Politics
Nick DiCeglie bill exempting heated tobacco products from cigarette taxes clears first committee
A bill aimed at changing how Florida taxes emerging tobacco alternatives has cleared its first committee stop this week with little opposition.
Sen. Nick DiCeglie, a St. Petersburg Republican, presented SB 754 before the Senate Committee on Regulated Industries, where it was reported favorably without debate.
The proposal would create a statutory definition for “heated tobacco products” and exempt those products from being taxed as cigarettes. Under current law, cigarettes are subject to a specific excise tax, while other nicotine products such as vaping devices are not. DiCeglie said the bill is designed to treat heated tobacco products more like vapes for tax purposes.
“This bill will statutorily define heated tobacco product, and excludes heated tobacco products from taxation as cigarettes,” DiCeglie told the committee Monday.
DiCeglie said heated tobacco products are a less harmful alternative to traditional cigarettes, though they still contain nicotine. He said the products heat tobacco rather than burn it, and claimed they contain significantly fewer harmful additives and toxins.
“We know that cigarettes are incredibly harmful, and this heated tobacco product is an alternative to that,” DiCeglie said. “This product has around 95% less harmful additives and toxins and all of those things, and is very similar to the vape product.”
DiCeglie said the bill aims to provide a tax incentive for smokers who may be trying to move away from combustible cigarettes.
According to the bill text, SB 754 defines heated tobacco products as tobacco-containing devices that heat, but do not burn, tobacco and produce an inhalable aerosol rather than smoke. The bill specifically removes heated tobacco products from both the cigarette excise tax and Florida’s “other tobacco products” tax category, while making conforming changes to state statutes.
Democratic Sen. Darryl Rouson raised concerns about youth access, citing issues with minors obtaining vaping products. DiCeglie acknowledged the concern, but said SB 754 is limited to tax policy and does not address age restrictions or enforcement. He said he would research existing regulations and be prepared to provide more detailed answers at the bill’s next committee stop.
“I don’t want any product to get in the hands of kids,” DiCeglie said.
With no further debate, the committee voted to advance SB 754. The measure now moves forward in the legislative process as lawmakers head into the 2026 Legislative Session starting Tuesday.
Politics
Senate panel advances bill to strengthen Tax Collector oversight of commercial driving schools
‘We want to make sure that when they’re out on the road, they’re not going to be a menace to society.’
A proposal meant to crack down on fraudulent commercial driver’s license activity at DMV sites zipped through its first Senate committee with unanimous support.
Members of the Senate Transportation Committee advanced the measure (SB 584) by Miami Springs Republican Sen. Bryan Ávila, who said there’s a rising trend in Miami-Dade of people lying about being licensed to drive commercial vehicles.
Ávila said Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez approached him about the problem, which could spread to other parts of the state, if it hasn’t already.
“The goal here, Senators, is to protect the integrity of driver licensing processes, deter fraud and support compliant driving schools without altering curriculum testing standards or a statewide eligibility criteria,” he said.
“This is an effort to make sure we can cover all our bases through cooperation and through collaboration with our Tax Collector.”
If approved, the legislation would authorize the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to formally delegate enforcement authority over commercial driving schools to county Tax Collectors through interagency agreements.
Under those agreements, Tax Collectors could bar driving school operators from Tax Collector Offices, investigate fraud or practices undermining license integrity, require license verification and inspect driving school premises for legal compliance
“We want to make sure that when they’re out on the road, they’re not going to be a menace to society,” Ávila previously told Florida Politics while discussing his 2026 legislative priorities. “We want everyone that is driving any truck or vehicle on our roadways to be absolutely qualified and licensed to be driving.”
Barney Bishop of the Florida Smart Justice Alliance and Carlos San Jose of Corcoran Partners signaled support for the measure, which will next go to the Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development.
A House twin of the bill (HB 953) by Miami Republican Rep. Omar Blanco awaits committee referrals.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings’ fundraising is lagging behind U.S. Rep. David Jolly’s in the race for the Democratic Primary for Governor.
Demings raised about $225,000 in addition to $104,000 from his political committee Moving Florida Forward, campaign finance reports show.
The latest campaign fundraising report covers the fourth quarter of 2025.
In comparison to Demings’ $330,000, Jolly brought in more than $1 million in the final three months of 2025.
Jolly raised about $649,000 in addition to his political committee Florida 2026 collecting about $412,000, records showed.
Demings officially jumped into the race Nov. 6, a timing he acknowledged as a handicap during the start of the holiday season.
“Despite those challenges, we raised a respectable $330,000. I look forward to expanding our fundraising and support during the first quarter of the year and thereafter,” Demings said in a statement, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Demings said he was “excited about the momentum we’ve achieved.”
Whoever wins the Democratic nod faces a long fight against the better-funded Republicans.
U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, who is leading Republicans in polls, raised $13.1 million raised during the fourth quarter of the year between his campaign account and the Friends of Byron Donalds political committee. Donalds amassed a war chest of more than $45 million in 2025.
Demings, the former Orange County Sheriff and Orlando City Police Chief, has led Orange County government since he won election in 2018.
“This is not a right or left moment, but a right or wrong moment in our history. The power of the people is greater than the people in power,” Demings said during his campaign launch in November in Orlando. “We’re tired of toxic and divisive politics. If you vote for me, it’s a vote for a new style of leadership. It’s a vote for change. It’s a vote for democracy.”
Senate panel advances bill to strengthen Tax Collector oversight of commercial driving schools
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