Legislative Update - December 16, 2024

Florida Senators and their staffs were in Tallahassee this week for training. They headed back to their districts on Wednesday, and some will participate in Legislative Delegation meetings prior to returning to Capitol for interim committee meetings. The first round of interim committee meetings begins the week of January 13.

Florida is attracting more residents from people migrating from other states. However, the pace is beginning to slow down compared to previous years, and business leaders are sounding alarms.

The Florida Chamber of Commerce published its latest migration report this week, which analyzes the number of people moving into and out of the state. The analysis of 2023 shows there was a net total pickup of 126,000 people.

“Electors descend on Florida Capitol next week to elect Trump and JD Vance to the White House” via Eric Daugherty of Florida’s Voice — Florida’s slate of electors will descend upon the Florida Capitol next week to elect Trump President and JD Vance Vice President of the United States. The Department of State announced that the state’s 30 presidential electors will meet in the Florida Senate chambers on Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 2 p.m. ET. The list of the 30 electors that will cast their votes for Trump and Vance — is composed of various figures across Florida, including GOP leaders, Cabinet members, state lawmakers and others. Certification of the American Electoral College occurs on Jan. 6, 2025, in Washington. Trump’s inauguration will occur two weeks later, on Jan. 20, 2025.

Former Rep. Carolina Amesty is off the hook.

The Orange-Osceola State Attorney’s Office announced it won’t pursue felony charges against the one-term Republican, who exited office after losing to now-Democratic Rep. Leonard Spencer in November.

A grand jury in August indicted Amesty on felony charges, including forgery, uttering forgery, false acknowledgment or certification by a notary public, and notarizing her signature on a wrongly notarized document.  Read more on Florida Politics

State Rep. Susan Valdés is switching political parties, dumping Democrats in favor of the GOP.

Valdés announced her switch in a post on X. The move came less than a week after Valdés lost a bid to chair the Hillsborough County Democratic Party. Members instead voted for Vanessa Lester despite Valdés having major backing from local elected officials and unions. Lester was seen as the more progressive choice to lead the party through a period of rebuilding.

Governor …

Gov Gives the Gift of Time Off: Gov. Ron DeSantis is again giving state employees more time off for the holidays this year. "Florida is in great shape, and we want to reward our state employees," said the governor in a press release on Tuesday. "After a full year — including three costly hurricanes — we hope these extra days off allow for state workers to spend more time with their families and loved ones during this holiday season." In addition to Christmas Day (Dec. 25) and New Year's Day (Jan. 1), state offices will also be closed on Dec. 23, Dec. 24, and Dec. 31. DeSantis Press Release / Tallahassee Democrat / News Service Florida

Trump spoke to DeSantis about choosing Lara Trump for Florida Senate seat” via Alex Leary of The Wall Street Journal — Lara Trump wants to be the next U.S. Senator from Florida, and she has a powerful advocate in her corner: her father-in-law. President-elect Trump recently spoke to DeSantis about Lara Trump, according to people familiar with the discussion, putting in a good word with his former 2024 GOP Presidential Primary rival. It isn’t a given that DeSantis will pick Lara Trump, and people close to the Governor note he has an independent streak. According to a person familiar with the matter, he is considering several candidates, including Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody. However, one Trump insider observed that the idea has gone from a fanciful “wouldn’t that be interesting” sentiment to a distinct possibility.

Legislature …

Senate Majority Leader Jim Boyd secures votes to become next Florida Senate President” via Anita Padilla of Florida’s Voice — Florida’s Voice has confirmed Sen. Boyd has secured the votes he needs among his Republican colleagues to serve as the next President of the Florida Senate. Boyd is expected to begin assuming the role of Chair of the Florida Republican Senate Campaign Committee for the 2026 Election cycle. In line with tradition, the Senate Republican Caucus formally designates the next Senate President during the Fall of each odd-numbered year. Boyd will lead the Republican supermajority into the next election cycle after building trusting relationships among caucus leaders. In November, Boyd told Florida’s Voice that Floridians are resilient regarding the unity of his community as cleanup efforts in areas impacted by recent tornadoes.

“Florida Supreme Court seeks more Judges, describes workload impacts” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — A new year could bring more judgeships if the highest court in the state has its way. The Florida Supreme Court is making the case for 50 more lower-level Judges in an opinion released Thursday. The opinion precedes the Legislative Session, as lawmakers must authorize additional Judges based on the constitutional directive to the court to make its recommendation. The high court wants 23 more circuit court judgeships (seven of which are in the 20th Circuit), 25 county court judgeships (including seven in Miami-Dade), and a pair of additional district court judgeships on the Lakeland-based 6th District Court of Appeal, which came into existence last year after legislative authorization. The impact on the newest appellate court is such that a judge is currently on loan from a different circuit.

Fine Seeks to Lower Legal Age for Buying Rifles - Legislation to repeal the restriction on buying at least some firearms for people under 21 in Florida was filed Tuesday by Republican Sen. Randy Fine, who said people old enough to serve in the military should be able to buy their own guns. The measure (SB 94) would repeal a 2018 law that raised the minimum age for purchasing guns in Florida from 18 to 21 following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre. The age limit in Florida technically applies to all firearms, and Fine's measure would repeal the restriction regardless of the type of gun. But how it might affect the purchase of handguns is murky, because their sale is currently restricted to people over 21 by a federal law, but that could change based on court decisions. The federal Gun Control Act prevents people under 21 from buying handguns, but in the last few years several lawsuits have challenged that restriction and two full federal courts of appeals have ruled that 18-to-20-year-olds have full Second Amendment rights. Backers of ending the higher age limit in Florida have cited the constitutional requirement, along with the practical issue of when it makes sense to allow people to obtain that constitutional right. "When you turn 18, you are eligible to enlist in our nation's finest fighting forces and are entrusted with a rifle to defend our country," Fine told Florida Politics. "I believe that if you can use a rifle in war to protect our nation, you should also be able to purchase one at the age of 18." The Florida House passed a measure (HB 1223) in March during the last legislative session to repeal the 21-year age limit, but the bill didn't make it to the Senate floor for a full vote there. Florida Politics / News Service Florida / Tampa Free Press / Florida Today

Rudman Files Bill to Allow Open Carry of Firearms, Repeal Red Flag Law - Pensacola Republican Rep. Joel Rudman on Monday filed a measure (HB 31) to significantly loosen gun restriction laws, including ending the red flag law that allows people to petition courts to have others' guns taken when they're deemed to be a danger, allow guns to be carried on college campuses and in polling places, and remove Florida's restriction on openly carrying guns while in public. While the measure is backed by many conservatives, the open carry portion faces an uphill battle in the Senate, where leadership is skeptical of open carrying of firearms. Rudman is resigning from the chamber at the first of the year, before the regular session starts, because he's running for Congress, but another member could take over the legislation, or its various provisions could be woven into other legislation, though Rudman won't be in the Legislature after Jan. 1 to push for the bill. While gun owners don't need a permit in Florida to carry their weapon, current law requires that guns be carried in a concealed manner in most cases. Rudman's bill would allow guns to be carried openly, part of a broader national push to remove restrictions on the carrying of firearms. Florida is one of just a few states that now don't allow open carrying of guns. The measure would also repeal Florida's "red flag" law passed after the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. That law allows people to petition a court for a "risk protection order" to have someone's firearms confiscated if they're deemed to be a threat to themselves or others. The bill would also allow guns to be carried in several places where they're currently banned, including polling places and on college campuses. "I take the Constitution very seriously," Rudman wrote Monday on his Facebook page. "That's why my first bill of the 2025 Session is a 2nd Amendment bill that repeals Florida's unconstitutional red flag laws and makes Florida an open carry state." Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, said earlier this year that he opposes open carry legislation because law enforcement officials are against it. "They oppose it. I trust my law-enforcement officials, and that's where I stand," Albritton said in November. Rudman is currently running for the Western Panhandle seat in Congress recently vacated by former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz. Tallahassee Democrat / Florida Politics / News Service Florida / Florida Phoenix

Legislation Would Require Worker Heat Protections - Democratic Rep. Michael Gottlieb filed legislation (HB 35) this week that would require employers to provide drinking water and 10-minute breaks every two hours when the heat index reaches 90 degrees. It's the third time the Broward County lawmaker has pushed a state-level requirement aimed at protecting workers from heat. Under current law, only the state can require that employers provide such protections above and beyond what federal occupational safety rules already require. Earlier this year the Legislature passed and Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation (HB 433) prohibiting local governments from regulating workplace heat exposure amid a move by Miami-Dade County to do so. Florida Phoenix

“Florida’s hospitality lobby asked state lawmakers for a way to allow undocumented workers to fill labor shortages” via McKenna Schueler of Orlando Weekly — Last year, as Florida’s service and hospitality industries scrambled to address labor shortages worsened by the state’s harsh new immigration policies, the major lobbying group representing them pitched an idea to state legislators that they believed could help: Why not make it easier for employers to lawfully hire the sizable number of undocumented immigrants who have lived and worked under the table in Florida for years?

The Sunshine State is home to the country’s third-largest population of undocumented immigrants — 747,000 as of 2022 — who contribute roughly $1.8 billion to the state’s economy through local and state taxes. Behind construction and agriculture, hospitality is the top industry, employing the largest shares of the country’s undocumented workforce.

Aging Population Bulge Has Implications for Florida, Other States' Budgets - The Baby Boomer generation, still one the nation's largest age cohorts, are now all 60 or older and will soon be mostly retired, bringing challenges to state budget writers in Florida and elsewhere as they try to adjust to lower tax collections from a smaller group of working adults and higher need for services as one of the largest segments of the population ages into their 70s and 80s. The oldest Baby Boomers will turn 80 in 2026 and by 2030 the entire generation, born between 1946 and 1964, will have reached retirement age. While Millennials, born between 1981 and 1996, now slightly outnumber Baby Boomers in the U.S., partly because of immigration, the Baby Boomers are still some 70 million strong in the country and the U.S. Census Bureau projects that by 2034 adults over 65 will outnumber children in the U.S. for the first time. With fewer people working supporting more people not working, tax and budget policy becomes more difficult, and about 21% of people living in Florida were over 65 as of 2021, one of just five states where that population was over 20%, along with West Virginia, Delaware, Vermont and Maine. Florida has generally benefited from an influx of retiring boomers, Amy Baker, head of Florida's Office of Economic and Demographic Research, told lawmakers earlier this year. "It's really colored our sales tax collections in particular, because a lot of them move into Florida, they buy their own home, they pay cash, they outfit it, equip it." But that changes as they age. "As they reach 85 and older, they're not going to be making those purchases of goods," Baker said. "They're not buying a new car. They're not redoing, necessarily, their living room. They become focused on services, which we don't tax." Pluribus News

 Growing number of Democrats call for Susan Valdés to resign, run again in Special Election” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — A growing number of Democratic and progressive leaders are calling for Rep. Valdés’ resignation following her party switch to join the GOP. “This betrayal expands the Republican supermajority and disregards the trust of voters who elected her under Democratic values,” posted Kari Cieslak, Vice Chair of the Pinellas County Democratic Executive Committee. “Voters in HD 62 deserve leaders who honor their commitments. Rep. Valdés must resign and allow a Special Election. Democracy demands accountability. We cannot allow party-switching to erode public trust. The press and public must demand answers. Let’s ensure integrity in leadership.”

Washington …

CNN poll: Most Americans approve how Donald Trump is handling his return to the White House” via Jennifer Agiesta of CNN — Most Americans expect Trump to do a good job upon his return to the White House next month (54%) and a majority approves of how he’s handling the presidential transition so far (55%), according to a new CNN Poll conducted by SSRS.

COVID ,,,

With End of COVID Assistance, Budgets Likely to Be Big State Capitol Focus Nationwide: State lawmakers around the country will be focused on shrinking revenues, workforce needs, and rules dealing with the burgeoning use of artificial intelligence in the coming year, says Tim Storey, CEO of the National Conference of State Legislatures. Education, tech privacy, and housing and the cost of living will be key issues in various states, but the need to take a closer look at spending in a post-pandemic assistance era will permeate capitol buildings nationwide. "The theme will be tighter budgets, far more scrutiny, less money for new programs, less money to solve problems," Storey told Pluribus News. Some states may even need to cut program spending, though Florida isn't likely to see a revenue shortfall. Spending already has started to return to more "normal" levels following the Pandemic increase, with the end of federal COVID relief funding (see item below). Pluribus News

State Spending Stabilized in '24, Following COVID Growth: Total spending by states around the country grew moderately in FY 2024, slowing from the years of the COVID pandemic when state budgets were fattened by massive aid from the federal government, according to a new report on state spending from the National Association of State Budget Officers. While the pipeline of federal money has been closed off some, spending of state-generated dollars has grown due to record growth in state tax collections in the years immediately following the start of the pandemic, NASBO said. That boost in tax revenue was the result of strong consumer spending, bolstered in part by federal COVID aid to individuals, job growth, stock market gains, and tax collections pushed higher by inflation, the organization said. Overall total state spending increased 6.2% in fiscal 2024, the organization said, topping $3 trillion for the first time since NASBO has collected the data. National Association of State Budget Officers / Pluribus News

Fla COVID Deaths Rise: COVID-19-related deaths in Florida have continued to rise this year, with 5,768 deaths reported as of Tuesday, according to the Florida Department of Health. While the total number remains lower than in previous years, the death toll has increased since early November, when 5,484 deaths were recorded. In comparison, Florida saw significantly higher death rates in the past, with 23,349 deaths in 2020, 39,870 in 2021, 21,307 in 2022, and 8,442 in 2023. The highest number of deaths this year have been reported in Miami-Dade County (512), followed by Palm Beach (437) and Pinellas (351). News Service Florida

Economy …

“Florida’s new unemployment claims tick up, but remain at levels seen most of this year” via Drew Dixon of Florida Politics — The first week of December saw new unemployment insurance claims settle to more normal figures after a turbulent Fall amid two massive hurricane strikes in Florida. There were 5,962 first-time jobless filings in Florida for the week ending Dec. 7, according to new figures published by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). That number is up from the 3,987 initial claims for the week ending Nov. 30. But that was the lowest figure for the entire year, as retailers and businesses engaged in a massive hiring influx to cover demands during the Thanksgiving week shopping blitz. The figures for Dec. 7 are still slightly lower than most weeks this year.

It’s also another indicator that the jobs market has recovered after being rocked when Hurricanes Helene and Milton hit the state within two weeks of each other.

‘Florida can’t be beat:’ State once again shatters tourism records” via Alaina Papazian of WFLA — Record-breaking visitation numbers were released Tuesday, cementing Florida’s status at the top of the tourism industry as a premier travel destination worldwide in 2023. DeSantis announced: “Florida can’t be beat; I’m proud of the new record set for the state. Everyone loves the free state of Florida.” The numbers showed that tourists spent $131 billion statewide last year and about $359 million per day, which was a 5% increase from 2022. The tourism industry in Florida supports 2.1 million jobs and is responsible for 9.5 % of jobs across the state last year. That same report concludes that tourism activity accounted for $1,910 in tax savings per Florida household.

“Florida gas prices drop to lowest since January — then bounce back up” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Gas prices in Florida briefly dipped below $2.99 per gallon last week, the lowest average price point since Jan. 22, according to AAA — The Auto Club Group. Then they rocketed back up to $3.12 per gallon by Monday morning. The state average was three cents more than last week. AAA spokesperson Mark Jenkins predicted per-gallon prices will again drop below $3 based on seasonal trends. “Florida gas prices don’t hold still very long,” he said in a prepared statement. “Gas prices typically move lower through the Winter months, because of cold weather, lower demand and gasoline supply gains. These factors will help push gasoline back below $3 a gallon this month.”

Record-Breaking Travel Expected for Floridians This Holiday Season - Floridians are gearing up for a record-breaking year-end travel season, with AAA forecasting 7.1 million residents journeying 50 miles or more between Dec. 21 and Jan. 1. This marks an increase of 220,000 travelers over last year's record. Nationwide, 119.3 million Americans are expected to travel, surpassing the previous record set in 2019 by 64,000. Driving remains the most popular travel choice, with over 6.4 million Floridians expected to take road trips, a new state record and 200,000 more than last year. Nationally, 107 million people will hit the roads, nearing the 2019 peak of 108 million. AAA also predicts 7.9 million Americans will fly this holiday season, surpassing last year's record of 7.5 million. Flight prices have increased, with domestic tickets averaging $830, up 4%, and international flights averaging $1,630, up 13%. Alternative travel modes, including buses, trains, and cruises, are experiencing a 10% increase in popularity compared to last year as well. AAA estimates 4.47 million Americans will use these methods — the highest in 20 years, with cruise bookings from U.S. ports up 37% over last holiday season. AAA Press Release

Elections …

With close of Special Election qualifying, who is challenging Randy Fine in Florida's 6th?” via Mark Harper of the Daytona Beach News-Journal — Voters in Florida's 6th District will have no shortage of choices in replacing U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz in an April 1 Special Election. Eight candidates – actually nine, if you count a write-in – qualified by Saturday's noon deadline. That ensures a Jan. 28 Primary Election for both Republicans and Democrats, and five choices on the April 1 ballot. Three are Republicans; three are Democrats. There is also a Libertarian, a no-party option and a write-in. After landing Trump's endorsement, Republican Fine became the favorite, pushing several other Republicans out of the race.

“Kevin Cooper wins Miami-Dade GOP gavel” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Aventura lawyer Cooper will soon remove the “Vice” from his title with the Miami-Dade Republican Party. Members of the Republican Executive Committee (REC) elected Cooper, 31, to succeed Hialeah Rep. Alex Rizo as Chair of the Miami-Dade Republican Party for the next two years. Cooper defeated Sunny Isles Beach Commissioner Jerry Joseph for the job by an 83-15 vote. Cooper’s win Monday, first reported by the Miami Herald, is the culmination of eight years of work within the REC, a body to which he was elected in 2016 and served as Campaign Director in 2022. But it didn’t come without some friction. POLITICO reported that Joseph had the backing of a self-described South Florida “election integrity” group called the Election Brigade, which supported numerous other candidates this cycle who have been prone to calling moderate members of the party RINOs (Republicans in name only).

Panhandle lawmakers want Nathan Boyles in the Florida House” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Several lawmakers in the Panhandle are making clear who they want filling a soon vacant House seat. Former Okaloosa County Commissioner Boyles, who launched a campaign Monday in House District 3, announced endorsements from Republican state Sens. Don Gaetz and Jay Trumbull, state Reps. Shane Abbott and Alex Andrade, and former state Rep. Jayer Williamson. “I’m honored to have the support of so many leaders from our region who’ve helped make our state the best place to live, work, visit and retire,” Boyles said. “These leaders have been on the front lines of fighting for our conservative values for years, and their trust and confidence is truly humbling.”