Gabrielle Russon
In his annual State of the State Address, Gov. Ron DeSantis laid out his priorities of abolishing property taxes, repealing gun control laws and cleaning up the Everglades.
DeSantis gave a 30-minute speech to both chambers on what marks the first day of the Legislative Session.
DeSantis touted Florida as a leader in the nation for its tough illegal immigration enforcement laws and for a lean state budget.
“We are actually spending less money in the current fiscal year than we did in the previous fiscal year,” DeSantis said. “Where else in this country have they actually reduced spending?”
As property values jump, DeSantis continued to pitch his proposal to eliminate property taxes. DeSantis anticipates the issue will end up on the 2026 ballot for voters to approve.
“These escalating assessments have created a gusher of revenue for local governments,” DeSantis said. “Taxpayers need relief.”
Critics warn that eliminating property taxes could lead to a big hike in the state sales tax. DeSantis countered that argument Tuesday.
“Don’t let anyone tell you we’re going to seek to raise state taxes because this body will not pass tax increases, and this Governor will not sign any tax increases,” he said.
Meanwhile, DeSantis proposed adding more sales tax holidays for marine fuel for boaters and “Second Amendment Summer” for buying firearms, ammo and gun modifications.
He also touted some of the state’s environmental efforts to protect the Florida panther, restore beaches and continue work on rehabilitating the Everglades as he brought up his accomplishments in the past year.
“Everglades restoration is the largest environmental restoration project in the entire country and one of the largest in the entire world. We are on the path,” DeSantis said. “We’re ahead of schedule from the state perspective, but we need to get this job done once and for all, and so we will be working with the Trump administration to bring that to fruition.”
DeSantis urged lawmakers to continue pushing condo reform and repeal gun control legislation, including the law that bans anyone under 21 from buying a gun, which was passed following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018.
“We need to be a strong Second Amendment state. I know many of you agree with it, and so let’s get some positive reform done for the people of this state of Florida,” DeSantis said.
He also urged lawmakers to target the state’s ballot initiative process and pass reform to “protect Florida’s Constitution once and for all.”
DeSantis has accused last year’s abortion rights campaign organizers of petition fraud. Amendment 4 leaders have accused DeSantis, in turn, of weaponizing state resources to fight against the initiative, which got rejected in November’s election.
DeSantis, like usual, wasn’t afraid to take a jab in his annual speech. He took a hit at Canada, where Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been outspoken against President Donald Trump’s new tariffs.
“We continue to set tourism records; 2024 saw more than 142 million visitors come to the state of Florida. This includes 3.3 million visitors from Canada,” DeSantis said. “That’s not much of a boycott in my book. Maybe they wanted to get a glimpse of what a Stanley Cup-winning hockey team actually looks like.”
DeSantis’ annual address comes after Republican GOP leaders have stood up to the Governor over immigration reform during several tense weeks earlier this year.
“Speaker (Daniel) Perez and President (Ben) Albritton, I look forward to working together to advance our shared goals,” DeSantis said Tuesday.
14 comments
Michael
March 4, 2025 at 3:21 pm
While I wouldn’t mind saving $8,000 a year, how are schools, first-responder services and even garbage collections going to operate without a revenue source? The sales tax surcharges in each county are generally already earmarked to fund bond indentures, not pay operational costs.
But hey, I will be glad to hear a smart DeSantis supporter take me through the budget math for an example county.
SuzyQ
March 4, 2025 at 5:57 pm
Okay, I’ll do it. Let’s get started but only if you’re sincerely interested unless what you’re proposing is disingenuous and was actually designed to advance the political talking point from Florida Democratic establishment elites that local property taxes can never be eliminated nor significantly reduced, especially when Democrats believe increasing taxes and more government spending are the answers to everything.
Ron Ogden
March 4, 2025 at 6:49 pm
Well, the simple answer is that they come up with other revenue sources, and the obvious candidate is the sales tax. In fact, what discussion I have seen focuses on increases in the sale tax, collected mostly by the state (some local) and redistributed. Another source is the user fee, but that is fraught with its own problems. The best example of a user fee is a toll road. Another is the fee a court imposes on a convicted defendant as part of the penalty. There also are corporate income taxes charged at a flat rate, and that could be increased. So, it is not as if government will roll over and die if the voters should decide to discontinue taxing their homes. It will, however, present a whole new set of challenges. At the same time, it will make life a lot easier for local governments who struggle to fairly charge taxes in an era of exemptions for this and for that and for the other thing. Our present system has allowed a lot of unfairnesses to creep in. We all hear stories about the three homeowners with identical houses side by and side and for various reasons none of them pays the same, and the difference between the least and the most is shocking.
Ocean Joe
March 4, 2025 at 8:38 pm
Ok, Suzy, you said you’d explain it. So please explain it.
Jerry Joseph Shaw
March 6, 2025 at 11:00 am
Thank you for taking on Michael. I want to see the state and federal taxes overhauled into a sales tax. Jerry Shaw
GeeWoo
March 4, 2025 at 9:50 pm
How about a cap on millage rates?!? Here in Alachua it’s over 21, and the County roads are terrible! That’s insane. Maybe 15 should be the maximum, with a stronger Homestead and SOH program.
CW
March 5, 2025 at 8:06 am
So he wants guns back the hands of people under 21. As a parent of teens and a resident of Parkland I find this reckless.
What happened to common sense in this country?
Nate Greene
March 6, 2025 at 10:08 am
Then let’s raise the age of military recruitment to 21 as well.
Old enough to fight and die for my country but not old enough to purchase alcohol, tobacco or a firearm?
Enough with the inconsistency.
Victoria Olson
March 5, 2025 at 8:26 am
Republicans have lost all common sense as they continue to appeal to an increasingly smaller base, they no longer know how to govern as they make these egregious laws that are unconstitutional and they NEVER think through a decision & what the consequences to their actions would be. In the past we had good Republican presidents who did great things until Nixon, Bush now Trump, they won only by Lies, deceit, incompetence & ignorance to their voters. Now have Total corruption run by criminals, the new MAFIA of NAZI’S.
Nate Greene
March 6, 2025 at 10:11 am
Yeah, I miss the good ‘ol’ days of Obama and Bide too!
Now the rest of the world is going to have to respect the United States again and stop taking advantage of us.
Dark days indeed Karen!
Julia
March 7, 2025 at 12:01 am
Victoria, you sound like a very liberal Democrat transplant. If you don’t like it here, please go back to the blue state you came from. You may not like it here, for most voters here are republicans.
We don’t want our state to become another blue, disaster state. We love our governor and out state as it is and are thankful to be here.
Ronda Shallow
March 6, 2025 at 9:59 pm
Property taxes are a scam and if we have so much money in Florida why do we need to keep raising the property taxes?
Cut property taxes in half at least and stop being greedy. Our water supply here in Sarasota Cty on boarder of City of Sarasota is so old it has asbestos material. Why aren’t we creating Reverse Osmosis for our water supply instead of scraping the sludge underneath us because we don’t have enough Water especially with so many people moving here. The real problem is the County and City people running this place have there heads up there behind, as they keep getting raises in there income. Voting for marijuana to be legal is not my main concern. Although no one should go to jail for it. What’s going with the dead fish and cigarette butts all over the beach these days? Things aren’t improving there? They just started getting rid of the rats!
I know this place is like paradise next to many other places but to keep hiking property taxes and nothing to show for it except a new garbage can doesn’t equate!
Dr Eddison Walters
March 11, 2025 at 12:46 am
For over a decade, I have worked to address the issue of affordable housing. Several months ago, I called for an end to Tallahassee’s tax and spending policies. The governor must have gotten the message. While Tallahassee must provide meaningful property tax relief for hardworking Florida homeowners, eliminating property taxes will increase the share of the overall tax burden to non-homeowners while creating a tax haven for the state’s wealthy residents. Homestead tax exemption should be limited to a reduction of property taxes on the first $500,000 of the assessed value of a home, with reassessment taking place once every five years. The maximum increase for existing homeowners should also be limited to 5% when reassessed every five years.
Here is my post calling for Tallahassee to address increasing property taxes.
It’s Time To End Tax And Spend Policies in Tallahassee: Florida Must Be More Fiscally Responsible And End Tax And Spend Policies To Provide Meaningful Homestead Tax Exemption That Will Lower The Cost Of Housing In Florida
Tax and spending must end in Tallahassee! It is time for fiscal responsibility in Tallahassee. Can anyone in Tallahassee explain why they continue to increase property taxes at such a rapid rate in Florida? Increasing property taxes have become a real burden for the average everyday hardworking Florida resident as insurance costs continue to skyrocket. A significant reason why housing costs continue to increase is because property tax and insurance costs continue to soar as property values rise in Florida. The revenues from property taxes have grown from $27,774,755,770 in 2013 to more than double to $56,042,520,793 by 2023, and the legislature keeps raising taxes as values continue to increase so they can spend even more taxpayers’ money while offering little relief to taxpayers. Legislators have also failed to deliver relief from skyrocketing insurance costs. Why do they continue to let property taxes increase when they could provide relief to lower housing costs? Why has insurance continued to grow? It’s time to put Tallahassee on notice. Tallahassee must relieve hardworking families by delivering a meaningful homestead exemption and limited property tax increase. Tallahassee must let working families keep more of their own money. Tax and spending policies must end in Tallahassee.
Dr Eddison Walters
March 11, 2025 at 1:17 am
It is also time to address the increasing cost of HOA fees. HOA legislation can also lower homeownership costs for Florida residents. It is also time for Tallahassee to rein in outrageous HOA fees. 45% of Florida homes are part of an HOA, the highest percentage in the nation. Homeowners must have more control over their HOA. Homeowners must have a streamlined process to oppose sweeping decisions made by their HOA and be allowed to vote on HOA fees and contracts that affect HOA fees that homeowners deem unacceptable.
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