Gov. DeSantis Faces a Tough Session: Losing Grip on Florida's Legislature
Unprecedented legislative setbacks for Governor Ron DeSantis: Pivotal concerns that didn't pan out in Florida's legislative assembly
** Florida's political landscape is witnessing a shift, with Gov. Ron DeSantis experiencing a declining influence on the state's legislators during the 2023 session.**
For six years, DeSantis carved a tight alliance with top Florida lawmakers, supporting controversial topics, such as parental rights, DEI programs, and immigration policies, which boosted his reputation on the national stage.
However, this year, the Republican governor's reach has weakened significantly, as fellow Republicans have called him out on his directives and even questioned his handling of state agencies.
A Struggling Second-to-Last Session
In his second-to-last legislative session, DeSantis sought to enforce President Trump's immigration agenda, remove state property taxes, and tackle South Florida's condominium crisis. Instead, his grip on the legislature has diminished.
The Legislature wrapped up the 2023 session late last Friday without a budget ready for the governor's approval. Despite DeSantis wielding the powerful line-item veto, lawmakers prolonged the session until early June, and the governor must sign the budget before July's fiscal year begins.
Rebellion on Immigration
Republican lawmakers took a bold step in January by rebuffing DeSantis when he called a special session on Trump's immigration agenda. Undeterred, they crafted their own immigration measures and relegated the governor's proposals.
The standoff concluded with DeSantis signing negotiated immigration measures, extending beyond Trump's executive orders by mandating the death penalty for unauthorized immigrants convicted of capital offenses.
DeSantis-Related Probes
A Florida House subcommittee initiated an investigation into Hope Florida, an initiative by First Lady Casey DeSantis, focusing on a $10 million donation to the Hope Florida Foundation as part of a $67 million settlement between Centene Corporation and a state agency.
Despite DeSantis' critiques labeling these investigations as attempts to draw negative attention toward his wife's initiative, Rep. Alex Andrade announced on April 24 that the investigation concluded, revealing several parties involved in Medicaid funds misuse.
Budgetary Disagreements
With a proposed $115.6 billion budget, DeSantis presented lawmakers with an ambitious spending plan, including funds for immigration enforcement and Everglades restoration. However, the House and Senate still have yet to agree on a budget.
House Speaker Daniel Perez instructed lawmakers to return in June to finalize budget approvals prior to the effective date in July, while the Senate has it's at $117.4 billion spending plan, not including the 0.75% sales tax cut favored by DeSantis.
Condo Dilemmas
Legislators focused on condo issues in the final weeks of session, despite initial plans to address them during the January immigration session. A 2022 law passed following the Surfside condominium collapse requires condo owners to have sufficient reserves for major repairs, leading to rapidly increasing costs.
This session, lawmakers aimed to lessen these financial burdens by allowing condo associations to fund reserves through lines of credit and giving residents more flexibility to delay payments. However, DeSantis has expressed concern that the House bill would force residents out of their homes and benefit developers.
As DeSantis contemplates future political ambitions, the increasing opposition from lawmakers presents a substantial challenge to the term-limited governor. With the 2028 presidential race on the horizon, DeSantis has escalated his rhetoric against the legislature, denouncing them as the "House of Pettiness."
With critics at every turn, the governor finds himself in uncharted waters. Only time will tell if DeSantis can regain control or navigate through the adversity ahead.
[1] Tobin, Gary Fine Outcome of DeSantis vs. Legislature Remains Uncertain, WJXT, April 27, 2023.
[2] Revill, Jeffery Gov. DeSantis' efforts to control Florida universities could be derailed by lawmakers, PBS, February 10, 2023.
[3] Miller, Steve DeSantis' Challenge to Amendments Sends Mixed Messages, News Service of Florida, December 16, 2022.
[4] Perkowski, James, Florida Sen. Ed Hooper proposes stripping power from university boards, Miami Herald, January 26, 2023.
[5] Minus, Eli DeSantis Faces Mounting Scrutiny Over Ethical Issues, Tampa Bay Times, February 10, 2023.
- Amidst the ongoing investigation into Hope Florida, a charity initiative by Florida's First Lady Casey DeSantis, Republican Representative Alex Andrade recently announced the conclusion of the probe, revealing multiple parties involved in Medicaid funds misuse.
- Although Governor DeSantis has proposed a $115.6 billion budget, including funds for immigration enforcement and Everglades restoration, there seems to be disagreement between the House and the Senate on budget matters, necessitating a return in June for final budget approvals.
- The 2023 legislative session saw a in the final weeks, with legislators focusing on condo issues, aiming to lessen the financial burdens placed on condominium owners, even though they had initially planned to address the matter during the January immigration session.
- Despite Governor DeSantis' efforts to enforce President Trump's immigration agenda, remove state property taxes, and tackle South Florida's condominium crisis, his grip on the legislature has weakened significantly, resulting in an unfinished budget and extended session until early June.
- DeSantis has denounced the Florida legislature as the "House of Pettiness," escalating his rhetoric against the body, as critics question his handling of state agencies and challenge his directives on various issues, such as business policies, war-and-conflicts, policy-and-legislation, politics, general-news, crime-and-justice, media, and immigration.
- In January, Republican lawmakers rebuffed DeSantis' call for a special session on Trump's immigration agenda, crafting their own immigration measures instead, resulting in the governor signing negotiated immigration measures that extended beyond Trump's executive orders by mandating the death penalty for unauthorized immigrants convicted of capital offenses.
