Florida’s legislative session went way longer than planned as lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis argued over proposed tax cuts.
DeSantis eventually signed the budget — more than $115 billion — and a day later a slate of new laws took effect on July 1.
On "Florida Matters," state government reporters Meghan Bowman and Douglas Soule with WUSF's "Your Florida" team discuss what got vetoed, what survived and what it means for Tampa Bay.
DeSantis didn't get the property tax break he sought, but lawmakers still passed a package of tax cuts, including breaks on things like hurricane supplies and school supplies.
"Businesses were probably the big victor in terms of these tax cuts," Soule said.
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"The biggest chunk of tax cuts went to eliminating the business rent tax. That actually generated some controversy with some voices saying they wanted to see more direct-to-family cuts. But those in charge said the tax savings would trickle down to families working for those businesses," he added.
Bowman said a lot of Floridians who talked to WUSF during the legislative session wanted to see less political division and more of a focus on solving problems — such as the high cost of homeowners insurance.
"Things are divisive, but for the most part, from people I hear from in the state of Florida, Floridians just want common sense," Bowman said.
You can listen to the episode in the media player above.
