Florida Lawmakers

The clock is ticking as state leaders work to lock in what exactly Floridians would see on ballots if they were to vote on property tax changes.

Counties like Pinellas and Hillsborough get as much as one-third of their revenue from property taxes. If these are eliminated, a study shows services could be cut, or other taxes would have to go up.

The overall bill that Gov. Ron DeSantis signed earlier this year included a series of measures aimed at helping the state recover from three hurricanes that made landfall in 2025.

The bill is filed for consideration during the legislative session that will start Jan. 13.

Republicans are able to choose the next speaker because of their majority in the House, where they hold 85 of the 120 seats.

As of Monday, six proposals had been filed in the House for the 2026 session, collectively seeking just over $5.5 million.

Heading into the 2026 session, which will begin in January, one of the key topics will be Gov. Ron DeSantis’ push to cut or eliminate homestead property taxes.

The tax holiday starting Monday also will allow people to avoid paying sales taxes on camping and fishing equipment through the end of the year. It was part of a broad tax package (HB 7031) that lawmakers passed in June.

State Sen. Shevrin Jones, D-Miami Gardens, state Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, along with state Reps. Dr. Anna V. Eskamani, D-Orlando, Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville, and Michele Rayner, D-St. Petersburg, said they were not allowed to tour the facility off Tamiami Trail in the Everglades when they made a July 3 surprise visit.

Even though a state-designated lab had been compiling data on human trafficking since it was established in 2019, the report released this month is the first of its kind.

The Legislature considers such "claim bills" each year because of the state’s sovereign immunity laws, which generally shield government agencies from liability for negligence. This year, nine were enacted.

The issue of lawmaker safety has drawn national attention after a gunman murdered former Minnesota Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband early Saturday at their home and shot Democratic Sen. John Hoffman and his wife at their home