A former House Speaker is fuming as his erstwhile colleagues don’t share his zeal to quickly get Florida homestead owners abatement from property taxes.
“Today, the Florida House is considering potential constitutional amendments on property taxes. What’s especially concerning is that any constitutional amendment would still require Senate approval and a 60% vote on the November 2026 ballot. That means no immediate property tax relief for millions of Floridians struggling today — that is not $1 of relief to the taxpayers, at minimum for another year or two at best,” said Paul Renner, a candidate for Governor from Palm Coast.
Renner has been trying to prod a rollback of tax rates from the House throughout this Legislative Session, but to no avail. Legislators and Gov. Ron DeSantis have not been able to agree on what a constitutional amendment to eliminate homestead property taxes would look like.
DeSantis, who holds House leadership in contempt, says he is working with the Senate on language, as if the Legislature is not bipartisan.
“Why are we halfway through Session prioritizing the state bird, but sidelining the single biggest financial pressure facing Florida families? The legislature must deliver real property tax cuts — not studies, not task forces, and not symbolic gestures. Property tax bills are not hypothetical … they are real, they are rising, and they are hurting hardworking people,” Renner said.
Renner said Floridians “need leadership laser-focused on delivering immediate property tax relief that can begin with a simple rollback, while still pursuing bolder long-term protections for the future.”
Time will tell if legislators reflect his wishes.
