Legislative Update - May 26, 2023

Governor Ron DeSantis filed to run for President after signing legislation that will allow him to stay as Governor while campaigning for President.  Within 24 hours of the announcement, he raised over $8 million.  As part of what he's calling the “Great American Comeback Tour,” the governor will head to Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina next week. 

Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Sixth District Court of Appeal Chief Judge Meredith Sasso to the Florida Supreme Court. She is the fourth woman DeSantis has appointed to the state's highest court and there will now be three women justices simultaneously sitting on the Supreme Court for the first time in state history.

Thursday, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida’s assets are on-scene to assist the State of Texas with the influx of migrants illegally crossing the southern border. Last week, the State of Texas officially requested resources through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) to assist in responding to the substantial public safety and national security threat posed by the federal government’s failure to secure the international border with Mexico. 

The upcoming Memorial Day Weekend will feature a tax holiday on disaster preparedness items courtesy of legislation newly signed by the Governor.  It begins on May 27 and lasts until June 9.  During that period shoppers won’t pay sales taxes on a variety of disaster preparedness items: flashlights up to $40; radios up to $50; tarpaulins at $100 or less; anchor systems or tie-down kits worth $100 or less; fuel tanks up to $50; small batteries — AA, AAA, C, D, 6-volt or 9-volt, not car batteries — up to $50; food storage cooler up to $60; portable generators worth $3,000 or less; and smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers up to $70 each.

And although hurricane season doesn’t begin until June 1, the National Hurricane Center began tracking a system in the Atlantic east of Florida last Sunday, but by Monday afternoon said there was no chance of it forming into a tropical depression ahead of the official start of hurricane season. Federal agencies say that there is uncertainty as to how serious this year’s hurricane season will be due to two weather phenomena, WLRN reports. 

Governor …

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made his White House bid official Wednesday, announcing a 2024 presidential run in an online discussion with Elon Musk that ended months of speculation and set up a clash with former President Donald Trump. As he entered a growing Republican primary field, DeSantis, 44, pledged to be an “energetic executive” who “will get the job done” as president to rein in government agencies that “are totally out of control.” 

“These past few years have given me a new appreciation for the fragility of our freedoms,” DeSantis said during an appearance on Twitter Spaces with Musk, the billionaire owner of the social-media site. DeSantis said one of his priorities as president would be an “overhaul” of agencies that oversaw the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. His criticism of lockdowns and vaccination mandates has helped build his national political reputation with conservatives. 

DeSantis, whose team filed campaign paperwork earlier in the day with the Federal Election Commission, also used the online announcement to criticize the “legacy” media and “elites” whose “assumptions are never challenged.” But the online event was delayed about 20 minutes as demand strained the Twitter Spaces servers — leading DeSantis’ opponents to mock the campaign launch. 

President Joe Biden tweeted a link to his campaign website with the line, “This link works.“ Trump’s campaign also took aim at DeSantis: “Glitchy. Tech issues. Uncomfortable silences. A complete failure to launch. And that’s just the candidate!” the campaign said in a release.

Talk of Pardons - The governor said that, if elected president, he would consider pardoning some of those convicted on charges related to the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the Washington Post reports. 

In an interview with Dana Loesch, DeSantis said Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez would step in and ensure “continuity” if he takes the White House in January 2025, Florida Politics reports. 

Sasso Tapped to Florida High Court - Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Sixth District Court of Appeal Chief Judge Meredith Sasso to the Florida Supreme Court. She is the fourth woman DeSantis has appointed to the state's highest court and there will now be three women justices simultaneously sitting on the Supreme Court for the first time in state history. Sasso is the seventh woman to serve on the bench and as a Cuban American, the fourth Hispanic justice the governor has appointed to the high court since taking office in 2019. Sasso, who has been a finalist for the position before, faced five other finalists to fill a vacancy on the bench created by the departure of former Justice Ricky Polston, who left in March to become general counsel at the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Sasso is a member of the Federalist Society and previously served as Chief Deputy General Counsel for former Gov. Rick Scott. Politico / Florida Politics / Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Florida's Voice / Florida Bar News / Law360 / DeSantis Press Release 

NOT SO TAXING: With two sales-tax “holiday” periods poised to start, DeSantis signed a nearly $1.3 billion package of tax breaks.

ELECTIONS LAW OK’D: As he entered the 2024 race for the White House, DeSantis signed a major elections bill that places additional restrictions on voter-registration groups and helps clear the way for him to run for president without resigning from office.

Gov. Ron DeSantis backs Republican positions on energy issues as he prepares this week to officially enter the presidential race. The governor has championed legislation outlawing environmental considerations in investing of state money, and has taken a strong stance against the prospect of natural gas bans for homes and businesses. The Hill

DeSantis Opponents Point to High Cost of Living in Florida - While Gov. Ron DeSantis can tout low unemployment rates and an ongoing increase in the number of Americans moving into the state, as he begins a run for president his opponents are set to begin pointing out to others around the country that many residents are having a harder time affording to live here. A Democratic campaign response to DeSantis' entry Wednesday into the presidential race noted that "Floridians suffer under some of the highest housing and health care costs in the nation." A DeSantis spokesman said cost of living issues in Florida are due to demand coming from more people wanting to live in the state. "The governor's successful policies in the state of Florida have attracted new residents from across the country, making property in Florida increasingly valuable," a DeSantis spokesman told Politico. "This positive externality of successful state government will naturally come with new challenges, like increasing rent costs." Politico / Tampa Bay Times

The DeSantis Administration is pushing to disqualify a federal judge in a lawsuit filed by Walt Disney Co. against the Florida governor over what the company says is government hostility toward it over political reasons. Orlando Sentinel / Associated Press

“DeSantis’ $13.5M police program lures officers with violent records to Florida” via Richard Luscombe of The Guardian — Numerous police officers lured to new jobs in Florida with cash from DeSantis’ flagship law enforcement relocation program have histories of excessive violence or have been arrested for crimes including kidnapping and murder since signing up, a study of state documents has found. DeSantis, who is expected to launch his campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination this week, has spent more than $13.5m to date on the recruitment bonus program, which he touted in 2021 as an incentive to officers in other states frustrated by COVID-19 vaccination mandates.

Legislature …

Record-Breaking Tax Cut Package Approved by DeSantis - Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed into law the largest tax relief package in state history, which is expected to provide a record $2.7 billion in tax savings for Floridians. The tax relief proposal (HB 7063) permanently eliminates sales tax on dental hygiene products, gun safes, incontinence products and baby products, such as diapers, cribs and strollers. It also provides six sales tax holidays, including a 28-day "back-to-school" sales tax holiday over two separate time periods, one this coming July and August and another in January of next year, on clothing, school supplies and personal computers. There are also two "disaster preparedness" sales tax holidays lasting 14 days each, with the first holiday poised to begin Saturday. Fire extinguishers, pet carriers, detergent, paper towels, trash bags, portable radios, batteries, coolers and generators will all be tax free. A three-month "freedom summer" sales tax holiday will also run from Memorial Day to Labor Day on recreational items, such as sporting goods, tickets to live events, movies, boating supplies, camping supplies, bikes, grills, surfboards and sunscreen. Additionally, the measure provides a "tools and equipment" sales tax holiday from Sept. 2 through Sept. 8 for tools and other home improvement items. Gas stoves and Energy Star appliances will also be tax free for one year under the plan. Another noteworthy item in the tax package is a business rent tax reduction of 1% from the current 5.5% down to 4.5% beginning Dec. 31 and lasting for 13 months. That rate reduction is expected to save small businesses around $256 million. The measure received unanimous approval in the Legislature during its lawmaking session and largely takes effect on July 1. DeSantis Press Release / Family-Focused Tax Relief / Florida Phoenix / Florida Politics / Florida's Voice / Patch / News Service of Florida / House Press Release

Legislation seeking to cut down on unsolicited phone calls and text messages from telemarketers and reduce class action lawsuits in Florida was approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday. The bill (HB 761) makes contacting someone without their consent illegal and gives telemarketers 15 days to stop calling or texting. The new law goes into effect immediately.

New Fla Immigration Law Prompts Some Undocumented to Move Out of State - A new law that puts restrictions on undocumented immigrants living in Florida and is aimed at deterring them from moving to the state is having another intended effect – it's pushing some migrants to leave the state. A report by Axios highlights anecdotal data about migrants deciding to leave because of the new restrictions that are increasing the difficulties for the undocumented to continue living in the state. Axios Tampa Bay

NEW LAW CHALLENGED: A group of Chinese citizens who live in Florida filed a federal lawsuit challenging a new state law aimed at restricting the sale of properties to people and businesses linked to the Chinese government.

The Hamburger Mary’s restaurant in Orlando is suing DeSantis and the state of Florida in federal court, claiming it’s been deprived of First Amendment rights and is already losing customers under a new law on drag shows, the Orlando Sentinel reports. 

Business issues …

The Memorial Day holiday weekend is expected to see record levels of travel in Florida, AAA said.

Nearly 2.4 million Floridians plan to travel at least 50 miles for the holiday weekend, the agency said. According to AAA, that figure is 172,000 more people compared to 2022’s holiday and about 96,000 more travelers than pre-pandemic 2019.

“Memorial Day weekend is the kickoff to what promises to be a very busy summer travel season,” said Debbie Haas, Vice President of Travel for AAA — The Auto Club Group, in a news release. “Despite various inflationary pressures, consumer spending is strong, and Americans still want to travel. Because of that, we’ve seen demand come roaring back, beyond pre-pandemic levels in Florida.”

During DeSantis’ tenure as Florida governor, the state’s economy has performed well on several metrics, PolitiFact reports. 

A hurricane forecasting team predicts above-average hurricane activity this year, forecasting nine, with five of them expected to be major, The Messenger reports. 

“Florida home prices are holding steady, and even rising, as people flock south” via Abha Bhattarai of The Washington Post — A steady stream of new residents is continuing to prop up home prices in 11 Florida metro areas, including Miami and Naples. The median home sales price in the state was $410,000 in April, flat from a year ago, but up from $405,000 in March. Although there are signs that prices are beginning to moderate, many economists say the Florida housing market has held up remarkably well, particularly compared with other pandemic hot spots, such as Seattle, Austin and Silicon Valley, where home prices have fallen about 12% in the past year. As a result, although Florida bore the brunt of the 2008 housing crash, the state appears to be insulated this time around.

As Reinsurance Deadline Approaches, Industry Expects Big Increase in Price - Analysts expect the price of reinsurance – which Florida property insurers must have in place by the June 1 start of the hurricane season, to be markedly higher this year, anywhere from 40% to 70% more expensive. Insurers typically pass on most of the cost of reinsurance to their customers, meaning Florida homeowners are bracing for the possibility of higher rates again. Axios 

“Regulators were warned years ago that insurance companies were altering Florida claims” via Lawrence Mower of the Miami Herald — At least seven adjusters for insurance companies have come forward saying their reports were similarly manipulated to pay homeowners less than their claim estimates. Four have given sworn testimony in civil cases, which can be used in criminal court. Three others spoke during the Legislative Session in December. The initial response from state regulators reflects how officials pursue complaints of fraud by policyholders and their advocates but not complaints against insurance companies, said Doug Quinn, executive director of the American Policyholder Association. It was Quinn’s association that referred the case to Patronis’ office.

Unemployment Rate Held Steady in April - Florida's unemployment rate stayed the same from March to April, holding at 2.6%, according to the Department of Economic Opportunity. That number is 0.8% lower than the national rate of 3.4%. The state also continues to have a lower unemployment rate than the top 10 most populous states. Florida has gained 363,400 new jobs over the past year, with a growth rate of 3.9%, surpassing the national rate. The state added 21,200 jobs in April alone and there are currently more than 464,000 jobs posted online, according to the monthly state data. The education and health care sectors experienced the most job gains, followed by the tourism industry. The construction sector and trade, transportation and utilities sector, however, saw job losses. The construction industry has been experiencing job losses for four consecutive months due to higher interest rates affecting demand for new residential housing construction. The Miami-Miami Beach and Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin areas had the lowest unemployment rates in the state, while Homosassa Springs had the highest. Additionally, between January and March of 2023, Florida saw a record 37.9 million visitors, the largest volume of visitors recorded in a single quarter, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis. "Through strong economic policy and strategic investments, Florida is outperforming the nation and providing more opportunity for its citizens, resulting in more than 200,000 new business formations this year alone and an unemployment rate near an all-time low," said the governor. DeSantis Press Release / DEO April Figures / Florida Politics

Truck drivers have called for a boycott on making deliveries into and out of Florida in response to the governor signing a broad immigration reform bill (SB 1718) into law earlier this month. It seeks to draw attention to illegal immigration issues at the Southern U.S. border and crack down on illegal immigration in the state. The measure requires businesses with more than 25 employees to use the federal E-Verify system, which checks the immigration status of applicants. The new law is scheduled to take effect on July 1. WFLA / WJXT / Daily Mail 

The NAACP is urging travelers to consider what it says are "aggressive" policies that negatively affect Black people when they consider whether to visit Florida. The civil rights group cites Gov. Ron DeSantis' "aggressive attempts to erase Black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools," among its concerns. Tampa Bay Times / Associated Press

How is Life for Everyday Florida Residents in Light of Recent Legal, Political and Cultural Battles? - The Associated Press takes a look at recent changes in laws and in political discourse and broader social trends and tries to paint a picture of how they've affected everyday life in Florida. For many in Florida, recent months have brought some changes – many linked to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The AP reflects on how those changes have been felt by different groups and puts them into the context of the cultural and political landscape.  Associated Press

— Top tweeters —

Miami Gardens Sen. Shevrin Jones and Orlando Rep. Anna V. Eskamani are the Legislature’s most powerful Twitter users, according to political affairs firm Ozean Media, which is bestowing the two Democrats with its ‘@’ Awards for their social media prowess.

Jones was the “clear leader” among his Senate peers, Ozean managing partner Alex Patton said, adding, “If other elected officials are looking to up their Twitter game, Sen. Jones is a model worth studying.”

Patton said the same of Eskamani, who like Jones “not only broadcasts her own message, but also engages with others on the platform.”

Headquartered in Alachua, Ozean used a “proprietary algorithm” to analyze follower counts, tweets, retweets, likes and engagement to determine which Florida lawmakers were deftest on Twitter.

Other standouts in the Senate included Democratic Leader Lauren Book, who remained neck and neck with Jones throughout the analyzed period (Feb. 27 — April 28), and fellow Democratic Sens. Lori Berman, Linda Stewart and Jason Pizzo. Miami Republican Sen. Ileana Garcia topped all Republicans, followed by Debbie Mayfield.

In the House, Democrats Michele Rayner-Goolsby and Angie Nixon trailed in second and third place, respectively, while Republican Rep. Alex Andrade came in fourth. Ozean found that users who not only tweeted, but also replied and retweeted others had higher follower counts. Using media — photos, videos and GIFs — also correlated with larger followings.

Elections …

Amid protests outside, fundraisers for DeSantis began arriving at the ritzy Miami Four Seasons hotel to begin the work of fueling the start of the two-term Florida governor’s long-anticipated presidential campaign, the Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau reports. 

The governor was at the Four Seasons Hotel Miami on Thursday to meet with fundraisers for his campaign and attend an evening reception, the Miami Herald reports. 

The DeSantis campaign said it raised $8.2 million in his first 24 hours as a presidential candidate – a huge sum that cements his standing as the leading Republican rival to Trump, the New York Times reports. 

—“Florida pols react to launch of DeSantis’ presidential campaign” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics

—“Mexican president tells Florida Hispanics: Don’t give ‘one single vote’ to DeSantis” via Rafael Bernal of The Hill

Elon Musk wants to build a digital town square. But his debut for Ron DeSantis had a tech failure.

https://floridapolitics.com/archives/614589-elon-musk-wants-to-build-a-digital-town-square-but-his-debut-for-ron-desantis-had-a-tech-failure/

Over 100 former Donald Trump administration officials back Ron DeSantis for President: 'A proven winner'” via Brandon Gillespie of Fox News — More than 100 former Trump administration officials have formed a growing coalition backing DeSantis to be the Republican Party's 2024 presidential nominee. Officially known as “The Eight-Year Alliance,” DeSantis is “a proven winner,” a contender with a depth of policy proven by what he's accomplished at the state level, and a leader who “does what he says.” The primary motivation of the group is to promote a candidate they feel would be a viable contender for two presidential terms, something they see in DeSantis. They also want to prevent Trump from “immediately becoming a lame-duck President” should he win back the White House.

“Sarah Huckabee Sanders 'front-runner' being considered by DeSantis for VP pick” via Aaron Johnson of Newsbreak — DeSantis is determined to recruit Huckabee Sanders as his running mate before making a formal announcement on his 2024 presidential bid. Insiders claim that DeSantis has set his sights on the former Trump Press Secretary to be his VP pick after she won the race to become the state's first female Governor in November, succeeding Gov. Asa Hutchinson who served in the role since 2015. “He really only has one strong choice: Sarah,” the source said. “He is desperate to lock up his running mate before he makes his formal announcement. He would announce his VP candidate very soon afterward.”