On Monday, the Republican Party of Florida announced its support for Amendment 1, which would increase the amount of money that could be kept in the budget stabilization fund to 25%.
Then Gov. Ron DeSantis took the opposite position.
“This is a foolish constitutional amendment proposal. We already have a maxed out rainy day fund and have run the largest surpluses in state history. Any additional revenue should be used for lower taxes, including assisting local governments with grants so that homestead properties can be exempt from local property tax. Surplus revenue could also be used to remove tolls once the property tax issue is settled,” DeSantis said Monday.
His position runs counter to that of party chair Evan Power.
““Floridians work hard for what they have. Government should not spend it all and then come back for more,” said Power. “Amendment 1 keeps Florida prepared for storms, emergencies, and downturns without raising taxes.”
The state party does align with DeSantis on Amendment 3, which would increase the homestead exemption to $250,000 by 2028.
But the schism on Amendment 1, which passed the Legislature via a joint resolution (HJR 5019) that the Governor does not approve or reject like most bills, feels familiar to those who have noted some of the frustration DeSantis has felt with the state party of late.
During the primary campaign, the Governor took issue with a lack of debates between candidates in the gubernatorial race. To no avail, he suggested that the Sunshine State Showdown this summer would have offered an opportunity for candidates to face off. He also said that media organizations could host debates. But for a variety of reasons, none of this happened.
DeSantis has been helpful to the party since the Primary.
He hosted a “leadership forum” with the “winning ticket”: gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds, Attorney General James Uthmeier, CFO Blaise Ingoglia and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson.
But even at that event, there was evidence the vibes were off between Power and DeSantis. As the chair issued closing remarks, DeSantis walked off stage behind him.
The amendment has to get 60% support to become law.
