Florida House advances homestead tax proposal

CRAWFORD. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. FLORIDA'S LEGISLATIVE SESSION WRAPS UP IN 3 WEEKS. THE HOUSE APPROVED A SWEEPING MEASURE TO ELIMINATE HOMESTEAD PROPERTY TAXES. GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS TAKING TO TWITTER OFFERING HIS SUPPORT FOR PROPERTY TAX RELIEF, BUT CAUTIOUS ABOUT RUSHING A PROPOSAL. THE GOVERNOR SAYING, QUOTE, IT'S BETTER TO DO IT RIGHT THEN DO IT QUICK. FLORIDIANS QUESTION. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ESSENTIAL SERVICES THAT RELY ON HOMESTEAD PROPERTY TAXES FOR FUNDING? >> STATED DIFFERENTLY. ONE PERSON'S EXEMPTION. IS ANOTHER PERSON'S TAX INCREASE. AND SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PROPERTY TAXES IS THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS ABOUT HOW WE FUND THE ESSENTIAL SERVICES, HOW WE PAY THE SALARIES OF THE PEOPLE DOING THE WORK RATING, THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN CITIES. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT. >> FOR MORE ON THE LATEST FROM TALLAHASSEE, INCLUDING GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS. PRIORITY OF PROPERTY TAX RELIEF FOR HOMEOWNERS. WE ARE JOINED BY WGCU HOST AND REPORTER JOHN DAVIS. JOHN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY. THANKS FOR THE BIG FOCUS IS THE ELIMINATION OF HOMESTEAD PROPERTY TAXES. IT HAS TAKEN FRONT AND CENTER STAGE IN TALLAHASSEE AND THEY'VE RECENTLY PASSED THE HOUSE HAS PASSED A MEASURE AND IT IS A REVISED MEASURE. THERE WERE MULTIPLE VERSIONS OF THIS BILL PRIOR TO THE START OF THE LEGISLATURE. THEY'VE NOW AT LEAST THE HOUSE HAS AGREED ON ONE AND THEY'RE MOVING THAT FORWARD. CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THE IMPLICATIONS ARE OF THIS? RIGHT? SO HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION, 203 IS THE ONE THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO LAST THURSDAY. THIS PASTOR FLOOR VOTE IN THE HOUSE LARGELY ALONG PARTY LINES. >> THIS SPECIFIC PROPOSAL WOULD ELIMINATE NON-SCHOOL HOMESTEAD PROPERTY TAXES BUT INCREMENTALLY. SO IT WOULD INCREASE THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION BY ABOUT $100,000 A YEAR FOR 10 YEARS UNTIL THAT TAX HAS EFFECTIVELY ELIMINATED IN 2037. SO IT'S A PHASED IN METHOD VERSUS AN IMMEDIATE. RIGHT. I THINK THAT'S JUST INTENDED TO GIVE THESE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WHO HISTORICALLY HAVE RELIED ON THAT PROPERTY TAX REVENUE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO DIFFERENTLY. >> OVER THE COURSE OF A DECADE. SO THE HOUSE PASSED IT ALONG PARTY LINES. WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE SENATE WITH REGARD TO A MEASURE THAT WOULD CUT PROPERTY TAXES. SO YEAH, IT'S BEEN FORMALLY REFERRED TO THE SENATE. IT'S BEEN GIVEN A COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT. >> BUT BY AND MARCH, SENATE LEADERSHIP IS NOT AS AGGRESSIVELY GUNG ON THIS PROPOSAL AS THE HOUSES. THEY'RE KIND OF TAKING A MORE CAUTIOUS APPROACH. AS IS GOVERNOR DESANTIS, SENATOR SENATE PRESIDENT BEN ALBRITTON HAS SAID, YOU KNOW, THEY WANT TO BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT THIS AND WE DON'T WANT TO PASS SOMETHING JUST TO PASS IT. IF IT MIGHT COME BACK AND BITE US IN THE LATER WITH UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. A MEASURED APPROACH IS OBVIOUSLY A GOOD IDEA, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO SOMETHING AS SIGNIFICANT AS CUTTING. >> BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN PROPERTY TAXES. THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD AFFECT FUNDING FOR ESSENTIAL SERVICES. YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN AMENDMENT TO THE ORIGINAL MEASURE. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT? >> YEAH. SO THE HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION THAT PASSED LAST WEEK AND IS NOW GONE TO THE SENATE DID INCLUDE AN AMENDMENT THAT WOULD REQUIRE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO CONTINUE TO FUND FIRST RESPONDER SERVICES, FIREFIGHTER, EMS POLICE AND TO NOT DROP THOSE FUNDING LEVELS BELOW A SPECIFIC THRESHOLD. AND THAT'S BASED ON THE CURRENT BUDGET YEAR OR THE NEXT BUDGET YEAR. WHICHEVER IS HIGHER. JUST BECAUSE THAT AMENDMENT IS IN THERE DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THE FUNDING IS GOING TO BE THERE. THIS COULD END UP IF THIS PASSES JUST BEING AN UNFUNDED MANDATE FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE THEY'VE HAD IN THE PAST. BUT THEY'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE A STATE MANDATE TO KEEP THESE FUNDING LEVELS. THE SAME. >> AND THIS ULTIMATELY WILL BE DECIDED BY THE VOTERS. >> THEY SAID THE EXTEND THAT FAR. SO COVID AND WALK US THROUGH THE PROCESS. SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS STILL A LONG WAY OFF. STILL A LONG WAY OFF. EVEN IF THE SENATE DOESN'T APPROVE THIS, YOU KNOW, AND THEN WE HAVE A BILL THAT'S PASSED IN THE NEXT 3 WEEKS. >> IT'S GOING TO BE UP TO NO VOTERS IN THE NOVEMBER ELECTION AND IT NEEDS TO GET AT LEAST 60% VOTER APPROVAL. SO I LIKELY FOR SEE AND THIS IS ALREADY HAPPENING THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A CAMPAIGN ISSUE LEADING UP TO NOVEMBER. JUST THIS WEEK, THE HERALD TRIBUNE PRINTED A EDITORIAL FROM A REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR FLORIDA'S 16TH CONGRESSIONAL SEAT. AND HE'S VERY VOCALLY AGAINST THIS WHOLE PROPERTY TAX ELIMINATION IDEA. >> I ALSO KNOW WE HAD DISCUSSED THE ISSUE OF FLORIDA'S PROPERTY INSURANCE MARKET CRISIS. AND THIS IS SOMETHING MANY CITIZENS ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE LEGISLATURE TO HELP WITH US. >> NOTHING THAT I CAN SEE. DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN RAISING THIS AS THEIR OPPOSITION TO THIS AS WELL, SAYING THAT THE PROPERTY INSURANCE MARKET CRISIS IS ACTUALLY A BIGGER ISSUE. AND THAT IS SUPPORTED BY DATA. THERE'S A RECENT POLL FROM THE NONPARTISAN FLORIDA POLICY INSTITUTE. BUT YOU ALMOST TWO-THIRDS OF FLORIDA VOTERS SAY REDUCING PROPERTY INSURANCE COSTS SHOULD BE A BIGGER PRIORITY, THEN REDUCING PROPERTY TAXES. IT WAS REALLY ONLY 32% OF POLL RESPONDENTS WHO THOUGHT THAT THE PROPERTY TAX ISSUE SHOULD BE AT THE BIGGER PRIORITY. THERE'S EVEN A BILL THAT WAS INTRODUCED BY DEMOCRATIC SENATOR CARLOS GUILLERMO SMITH. THAT WAS AIMED AT ADDRESSING SORT OF A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AND HOW INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE REPORTING PROFITS VERSUS LOSSES. AND THIS WAS BASED ON A 2022 REPORT THAT INITIALLY WAS KEPT FROM THE PUBLIC AND LAWMAKERS. IT SHOWED 53 INSURANCE COMPANIES BETWEEN 2017 2019. WE'RE REPORTING LOSSES IN THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. BUT THEN THESE AFFILIATED COMPANIES, WE'RE POSTING PROFITS OF LIKE 1.8 BILLION DOLLARS. SO JUST KIND OF SHOWING IT WAS A BIT OF A SHELL GAME. THEY COULD MANIPULATE THE NUMBERS TO TRY TO GET LAWMAKERS TO PASS REFORMS THAT WOULD BENEFIT THE INDUSTRY AS OPPOSED TO REFORMS THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BENEFIT THE PEOPLE HAVING TO PAY THE PROPERTY INSURANCE COSTS. SO HOPEFULLY THAT WILL GET ADDRESSED AT SOME POINT. >> YOU KNOW, THE BILL HASN'T MOVED AT ALL. SO ONCE I DON'T THINK IT WELL. >> GOODNESS. WELL, I DO KNOW THAT LAWMAKERS DO NEED TO WORK OUT A BUDGET. THEY ARE STILL, I BELIEVE ABOUT A BILLION OFF AND WE DON'T AGREEMENT YET AND THAT WOULD NEED TO HAPPEN BEFORE MARCH. 13TH. >> CORRECT. TO PASS A BUDGET? WELL, I WOULDN'T MESS WOULD NEED TO HAPPEN BY MARCH 13TH IN ORDER FOR SESSION TO END ON TIME. BUT THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY A GIVEN. YOU REMEMBER IN 2025, THE SESSION EXTENDED AN ADDITIONAL 45 DAYS JUST BECAUSE THEY WERE UNABLE TO HAMMER OUT A BUDGET. SO EVEN IF EVEN IF SESSION ENDS ON TIME, WE'RE NOT DONE WITH THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION THIS SESSION THIS YEAR. THERE'S ALREADY A SPECIAL SESSION. GOVERNOR DESANTIS HAS CALLED IN APRIL TO DEAL WITH OUR CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING EXCLUSIVELY. AND IF NOTHING PASSES BY MARCH 13TH ON PROPERTY TAXES, THERE'S NOTHING STOPPING THE GOVERNOR FROM CALLING ANOTHER SPECIAL SESSION BECAUSE AGAIN, THERE ARE ISN'T THE END OF SESSION. THEIR DEADLINE IS THE NOVEMBER ELECTION. SO THEY'RE NOT ALL SUMMER TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT SOMETHING THEY CAN GET ON THE BALLOT. THERE IS SO MUCH WORK TO BE DONE. >> IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU'RE TRACKING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH US IN THE NEXT 2 WEEKS? THAT'S GOING ON IN TALLAHASSEE. ANYTHING OF I I WE HAD DISCUSSED A LITTLE BIT A MEASURE WHERE THEY WERE LOOKING AT. >> YEAH, I WAS READING A I WANT TO GOVERNOR DESANTIS IS PRIORITIES AS THE I'M BILL OF RIGHTS. THIS IS JUST BEEN A LITTLE CONTROVERSIAL, NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT IT WANTS TO DO. I MEAN, EVERYBODY'S TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF THIS RAPIDLY ADVANCING TECHNOLOGY IN TERMS OF CREATING A REGULATORY FRAMEWORK, BUT DOING IT ON A STATE-BY-STATE BASIS AS OPPOSED TO ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL IS GOING TO BE A TOUGH SELL. >> THERE'S SO MUCH TO THINK ABOUT AND TO WORK ON. ARE LAWMAKERS HAVE A LOT OF WORK CUT OUT FOR THEM THIS YEAR AND WE WILL BE FOLLOWING AND TRACKING ALL THE CHANGES GOING ON IN TALLAHASSEE. THANKS, JENNIFER. THANK YOU, JOHN DAVIS FOR