Florida governor, legislative leaders offer different visions for spring session

TALLAHASSEE — With their public spat over immigration reform less than three weeks behind them, Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and legislative leaders opened the regular session of the Legislature Tuesday calling for cooperation but offering three different visions for the 60 days ahead.

The governor called for reversing gun reforms adopted in the wake of the 2018 Parkland massacre, further constricting the process for getting constitutional amendments on the ballot and finding a way to lower or even get rid of property taxes. Senate President Ben Albritton called for collaboration on making government more efficient and stimulating economic growth in the state’s rural counties. House Speaker Danny Perez charged his members with investigating the insurance industry.

The ugly name-calling and social media campaigns over the governor’s unilateral call in January for a special session on immigration were all but ignored, except for a brief mention by Perez during his opening remarks.

“Although we’ve taken some unexpected detours along the way, we are finally here… to exercise our constitutional duties over the next 60 days,” the Miami lawmaker said.

During his state-of-the-state address, DeSantis touted the state’s robust economy, huge rainy day fund and reduced debt load and lauded the legislature for “working together to advance our shared goals.”

He also highlighted the compromise forged between his office and the Legislature on a $300 million plan to help President Donald Trump round up and deport immigrants using state troopers, wildlife officers and other state law enforcement officers as well as county sheriff’s deputies and local police.

And DeSantis listed what he called the combined accomplishments of his office and the Legislature during his first six years in office: banning China from buying land, creating a digital bill of rights, dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the state’s colleges and universities, protecting parental rights by prohibiting discussions about LGBTQ topics in schools and passing a near-total ban on abortion.

“We have stood in the breach and protected our people from noxious ideologies and trendy but empty social fads, chosen education over indoctrination, law and order over riot and disorder,” DeSantis said.

In his response to the governor’s address, Senate Democrat Leader Jason Pizzo of Miami asked how those goals helped people with their real issues.

“None of these will lower your property insurance, your rent, nor will they result in your children’ s GPAs getting higher or test scores going higher,” Pizzo of Miami said. “With more than 30 years of majority control, …how did a generation of Republican predecessors allow us to get to this place? And more importantly, why did these academic issues so dominate our time and capacity instead of paying attention to failing infrastructure, plummeting test scores, spikes in homeowners insurance and housing costs?”

Pizzo painted a far less rosy economic picture than DeSantis, saying many Floridians are struggling with rising housing and insurance costs, inflation, and other pocketbook issues.

Pizzo also pointed to unresolved issues such as a shortage of correctional officers at state prisons, law enforcement pay that is among the lowest in the nation and property insurance bills that are among the highest.

And he lauded Albritton’s “robust and real agenda to feed families, to foster economic growth, to protect our families and our homes, demand efficiencies of your tax dollars and right the years of neglect.”

Albritton outlined several major Senate bills he wants passed, including ones that expand mental health and child welfare services, help veterans, and saving Florida’s agricultural heritage.

“The Peace River Basin is home to much of what’s left of Florida’s citrus production. As well as natural old Florida,” Albritton said of the central Southwest Florida region where he was raised. “As I’ve said before, I was born and bred in Florida citrus and this vital industry is not going down on my watch.”

Perez reasserted the House of Representatives’ commitment to being the “House of the people,” reiterating the promise he made when he was sworn in as Speaker in November to forgo the “traditional game of setting the session around my own priorities.”

Perez said he wants his legacy to be based on having the “most dynamic, engaged and vibrant legislative chamber in the country.”

“We are the house of the people and we must speak for them on the issues that matter,” Perez said. “Property insurance matters to the people of Florida.”

DeSantis credited the Legislature for passing laws to help the insurance industry stay afloat, becoming more competitive and less vulnerable to lawsuits over disputed claims.

But Perez said he was upset by a recent Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald investigation that the industry “used accounting tricks to hide substantial profits while telling us they were in a crisis” and called for further investigation by the Legislature.

He said he has given the House insurance and banking subcommittees tools to conduct hearings on the insurance industry, including issuing subpoenas, putting witnesses under oath and hiring outside experts.

Other policy questions he said Floridians care about include housing, health care and education.

“This is the work we must do,” Perez said. “Don’t just focus on your bills, look at what your colleagues are doing, lean in and pay attention.”

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