Incoming Democratic House leader not sure of special session on property taxes

The new leader of the now-larger House Democratic caucus hopes her GOP leadership colleagues will decline Gov. Ron DeSantis’ call for a special legislative session to implement Amendment 3, following its passage into Florida law earlier this week.

The governor on Wednesday called for a special session before the end of the year to implement the far-reaching homestead property tax reduction measure approved Tuesday by more than 62% of Florida voters. DeSantis said in a press conference that he wants lawmakers to prevent local governments from doing “an end-run around the amendment” by shifting how they can continue to collect revenue from their constituents.

State economists have estimated that local government revenues could be reduced ultimately by as much as $12 billion five years after the amendment goes into effect.

“I am hoping that this will not be a special session,” Florida House Democratic Leader Designate Christine Hunschofsky said during a remote press conference with reporters. “Those haven’t always worked out so well.”

Hunschofsky said it’s her understanding that there has not been any decision to convene a special session by incoming House Speaker Sam Garrison or incoming Senate President Jim Boyd, despite DeSantis’ announcement. Neither Republican leader has yet to publicly comment on his suggestion. As the Phoenix reported earlier this week, both leaders told the “Between the Lines with Dara Kam” podcast before the election that they weren’t ready to commit until next year.

Haste

The haste with which the Legislature reviewed and approved of the proposal sent by the governor’s office earlier this year was troubling, Hunschofsky said. She believes it would be more appropriate to review the upcoming law in a “thoughtful, methodical way” during the regular session, which is set to begin next March.

That’s when lawmakers would have sufficient time to review updated data and all of the amendment’s potential impacts “so that we do not do anything that would create implications that we did not foresee,” she said.

The amendment will increase the homestead exemption for non-school taxes from $50,000 per year to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028.

Hunschofsky hosted a group of newly elected House Democrats on the press call on Tuesday. Florida Democrats netted 15 additional seats in the House, and that could soon go to 16 if House District 33 Democratic candidate Daniel McDow survives a recount in his race in Brevard County against Republican incumbent Monique Miller. The Democrats flipped 16 Tuesday, losing only the House District 87 seat in Palm Beach County to Republican Jon Maples that Democrat Emily Gregory had won in March in a special election.

If McDow makes it through his recount, there’ll be 70 Republicans and 50 Democrats in the 120-member body.

The Democratic caucus is no longer in superminority status because of its successful night Tuesday. That means Republicans will now need Democratic votes to get a two-thirds vote on certain legislative procedures such as waiving the rules, placing constitutional amendments on the ballot, and overriding vetoes by the governor, Hunschofsky said.

Closer margins can make it easier to reach agreement on bipartisan matters, she said. “And with us having more numbers, it makes it more important that on those really important bipartisan issues that we all come together and that our caucus has a seat at the table.”

With additional reporting by Jay Waagmeester.