Gov. Ron DeSantis has rejected a request from Florida House lawmakers to speak at a hearing on property taxes.
“No, I'm not going to go sit in front of a committee,” he said on Wednesday, responding to a reporter’s question. “That's not the role of the chief executive."
The refusal raises tensions between DeSantis and the House. They have been bickering about the still-unfinished budget, the state’s tax structure and a number of Capitol controversies.
Property tax reforms would have to get approved by voters as a proposed constitutional amendment on the 2026 ballot.
House Speaker Daniel Perez formed a committee to consider what property tax changes to put on the ballot.
But Perez has made a point to rule out one of DeSantis’ wishes: to provide a $1,000 property tax rebate to Florida homeowners, which wouldn’t require constitutional changes.
ALSO READ: Speaker Perez says House won't be 'intimidated' by Senate, DeSantis amid stalled budget talks
“These checks do not solve the property tax problem,” Perez said on Tuesday. “They are just state taxpayers apologizing for local government spending, which is the kind of irresponsible idea I associate with California policymakers.”
Instead, Perez is trying to make permanent sales tax reductions this year, which DeSantis criticizes because it would also benefit tourists. House lawmakers have pointed out that DeSantis’ property tax rebate would only benefit homeowners.
DeSantis also continued his criticisms of the property tax committee on Wednesday, which he previously called a “dog and pony” show: “It doesn't take a committee hearing to do that,” he said. “It just requires leadership.”
DeSantis already nixed an idea from the Republican Party of Florida that he and legislative leadership have a “summit” to work out differences.
Perez has accused the governor of pushing for property tax changes but not offering detailed plans to target the tax in a way that won't hurt the local services it funds.
“Our goal is to provide real relief while protecting essential local services,” reads the letter requesting the governor's hearing appearance, which was written by Republican property tax committee co-chairs Toby Overdorf and Vicki Lopez.
“We appreciate your advocacy of this issue and look forward to hearing your proposals for long-term solutions that ensure lasting and sustainable tax relief for Floridians,” they continued.
Even before DeSantis’ remarks on Wednesday, his team derided the idea.
“This is the design of a committee intended to kill an idea like property tax relief,” said Bryan Griffin, his communications director, on social media.
The committee is made up of several dozen members, including a number of Democrats.
Budget showdown could lead to shutdown
The House, meanwhile, is not only fighting with DeSantis.
Also on Tuesday, Perez accused Senate President Ben Albritton, who is more wary of permanent sales tax reductions, of “breaking” his word in budget negotiations.
ALSO READ: Florida House votes to extend session till end of June amid budget standoff
"It had been my hope and intention that when you returned to Tallahassee today, it would be to start the conference committee process," he said to fellow lawmakers. "Unfortunately, as you are already aware, the Senate broke the deal that we had reached on Day 60 and blew up our budget framework."
DeSantis had threatened to veto a plan to lower sales taxes.
As a result, the House voted to extend the session until the end of June. That’s the latest a budget can be passed without a state government shutdown.
Another breakdown: the Senate hasn't yet agreed to the extension.
If you have any questions about the state government or the legislative process, you can ask the Your Florida team by clicking here.
This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
