- This is a production of WEDU PBS, Tampa, St.

Petersburg, Sarasota.

[music] - Coming up, the Florida Legislature is officially in session.

Last year, lawmakers went into overtime to reach agreements.

Will this year be any different?

Is there enough cooperation, even within the one party supermajority to keep the session on schedule?

There are early signs of strain, including a snub between the governor and the House speaker that happened seconds before the state of the state address.

Plus, does the outgoing governor hold enough sway to get a budget passed of more than $117 billion?

We're also talking affordability.

We have the results of the first of its kind study, providing actionable insights on the region's housing gap by income level, geography, even housing type.

Hear directly from Tampa Bay partnership's top leader.

Why this study proves that housing affordability is impacting our workforce, long term economic growth and the region's competitiveness.

That's next on Florida This Week.

[music] Welcome back everybody.

I'm Lissette Campos joining our panel of experts.

This week.

We have Bemetra Simmons president and CEO of the Tampa Bay Partnership.

Mike Van Sickler, political editor for the Tampa Bay times.

Jake Hoffman, chair of the legislative affairs committee of the Hillsborough Republican Party, also a member of the Tampa Bay Young Republicans.

And Jennifer Griffith, former chair of the Pinellas County Democratic Party and a political strategist.

Florida's 2026 regular legislative session opened this past Tuesday.

- Let the governor be received.

[applause] - While lawmakers laid out their priorities.

Old divisions quickly followed.

Governor Ron DeSantis delivered his eighth and final state of the state address to kick off the constitutionally mandated 60 day session.

He quickly highlighted a list of to do's, including property tax cuts, rules for artificial intelligence and measures aimed at curbing illegal immigration.

He praised Senate President Ben Britton's agenda, but visibly snubbed House Speaker Danny Perez by declining to shake his hand at the start of the address.

- I'm always willing to shake the governor's hand.

I'm able to compartmentalize, obviously.

Personally, we aren't on the same page.

I have a certain amount of respect that I think everyone else should also have in being in this position.

And part of that is treating other people with respect.

And that's why I kind of turned over waiting for a handshake.

But obviously it wasn't reciprocated.

- The moment underscored tensions that have lingered since last session.

It was the House which launched the investigation into the Hope Florida Foundation, a charity that's tied to First Lady Casey DeSantis because the Hope Florida investigation involves Medicare dollars from a lawsuit settlement with the state's largest Medicare administrator.

It did result in a grand jury investigation last October.

No ruling has been handed down.

A lot to cover.

I'd like to start with you, Mike.

How does this these disagreements between the House and the Senate last session cause them to go over in their time?

Looking ahead, what can we expect with those disagreements for this session?

- Well, in legislative arts, it's really relationships.

And as we saw last session, those relationships were frayed because a lot of it did have to do, as you pointed out, with the Hope Florida investigation and that issue, it kind of fractured not just the speaker's relationship with DeSantis, but his relationship with Ben Albritton.

Ben Albritton sees himself as a peacemaker, but he is currently pretty much aligned with DeSantis, and he and DeSantis are kind of a front right now, and it's kind of isolated, Perez.

And unfortunately, the way the session works is you need both chambers to agree to things.

And right now, there just seems to be a pretty strong division between the two chambers because of that.

- Jennifer, I'd like to ask you, you know, the house has moved independently on on some of the governor's top priorities, including redistricting, property taxes.

Is this a sign of healthy independence or perhaps of a deeper dysfunction?

- I can't quite answer that question if it's a sign of healthy independence.

I do appreciate Speaker Perez going out on a limb and doing the things that he did last year with Hope, Florida.

But as you're as you mentioned, he is still taking up redistricting.

So I can't quite tell exactly where they lie on that.

And it looks more like a power play.

Power struggles.

Who's going to be top dog at the end of the day?

All while Floridians wait for results.

It's just it's dysfunctional.

- Jake, I'd like to ask you about the players.

Who do you see as the folks to look at in terms of helping to reach consensus consensus within the Republican Party?

- Well, I think that you mentioned the people to look at, right.

Senator Allbritton, look at Senator Boyd here from from around Hillsborough County as well, like incoming Senate president.

These people that have to try to tie in the big personalities, right.

They're not going to be able to have much of an effect on the the Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, what goes on at a greater outside of Tallahassee.

But in Tallahassee, what we're looking at session.

I do think that eventually they'll come together and it will be messy.

And, you know, the sausage doesn't get made so easily, but they will eventually.

Maybe not this session.

Maybe a couple special sessions between now and November.

They're going to get redistricting done.

I think they're going to end up with something on the ballot for property taxes, and I think that they will get there.

It will just be a little ugly along the way.

- And Perez was asked about it, about the snub.

And he said, um, we are on the same team and we've got work to do.

Um, how did you all interpret that?

- I was struck by just how he framed the snub.

I mean, it was the handshake that wasn't.

But, uh, he claimed DeSantis was quote unquote petulant, using some pretty strong words there to characterize, um, what he saw as DeSantis behavior.

- We got we've got so much to cover.

Topping the agenda of the state is the governor's proposed budget totaling more than $117 billion.

It's 2.2 billion more than last year.

Here's how some of that breaks down $1.56 billion for teacher pay increases.

That's a modest bump from last year, $30.6 billion for K through 12th grade in the public school education system, plus an additional $4 billion for state universities.

The budget also sets aside $118 million for pay raises for law enforcement and firefighters, slightly less than last year.

Transportation remains a large focus, with $15.4 billion for the Florida Department of Transportation and $14.3 billion for Florida's Long-Term Transportation Spending Plan.

Health care funding does include millions for veterans, nursing homes, child welfare, and behavioral health services.

I'd like to start off the segment with you, Bemetra.

Um, education seems to go on the back burner when you have all these other issues about AI regulation, property tax elimination, how does education factor into the affordability and the quality of life in the region?

- Sure.

So our new report shows that we have more than 150,000 units short of what we need in Tampa Bay for our residents.

And what we've seen is that wages haven't caught up, haven't kept pace with the housing costs.

So rental costs have gone up almost 48%, while wages have only gone up about 29%.

So any kind of increases to teachers, essential workers is going to be really helpful, because most of those folks fall between 60 and 100% of average median income.

So we see this as a positive sign if we're doing something to help a group of workers that so desperately need assistance.

- The Florida Education Association has come out and said that we have a retention crisis in terms of teachers.

So many of them are happy that this is included in the budget.

Jake, I'd like to ask you, Democratic leaders are arguing that the governor's budget doesn't do enough to address the affordability crisis.

Do the numbers really support that criticism?

- No.

I mean, but, you know, if you're a Democrat in Tallahassee, all you can really do is offer criticism because you don't really have a say at the table, you know, whether whether you are actually doing legislation.

So I think that when you talk about $117 billion budget, it is that is a massive number.

It's massive even to people who've been in Tallahassee for a long time.

They are spending money on so many different things.

And no matter what they do, they they can't they can't control inflation.

That's not their job.

They can barely control the housing market, because you have so many people who've moved here over the past few years and like was just mentioned, we have a housing shortage.

So we need to build more houses.

So how do you do that?

I actually think one of the things that's that's being under-covered nationally is the work being done at the Federal Housing Administration, and if they can do some of the things up there where they can get, um, you know, assumable rates for mortgages, if you can do something like that, you can totally change the game.

But these are things that are outside of Tallahassee and they're $100 billion budget.

They're going to do with that what they will.

They can't just snap their fingers and get people money back other than getting rid of property taxes.

- Jennifer, there's the question of the governor's a lame duck at this point.

The election is in November.

He's his term is up in January.

Um, do you all think that he has the the the sway that he needs to have the command of the, of the legislators in order to get this budget passed before the end of the 60 days?

- I don't believe so.

I mean, it was kind of apparent with the fracture inside the legislature right now.

He is a lame duck, and that's quite apparent.

He can come out with a very large budget and make it look like he's doing a lot for affordability.

And all of that sounds good in in a lot of talking points, the bonuses to the firefighters and the teachers.

And that's so necessary.

But it does nothing to address the cost of living property insurance, homeowners insurance.

I mean, like the amount of different things that we really do need to address health care costs in the state of Florida.

It's not really touching any of that.

- Mike, what would you say are the pressure points?

You know, you have the budget writers who are going to be, you know, writing this.

What would you say are the pressure points for that as they prepare to write this budget that everyone has to vote on?

- And it's between Republicans because Democrats just don't matter.

- So Republicans have a supermajority and.

- They have a supermajority, and it's a clear dominance.

Um, but some of the pressure points, it's going to be affordability.

Uh, I think also cost cutting.

The house is much more aggressive in cutting costs.

So they're fully behind property tax cuts.

Um, but the Senate has a much more go slow approach.

Much more, you might even say pragmatic.

Uh, Ben Albritton, a citrus farmer, is very concerned about rural counties and the services that they receive.

So he's very hesitant right now to cut taxes.

Uh, and of course, last year there was a deal to cut $5 billion in sales taxes.

And that fell apart because of the same, I think, concern from Alberton to, uh, you know, make sure that those services don't get cut.

- Okay.

Moving on to our next segment as lawmakers move beyond Opening Day ceremonies.

One theme is entering almost every policy debate, and that's affordability, from property taxes to housing and insurance.

Republicans in the supermajority of the chamber are under pressure to address the rising cost of living for Floridians.

The governor has called for significant cuts to non-school property taxes, even floating a constitutional amendment requiring voter approval.

The House put forth a flurry of competing proposals, while Senate leaders have taken a more cautious approach, favoring a larger homestead exemption rather than a deep tax cut.

Lawmakers are also weighing housing costs, including incentives for affordable units and relief for first time homebuyers, and high insurance premiums continue to shape the cost of owning a home.

Keeping insurance reforms in the spotlight in this session.

Mike, I'd like to start with you.

You know, the fact is there were several alternatives that were offered up.

And it seems that even within the political party of the Republicans, there are varying options, competing options.

Which one of them is do you think will get the most traction based on what you witnessed in Tallahassee this week?

- Um, well, you're speaking to property taxes.

Um, the both the House and the governor support getting rid of the, um, the, the non-school property taxes.

So there's an agreement there.

But the House is also like, well, let's put other proposals because we don't know if the Senate, for instance, is again showing a tremendous hesitancy to doing that.

So they're throwing some other proposals to kind of offer options in the legislative process.

It's not a bad idea, but DeSantis is criticizing the House for that approach, saying by throwing too much, you're going to distract from what is really necessary.

And that's just getting rid of non-school property taxes.

- Jake, would you say that one is getting one option in the property tax discussion is getting, um, more support now as we are now in Tallahassee.

All of them are together talking about the different options.

At one point there were more than a dozen options.

- Yeah.

So, you know, the Florida Young Republicans have a legislative priority list.

The number one priority that we put out was get rid of property taxes.

It disproportionately affects young people.

You know, this is under 40 years old first time home buyers.

We are disproportionately affected versus people who have maybe equity in a home or multiple homes over so many years.

And then, you know, there's there are proposals that are age specific, which I've come out, I've personally come out and the young Republicans have come out that that are only cutting for 65 plus this kind of stuff pits Republicans against each other, whether it's by age, it pits people against each other.

And this is all distracting from, well, let's get one single thing to the voters because it's going to need to go to a constitutional amendment.

And my hope in my conversations I've had with people in the Senate is that the Senate is going to come in and be the the voice of reason and kind of like we were talking about earlier, be the peacemakers and come up with a single proposal, because I think if anything more than one thing gets on the ballot in November, it's doomed to fail.

- Jennifer, what would you say?

I saw your face.

You know, how are Democrats?

- How are you going to make up for the loss of those property taxes is my biggest question.

Where is where is that income going to come from?

You can it's a great talking point.

- Well but but the but the supporters of this have said that so much of the tax base has increased as our property values have gone up, as so many more people have moved into the area, have moved into Florida after Covid, and so that municipalities and counties and cities have more income coming in in terms of the value of property taxes that are being paid.

- I and I would honestly counter on that because.

Is that money?

How is that money, that property tax money going to come back to the municipalities?

Back to the counties?

Who's going to choose that?

Who's going to determine which county gets what rather than having home rule and governance closest to home, where you pick somebody that's representing you on your own town council to be able to manage these funds.

Now we have it in the governor's hand or in the legislature's hand, and it's concerning to me it is.

- But the whole point that the politicians on either side have focused on is creating more equitable access to owning your own home.

Um, based on the studies that you have done and the statistics that the study has given.

Do you all do you feel that property taxes realistically does create that equitable access for residents or or to what degree does it create that?

- Sure.

So our housing equation report doesn't analyze access or equity specifically through property taxes.

What it does show is that there's a clear gap between incomes and housing costs throughout Tampa Bay, regardless of worker income types, etc.

some of those key drivers identified, you know, show our limited housing supply, our rising rents are rising home costs without wages.

And there's too few options for the workforce.

So when we talk about improving affordability, the strongest levers are increasing our supply, allowing our housing costs and then changing some of our zoning and policy recommendations to help open up the spigot and open up the faucet.

- And now it's time for our big stories of the week Legislative Session edition.

We know the session goes beyond just budget and cost of living issues.

Lawmakers will look at how Florida should approach redistricting, which has been called up for its own special session this spring, whether to and how to regulate artificial intelligence and debates over health care, immigration enforcement and government oversight.

These issues will shape not just this session, but Florida's political landscape, especially heading into the gubernatorial election in November.

Mike, I'd like to start with you.

- Well, I might even just point out the absence of this time last year we were talking about the just insurance premiums and just the rising cost of insurance, and there was a report that showed insurance companies were kind of socking away profits and putting them in affiliated companies, and that created quite a stir in the legislature.

And there was a lot of noise that this was the year that they were going to really pass some serious insurance reforms.

That's all quiet now.

And you're not hearing that.

And instead, this issue of affordability has shifted to property taxes.

And so Democrats are pointing that out.

Some Republicans are also whispering about like just the lack of reforms that would just add to transparency with insurance companies, that would show people exactly what insurance companies are doing with their profits.

- Jennifer, what would you say is the big story you're following?

- I'm going to watch redistricting.

From what I understand, the House could be taking it up very quickly this month.

And from what I understand, the Senate is not does not have an appetite for it whatsoever and would like to do a special session if we go into a special session, a special session and it drags out even longer, and then we change these districts months before an election, it leaves voters, it leaves candidates, it leaves so many people in the lurch.

And behind the eight ball of what's coming, who are they supposed to be voting for?

I mean, the downstream effects of this when we just redistricted in 2022, it's unnecessary and it's a political power grab, and I am definitely going to be watching for that.

- Jake, what would you say is the other big story that we should be looking at?

- Well, I think the other big story is the story that hasn't really been covered as much as all these other Republican candidates getting in the governor's race.

You have the lieutenant governor who announced that's not being talked about.

You have some other dark horse candidates like James Fishback, who are making all this, getting interviewed on TMZ, and they're getting a social media press on Tucker.

Tucker Carlson, these big shows, the Republican primary is fully underway.

And as you know, somebody who isn't very involved in the Republican Party, I am watching what how this all plays out and seeing whose campaign is really going to start taking off, because at some point, you know, you've got Byron Donalds, who is this, this leader, and he's in this position.

But at the same time, Florida historically has not always gone to the person who everybody expects it to.

Even with governor DeSantis, who we have now.

So.

Why is he not come out and said he's going to hold off?

- He has not come out and endorsed anyone in particular.

- So it's a very interesting maneuver.

I think that, you know, that goes to the bigger point that we have talked about on this show the entire time, which is the personalities in Tallahassee and, and maybe that they are sometimes a little bit petty and there's a lot more political game playing that goes on than, than maybe just focusing on how can we get the best policy out of this session.

- And I know that the Tampa Bay partnership is looking closely at all things related to affordability.

You've mentioned the report earlier in the show.

The Tampa Bay partnership has a brand new study.

You all are announcing the results.

This was done with JP Morgan Chase.

Tell us about the study and and what were the key findings in that study so that viewers understand?

- Sure.

So it's the first report of its kind.

It's basically what's called the housing equation is what we're calling it.

But it identifies our housing gaps by income level, by geography, by demographics and by housing type, broken out at each county level for the three most populous counties in our community.

So Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties.

We're very grateful to JP Morgan Chase for funding this independent research and investment.

And hopefully what it will do is provide a roadmap for understanding the scale of the challenge and allow us to have a region wide action plan around solving this and taking a look at this from a regional perspective instead of an individual municipality level.

- I was able to look at some of the the data that was in the report before we did the interview, and I was struck by the fact that homes under $200,000, made up 30% of all the sales in 2019 30%, but by 2022, that number dropped to just 2% of homes.

And you know, earlier, that's what Jake was talking about, how difficult it is for young professionals to be able to afford to get into the housing market to buy their first home.

Um, data like that speaks to the housing affordability of a region that's different from affordable housing.

How do you explain that, and why is it important for us to even know the difference?

- It is critically important for us to know the difference because affordable housing speaks to subsidized housing.

That's typically talking about helping residents who are less than 60% of average mean median income.

Housing affordability is every worker of every income type being able to afford housing, and this report is what that addresses.

And housing is not an altruistic issue.

It becomes a workforce issue.

If you take a look at, like you said, our rising costs that we've had.

We're going to need where someone mentioned all the growth that we've had in Tampa Bay and our competitiveness report.

We've been number one in growth for the last four years, but also number one and rising housing costs.

And then if you take that, coupled with the lack of transportation and transit options, people are being pushed further out with nothing to come back in other than to drive their vehicle.

So we have to address this.

This isn't just about housing.

It's about essential workers.

It's about teachers.

It's about health care workers.

It's about firefighters and first first responders.

So hopefully this report will allow us to rally as a community through the data to make some policy changes and to come up with a collective plan to address this issue.

- This is a nonpartizan effort.

The Tampa Bay partnership is nonpartisan.

The study looks at these different areas.

Um, what are you hoping that policy makers and developers will do with this, with this data?

- Well, we hope they use it to inform decisions, right?

Whether that be zoning issues, whether that be our accessory dwelling unit policies, whether that be the way that we have people qualified, down payment assistance, rental assistance, really the whole gamut.

And you make a very good point.

Housing is not about politics.

It's not about race.

It's not about gender.

It's about people having safe places to live that they can afford to to raise their families and to and to live.

- Well, I want to thank all four of you for coming in on such a busy week.

There's so much going on in Tallahassee.

You all are announcing the results of this big study on on the 16th.

And so thank you for coming in and just helping us give viewers a sense of the details involved in each of these important decisions.

Really appreciate your perspective and your expertise.

- Thanks for having.

- Us.

Thank you for having us.

- For data and detailed results on the report that we just spoke about, or to register for a webinar on the findings of that study that's going to be held on February the 5th.

You can visit the partnership's website.

That's tampabay.org/housingequation.

And that's all the time we have for now.

Our thanks to all of our panelists today, Jennifer Griffith, Jake Hoffman, Mike Van Sickler, and Bemetra Simmons, on behalf of the team here at WEDU.

Thanks so much for watching.

We'll see you next week.

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