TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCJB) – One of several property tax reform proposals in Tallahassee is a step closer toward hitting the governor’s desk.
Plus, a North Central Florida lawmaker’s bill to reform the unemployment system is headed for the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee after getting a green light to advance on Wednesday.
A bill to phase out homestead property taxes is headed for the House floor after clearing the final committee.
Members of the House Ways and Means Committee voted to advance the legislation.
The bill would increase the homestead property tax exemption by $100,000 per year for nine years, starting in 2028.
Starting in 2037, homestead properties would be completely exempt from property taxes, except for taxes that support schools and first responders.
“What we are doing is we are taxing homeowners upon something they purchased and yet never truly owned…This is an opportunity to bring relief to the taxpayers,” said State Rep Bankson.
Democrats raised questions about the funding impact on local governments.
“My question is, let’s talk about municipalities and the services that they provide that our constituents depend on every single day. Because every service is important,” said State Rep. Jose Alvarez.
If this bill clears the House and Senate and gets the governor’s signature, the final step is to go before voters as a constitutional amendment. At least 60 percent of voters would have to approve.
An unemployment reform bill filed by State Senator Stan McClain of Ocala is also moving ahead.
The bill lays out situations in which people will be disqualified from claiming unemployment benefits.
“With that in mind, and we also understand that businesses are the ones that pay the tax, if you will, for unemployment claims, which ultimately could lead to higher prices for all of us if there’s fraudulent activity that’s taken place around unemployment assistance applications,” said State Sen. Stan McClain.
Under this bill, people are disqualified from unemployment if they: Fail to show up for job interviews more than three times; Don’t contact a certain number of prospective employers; And fail to return to work after they are recalled from a temporary layoff.
The bill is now in the fiscal policy subcommittee, after it cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development on Wednesday.
Cursive could be making a comeback in Florida.
On Thursday, the House Education and Employment Committee unanimously approved a bill to require cursive education for students from 2nd to 5th grade.
This was the last committee stop; now the bill heads to the full House floor.
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