Special Sessions Span State Issues

JENNIFER CRAWFORD, FLORIDA'S ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION ENDED 6 WEEKS AGO WITHOUT PASSING A BUDGET. AND WITHOUT GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS IS PRIORITY OF A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PROPOSAL TO CUT OR ELIMINATE HOMESTEAD PROPERTY TAXES. IN THE MEANTIME, A SPECIAL SESSION THE GOVERNOR CALLED TO CONSIDER REDRAWING THE STATE'S CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT MAPS WAS SUPPOSED TO START THIS WEEK, BUT THAT WAS PUSHED BACK. STILL. IT LOOKS LIKE SOME PROGRESS COULD BE ON THE IMMEDIATE HORIZON. WE'RE NOW JOINED BY WGC HOST AND REPORTER. >> JOHN DAVIS WITH THE LATEST. AND JOHN, WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE SPECIAL SESSION THAT SUPPOSED TO START THIS WEEK? RIGHT TODAY WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE LAST DAY OF A SPECIAL SESSION. >> THAT WAS >> SOLELY TO DEAL WITH CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING. BUT THAT GOT PUSHED BACK. NOW. THAT'S GOING TO START THIS COMING MONDAY. APRIL 27TH. WHAT'S INTERESTING IS THE SESSION THAT'S GOING TO START ON MONDAY. DOESN'T HAVE AN OFFICIAL ADJOURNMENT DATE, AT LEAST AS FAR AS I CAN FIND AND PROBABLY THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT THEY'RE NOT JUST GOING TO BE TACKLING CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING. THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO BE TACKLING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REGULATION AND OF THIS ROLLBACK OF VACCINE MANDATES FOR KIDS IN SCHOOLS. NOW, THESE WERE BOTH BILLS THAT WERE CONSIDERED DURING THE REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION, BUT THEY DIDN'T PASS. BOTH OF THEM PASSED IN THE SENATE. BUT IN THE HOUSE NEVER TOOK THEM UP. AND DESANTIS WANTS TO GET THESE DONE. SO HE'S BRINGING THESE BILLS BACKED UP. WHAT HAS CHANGED IN THE PAST 6 WEEKS THAT POSSIBLY COULD MAYBE CHANGE THE OUTCOME FOR THE AI BILL OF RIGHTS AND THE VACCINE MANDATE EXEMPTION THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS REALLY PRIORITIZED. >> WELL, IT'S THE FUNNY THING AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, NOTHING. THERE REALLY HASN'T BEEN A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE LEGISLATURE. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THING THAT HAPPENED, YOU'LL REMEMBER WE THOSE SPECIAL ELECTIONS DURING WHICH 2 LEGISLATIVE SEATS FLIPPED FROM REPUBLICAN CONTROL. THE DEMOCRATIC CONTROL. SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT THROUGH THAT LENS, IT SEEMS LIKE THE LEGISLATURE WOULD HAVE EVEN LESS OF AN APPETITE NOW THAN THEY DID 6 WEEKS AGO. >> WHEN THEY DIDN'T TAKE UP THE ISSUE AND WE STILL ARE WORKING ON GETTING A BUDGET. THE FISCAL YEAR STARTS JULY 1ST. IS THERE ANY HEADWAY ON THOSE TALKS? >> YES, FINALLY, WE DO HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS THERE OF AND LAWMAKERS HAVE CALLED A ANOTHER SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION. THIS IS GOING TO BE AN 18 DAY SESSION THAT RUNS FROM MAY 12 TO THE 29TH, AS YOU'LL REMEMBER, LAWMAKERS ENDED SESSION WITHOUT A BUDGET IN PLACE 6 WEEKS AGO. THE HOUSE AND SENATE'S PROPOSED PLANS WERE ABOUT 1.4 BILLION DOLLARS APART, BUT FLORIDA'S BUDGET IS PROJECTED TO BE IN THE ROUND BY OVER A BILLION DOLLARS NEXT YEAR AND OR EXCUSE ME, 6 BILLION DOLLARS IN 2 YEARS. IF YOU KNOW SPENDING OR REVENUES DON'T CHANGE. SO I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT WHEN WE DO HAVE A BUDGET AGREEMENT. >> WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME BELT TIGHTENING LEAST. THERE IS SOME FORWARD MOVEMENT ON THAT WHOLE DISCUSSION. YES. AND WITH MIDTERM ELECTIONS NEAR, HOW DO YOU THINK ALL OF THIS IS PLAYING OUT WITH WITH VOTERS >> I REALLY DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE PLAYING OUT WELL WITH EVERYDAY FLORIDIANS BECAUSE WE HAVE THE GOVERNOR SAYING, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE OUR PRIORITIES, LEGISLATIVE LEADERS WANTING TO TACKLE THESE ISSUES. BUT THEY'RE NOT THE ISSUES THAT POLLING CONSISTENTLY SHOWS US ARE THE TOP PRIORITIES OF REGULAR EVERYDAY FLORIDIANS. WHAT THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT IS AFFORDABILITY. FLORIDA IS STILL THE STATE WHERE. WE ARE PAYING MORE FOR PROPERTY INSURANCE THAN PEOPLE IN ANY OTHER STATE. OUR AUTO INSURANCE RATES ARE ALSO INCREDIBLY HIGH. ALL RIGHT. THE SAME TIME THERE HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE SEEING UNEMPLOYMENT CONTINUING TO INCH UP IN FLORIDA OF THE STATE'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS NOW HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AND HERE'S A WALL STREET JOURNAL ARTICLE HEADLINED FROM THIS WEEK, FLORIDA'S POPULATION BOOM, FIZZLES AS HIGH COSTS DRIVE AWAY MIDDLE CLASS SENATOR RICK SCOTT SHARED A LINK TO THAT ARTICLE ON TWITTER AND HE WROTE, QUOTE, HIGHER COSTS OF LIVING IN FLORIDA ARE DRIVING PEOPLE AWAY FROM THE STATE. THAT'S BAD FOR FLORIDIANS. BAD FOR BUSINESS. BAD FOR EVERYONE. THIS ON THE HEELS OF LAST MONTH'S JOB NUMBERS IS INCREDIBLY DISCOURAGING. OUR STATE NEEDS TO GET BACK ON TRACK AND START FOCUSING ON JOBS AGAIN, CREATING NEW PRIVATE SECTOR JOBS AND DRIVING DOWN COSTS BY GETTING GOVERNMENT OUT OF THE WAY AND LETTING PEOPLE THRIVE IS WHAT IS NEEDED SO THAT REALLY DOES SEEM TO BE MORE IN LINE WITH THE PRIORITIES OF EVERYDAY FLORIDIANS. BUT AGAIN, DESANTIS, HIS MAIN PRIORITY IS ALSO ELIMINATING PROPERTY. TAXES ARE HOMESTEAD, PROPERTY TAXES AND EVEN THOUGH WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING TO CONFIRM SPECIAL SESSIONS, PROPERTY TAXES STILL ISN'T ON THAT AGENDA. BUT JUST YESTERDAY AT A PRESS CONFERENCE IN KISSIMMEE, HE INSISTED LAWMAKERS HAVE UNTIL AUGUST TO GET SOMETHING DONE. SO I THINK WE'RE VERY LIKELY GOING TO SEE A 3RD SPECIAL SESSION JUST TO ADDRESS THIS WHOLE ISSUE OF PROPERTY TAXES AND TRYING TO ELIMINATE OR REDUCE PROPERTY TAXES. AND THIS IS A BIG DEAL FOR THE GOVERNOR. YOU'LL REMEMBER IS THE FINAL YEAR OF HIS SECOND TERM. HE'S TERM LIMITED OUT. HE'S BEEN TALKING ABOUT PROPERTY TAXES, CHAMPIONING THIS FOR SOME 18 MONTHS NOW. AND I THINK THIS IS REALLY WHAT HE WANTS TO BE HIS GUBERNATORIAL LEGACY. BUT WHEN I SPOKE WITH LEE COUNTY PROPERTY APPRAISER, MIKE CALDWELL DURING WEEKS, REALLY COUNTY LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION MEETING BEFORE SESSION STARTED. ONE THING I REMEMBER HIM SAYING IS HE DIDN'T THINK THE PROPERTY TAX ISSUE. IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO IN A SINGLE YEAR. HE THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING TO BE A MULTI-YEAR EFFORT AND EVEN SOME OF THE REPUBLICAN FRONTRUNNERS LOOKING TO REPLACE GOVERNOR DESANTIS WHEN HE LEAVES OFFICE HAVE PLEDGED THEY WOULD CONTINUE THAT BATTLE AS WELL. SO EVEN IF LAWMAKERS DON'T DO SOMETHING THIS SUMMER, THE WHOLE ISSUE OF PROPERTY TAX REFORM ISN'T GOING AWAY. >> WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE LATEST. AND THERE'S SO MUCH INFORMATION TO KEEP ABREAST OF ASSURANCE. THANKS FOR SHARING. OF COURSE.