All articles tagged with #desantis
Palm Beach International Airport in Florida was officially renamed to President Donald J. Trump International Airport after Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation; the FAA also updated the airport code from PBI to DJT, and travelers offered mixed reactions to the renaming.
A federal appeals court (11th Circuit) ruled that Florida's Stop Woke Act’s higher-education provisions—restricting what professors can teach about race and gender—violate the First Amendment, upholding an injunction and marking a setback for the governor's campus-ideology agenda.
A divided 11th Circuit court ruled that Florida’s Stop WOKE Act restricting how public college instructors teach about race and gender violates the First Amendment, keeping the law blocked during litigation; Florida may seek rehearing or Supreme Court review.
Gov. Ron DeSantis says Florida will use HB 1471 to identify and designate more than 90 groups as terrorist organizations, with final designations approved by the governor and Cabinet; the law bars public support and funding and imposes penalties for material support, while CAIR and civil liberties groups vow legal challenges, arguing the move undermines First Amendment rights.
Florida’s push to attract hyperscale data centers is colliding with broad local opposition, leading to moratoriums in at least 20 counties, lawsuits and recalls, and regulatory scrutiny as residents raise concerns about water use, wetlands, noise and quality of life. Some developers are pausing large projects or downsizing and seeking compromises, while state leaders, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, push tighter rules, potentially shifting future data-center investments to other states and altering Florida’s AI-fueled growth strategy.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the closure of Alligator Alcatraz, a yearlong Everglades detention camp for immigration detainees, amid lawsuits over environmental harm and criticism of taxpayer costs. He said the facility fulfilled its mission and that remaining detainees were moved to federal custody, while critics vow ongoing legal action and questions remain about site restoration and the airfield’s future use.
Hillsborough County will assess how Gov. DeSantis’ property-tax plan—boosting the homestead exemption and capping commercial property at 5%—could affect finances as the county negotiates a Rays stadium deal; Commissioner Chris Boles pushes for questions on long-term exposure, reserves, taxpayer protections, and the enforceability of private commitments, noting a $103 million rainy-day fund within a proposed $976 million public contribution and the potential need to revisit financial templates.
The Florida Supreme Court rejected voting-rights groups' challenge and allowed Gov. Ron DeSantis’ newly drawn congressional maps to stand for the 2026 midterms. The GOP-leaning lines could add up to four Republican seats, though a separate constitutional challenge over their validity continues, while the current delegation remains 20 Republicans to 8 Democrats.
Florida’s Supreme Court cleared the way for Gov. Ron DeSantis’ congressional map to be used in 2026, despite voters’ Fair Districts Amendment banning partisan gerrymandering. The majority avoided ruling on the map itself, while Justice Jorge Labarga dissented, urging intervention as in past elections. A DeSantis appointee, Judge Joshua Hawkes, previously denied a block on the map, arguing it might be preferable given federal and state considerations. Plaintiffs appealed, the court expedited briefing, and DeSantis touted the court’s conservative tilt as the map could yield up to four additional GOP seats.
Florida lawmakers balk at DeSantis’ proposal to backfill local revenue losses from his property tax plan by removing a dedicated trust fund; House Speaker Sam Garrison and Senate leaders say backfill should come from regular budgeting rather than an entitlement, casting doubt on the governor’s promise of statewide relief for cash-strapped counties as the budget process moves forward.
Florida lawmakers approved Gov. Ron DeSantis’s sweeping property tax relief plan, sending a constitutional amendment to the November ballot that would expand the homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028 (not applying to school taxes), cap annual non-homestead assessment increases at 5%, and limit revenues for core local services. The measure could reduce non-school government revenue by about $4.6 billion initially (rising to $8.4 billion annually), prompting concerns about local service cuts, while supporters say it provides homeowner relief and lets voters decide with a 60% threshold.
Gov. Ron DeSantis announces a June Special Session to push a phased plan that could eventually end Florida’s homestead property tax. The plan starts with raising the homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and to $250,000 in 2028, then a timetable to fully eliminate the tax contingent on voter approval and a 3/5 legislative vote. It shields local governments with protections and a trust fund to cover core services, avoids new offset taxes during the transition, and imposes a five-year homestead tax requirement on newcomers to curb benefits for movers. An implementing session post-election will finalize mechanics, with broad public support indicated in polls.
Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled a plan to phase out Florida’s property taxes on homesteaded homes, starting with a ballot measure to lift the homestead exemption to $250,000 and a stepwise path to full relief. The proposal requires 60% support in both the Legislature and among voters, and DeSantis has called a special session to move it forward. While backers say non-homestead taxes could fund essential services and rural counties could receive a relief trust, critics warn the revenue loss could affect parks, libraries and other local services; Democrats call it a distraction from the property-insurance crisis, and state data shows the share of homeowners affected is contested by the EDR.
Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled a sweeping Florida property-tax overhaul that would raise the homestead exemption to $250,000 and cap annual increases on commercial property at 5%, with a five-year wait for new residents to access the larger break. If approved by voters this fall, the plan would be advanced in a special session and requires a legislative supermajority to place the amendment on the ballot and 60% voter approval to pass. The proposal could be DeSantis’ last major policy push and faces internal GOP resistance and opposition over potential losses in school funding and other local services, though he also proposes a standalone fund to help local governments maintain core services.
Gov. Ron DeSantis introduced a property tax proposal to raise the homestead exemption to $250,000 and eventually $500,000, aiming to eliminate property taxes for about 92% of Florida homeowners; he called lawmakers back for a special session to add a ballot amendment and set up a state trust fund to aid local governments during the transition, with passage requiring 60% legislative approval and 60% voter support in November.