Returning to the Capitol

Politico

03-06-2025

Good morning and welcome to Tuesday.
State lawmakers are back in Tallahassee today with less than a month to go to avoid a state government shutdown.
They're starting conference committee meetings to hash out state government spending in areas like transportation, law enforcement, health care and education. Lawmakers are giving themselves a June 16 deadline to pass a budget, which will give them just a couple of weeks of cushion before the next fiscal year starts July 1.
Both chambers have put priorities by the wayside to try to get to an agreement amid what had become an acrimonious back and forth that included Gov. RON DESANTIS. State Senate President BEN ALBRITTON's $200 million 'Rural Renaissance' plan to spur economic development in Florida's rural areas got punted to the 2026 session, POLITICO's Gary Fineout reported. And House Speaker DANIEL PEREZ dropped his push for a permanent cut to the state sales tax.
More details about the $50 billion general revenue fund released Monday show $6 billion going toward higher education, while primary and secondary education is set for $16 billion. Health care services are teed up to receive $17 billion, and $6 billion will go toward the criminal justice system.
The budget is also set to include 2 percent raises for the state's estimated 100,000 employees, even though it wasn't included in DeSantis' proposal, reports Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics. GOP State Sen. COREY SIMON, who represents the capital city, said the pay hike also includes a $1,000 minimum for all state workers and keeps state worker health insurance premiums and co-pays at their current levels, of $50 a month for individuals and $180 a month for families for rank-and-file staff. Top-level government employees only pay $8.34 for individuals and $30 for family plans.
That's a significant development, given current estimates for the state group health insurance trust fund project a deficit by the summer of 2026.
DeSantis hasn't elaborated on the framework. As recently as Monday, the governor continued to press for a break to property taxes and for tax cut holidays — including on items that help people prepare for hurricane season. DeSantis could decide to veto certain sections of the budget he disagrees with, as he has done in past years. And he may also keep agitating for his top priority; a survey out this morning of voters in blue-leaning Duval County found 60 percent of respondents supported undoing property taxes (more below).
If DeSantis doesn't sign the budget before July 1, then the state would dive into a partial government shutdown. Should he decide to issue a full-scale veto, then lawmakers would have to return to the Capitol to come up with a new spending plan — or could try to get a two-thirds vote to override him.
It'll be a lot to get through and could get heated. What to watch when it's all over? A lot of the attention in Tallahassee is expected to turn to the many vacant powerful positions DeSantis needs to fill, including lieutenant governor, state chief financial officer and Florida education commissioner.
— Kimberly Leonard and Gary Fineout
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... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...
SPEAKING OF EDUCATION COMMISSIONER — 'Anastasios I. Kamoutsas, one of DeSantis' four deputy chiefs of staff, has emerged as one of the most frequently mentioned choices to replace Manny Diaz Jr., who becomes University of West Florida interim president in July,' reports Jeffrey S. Solochek of the Tampa Bay Times. 'If selected, he would follow other top aides into high level posts, including James Uthmeier as attorney general and Alex Kelly as commerce secretary.'
POT REFERENDUM MOVES AHEAD — 'A campaign backed by Florida's medical marijuana industry to permit recreational use for adults has gathered enough voter signatures to trigger a state-required financial and judicial review,' reports POLITICO's Arek Sarkissian.
'The Smart and Safe Florida Committee has collected close to 378,000 petitions signed by voters and verified by county supervisors of elections, easily surpassing a threshold of just more than 220,000 signatures that triggers the state review. The committee is campaigning to place a question on next year's ballot asking voters to permit recreational pot use for people who are at least 21 years old. Organizers will need just more than 880,000 signatures filed with the state Division of Elections in order to secure a spot on the ballot by Feb 1.'
ENDING UNAUTHORIZED STAYS — 'DeSantis has signed two measures adding new protections for commercial property owners and hotels dealing with unwanted squatters,' reports Gabrielle Russon of Florida Politics. 'The measures make it easier for law enforcement to remove squatters in commercial buildings and hotel and motel guests who aren't paying but won't leave.'
— 'Construction, real estate experts say Tallahassee raid may spark 'chilling effect,'' reports TaMaryn Waters of the Tallahassee Democrat.
— 'Salzman sends 'bat signal' of truce with DeSantis in backing Diaz as UWF interim president,' reports Jim Little of the Pensacola News Journal.
PENINSULA AND BEYOND
TODAY — The 17-member board of governors will vote on whether to confirm University of Michigan President SANTA ONO to become the next president of the University of Florida. He's facing rejection calls from DONALD TRUMP JR., gubernatorial candidate Rep. BYRON DONALDS, Rep. JIMMY PATRONIS and Rep. GREG STEUBE given past comments he has made about diversity, equity and inclusion — and because of pro-Palestinian protests that broke out at the University of Michigan.
Donalds released a series of questions he thought the board should ask, including: 'How can Floridians be sure that their tax dollars won't go toward instituting the 'Indigenous Strategic Plan,' 'Climate Action Plan,' and the 'Anti-Racism Inclusive Excellence' task force — all programs you've championed in the past — at Florida's flagship public research university?'
Sen. RICK SCOTT likewise released a statement Monday night saying he had 'serious concerns' about Ono's nomination and said the board should have Ono talk about what actions he would take to fight antisemitism and protect Jewish students.
DeSantis has remained neutral on the pick, reports Ian Hodgson of the Tampa Bay Times. 'The governor said: 'vote your conscience,'' board member ASHLEY BELL BARNETT told TBT. 'He's not twisting anyone's arm one way or another.'
FIU PRESIDENT NUÑEZ — Former Lt. Gov. JEANETTE NUÑEZ got the nod from trustees to be Florida International University's next president. The Florida Phoenix's Jay Waagmeester writes that Nuñez 'is set to earn a base salary of $925,000 and up to $400,000 in performance incentives. In addition, her contract provides a $245,000 annual retirement supplement, $12,000 car stipend, and $25,000 moving stipend.'
PUSH TO CUT WITNESS — 'Attorneys for suspended Orlando City Commissioner Regina Hill want a key prosecution witness in her elder exploitation case removed from the proceedings, saying her 'contradictory and false answers' in pre-trial depositions make her unreliable,' reports Ryan Gillespie and Cristóbal Reyes.
'The 17-page motion filed Friday by Hill's defense team seeks to remove Sandra Lewis from the case against Hill, who was indicted last year. Hill is accused of exploiting a 96-year-old woman by draining her savings of more than $100,000 after getting control of her finances. Prosecutors say Hill used a document notarized by Lewis to purchase a west Orlando home in her own name, with the elderly woman as a co-signer.'
— 'Father burned in holiday boat explosion in Fort Lauderdale has died,' reports Cindy Krischer Goodman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
...HURRICANE HOLE...
RAISING EYEBROWS — 'The acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency told employees on Monday that he did not know the United States has a hurricane season … The official, David Richardson, has served in the Marines and worked in the Department of Homeland Security's Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office,' reports Christopher Flavelle and Lisa Friedman of The New York Times.
'The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, said in a statement that Mr. Richardson was joking. The agency statement said FEMA would be focused on disaster response this hurricane season and said the Trump administration is in the process of reforming an agency it believes is bloated.'
RINSE AND REPEAT — 'Richardson told staff Monday that the agency would be returning to the same guidance for hurricane response as last year,' reports Scott Patterson and Tarini Parti of the Wall Street Journal. 'Some were confused how that would be possible, given the agency had already eliminated key programs and sharply cut its workforce.'
CAMPAIGN MODE
DEMOCRATIC AG CANDIDATE EMERGES — Former state Sen. JOSÉ JAVIER RODRÍGUEZ made a run for state attorney general official Monday. Rodriguez, who worked for the Biden administration as assistant secretary of Labor for employment and training, lost his state Senate reelection bid in 2020 after political operatives recruited straw candidates to siphon votes away from Democrats.
'Corrupt dealmakers have taken over Florida and we are paying the price,' Rodríguez said in a campaign video, referring to powerful interests like insurance and utilities. He also went after incumbent GOP state Attorney General JAMES UTHMEIER, accusing him of 'enriching his friends and only looking out for himself.'
Asked for comment, Uthmeier campaign spokesperson KAYLA LITTLE called the attorney general 'relentless' and said Florida voters 'reject soft-on-crime liberal policies.'
'Uthmeier delivers for Floridians,' she said. 'He recently convicted an illegal immigrant for stealing $1.6 million in property, dismantled an international child pornography ring, and charged a pedophile with election fraud — cases reflecting his aggressive stance on crime.'
Rodriguez is the first major Democrat to announce he's running for statewide office for the 2026 cycle. The speculation about who'll run for state attorney general has been more heated on the Republican side given the state's GOP majority. Uthmeier is running in 2026 to keep his seat and has made recent moves to signal how aligned he is with the Trump administration. Little noted that he'd begun working in politics in 2015 under the Trump administration as an attorney and said he'd worked closely with senior Trump administration officials in his job as attorney general.
'While he has not personally met with President Trump in his current role, he looks forward to doing so and continuing to support a shared vision for Florida,' she said.
It's not yet clear whether Uthmeier will get a clean path to the 2026 election or who Trump will endorse for the job, given that Uthmeier was the campaign manager behind DeSantis challenging Trump for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. GOP strategist JAMIE MILLER recently said in his newsletter that Trumpworld has had conversations with former Rep. TOM ROONEY to run for the seat.
JAX-WATCH — Jacksonville Mayor DONNA DEEGAN still enjoys high approval ratings in the city despite the backlash over a gun registry disclosure at City Hall (which she said she didn't know about), according to polling out this morning from the University of North Florida's Public Opinion Research Lab.
The poll, which surveyed 742 voters in Duval County, found 61 percent strongly or somewhat approved of the job Deegan is doing. It also found that a majority of voters, regardless of party, support banning concealed weapons from City Hall.
The survey also asked voters about how they feel on key issues. At 25 percent, housing costs are a leading concern about the issues facing Jacksonville. In the past, crime was the top concern.
There was also good news for DeSantis: The poll showed that 60 percent of respondents either strongly or somewhat supported getting rid of property taxes.
TODAY — There's a special election on the Miami City Commission to replace MANOLO REYES, who passed away in April. Voters will choose between former North Bay Village manager RALPH ROSADO and former Miami assistant building director JOSE REGALADO, reports Tess Riski of the Miami Herald.
ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN
BIRTHDAY: Florida Power & Light's George Bennett.