Legislative Update - June 16, 2023

Governor DeSantis' appointment of Rep. Juan Fernandez-Barquin as the new Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts and Comptroller opens up another Florida House district for a to-be-determined special election date. While the 118th's current political makeup is unlikely to lend itself to a competitive general election race to determine which party wins the seat, this district has undergone a dramatic political transformation over the past six years to reach this point.  Fernandez-Barquin's appointment marks the 2nd impending vacancy in the Florida House, along with the selection of Rep. Fred Hawkins from the 35th House district to be the next President of South Florida State College.

Former President Donald Trump appeared in Miami federal court this week on dozens of felony charges accusing him of illegally hoarding classified information.

Governor …

DeSantis Signs Budget, Vetoes $510 M in Spending - Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed a $116.5 billion budget (SB 2500) into law after vetoing $510.9 million in spending lawmakers had approved. The governor signed the bill at an event at a boat club on the Treasure Coast, but unlike in previous years didn't tout the veto actions during a short news conference. The half billion in vetoed spending was far below what the governor rejected last year when he removed more than $3 billion from the budget lawmakers had sent him. This year's vetoed spending included money for a "Community Violence Intervention And Prevention" program, money for a Black History Month celebration and a music history museum in Jacksonville, millions for infrastructure improvements, from seawalls in Delray Beach and Fernandina Beach to stormwater, flooding mitigation and drainage programs across the state. The largest item vetoed was a $100 million line item for conservation easements to keep rural farm land out of development. USA Today Network / Orlando Sentinel / Tampa Bay Times-Miami Herald / News Service Florida / CNN / Spectrum News / Bill Signing Video / Governor's Office Budget Highlights / LobbyTools Budget Materials / Governor's Activity

DeSantis still has long list of bills to sign or veto - After a busy legislative session, Gov. Ron DeSantis still has a long list of bills awaiting his signature or veto. The Florida Legislature gave DeSantis 52 bills on Monday that cover several topics from elder affairs to Medicaid coverage, and there are still 21 bills that have not yet been presented to the Republican governor. Having passed over 300 bills through both chambers, a total of 217 bills have now been signed into law, while two bills have been vetoed. [Source: The Center Square]

Economy …

Florida tax revenue continues to exceed expectations - Tax revenue in the Sunshine State is exceeding projections, according to a recent report from the Office of Economic and Demographic Research. General revenue collections for April showed a gain of $384.8 million, 7.9% higher than what was forecast by the General Revenue Estimating Conference held in March with 72% of that revenue from corporate income tax. Revenue reports in Florida, unlike other states, are a month behind. More from the Center Square.

Florida Jobless Claims Increase - For the first time since mid-May, Florida posted an uptick in weekly unemployment claims, according to an estimate Thursday from the U.S. Department of Labor. The department issued a report that estimated 6,690 first-time jobless claims were filed in Florida last week, up from 5,376 during the week that ended June 3. Meanwhile, an estimated 262,000 claims were filed nationally last week, unchanged from revised numbers for the prior week. Last week’s Florida estimate was the highest since 7,121 claims were filed during the week that ended Jan. 14. Florida has averaged 5,928 claims over the past four weeks. The estimate came as the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity prepares to release a May unemployment report Friday. Florida had a 2.6 percent unemployment rate in April, with an estimated 281,000 Floridians qualified as out-of-work from a labor force of 10.96 million. The national unemployment rate in May was 3.7 percent.

A new report offers solutions to Florida's housing shortage - If you need more proof of how widespread the challenge of finding affordable housing in Florida is, a new report from the non-partisan Florida Policy Project has it. Former state Sen. Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg) is the founder of the group. He said if nothing is done, the problem could get worse. "And it doesn't get better if we just focus on apartments," Brandes said. "I always think of housing as a pyramid. You have to build from the top, middle and the bottom because if you don't build enough at the top, they push out the people in the middle, and the people in the middle will push out the people in the bottom." [Source: WFSU]

FPL is cutting electric rates, though customers will still pay more in January. Miami Herald

Polk County is the fastest-growing county in Florida - Polk County is the fastest-growing county in Florida and the seventh fastest-growing in the nation, according to a new study. The United Community Needs Assessment (UCNA) gives an overview of the needs by residents. The two-year study by the GiveWell Community Foundation and United Way of Central Florida included focus groups and surveys to compile the data. More from WTVT.

“National Hurricane Center monitoring 4 tropical waves, including 2 in Caribbean” via Cheryl McCloud of the Tallahassee Democrat — The National Hurricane Center is monitoring four tropical waves, including two in the Caribbean Sea, according to the latest advisory. No tropical cyclone development is expected over the next seven days. In Florida, a nontropical system is causing heat advisories for some parts of Florida. AccuWeather meteorologists are tracking the potential for activity to increase in the Western Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico later this month. Meteorologists said they see signs that point to some potential trouble spots in the coming weeks. There may be some tropical development in waters surrounding Central America and southern Mexico beginning perhaps as early as this weekend and through the third and fourth weeks of June.

Elections …

Canady may become first woman Speaker … Representative Kevin Steele publicly endorsed Lakeland Representative Jennifer Canady for Speaker of the Florida House. Steele tweeted his support, which was followed by an outpouring of GOP members publicly backing Canady, who would be in line to be the first female in history to lead the Florida House. Republican House rules allow for a speaker to be elected years in advance. Canady will take over as presiding officer after the 2028 Midterm Election, so long as Republicans maintain a majority in the House. 

“Could Jeanette Nuñez’s profile rise to a governorship as DeSantis makes bid for White House?” via Mitch Perry of the Florida Phoenix — Florida’s Lieutenant Governors usually make little news, but that could change as DeSantis continues to traverse the country in his bid to become President in 2024. Depending on how successful DeSantis is in his attempt to win the Republican nomination for the White House, the opportunity exists for Lt. Gov. Nuñez to emerge as a significant actor in Florida’s governance, setting her up to perhaps make history and become the first woman and first Cuban American to serve as Governor in the Sunshine State. “I think she would make an amazing Governor if (DeSantis) is in fact elected to be President of the United States,” says Deb Tamargo, the former president of the Florida Federation of Republican Women.

—“It’s official: Florida will see a trifecta of Republicans running for President in 2024” via Mitch Perry of the Florida Phoenix

—“Will voters get smarter as fake AI photos are used by candidates?” via Douglas Soule of USA Today Network-Florida

—“Trulieve drops another $550K amid push to legalize adult-use marijuana” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics