmakers will reach a deal by the end of the regular session or will need to hash it out during the special session.
Other topics, such as immigration, regulation of artificial intelligence, and other issues, will also dominate headlines over the next 60 days.
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