TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — With just one day left before the start of the legislative session in Tallahassee, Florida lawmakers are gearing up to tackle various issues that have been garnering a lot of attention in past months.
Proposed elimination of property taxes and congressional redistricting are expected to take center stage, all while Gov. Ron DeSantis gears up for his final year in office.
What You Need To Know
Florida lawmakers are preparing for the start of the legislative session Tuesday in Tallahassee
Key issues like the proposed elimination of property taxes and congressional redistricting will be top of mind this year
This comes as Gov. Ron DeSantis gears up for his final year in office
One political analyst says that enacting proposals like cutting property taxes could give DeSantis leverage if he were to run for president again
DeSantis has already laid out some of his biggest priorities.
Top of the list is the conversation surrounding the elimination of non-school property taxes, which includes four proposals that would either cut them out entirely or phase them out over 10 years.
Another proposal would eliminate non-school property taxes exclusively for homeowners 65 and older.
The proposals include a police mandate that would require local governments to leave law enforcement budgets untouched.
But many lawmakers from both parties have voiced concern about this idea, since it could significantly change how local governments fund essential services like police, fire and schools, especially in rural areas.
Property taxes are the primary source of revenue for local governments.
The Florida Policy Institute estimates $43 billion would be needed to maintain current services if the House proposals are enacted.
When it comes to introducing big pieces of legislation like this during his final session, University of Central Florida political science professor Aubrey Jewett said he looks at it through a policy and political lens.
In the case of eliminating property taxes, Jewett said it’s a policy issue, especially as it relates to taxing and spending, which could have major impacts for local governments.
But, he said it is also a political issue.
“It’s pretty clear that (DeSantis) still has political aspirations and political ambitions,” Jewett said. “This is his last year as governor. He’s term limited out — he’s a lame duck. But he wants to go out with some big political and policy victories. And so, if he can be considered the architect of the first state to totally eliminate property taxes for primary homeowners, that would be something that he could brag about.”
By the same token, Jewett said this also applies to mid-decade redistricting, which he believes is being used as a tactic to maintain a strong Republican presence in Congress.
As the midterm elections inch closer, DeSantis has called a special session in April to address congressional redistricting to potentially redraw the state’s congressional districts.
This comes months after President Donald Trump urged Republican-led states to redraw their maps to expand GOP majority in congress.
“The Florida Constitution says that when the legislature draws district lines, that they can’t do so with the intent of helping or hurting a political party,” Jewett said. “And so, all the legislative leaders and the governor are sort of winding themselves in circles coming up with all these reasons why they want they want to do mid-decade redistricting.”
But before he can move forward with this, DeSantis needs the approval from both the Florida House and Senate.