TALLAHASSEE - Gov. Ron DeSantis hinted at calling a special legislative session on property taxes while indirectly throwing shade at House Speaker Daniel "Danny" Perez (R-Miami) for trying to "screw voters over" to avoid the subject during Florida's regular legislative session in an inclusive interview with Floridian publisher Javier Manjarres this week.
"The regular session gives them coverage. You say, Oh, we got this, we got this. Oh, it fell off at the end," DeSantis said to Manjarres while addressing the issue. "This is true for any legislative body, but when it's a special session, then our voters know, okay, we want property tax. We like this proposal, put it on the ballot."
While Gov. DeSantis didn't mention him by name, both he and Speaker Perez have had a testy relationship on several issues over the past year. A solution to eliminate property taxes could only magnify the spat, as polling shows it is a concerning issue.
Speaker Perez, who's going into the final year of his term, released a memorandum detailing several property tax resolutions filed by his colleagues last month. The resolutions, all proposed by Republicans, could all wind up on the November 2026 ballot for potential approval by Florida voters.
A house bill is also part of the plan.
"If we have faith in the voters to elect us, we should not be afraid to let them be a part of the conversation about the taxes they pay," Perez wrote in the memorandum. "It is our position that the House does not need to limit itself in presenting one single plan, but instead allow the people of Florida to choose some, all, or none of the proposals on the 2026 ballot.
But DeSantis isn't on the same page.
The governor has called for one constitutional amendment to eliminate property taxes on personal homes for the 2026 ballot. The proposal, if approved by voters, would likely make Florida the first state in the country to eliminate property taxes.
Moreover, the passage would be a major win for DeSantis, who is set to leave office at the beginning of 2027 with eyes on a presidential run in 2028. However, Perez appears to be looking for a signature victory of his own, bringing potential drama to what should already be a hectic upcoming year in Florida politics.
Stay tuned.
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