Tax package, elections bill sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis on eve of expected presidential announcement

tax cut
DeSantis has approved 102 bills as of May 23.

Wednesday could be a busy day in Florida politics.

Legislative leaders sent 38 bills to Gov Ron DeSantis Tuesday on the eve of his expected Twitter announcement that he’s running for President.

Among the bills sent to DeSantis are a tax cut package (HB 7063) slated to take effect in June and an elections bill (SB 7050) containing many changes promoted by Secretary of State Cord Byrd, including one that ensures DeSantis would not need to resign to run for President.

Much of the $1.3 billion tax package focuses on sales taxes, including permanent sales tax cuts for diapers and incontinence products, which will save consumers an estimated $27.5 million per year; baby and toddler products; worth $158.7 million per year; and oral hygiene products, worth $39.8 million a year.

The bill also temporarily cuts the commercial rent tax businesses pay from 5.5% to 4.5%. However, that cut won’t take effect until Dec. 1. The tax is projected to be cut to 2% in the summer of 2024 when the unemployment benefits trust fund is replenished to pre-COVID-19 levels. The cut for a few months will save businesses a projected $215.9 million.

The package also includes two sales tax holidays for disaster preparedness items, one of which starts next week, assuming DeSantis signs the bill. It runs from May 27-June 9. The second disaster preparedness tax holiday is from Aug. 26-Sept. 8.

The elections package, meanwhile, hikes fines on third-party voter registration groups, shortens the window to return mail ballots and updates the state’s “resign-to-run” law, which requires an elected official to submit, at the time they qualify to run for another office, an irrevocable resignation effective the date his or her new elected position would start.

Although Republicans said, as written, the current statute does not apply to candidates for President or Vice President, they “clarified” the law anyway.

SB 7050 also bans non-citizens and felons working for voter registration groups from handling applications and imposes a $50,000 fine for each infraction. 

Democrats have slammed the measure as an attempt to suppress their voters.

Also on Tuesday, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and House Speaker Paul Renner sent the Governor legislation (HB 7041) that changes how Space Florida operates.

The legislation increases collaboration between public and private stakeholders on spaceport activities and enhances transparency measures regarding spaceport projects. The bill also separates the Space Florida Board of Directors from the Enterprise Florida Board. The Governor is empowered to make the appointments to the board and they must be confirmed by the Florida Senate.

The Governor has 15 days to act on bills after receiving them unless they are received during the Legislative Session. In those instances, the Governor has seven days to act.

But DeSantis has generally acted quickly. As of May 23, DeSantis had approved 102 bills. Another 98 bills were pending action in his office, including the 38 that were sent Tuesday, according to the Governor’s Bill Action Report.

A complete list of bills sent to DeSantis Tuesday night is here.

Christine Jordan Sexton

Tallahassee-based health care reporter who focuses on health care policy and the politics behind it. Medicaid, health insurance, workers’ compensation, and business and professional regulation are just a few of the things that keep me busy.


4 comments

  • nail

    May 23, 2023 at 11:06 pm

    “The tax is projected to be cut to 2% in the summer of 2024 when the unemployment benefits trust fund is replenished to pre-COVID-19 levels”

    Really? Has he bothered to consider all of the immigrant, legal ones, that have refused to work or cannot work because there are agricultural businesses that will close soon.
    If their unemployment benefits are denied by DeSantis they will be in court in 2 minutes. DeSantis put a price on their heads, they are scared to death even though they are legal.
    Is DeSantis going to send the Proud Boys dregs after them! Or his $100M election police or whatever he is calling this rag tag Jackbooted MAGAt band.

    • Dont Say FLA

      May 24, 2023 at 8:03 am

      Rhonda will issue voter registration to them and then when they go vote, Rhonda will have them arrested for voting. Paranoia? Nope, Ron DeSantis has a proven track record of registering voters and then arresting them for voting. The man can’t even keep voter registration cards out of the hands of felons, but about guns he says “trust me to keep guns out of the hands of criminals despite putting guns into the hands of everybody within reach of one”

  • Michael K

    May 24, 2023 at 9:48 am

    Worthy of more attention – from Sunburn:

    As Elon Musk prepares to help Ron DeSantis launch his presidential campaign, a reminder that Musk’s SpaceX lobbied for a bill (SB 1318) that’s now waiting for DeSantis’ signature and would protect SpaceX and other space companies from lawsuits following an explosion or a crash.

    • Dont Say FLA

      May 24, 2023 at 12:58 pm

      Additionally, Elon Musk’s last launch exploded within 2 minutes, just like Rhonda when he tries to service Casey. Hence Rhonda’s selection of Elon Musk’s platform for his campaign laugh. bzz bzz bzzzzz

Comments are closed.


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