Politics
Last Call for 1.22.26 – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida
Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
Forget the essay prompt. Voters want college admissions departments to start with a different request: papers, please.
Florida voters overwhelmingly support legislation that would restrict admission at public colleges and universities to U.S. citizens and immigrants legally authorized to be in the country.
According to a new survey from the Civic Data & Research Institute, three-quarters of voters back the policy, including nearly half (48%) who say they strongly support it.
Only about a quarter of those polled oppose the requirement, and even then, the resistance is soft, with just over one in ten voters expressing strong opposition.
Support for the proposal cuts across party lines, though unevenly. Republicans are nearly unanimous in backing the restriction, with 92% in favor, while independents also show solid support at 68%-32%. Democrats are more divided, but the majority still supports it, with a 56%-44% split.
Sen. Erin Grall introduced a bill (SB 1052) earlier this month that would add the admissions requirement, but it has not yet been scheduled for its first hearing in the Education Postsecondary Committee. Rep. Jennifer Kincart Jonsson is sponsoring the companion bill (HB 1279).
The survey, conducted Jan. 19-22, had a sample size of 1,001 likely Florida General Election voters. The results were weighted to reflect Florida’s electorate across age, gender, race and ethnicity, education, and region. The margin of error is +/-3.1%.
Evening Reads
—“The voters that have taken a U-turn on Donald Trump” via Nate Cohn of The New York Times
—”The U.S. is actively seeking regime change in Cuba by the end of the year” via José de Córdoba, Vera Bergengruen and Deborah Acosta of The Wall Street Journal
—“Five fronts in Trump’s culture war” via Graham Bowley of The New York Times
—”We are witnessing the self-immolation of a Superpower” via Garrett M. Graff of WIRED
—”The true danger posed by Trump” via The Economist
—”Is Minnesota’s Senate seat actually in play for Republicans?” via Chris Cillizza of So What
—”Midterm polls have good news, great news, and bad news for Democrats. Wait, what?” via Nate Silver of the Silver Bulletin
—”ICE is forcing a reckoning among America’s religious leaders” via Christian Paz of Vox
—”Bill to phase out homestead property taxes sent to House floor despite warnings of local impacts” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics
—”DEI funding nixed, ‘human embryological and fetal development’ study mandated, in House K-12 bill” via Christine Sexton of Florida Phoenix
Three Questions
This week, nearly 1,000 Florida Realtors members convened in Tallahassee for the 2026 Great American Realtor Days, meeting with lawmakers to discuss the housing and property issues shaping communities across the state. Florida Politics spoke with newly installed 2026 Florida Realtors President Chuck Bonfiglio for an update on the market and key conversations taking place during the 2026 Legislative Session.
Q: How would you describe Florida’s housing market as we start 2026?
Florida’s housing market has entered 2026 on stable ground. After the pandemic-era frenzy, when record-low rates fueled bidding wars and listings sold in days, 2025 brought the market back into a more sustainable balance. December’s closed sales were up nearly 6% year over year for single-family homes and more than 10% for condos and townhomes, with prices holding steady and inventory finding a healthier balance.
That stability is carrying into 2026. Buyers now have enough inventory, time, and information to make confident decisions, and sellers can price realistically with steady demand. Florida’s long-term strengths reinforce this stability, including continued population growth—more than a quarter of 2024 buyers came from out of state—which keeps demand resilient.
One development I’m especially encouraged by is the progress in our property insurance market. Thanks to major reforms passed by the Florida Legislature in 2022 and 2023, rates are easing, 17 new insurers have entered the state, and homeowners are seeing meaningful savings.
Together, these factors mean many who were sitting on the sidelines are now finding real opportunities to enter the market, with more certainty than we’ve seen in years.
Q: What should leaders understand about the role real estate and Realtors play in Florida’s economy?
Real estate is a major driver of Florida’s economy—it makes up nearly a quarter of our economic output, and each home sale generates roughly $129,000 in economic activity while supporting two jobs. When residential real estate rises, commercial does too: Strong neighborhoods attract strong businesses, and thriving business districts strengthen communities.
Realtors guide Floridians through rate changes, market shifts, headlines, and major financial decisions, helping families build long-term stability through homeownership. We see firsthand what first-time buyers, growing families, and small businesses are navigating, and we stay with them through the entire homeownership journey, bringing real-world insight into how policy can strengthen Florida’s communities.
Q: With Session underway, what is your message to Florida’s lawmakers?
Together with our more-than-230,000 members, Florida Realtors is extremely grateful to the Florida Legislature for continuing to prioritize the needs of Florida’s property owners, buyers, and sellers. We’ve made real progress—expanding housing programs, strengthening Live Local (with more than 52,000 units in the pipeline), advancing major insurance reforms, and eliminating the business rent tax to support small businesses. This Session, we want to continue that work.
National data shows the median first-time homebuyer age has climbed to a record 40 years old, a sign that even with our market stabilizing, affordability barriers continue to delay when Floridians can put down roots and build wealth. Our focus is removing those barriers through practical solutions: continuing insurance stabilization, diversifying our housing stock with more attainable options like accessory dwelling units, and supporting policies that help more families reach and sustain homeownership.
Realtors are here as a resource, bringing data, insights, and ground-level experience from every corner of Florida. We’re committed to working hand in hand with lawmakers to keep Florida the nation’s leading place to live, work, and thrive.
Quote of the Day
“Savings don’t come when you take money out of their back pockets instead of their front pockets.”
— Rep. Kelly Skidmore, arguing against a resolution that would put a phase-out of homestead property taxes on the ballot.
Put it on the Tab
Look to your left, then look to your right. If you see one of these people at your happy hour haunt, flag down the bartender and put one of these on your tab. Recipes included, just in case the Cocktail Codex fell into the well.
The Florida Rural Economic Development Association says Rep. Jason Shoaf deserves a Champion for his work boosting Florida’s small counties in the state budget.
Rep. Angie Nixon is hoping for a Senator, but she’ll have to wait until November to see if the bartender serves it up, if at all.
Florida city and county budgets are one step closer to a Stranglehold now that the House has approved a resolution that would phase out homestead property taxes.
Breakthrough Insights
Tune In
Gators host Auburn on Saturday
The Florida Gators host Auburn in a nationally televised college basketball game on Saturday (4 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Florida (14-5, 5-1 in SEC) is tied atop the conference standings with Texas A&M and is ranked No. 16 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25. The Gators have won five straight, including wins over ranked teams Georgia, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt. On Tuesday night, Florida topped LSU behind 15 points and a career-high tying 21 rebounds from center Rueben Chinyelu.
Chinyelu became the first Florida player with four consecutive double-doubles since David Lee in 2005. He is the third player in school history to have at least two games with 20 or more rebounds in a season.
Auburn (12-7, 3-3) has battled through an up-and-down season. Non-conference losses to ranked teams, Houston, Michigan, Arizona, and Purdue, were followed by a loss at Georgia and a win against Arkansas, both ranked teams in conference play.
Forward Keyshawn Hall leads the Tigers with 20.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.
Saturday’s game is the only scheduled meeting between the two programs this season.
If Florida continues in its current form, they have a chance to finish the regular season on a hot streak. The Gators’ schedule includes only two more games against ranked teams, Feb. 11 at Georgia and Feb. 28 at Arkansas.
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Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson, with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.