Seeking Rents – The Podcast: Recent Episodes
Jason Garcia
"Rent-seeking" is a term in economics that describes when a corporation uses its political influence to twist tax laws and other public policy in its favor. Seeking Rents – The Podcast brings you the stories of how that's happening in Florida, where corporate interests like Florida Power & Light, Big Sugar, and Walt Disney World wield enormous influence everywhere from local city halls to the state Capitol. Hosted by award-winning journalist Jason Garcia, Florida's leading corporate-accountability reporter.
jasongarcia.substack.com
In this episode: A month-old law enacted by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature — with help from lobbyists representing major developers — already has more than 15 square miles of farmland around the state at risk of being consumed for new housing subdivisions. Many of the proposed projects have been previously rejected by county commissioners because of concerns about traffic congestion, habitat destruction, and encroachment on rural communities. But Tallahassee has now tied the hands of locally elected leaders. Plus: Amendment 3, the Florida Legislature’s controversial property tax ballot measure, is suddenly in limbo. And the growing problem of “dark lobbying” in the state Capitol.
Show notes
To make a donation in support of Seeking Rents, click here.
To reserve a ticket to our discussion about data centers in Venice with Alice Herman and Christian Casale of Suncoast Searchlight and Emily Mahoney of the Tampa Bay Times, click here.
Stories discussed in today’s show:
New law has developers poised to build on thousands of acres of farmland around Florida
Dark lobbying in the Florida Legislature
After taking money from Walmart heirs, Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature helped billionaires hide their family fortunes
Florida judge rules property tax amendment misleading, orders rewrite
Same circus, different clowns
Bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 686 — Agricultural Enclaves
Passed the House of Representatives by a 90-20 vote (vote sheet) and the Florida Senate by a 34-2 vote (vote sheet).
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
Listen to the show: Apple | Spotify
Watch the show: YouTube
Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode: A billionaire hedge fund executive gave $10 million last week to Byron Donalds, the Republican Congressman from Naples who is the favorite to win the GOP nomination for Florida governor in next month’s primary elections. His gift came after a billionaire TikTok investor gave Donalds at least $7.5 million. Other billionaires are pouring money into the Donalds campaign, too. Their cash comes with strings. Plus: Attorney General James Uthmeier helps the billionaire-owned Fontainebleau Hotel steamroll residents of Miami Beach who are fighting a proposed expansion project; the companies that sell electricity to AI data centers love Florida’s new data center law; and a key provision in the state constitution is, it turns out, meaningless.
Show notes
To make a donation in support of Seeking Rents, click here.
To reserve a ticket to our discussion about data centers in Venice with Alice Herman and Christian Casale of Suncoast Searchlight and Emily Mahoney of the Tampa Bay Times, click here.
Stories discussed in today’s show:
The DeSantis decisions: Quiet wins for homebuilders and car dealers
Billionaire Ken Griffin pours money into Byron Donalds’ campaign for governor
Meet the billionaire pushing taxpayer-funded school vouchers
The billionaire trying to reinvent Florida schools has a $7.5 million bet on Byron Donalds
The Scale of Billionaires’ Campaign Donations is Overwhelming U.S. Politics
Lobbyist for a billionaire-run hedge fund wrote a bill allowing longer non-competes, records show
Lobbyists for a billionaire and a charter network pushed Florida lawmakers to expand a school privatization program, records show
A billionaire-backed think tank keeps sabotaging Florida workers. More attacks are coming.
Untraceable: Who sends all those political mailers?
Fewer Florida residents are receiving federal food benefits
The Fontainebleau wanted another favor from the Florida Legislature
New law has Florida ‘open for business’ for AI data centers, utility execs say
Florida judge refuses to boot Fishback from the ballot, won’t ‘decide the race’
Bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 686 – Agricultural Enclaves
Senate Bill 484 – Data Centers
House Bill 399 – Land Use and Development Regulations
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
Listen to the show: Apple | Spotify
Watch the show: YouTube
Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode: Data center interests have spent more than $5 million supporting Byron Donalds, the Trump-endorsed Congressman from Naples who is the heavy favorite to win the Republican nomination for Florida governor in next month’s primary election. But all that industry money is morphing from a strength to a liability amid a rising bipartisan backlash to data center development around the state. Meanwhile, James Uthmeier, Florida’s never-elected attorney general, is using his office to help Elon Musk’s Tesla try to get out of paying $243 million to victims of a fatal car crash involving Tesla’s Autopilot technology. Plus: Updates on big battles over property insurance, growth management and home rule.
Show notes
To make a donation in support of Seeking Rents, click here.
Stories discussed in today’s show:
Data center donors have spent more than $20 million in Florida ahead of the 2026 elections
Meta Begins $65 Million Election Push to Advance A.I. Agenda
Florida’s attorney general is trying to help Elon Musk’s Tesla get out of a $243 million verdict
An insurance company led by a billionaire megadonor wrote a law pushing Florida condo owners into higher-priced property insurance
Group tied to influential Ruane Cunniff sues Reinhold Corporation over Clay County land sale dispute
A New York investment firm with vast land holdings across north Florida wants state lawmakers to greenlight giant developments
Ron DeSantis is helping real estate developers exploit a hurricane relief law
The Florida Legislature made a mess. The Florida House refused to clean it up.
Bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 484 — Data Centers
Senate Bill 1616 — Liability of Advanced Driving System Manufacturers and Developers
Senate Bill 1028 — Citizens Property Insurance Corp.
House Bill 299 / Senate Bill 354 — Blue Ribbon Projects
Senate Bill 840 — Land Use Regulations for Local Governments Affected by Natural Disasters
Senate Bill 180 (2025) — Emergencies
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
Listen to the show: Apple | Spotify
Watch the show: YouTube
Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode: Led by a Donald Trump-appointed judge, a federal appeals court struck down Florida’s infamous “Stop WOKE Act,” a Ron DeSantis-championed law meant to censor university professors on subjects like racism and sexism. But Florida and other GOP-controlled Southern states are working on another way to control what can be said, taught or studied on college campuses. Meanwhile, rural and suburban towns across the state face an existential threat from a property tax cut that will appear on the November ballot. And new records reveal how a billionaire-led insurance broker wrote a law that could drive up property insurance prices for condo owners— and then puppeteered the plan through the Florida Legislature
Show notes:
To make a donation in support of Seeking Rents, click here.
Stories discussed in today’s show:
‘Breathtaking assertion of power’: Appeals court slams door on Florida ‘Stop Woke’ law championed by DeSantis
Scott Maxwell: Courts confirm Florida’s ‘Stop WOKE’ law is un-American garbage
A lawyer for Ron DeSantis revealed the real motive behind one of Florida’s most controversial laws
Next in Florida's war on 'woke': Becoming its own higher ed watchdog
Florida leaders hid money for controversial higher education project
City-by-city estimates of property tax impacts from Amendment 3
What Florida’s tax rollback looks like through the eyes of one small town
An insurance company led by a billionaire megadonor wrote a law pushing Florida condo owners into higher-priced property insurance
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
Listen to the show: Apple | Spotify
Watch the show: YouTube
Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode: Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has been using his office to help donors, intervening in at least three civil disputes on behalf of special interests who gave $25,000 gifts to his fundraising committee. Meanwhile, Florida state House Speaker Danny Perez has been using his powers to help secret clients of his private legal practice, including Airbnb and Newsmax. For a pair of politicians who have spent much of the last two years fighting with each other, the two of them seem to have quite a bit in common.
Show notes
Stories discussed on today’s show:
They gave Uthmeier’s campaign $25,000. Then his office stepped in to help.
Filing reveals FL House Speaker’s private client list, including Airbnb, Newsmax
Florida’s top cop uses his power to prop up car dealers
A favor for a billionaire car dealer and Republican megadonor, tucked inside a transportation law
Ron DeSantis' top aide punished bank lobbyists for being disloyal
Records show Big Sugar lobbyists are working on plans for an Everglades-area mine
A right-wing news network lobbied Florida lawmakers to defund fact-checkers, records show
A new tax break for Trump appointees
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
Listen to the show: Apple | Spotify
Watch the show: YouTube
Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode: Following a last-minute blitz of vetoes by the governor — including half a dozen bills and more than $800 million in spending — the 2026 legislative season has finally come to an end in Florida. Which means election season is here. But before campaign coverage crowds everything else out, we take a closer look at some of the bills Gov. Ron DeSantis decided to stop from becoming law. The doctors’ lobby is pleased with his choices. MAHA activists are not. Correction: During the podcast, I incorrectly referred to a bill dealing with e-bike regulations by the wrong bill number. The correct bill number is below.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 688 — Naturopathic Medicine
Passed the House of Representatives by an 85-22 vote (vote sheet) and the Senate by a 33-3 vote (vote sheet). See the governor’s veto letter here.
House Bill 893 — Trust Fund Interest for Purposes Approved by Supreme Court
Passed the House of Representatives by a 112-0 vote (vote sheet) and the Senate by a 38-0 vote (vote sheet). Read the governor’s veto letter here.
House Bill 461 — Volunteering at Polling Locations
Passed the House of Representatives by a 108-0 vote (vote sheet) and the Florida Senate by a 37-0 vote (vote sheet). Read the governor’s veto letter here.
Senate Bill 382 — Micromobility Devices
Passed the House of Representatives by a 112-0 vote (vote sheet) and the Senate by a 37-0 vote (vote sheet). Read the governor’s veto letter here.
The stories discussed in today’s show:
DeSantis cuts free tax prep for working families but approves money for Mike Huckabee
A tour of Florida’s new state budget, from money for Mike Huckabee to tax cuts for casinos
Banks lobbyists want to slash funding for legal support programs
Amid a growing national witch hunt for abortion medication, Florida may fund testing for ‘contaminants’ in toilet water
An Attorney General-backed vendor pitched wastewater surveillance program
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
Listen to the show: Apple | Spotify
Watch the show: YouTube
Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis confirmed this week that the state is closing “Alligator Alcatraz” after one year — but not before paying out millions in “demobilization fees” to vendors who have already banked hundreds of millions building and operating the infamous immigrant detention facility in the Florida Everglades. Plus: A closer look at some recent favors Florida’s governor and Legislature have done for a few billionaire megadonors — including a car dealer, an insurance magnate, and a luxury hotel owner.
Show notes
The stories discussed in today’s show:
Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” shutting down permanently, sources say
Good Riddance to ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ a Cruel, Expensive, and Pointless Authoritarian Stunt
Scrutiny mounts over DeSantis’s use of state funds for migrant flights
Hidden consultants and hurried payments: Records reveal details of DeSantis’ campaign against abortion and marijuana amendments
Ron DeSantis proposed delaying a tax break for Florida drivers until it was most helpful to his re-election campaign
A favor for a billionaire car dealer and Republican megadonor, tucked inside a transportation law
State lawmakers gave another gift to car dealers
Industry leaders urge DeSantis to veto billionaire-backed insurance bill
Florida tax package delivers gambling breaks to Soffer’s Big Easy
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 488 — Transportation
House Bill 291 and Senate Bill 352 — Common Entities of Motor Vehicle Distributors and Manufacturers
Senate Bill 1028 — Citizens Property Insurance Corporation
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
Listen to the show: Apple | Spotify
Watch the show: YouTube
Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode: A new nonpartisan analysis of a proposed constitutional amendment to cut and cap property taxes across Florida finds that it could wipe out nearly a quarter of all local government property tax collections. It could also fuel further privatization around the state — of everything from electric utilities to animal shelters. Plus: How lobbyists for a national pet retailer weakened a new state law meant to end abusive sales practices in pet stores. And Florida says no to Donald Trump-backed tax cuts for corporations.
Show notes
The stories discussed in today’s show:
State-backed ballot measure could wipe out a quarter of local property tax collections
A national chain selling puppies for profit lobbied to weaken new rules for pet stores, records show
A Koch-connected school choice contractor could get $2 million from Florida taxpayers
Corporations could get a $3.5 billion tax break in Florida unless state lawmakers step in to stop it
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 1004 — Domestic Animals
Senate Bill 1356 — Handling of Animals (note: the animal shelter privatization language is in section 2 of the original text)
House Bill 1451 — Utility Services
House Bill 655 — Pub. Rec. and Pub. Meetings/Attorney Meetings to Discuss Private Property Rights Claims
House Bill 7031 — Internal Revenue Code
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
Listen to the show: Apple | Spotify
Watch the show: YouTube
Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode: Twenty years ago, Republican leaders in Florida raced to get a radical property tax plan onto the statewide ballot — a plan that was negotiated largely in secret, sprung on the public at the last minute, and approved during a lighting-quick special session in June. If that sounds familiar, it’s because that is, beat for beat, what just happened again in Tallahassee, where Ron DeSantis and GOP lawmakers just rushed a giant property tax cut onto the November ballot that they don’t even fully understand. The irresponsible legislating blew up in their faces two decades ago. Will this time be any different?
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
House Joint Resolution 1F — Save our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes
Senate Bill 4F — Property Tax Administration
The stories discussed in in today’s show:
A new tax break for Trump appointees
Perez defends tax break for diplomats after Brazil ambassador nod from Trump
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
Listen to the show: Apple | Spotify
Watch the show: YouTube
Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode: Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature has finally agreed on a new state budget, following a flurry of last-minute spending deals — most of them negotiated behind closed doors and sealed late on the Sunday night of a holiday weekend. The eleventh-hour additions to Florida’s $115 billion spending plan include provisions that could let the state buy more property from a big developer and donor; steer a $2 million education contract to a Koch-backed company; and pave the way for the use of artificial intelligence in an anti-hunger program that feeds nearly 3 million Floridians. Plus: Ron DeSantis signs a bill written by lobbyists for a mining company that recently donated $50,000 to his Super PAC. And the devolution of Florida’s public university system into a pure political patronage machine continues.
Show notes
Register here for the Seeking Rents + Welcome to Florida live event in Jacksonville
The stories referenced in today’s show:
A tour of Florida’s new state budget, from money for Mike Huckabee to tax cuts for casinos
A last-minute budget measure could let Florida buy more land from a donor the state paid $83 million to last year
A Koch-connected school choice contractor could get $2 million from Florida taxpayers
Florida may hire an AI vendor to help decide which hungry families get grocery assistance
Companies linked to a Trump appointee are seeking money from Florida taxpayers — and giving money to Florida lawmakers
Florida is cutting funding for transit — and exposing the true cost of business tax breaks
A management firm is poised to profit off plan to divert local property taxes to charter schools
A right-wing news network lobbied Florida lawmakers to defund fact-checkers, records show
Last-minute legislation could give more money to Publix, 7-Eleven and Circle K — but less to Florida students
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
Listen to the show: Apple | Spotify
Watch the show: YouTube
Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode: Florida lawmakers might take more powers away from cities and towns, cut funding for a cross-state wildlife corridor, and start testing toilet water for drugs. They could give politicians more control over courses offered at public universities, let the attorney general dish out rich legal contracts with less scrutiny, and make taxpayers foot the bill for Ron DeSantis’ security even after he leaves office. And they may keep squeezing public employee unions, outsource more of the state’s prison system, and further expand the Florida Lottery. A look at some of the many projects and issues in play as Florida lawmakers meet in a special session to finalize a new state budget.
Show notes
Stories discussed in today’s show:
Welcome to Florida, Episode 305: ‘Welcome to Florida’ x ‘Seeking Rents’
The budget shenanigans begin
Budget update: Lawmakers may cut funding for the Florida Wildlife Corridor to pay for a small park in the Panhandle
Amid a growing national witch hunt for abortion medication, Florida may fund testing for ‘contaminants’ in toilet water
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
Listen to the show: Apple | Spotify
Watch the show: YouTube
Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis just got the state’s Republican-controlled Legislature to pass new Congressional district maps that were intentionally drawn to violate an anti-gerrymandering constitutional amendment that was approved by nearly two-thirds of Florida voters. It’s a scheme meant not only to give Donald Trump and national Republicans an edge in the 2026 midterms — but also to give DeSantis-appointed courts an opening to eliminate those anti-gerrymandering amendments completely. But the governor failed to get lawmakers to go along with plans to regulate artificial intelligence and weaken school vaccine rules, as Florida’s GOP leadership quickly settled back into a year-long cold war. Plus: DeSantis marks International Workers’ Day by signing the single most anti-worker piece of legislation of the 2026 session.
Show notes
Stories discussed in today’s show:
Florida lawmakers cede redistricting authority to executive power
Counsel for DeSantis tells lawmakers they can ignore Fair Districts Amendments in approving new map
Emails show right-wing group gave talking points to Florida GOP lawmaker on anti-union bill
Did Florida’s attorney general break the law during a Martin Luther King Day legal stunt?
DeSantis pushed lawmakers to purge Medicaid, records show
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
Listen to the show: Apple | Spotify
Watch the show: YouTube
Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode: After more than a year of hostilities, Republican leaders in the Florida House and Senate reached a budget deal just days before Gov. Ron DeSantis hauls them all to Tallahassee for a special session that some people seem to want no part of. What happens next — on gerrymandering, vaccines, artificial intelligence and more — remains a mystery. Plus: Corporate donors who need favors from the DeSantis administration are flooding money into a federal super PAC supporting the governor. And a look at what the charter school industry has been lobbying for in the state Capitol.
Show notes
Links and stories discussed in today’s show:
House, Senate call 18-day budget special session for May 12-29
The DeSantis decisions: Quiet wins for homebuilders and car dealers
Lobbyists for a mining company wrote a bill to block lawsuits over radiation on former mines
Ron DeSantis PAC took $250,000 from Florida Power & Light after record-setting rate hike
‘Schools of Hope’ charter operator is moving into 5 Miami-Dade high schools
Lobbyists for a billionaire and a charter network pushed Florida lawmakers to expand a school privatization program, records show
A management firm is poised to profit off plan to divert local property taxes to charter schools
Register now: Seeking Rents + Welcome to Florida: Live Meet & Greet (St. Pete)
Register now: Seeking Rents + Welcome to Florida: Live Meet & Greet (Winter Park)
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
Listen to the show: Apple | Spotify
Watch the show: YouTube
Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode: As he looks ahead to another presidential run — and a potential showdown with a Donald Trump heir apparent like J.D. Vance or Marco Rubio — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is starting to pick some subtle-but-strategic fights with the Trump White House. Plus: Three years after promising to expand children’s health insurance, Florida leaders are utterly failing needy kids. And new records show that state lawmakers banked $14 million from special interests just before they started their 2026 legislative session.
Show notes
Stories discussed in today’s show:
Coming soon: Seeking Rents on stage
RFK Jr. launches midterm travel push to shore up MAHA support
Florida’s special session could burnish DeSantis’ legacy — but pitfalls lurk
Florida drops KidCare lawsuit, but expansion hasn’t happened
Florida stalls as 42,000 Kids wait for affordable healthcare
Florida lawmakers banked $14 million the day before session began
How Florida became the national leader at denying health insurance to kids
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
Listen to the show: Apple | Spotify
Watch the show: YouTube
Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode: Ron DeSantis has begun signing bills sent to him by state lawmakers during Florida’s recently concluded session — including new laws that will make it more cumbersome for some Floridians to vote, give state politicians the power to label civil rights groups domestic terrorists, and let a billionaire hotel owner build an unpopular water park in Miami Beach. At the same time, the Republican governor and GOP-controlled Legislature are preparing for special sessions to resolve a budget impasse and re-gerrymander the state’s Congressional districts. But Florida voters, it turns out, aren’t happy with them. Plus: A look at how politicians in Tallahassee are politically profiting off of earmarks in the state budget.
Show notes
A quick correction from the show: The special election for House District 87 (not 85) was won by Democrat Emily Gregory (not Holly Gregory)
And the stories referenced during the show:
The DeSantis decisions: Singling out university students and hoping they’ll just stay home
The DeSantis decisions: A Friday afternoon favor for the Fontainebleau
A river runs into it
Industry leaders urge DeSantis to veto billionaire-backed insurance bill
A startup got $5 million from Florida taxpayers and gave $500,000 to Florida politicians
Florida’s budget stalemate takes on Cherfilius-McCormick probe-related twist
A familiar face in Florida’s proposed budget
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
Listen to the show: Apple | Spotify
Watch the show: YouTube
Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode: Florida lawmakers arrived in Tallahassee two months ago promising to focus on affordability and fix a growth-management mess they made last year. They did neither. They did, however, undermine the collective bargaining rights of public school teachers, shield a mining company from lawsuits over radioactive contamination, and pass a billionaire-backed bill that could force condo owners to pay higher prices for property insurance. They did some good things, too. A recap of Florida’s 2026 legislative session. Correction: This podcast used the incorrect bill number for Senate Bill 1028, the bill that could force some Florida condo owners to pay higher prices for property insurance.
Show notes:
For a links to all the bills mentions discussed in this episode — and the vote sheets for every one that passed — see this post on Seeking Rents:
The Florida Legislature made a mess. The Florida House refused to clean it up.
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
Listen to the show: Apple | Spotify
Watch the show: YouTube
Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode: Florida’s 2026 legislative session ends with one more development showdown on the floor of the Florida Senate, a weaker-than-expected deal on data centers, and a bunch of big decisions punted to a special session on the state budget that will be held later this spring. A recap of 60th and final day of the Florida Legislature’s 2026 session.
Show notes:
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 628 — Traffic Facility Designations
Passed the Senate by a 31-4 vote and now goes to the governor (vote sheet)
House Bill 1451 — Utility Services
Passed the Senate by a 30-6 vote and now goes to the governor (vote sheet)
House Bill 1279 — Education
Passed the Senate by a 36-1 vote (vote sheet) and the House of Representatives by an 81-16 vote (vote sheet) and now goes to the governor
House Bill 905 — Foreign Influence
Passed the House of Representatives by an 83-17 vote (vote sheet) and now goes to the governor
Senate Bill 484 — Data Centers
Passed the Senate by a 31-6 vote and now goes to the governor (vote sheet)
House Bill 399 — Land Use and Development Regulation
Passed the Senate by a 27-11 vote (vote sheet) and the House of Representatives by a 73-27 vote (vote sheet) and now goes to the governor.
Fontainebleau amendment to HB 399
Failed to pass the Senate by a 17-20 vote (vote sheet)
Rural boundaries amendment to HB 399
Failed to pass the Senate by a voice vote
Senate Bill 180 amendment to HB 399
Ruled out of order by House Republican leadership
Senate Bill 7044 — Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund/Executive Office of the Governor
Passed the Senate by a 29-7 vote (vote sheet) and the House of Representatives by an 80-20 vote (vote sheet) and now goes to the governor.
The stories discussed in today’s podcast:
Florida lawmakers clear path for Fontainebleau water park despite opposition
A developer wants to build a giant data center in Palm Beach — after lobbying for a tax break in Tallahassee
Buried in the budget: Mike Huckabee, Donald Trump and Newsmax
A New York investment firm with vast land holdings across north Florida wants state lawmakers to greenlight giant developments
Landowner behind ‘Blue Ribbon Projects’ bill gave $300K to Florida leaders before session began, records show
A gun company gave lots of money to Florida lawmakers. Now it’s lobbying for legal immunity.
Gun money in the Florida Legislature
Florida politicians may give Big Sugar legal power to go after activists and silence critics
They said they wanted to help farmers. They really wanted to hurt environmentalists.
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
Listen to the show: Apple | Spotify
Watch the show: YouTube
Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode: On the eve of the final day of Florida’s 2026 regular session, the Republican-controlled Legislature passed bills that will throw up more bureaucratic roadblocks to voting and allow state politicians to target “domestic terrorist” groups. But they also agreed not to give billions of dollars to the biggest corporations in the country and to help thousands of Floridians at risk of losing AIDS and HIV medication. Plus: Last-day floor fights are looming between urban and rural lawmakers over growth and development. An update from Day 59 of Florida’s 60-day session.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
House Bill 991 — Election Integrity
Passed the Senate by a 27-12 vote (vote sheet). Passed the House of Representatives by a 77-28 vote (vote sheet). Now goes to the governor.
House Bill 1471 — Systems of Law and Terrorist Organizations
Passed the House of Representatives by an 80-25 vote and now goes to the governor (vote sheet)
House Bill 7031 — Taxation
Passed the House of Representatives by a 109-0 vote and now goes to the governor (vote sheet)
House Bill 697 — Drug Prices and Coverage
Passed the House of Representatives by a 108-0 vote and now goes to the governor (vote sheet)
The stories discussed in today’s show:
No water, no shade: How homebuilders, farming companies and construction firms got politicians to reject heat rules for outdoor workers in Florida
Corporations could get a $3.5 billion tax break in Florida unless state lawmakers step in to stop it
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
Listen to the show: Apple | Spotify
Watch the show: YouTube
Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode: With the Big Business lobby leaning hard on lawmakers, Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature passes a controversial bill weakening the collective bargaining rights of teachers, utility workers, bus drivers and more. Republican leaders in the House and Senate also seem to have struck a deal on an elections bill intended to suppress turnout on college campuses. And legislation written by lobbyists for mining-and-fertilizer giant Mosaic Co. — which would shield the company from legal claims over radiation exposure on former phosphate mines — heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis. An update from Day 57 and Day 58 of Florida’s 2026 legislative session.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 1296 — Public Employee Relations Commission
Passed the House of Representatives by a 73-37 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 991 — Election Integrity
Amendment to HB 991
Amendment failed to pass the Senate by a 12-24 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 167 — Former Phosphate Mining Lands
Passed the Senate by a 32-4 vote and now goes to the governor (vote sheet)
House bill 1217 — Prohibited Governmental Policies Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Passed the Senate by a 24-12 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 488 — Transportation
Passed the Senate by a 36-0 vote and now goes to the governor (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 1134 — Official Actions of Local Governments
Passed the House of Representatives by a 77-37 vote and now goes to the governor (vote sheet)
House Bill 697 — Drug Prices and Coverage
Passed the Senate by a 38-0 vote (vote sheet)
The stories discussed in today’s show:
Florida Republican targets local and state government unions at behest of anti-union group
Lobbyists for a mining company wrote a bill to block lawsuits over radiation on former mines
DeSantis’ office authored ‘terrorist’ bill, records show
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
Listen to the show: Apple | Spotify
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Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode: In a session that was supposed to focus on affordability, the Florida Legislature just sent Gov. Ron DeSantis a bill that would force some condo residents and business owners to pay higher prices for their property insurance. Plus: Lawmakers pass a bill that could block a new cruise port near the mouth of Tampa Bay. And the state House engages in some last-minute shenanigans on behalf of the car dealers lobby.
Senate Bill 1028 — Citizens Property Insurance Corporation
Passed the House of Representatives by an 88-19 vote and now goes to the governor sign or veto (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 302 — Coastal Resiliency
Passed the House of Representatives by a 109-0 vote and now goes to the governor to sign or veto (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 488 — Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
Car dealer amendment
Passed the House of Representatives by a 108-1 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 1758 — Public Assistance
Passed the Senate by a 26-11 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 1756 — Medical Freedom
Passed the Senate by a 23-15 vote (vote sheet)
The stories discussed in today’s show:
Affordability is Floridians’ top issue. Lawmakers aren’t addressing it.
A victory for Terra Ceia
FADA’s Ted Smith leads the fight to protect the franchise system nationwide
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: Republican leaders in the Florida House of Representatives are trying to lawyer their way out of taking some tough votes — including on whether or not to fix Senate Bill 180, a hurricane-recovery law that real-estate developers have been using to crush local environmental regulations. Plus: Not one but two favors for the car dealer lobby. And why are some Florida lawmakers pushing to make condo owners pay higher prices for property insurance? (The answer rhymes with “millionaire.”) An update from Day 51 of Florida’s 2026 legislative session.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 840 — Land Use Regulations for Local Governments Affected by Natural Disasters
Senate Bill 1756 — Medical Freedom
Senate Bill 180 (2025) — Emergencies
House Bill 1001 (2025) — Vessels
Senate Bill 1388 (2025) — Vessels
House Bill 291 — Common Entities of Motor Vehicle Distributors and Manufacturers
Senate Bill 352 — Common Entities of Motor Vehicle Distributors and Manufacturers
House Bill 989 — Motor Vehicle Manufacturers, Importers, and Distributors and Franchised Motor Vehicle Dealers
Passed the House of Representatives by a 109-1 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 1028 — Citizens Property Insurance Corporation
Passed the Florida Senate by a 33-1 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 620 — Candidate Qualifying
Passed the Florida Senate by a 37-0 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 655 — Pub. Rec. and Pub. Meetings/Attorney Meetings to Discuss Private Property Rights Claims
Passed the Senate by a 36-0 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 981 — Tributaries of St. Johns River
Passed the House of Representatives by a 107-3 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 725 — Political Activity at Public Institutions of Higher Education
Passed the House of Representatives by an 81-30 vote (vote sheet)
The stories discussed in today’s show:
Ron DeSantis is helping real estate developers exploit a hurricane relief law
The last stand for home rule in Florida (podcast)
Orders from on high
New State Law Forces Wellington To Change Waterway Rules
Car dealers try to keep a chokehold on new car sales in Florida
Republican megadonor is behind bill that could affect Florida condo owners
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: “MAHA moms” keep winning fights in the Florida Legislature over everything from Big Sugar to private schools to vaccine rules. Meanwhile, a bunch of dangerous bills are suddenly on the brink of passing — bills that would unleash massive real estate developments in rural areas, allow the governor to designate domestic terrorists, and weaken union rights for public school teachers — after squeaking through committee hearings by a single vote. An update from Day 50 of Florida’s 2026 legislative session.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 290 — Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Passed the House of Representatives by a 94-10 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 1756 — Medical Freedom
Passed the Senate Rules Committee by a 14-8 vote (vote sheet)
SB 1756 amendment
Rejected by the Senate Rules Committee on a voice vote
Senate Bill 354 — Blue Ribbon Projects
Passed the Senate Rules Committee by a 12-10 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 540 (2023) — Local Government Comprehensive Plans
House Bill 1471 — Systems of Law and Terrorist Organizations
Passed the House of Representatives by an 81-26 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 1632 — Ideologies Inconsistent with American Principles
Passed the Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Committee by a 5-3 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 905 — Foreign Influence
Passed the House of Representatives by an 86-20 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 1178 — Foreign Influence
Passed the Senate Appropriations Committee by an 11-5 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 1451 — Utility Services
Passed the House of Representatives by an 81-26 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 399 — Land Use and Development Regulations
Passed the House of Representatives by a 71-38 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 693 — Health and Human Services
Passed the House of Representatives by a 79-30 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 1279 — Education
Passed the House of Representatives by an 84-25 vote (vote sheet)
The stories discussed in today’s show:
A New York investment firm with vast land holdings across north Florida wants state lawmakers to greenlight giant developments
A ‘smart growth’ group calls for DeSantis to veto a ‘death knell’ to growth management bill
Orders from on high
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: The Florida Senate, a chamber that once championed Medicaid expansion, now wants to take health insurance away from single moms and near-retirees. Plus: A bitter fight over an effort to bust public teacher unions but a bipartisan alliance on rejecting corporate tax breaks. An update from Day 49 of Florida’s 2026 legislative session.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 1758 — Public Assistance
Passed the Senate Appropriations Committee by 14-4 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 1296 — Public Employees Relations Commission
Passed the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee by a 10-8 vote (vote sheet)
Senate BIll 1298 — Public Records/Public Employees Relations Commission
Failed to pass the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee by an 8-10 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 7046 — Taxation
Passed the Senate Appropriations Committee by a 12-5 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 7048 — Internal Revenue Code
Passed the Senate Appropriations Committee by a 17-0 vote (vote sheet)
The stories discussed in today’s show:
Florida bill would force some on Medicaid to work but at what cost?
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis backs a new bill targeting unions; those who support him won’t be affected
Lawmakers weigh a new charter school subsidy that would start small but could grow quickly
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: A community represented by a powerful lawmaker may get a reprieve from a proposal that would unleash massive real-estate developments in rural areas of Florida. Plus: A brewing battle over corporate tax breaks. An update from Day 45 of Florida’s 2026 legislative session.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
House Bill 299 — Blue Ribbon Projects
Passed the House State Affairs Committee by a 21-5 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 7031 — Taxation
Passed the House Ways & Means Committee by a 19-0 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 995 — Public Employees Relations Commission
Passed the House State Affairs Committee by a 17-8 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 1296 — Public Employees Relations Commission
House Bill 1471 — Systems of Law and Terrorist Organizations
Passed the House Judiciary Committee by a 13-5 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 1632 — Ideologies Inconsistent with American Principles
House Bill 991 — Election Integrity
Senate Bill 1334 — Elections
House Bill 657 — Community Associations
Passed the House Commerce Committee (vote not yet available)
Senate Bill 1498 — Community Associations
Senate Bill 1028 – Citizens Property Insurance Corporation
House Bill 943 — Citizens Property Insurance Corporation
House Bill 221 — Minimum Wage Requirements
The stories discussed in today’s show:
A New York investment firm with vast land holdings across north Florida wants state lawmakers to greenlight giant developments
Corporations could get a $3.5 billion tax break in Florida unless state lawmakers step in to stop it
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: The Florida Legislature unveils a plan to name a 124-mile, coast-to-coast corridor after Donald Trump. The “President Donald J. Trump Highway” would run right by “President Donald J. Trump International Airport” — and just a few miles to the north of “President Donald J. Trump Boulevard.” In between putting Trump’s name on things, Florida lawmakers are also working on plans to give bigger tax subsidies to privatized public schools, make it harder for college students to vote, and force sixth-graders to watch anti-abortion propaganda. An update from Day 44 of Florida’s 2026 legislative session.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 628 — Transportation Facility Designations
SB 628 amendment
Passed the House of Representatives by an 82-26 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 33 — Transportation Facility Designations
Passed the House of Representatives by an 82-30 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 7046 — Taxation
Passed the House Finance & Tax Committee by a 5-2 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 991 — Election Integrity
Passed the House of Representatives by an 83-31 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 1071 — Education
Passed the House of Representatives by an 82-31 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 1632 — Ideologies Inconsistent with American Principles
Passed the Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Committee by a 5-3 vote (vote sheet not yet available)
The stories referenced in today’s show:
‘A parallel system’: Miami-Dade school district to be cut out of decisions about charter schools
Lobbyists for a billionaire and a charter network pushed Florida lawmakers to expand a school privatization program, records show
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: Republican leaders in the House and Senate signal that they will not go along with enormous tax breaks that President Donald Trump and the GOP-controlled Congress passed last year. It’s a move that would save the state of Florida billions of dollars that would have otherwise have been given away to some of the biggest corporations the in world. Plus: Lawmakers make improvements to dangerous bills dealing with property insurance, healthcare and agriculture policy. But the annual late-session shenanigans begin. An update from Day 43 of Florida’s 2026 session.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Proposed Bill 7048 — Internal Revenue Code
PCB WMC 26-01 — Taxation
House Bill 943 — Citizens Property Insurance Corporation
Passed the House Commerce Committee by a 21-3 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 693 — Health and Human Services
Passed the House Health & Human Services Committee by 17-7 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 433 — Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Passed the House State Affairs Committee by a 22-3 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 399 — Land Use and Development Regulations
HB 399 amendment (adopted)
Passed the House State Affairs Committee by a 16-10 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 208 — Land Use and Development Regulations
SB 208 amendment (withdrawn)
Passed the Senate Rules Committee by a 22-1 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 1389 — Affordable Housing
HB 1389 amendment
Passed the House Commerce Committee by an 18-5 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 1220 — Transportation
SB 1220 amendment (adopted)
Passed the Senate Appropriations Committee by a 17-0 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 1233 — Transportation
HB 1233 amendment (adopted)
Passed the House Commerce Committee by a 23-1 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 945 — Statewide Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism Unit
Passed the House Budget Committee by a 20-8 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 1007 — Data Centers
Passed the House State Affairs Committee by a 22-1 vote (vote sheet)
House bill 989 — Motor Vehicle Manufacturers, Importers, and Distributors and Franchised Motor Vehicle Dealers
Passed the House Commerce Committee by a 22-1 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 1217 — Prohibited Governmental Policies Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Passed the House Commerce Committee by a 19-4 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Proposed Bill 7046 — Taxation
Senate Bill 1756 — Medical Freedom
Passed the Senate Appropriations Committee by a 10-7 vote (vote sheet)
The stories discussed in today’s podcast:
Corporations could get a $3.5 billion tax break in Florida unless state lawmakers step in to stop it
Buried in the budget: Mike Huckabee, Donald Trump and Newsmax
Republican megadonor is behind bill that could affect Florida condo owners
The billionaire and the no-bid contract
Doral rep says he worked with Fontainebleau lobbyist on bill to allow water park
‘Farm bill’ would let the governor auction off conservation land to agribusinesses
Attorney general questions legality of rural boundaries in Orange, Seminole
Controversial surveillance bill moves ahead in Florida House
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: A top aide to Ron DeSantis admits that the administration interfered in the 2024 elections. Another of the governor’s appointee refuses to answer basic questions about the “Hope Florida” scandal. The Florida Legislature can fix this. An update from Day 42 of Florida’s 2026 legislative session.
Show notes:
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 1334 — Elections
House Bill 593 — Government Agencies and Personnel
Senate Bill 802 — Public Officers and Employees
House Bill 1445 (2025) — Public Officers and Employees
House Bill 437 — Public Records
Senate Bill 770 — Public Records
Senate Bill 1120 — Water Management Districts
House Bill 701 — Water Management Districts
Senate Bill 1442 — Long-range Program Plans
The stories discussed in today’s show:
Hidden consultants and hurried payments: Records reveal details of DeSantis’ campaign against abortion and marijuana amendments
Here’s the reason a top Florida health department attorney gave for leaving
DeSantis officials tied to Hope Florida saga try again for Senate confirmation
DeSantis official says she wouldn’t have approved $67M Hope Florida settlement
The best and worst of Florida’s 2025 session (so far)
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: A bill pushed by a New York investment firm that would make it much easier to develop vast tracts of rural land is inching closer to passing in Tallahassee. But opposition is growing among Republican lawmakers who represent parts of the state that would be most impacted by the bill. Plus: Money for the nonprofit that was part of a scheme to build a golf course in a beloved state park. And an elections bill that combines voter suppression with rent-seeking. An update from Day 37 of Florida’s 2026 legislative session.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
House Bill 299 — Blue Ribbon Projects
Passed the House Commerce Committee by an 18-3 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 2500 — Appropriations
Passed the Senate Appropriations Committee by an 18-0 vote (vote sheet not yet available)
Senate Bill 1334 — Elections
Passed the Senate Transportation, Tourism & Economic Development Appropriations Committee by a 9-5 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 1632 — Ideologies Inconsistent with American Principles
Temporarily postponed by the Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Committee
The stories mentioned in today’s show:
A New York investment firm with vast land holdings across north Florida wants state lawmakers to greenlight giant developments
Amid debate in Congress, Florida’s Republican Legislature pushes election law changes
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: On a frenzied day in Florida’s Capitol, lawmakers advance bills that would help Donald Trump and a gun manufacturer that makes allegedly “ghost-firing” guns — but hurt laid-off workers and college kids who want to vote. An update from Day 36 of the Florida Legislature’s 2026 session.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
House Bill 191 — Reemployment Assistance Benefit Eligibility
Passed the House of Representatives by an 81-31 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 919 — Commercial Service Airports
Passed the House of Representatives by an 81-30 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 706 — Commercial Service Airports
Passed the Senate Rules Committee by a 17-6 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 1551 — Products Liability for Firearms
Passed the House Judiciary Committee by a 13-5 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 455 — Protection of Historic Monuments and Memorials
Passed the House Judiciary Committee by a 14-5 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 641 — Gender Identity Employment Practices
Passed the House Judiciary Committee by a 13-6 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 743 — Prohibited Sex-reassignment Prescriptions and Procedures
Passed the House Judiciary Committee by a 14-5 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 991 — Election Integrity
Passed the House State Affairs Committee by a 17-6 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 173 — Parental Rights
Passed the House Education & Employment Committee by a 12-4 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 1506 — Civil Litigation
Rejected by the Senate Rules Committee by an 11-13 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 164 — Civil Liability for the Wrongful Death of an Unborn Child
Note: This bill was referred to by the wrong bill number during the show
House Bill 1421 — Cattle Grazing on State Land
Passed the House State Affairs Committee by a 20-3 vote (vote sheet)
Stories discussed in today’s show:
A billionaire-backed think tank keeps sabotaging Florida workers. More attacks are coming.
Prodded by business lobbyists, lawmakers may cut more Floridians off from unemployment insurance
Buried in the budget: Mike Huckabee, Donald Trump and Newsmax
A gun company gave lots of money to Florida lawmakers. Now it’s lobbying for legal immunity.
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: Republican leaders in the Florida Legislature unveil new state budgets with big funding gaps over everything from affordable housing and AIDS medication to a new baseball stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays. At the same time, the state House wants to impose serious spending guardrails and transparency rules on Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Florida Senate does not. Plus: New College of Florida, money sink. An update from Day 35 of Florida’s 2026 legislative session.
Show notes
The bill’s discussed in today’s show:
House Bill 5001 — General Appropriations Act
Passed the House Budget Committee by 26-1 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 2500 — Appropriations
House Bill 5503 — Trust Funds/Re-creation/Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund/EOG
Passed the House Transportation & Economic Development Subcommittee by a 12-0 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 5601 — Higher Education
Passed the House Higher Education Budget Subcommittee by a 9-4 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 437 — Public Records
Passed the House Justice Budget Subcommittee by a 13-0 vote (vote sheet)
The stories discussed in today’s show:
Buried in the budget: Mike Huckabee, Donald Trump and Newsmax
Corporations could get a $3.5 billion tax break in Florida unless state lawmakers step in to stop it
Florida DOGE Details Disproportionate Spending at New College
Finding more room for New College is a state priority, USF board chair says
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In this episode: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is about to get cut off from an emergency-response fund he raided to rush construction of an immigrant detention facility in the Everglades. There’s a showdown brewing between Republican leaders in the state House and Senate over whether he should get to keep it. Plus: The DeSantis administration admits spending opioid settlement money on anti-marijuana TV ads; car dealers are once again using the Legislature to keep themselves between consumers and new cars; and Uber and Lyft want to spend less money insuring their drivers. An update from Day 30 of Florida’s 2026 legislative session.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 7040 — Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund/Executive Office of the Governor
Passed the Florida Senate by a 29-10 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 7040 amendment
Failed in the Florida Senate by a 12-27 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 1562 — Motor Vehicle Manufacturers, Importers, and Distributors and Franchised Motor Vehicle Dealers
Passed the Senate Transportation Committee by a 7-0 vote (vote sheet)
Passed the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee by a 9-1 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 989 — Motor Vehicle Manufacturers, Importers, and Distributors and Franchised Motor Vehicle Dealers
Passed the House Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee by a 16-1 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 632 — Transportation Network Company, Driver, and Vehicle Owner Insurance
Passed the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee by a 6-3 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 1296 — Public Employees Relations Commission
Passed the Senate Governmental and Oversight Accountability Committee by a 6-3 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 1119 — Materials Harmful to Minors
Passed the Florida House of Representatives by an 84-28 vote (vote sheet)
The stories discussed in today’s show:
Florida emergency agency ran up $405 million immigration tab in six months
An immigrant detention camp in the Everglades, financed with hurricane-response funds
Florida state official acknowledges opioid money funded anti-weed campaign
Florida’s top cop uses his power to prop up car dealers
The billionaires financing union-busting in Florida
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: After fierce opposition from activists on both the right and the left, Florida senators backed down from a plan that would help the state’s sugar industry threaten defamation litigation against Everglades activists, wellness influencers, and news outlets. Senators also softened — very slightly — a bill to protect a gun manufacturer that has been making enormous campaign contributions from lawsuits over company-made guns that allegedly fire without anyone ever pulling the trigger. But both battles are still far from over. An update from Day 29 of Florida’s 2026 legislative session.
Show notes
The bill’s discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 290 — Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Passed the Senate Rules Committee by a 24-0 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 1748 — Evidence in Civil Actions Relating to Firearms
Passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by an 8-3 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 1566 — Local Government Spending
Passed the Senate Community Affairs Committee by a 7-1 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 1177 — Space Florida
Passed the House Ways & Means Committee by an 18-1 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 1471 — Systems of Law and Terrorist Organizations
Passed the House Education & Employment Committee by a 16-4 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 1279 — Education
Passed the House Budget Committee by a 20-7 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 1071 — Education
Passed the House Education & Employment Committee by a 15-4 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 173 — Parental Rights
Passed the House Judiciary Committee by a 15-4 (vote sheet)
The stories discussed in today’s show:
Florida politicians may give Big Sugar legal power to go after activists and silence critics
They said they wanted to help farmers. They really wanted to hurt environmentalists.
Could Florida’s conservation lands soon be sold for agriculture?
A gun company gave lots of money to Florida lawmakers. Now it’s lobbying for legal immunity.
Williams Celebrates Groundbreaking of Florida Facility
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: An unlikely alliance of MAHA activists, fishing guides, evangelicals and environmentalists has formed to fight a bill that would make it easier for agricultural corporations to sue people who “disparage” the industry. But the idea is still moving through Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature. Plus: General Motors wants to charge “processing fees” on car loans, a national conservative think tank wants to force more companies to fight unions, and Ron DeSantis wants to publish his own textbooks. An update from day 23 of the Florida Legislature’s 2026 session.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
House Bill 433 — Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Passed the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee by a 14-0 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 1236 — Employers Receiving Economic Development Incentives from State Agencies
Passed the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee by a 6-3 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 1217 — Prohibited Governmental Policies Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Passed the House Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee by a 12-3 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 838 — Electronic Payments of Retail Installment Contracts
Passed the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee by a 10-0 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 221 — Minimum Wage Requirements
Passed the House Careers & Workforce Subcommittee by an 11-5 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 7036 — Education
Passed the Senate Education PreK-12 Committee by a 5-2 vote (vote sheet)
The stories discussed in today’s show:
Florida politicians may give Big Sugar legal power to go after activists and silence critics
They said they wanted to help farmers. They really wanted to hurt environmentalists.
Florida’s Education Department could get into the textbook publishing game
Companies linked to a Trump appointee are seeking money from Florida taxpayers — and giving money to Florida lawmakers
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: Sig Sauer, one of the country’s biggest gun manufacturers, is facing dozens of lawsuits from police officers and other firearm owners who suffered gunshot wounds when a company-made pistol allegedly fired without anyone ever pulling the trigger. The company is now lobbying Florida lawmakers for protection from so-called “ghost firing” suits — and it is handing out giant campaign contributions while it does so. On a more promising front: Top Florida senators want to put an end to predatory fees charged by homebuilding giant Lennar and some other housing developers. Those were among the bills on the move during day 22 of the Florida Legislature’s 2026 session.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 530 — State Lotteries
Passed the Senate Regulated Industries Committee by a 9-0 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 1498 — Community Associations
Passed the Senate Regulated Industries Committee by a 7-0 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 1551 — Products Liability for Firearms
Passed the House Civil Justice Subcommittee by a 13-4 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 1632 — Ideologies Inconsistent with American Principles
Passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by an 8-3 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 485 — Petitions for Injunction for Protection Against Domestic Violence Containing Allegations of Marriage Fraud
Passed the House Civil Justice & Claims Committee by a 14-0 vote (see votes)
Senate Bill 1220 — Transportation
Passed the Senate Transportation Committee by a 9-0 vote (vote sheet)
Stories discussed in today’s show:
A homebuilding giant is lobbying for the power to collect endless profits from homeowners
Avatar v. Gundel (2023)
A gun company gave lots of money to Florida lawmakers. Now it’s lobbying for legal immunity.
A Walmart-backed startup doesn’t like local government rules. It wants Tallahassee to overturn them.
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature is quickly coalescing around a plan to cut spending on health insurance and food stamps by using bureaucratic hurdles and red tape to block people from accessing the programs. They’re doing it at the same time as they consider billions in tax cuts for corporations. Plus: Some Republicans in Tallahassee are ready to go union-busting again.
Show notes
The bill’s discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 1758 — Public Assistance
Passed the Senate Health Policy Committee by a 8-3 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 693 — Health and Human Services
Passed the House Health Care Facilities & Systems Subcommittee by a 12-4 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 1296 — Public Employees Relations Commission
Temporarily postponed by the Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee.
House Bill 995 — Public Employees Relations Commission
Passed the House Government Operations Subcommittee by a 12-5 vote (vote sheet)
The stories discussed in today’s show:
Medicaid: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
The Uncertain Hour: The Welfare-to-Work Industrial Complex
A billionaire-backed think tank keeps sabotaging Florida workers. More attacks are coming.
How conservative billionaires shape decisions inside the DeSantis administration
The billionaires financing union-busting in Florida
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: Republicans in the Florida state House just rolled out a “Florida Students First” plan that would force the state’s top universities — including the University of Florida and Florida State University — to sharply reduce the number of out-of-state students they serve, in order to open more seats for in-state students. Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s latest corporate tax cuts could rip an enormous hole in Florida’s new state budget. And the developer lobby is trying once again to undo protections for rural land around Orlando. An update from Day 16 of Florida’s 2026 legislative session.
Show notes
The bill’s discussed in today’s show:
House Bill 1279 — Education
Passed the House Careers & Workforce Subcommittee by a 12-5 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 399 — Land Use and Development Regulations
Passed the House Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee by a 10-3 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 221 — Minimum Wage Requirements
Passed the House Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee by an 11-6 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 1071 — Education
Passed the House PreK-12 Budget Subcommittee by a 12-3 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 164 — Civil Liability for the Wrongful Death of an Unborn Child
Passed by the Senate Civil and Criminal Justice Appropriations Committee by a 5-3 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 919 — Commercial Service Airports
Passed the House Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee by a 12-3 vote (vote sheet)
The stories discussed in today’s show:
Florida is building a higher education Trojan Horse
Florida leaders hid money for controversial higher education project
Corporations could get a $3.5 billion tax break in Florida unless state lawmakers step in to stop it
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: The pace is picking up in the Florida Legislature, which is now into the third week of its 2026 session. Bills have begun moving that would give a tax break to Philip Morris; let people pay for vending machine lottery tickets with debit cards; strip local communities of the power to regulate everything from religious gatherings to home playgrounds; block teenagers from obtaining birth control without permission from a parent — oh, and rename a major airport after Donald Trump. An update from Day 15 of Florida’s 60-day legislative session.
Correction: The provision authorizing the use of debit cards to buy lottery tickets was removed from Senate Bill 530 though it remains in House Bill 1401.
Show notes
The bill’s discussed in today’s show:
House Bill 377 — Heated Tobacco Products
Passed the House Ways & Means Committee by 14-1 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 530 — State Lotteries
Passed the Senate Regulated Industries Committee by a 9-0 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 1444 — Preemption to the State
Passed the Senate Community Affairs Committee by 6-2 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 173 — Parental Rights
Passed the House Health & Human Services Committee by a 19-7 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 706 — Commercial Service Airports
Passed the Senate Transportation Committee by a 9-0 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 332 — Public Meetings
Passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by a 10-0 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 167 — Former Phosphate Mining Lands
Passed the Senate Rules Committee by a 22-0 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 1119 — Materials Harmful to Minors
Passed the House Education & Employment Committee by a 16-5 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 7009 — OGSR/Public Service Commission
Passed the House State Affairs Committee by a 24-1 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 981 — Tributaries of St. Johns River
Passed the House Budget Committee by a 28-0 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 290 — Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Postponed by the Senate Rules Committee without a vote
Stories discussed on today’s show:
DeSantis grants tax favor for Philip Morris after $500,000 gift
Florida AG made sweeping claims in confidential abortion case
Who’s behind a thorny Florida property rights bill? A real estate empire
A gun company gave lots of money to Florida lawmakers. Now it’s lobbying for legal immunity.
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: On Day 14 of the Florida Legislature’s 2026 session, lawmakers advanced bills that would help aerospace and defense companies dodge property taxes and let anti-vaccine parent send their kids to public schools while ignoring all immunization rules for reasons of “conscience.” Plus: Republicans in Tallahassee think Ivermectin is safe enough to sell without a prescription — but only if doctors and pharmacies have total legal immunity for providing it to patents.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 1512 — Space Florida
Passed the Senate Military and Veterans Affairs, Space and Domestic Security Committee by a 4-0 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 1756 — Medical Freedom
Passed the Senate Health Policy Committee by a 6-4 vote (vote sheet)
Stories discussed in today’s show:
Rigging the rules: How the state of Florida helps some special interests skip out on property taxes (podcast version)
Florida rigged the rules for special interests who squeeze tax breaks out of Tallahassee. That’s now causing chaos. (written version)
Space Florida’s rocket science financing
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: A bill has begun moving in Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature that would forbid school districts from considering the artistic or literary value of books that fringe activists want banned from libraries. Plus: The state House advances a plan to make public school students watch anti-abortion cartoons while the state Senate tries to put more bureaucracy between laid-off workers and the unemployment benefits they earned. Those bills and more from Day 9 of Florida’s 2026 legislative session.
Show notes
Following up on the two points that came up during the show:
-
Republican state Rep. Dana Trabulsy is from Fort Pierce (not Tampa)
-
Byron Donalds, the Republican Congressman running for Florida governor, has taken more than $1 million from Richard “Dick” Uihlein, a major funder of the Foundation for Government Accountability
The bills discussed in today’s show:
House Bill 1119 — Materials Harmful to Minors
Passed the House Education Administration Subcommittee by a 13-5 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 4027 — Hillsborough County Public Schools, Hillsborough County
Passed the House Education Administration Subcommittee by a 17-1 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 1071 — Education
Passed the House Student Academic Success Subcommittee by a 12-5 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 216 — Verification of Reemployment Assistance Benefit Eligibility
Passed the Senate Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development Appropriations Committee by a 9-5 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 433 — Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Passed the House Commerce Committee by an 18-0 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 105 — Local Government Enforcement Actions
Passed the House Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee by a 16-0 vote (vote sheet)
Stories and other resources discussed in today’s show:
Hillsborough school board grills superintendent on book removals (Tampa Bay Times)
Under state threats, Hillsborough pulls transgender YouTuber’s memoir (Tampa Bay Times)
Is ‘Baby Olivia’ headed to a school near you? Bills in several states would allow screenings of fetal development video. (19th News)
Florida lawmakers are about to hand a revenge tool to a much-criticized industry | Opinion (Miami Herald editorial board)
Stop Florida’s Corporate “Food Gag” Bills (Stand for Health Freedom)
A billionaire-backed think tank keeps sabotaging Florida workers. More attacks are coming. (Seeking Rents)
Prodded by business lobbyists, lawmakers may cut more Floridians off from unemployment insurance (Seeking Rents)
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: A wild new bill in the Florida Legislature would let parents sue public school teachers for violating a parent’s right to oversee the “moral training” of their child. Plus: Lawmakers may give more power to the politician at the center of the “Hope Florida” scandal; take more money from cities and counties; and launch an Everglades-like environmental recovery project in northeast Florida. An update from Day 8 of Florida’s 2026 legislative session.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 1010 — Enforcement of Protections for Minors
Passed the Senate Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee by a 5-1 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 743 — Prohibited Sex-reassignment Prescriptions and Procedures
Passed the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee by 12-5 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 103 — Local Business Taxes
Passed the House Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee by a 10-6 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 408 — Advertisement of a Harmful Vaccine
Passed the Senate Regulated Industries Committee by a 5-3 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 981 — Tributaries of St. Johns River
Passed the House Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee by a 16-0 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 1066 — Tributaries of the St. Johns River
Passed the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee by an 8-0 vote (vote sheet)
And the Ivermectin bills:
House Bill 917 — Health Care
Senate Bill 1756 — Medical Freedom
Stories discussed in today’s show:
A lawyer for Ron DeSantis revealed the real motive behind one of Florida’s most controversial laws
Florida’s new budget sets the stage for a big environmental battle
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: In its first full floor session of 2026, the Florida House of Representatives passed bills to 1) Give fertilized eggs some of the same legal rights as living children; 2) Repeal a bipartisan gun-safety law passed after the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School; and 3) Protect a giant mining corporation from lawsuits over radioactive material left behind on former mine sites. Those bills and more from Day 3 of the 2026 legislative session in a state that seems to be growing more extreme by the day.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
House Bill 167 — Former Phosphate Mine Lands
Passed the House of Representatives by an 87-24 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 289 — Civil Liability for the Wrongful Death of an Unborn Child
Passed the House of Representatives by a 76-34 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 133 — Minimum Age for Firearm Purchase or Transfer
Passed the House of Representatives by a 74-37 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 6003 — Recovery of Damages for Medical Negligence Resulting in Death
Passed the House of Representatives by an 88-17 vote (vote sheet)
Stories referenced in today’s show:
Lobbyists for a mining company wrote a bill to block lawsuits over radiation on former mines
A dream for developers, a nightmare for women: Florida lawmakers start a new session
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis just replaced a justice on the Florida Supreme Court who couldn’t participate in redistricting cases with a new judge who has defended partisan gerrymandering. The switch comes just as DeSantis and the Florida Legislature prepare to redraw to the state’s Congressional districts to give Republicans an even greater advantage in the 2026 elections — an issue with national consequences that will almost inevitably end up before the Florida Supreme Court. Meanwhile, special interests and government agencies are teaming up to cut the public out of public hearings. And in the Florida Senate, we don’t talk about Big Sugar. An update from Day 2 of Florida’s 2026 legislative session.
Show notes:
The bills discussed in today’s show:
House Bill 655 — Pub. Meetings/Attorney Meetings to Discuss Private Property Rights Claims
Passed the House Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee by a 17-0 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 7009 — OGSR/Public Service Commission
Passed the House Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee by a 15-1 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 290 — Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Passed the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee by a 17-3 vote (vote sheet)
Stories referenced in today’s show:
Florida court upholds DeSantis’ congressional redistricting map
Florida Supreme Court upholds congressional district maps
Trump judicial nominee “indefinitely” stalled by criminal probe
City rejects $6.6 million RYAM property demand
Duke Energy case and legislative bills could bring more secrecy
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: There comes a point during every session of the Florida Legislature where it looks like it’s all fallen apart, everybody is mad at each other, and nothing will ever get done. It doesn’t usually come on Day 1, though. Plus: A bill to let giant landowners dodge local rezoning votes starts moving the Senate, and General Motors lobbies to legalize credit card fees on car loans.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 354 — Blue Ribbon Projects
Passed the Senate Community Affairs Committee by 7-1 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 479 — Land and Water Management
Passed the House Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee by an 11-5 vote (vote sheet)
Senate Bill 838 — Electronic Payments of Retail Installment Contracts
Passed the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee by a 10-0 vote (vote sheet)
House Bill 289 — Civil Liability for the Wrongful Death of an Unborn Child
Senate Bill 1734 — Civil Remedies Pertaining to Abortions
House Bill 167 — Former Phosphate Mine Land
Stories referenced in today’s show:
House speaker calls DeSantis’ hand-shake snub ‘petulant’
A dream for developers, a nightmare for women: Florida lawmakers start a new session
A New York investment firm with vast land holdings across north Florida wants state lawmakers to greenlight giant developments
Florida may send bounty hunters after women and doctors
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In this episode: Since 2017, companies linked to a multibillion-dollar investment manager in New York have spent at least $230 million buying up more than 80,000 acres across north Florida — amassing giant tracts of largely rural land near Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Panama City. The same investment firm now wants Florida lawmakers to make it much easier to develop that land.
Editor’s note: A written version of this story first appeared in the Seeking Rents newsletter:
A New York investment firm with vast land holdings across north Florida wants state lawmakers to greenlight giant developments
Show notes
House Bill 299 — Blue Ribbon Projects (first vote)
Senate Bill 354 — Blue Ribbon Projects
Senate Community Affairs Committee
Committee meeting notice
To contact for Florida legislators:
Find Your Elected Officials in Florida
Florida House of Representatives full list of members
Florida Senate full list of senators
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: One of the world’s largest mining firms wrote a bill in the Florida Legislature that would help the company dodge lawsuits related to radiation on former mines — and make it easier to develop some of its vast land holdings across the southern interior of the state.
Editor’s note: A written version of this story first appeared in the Seeking Rents newsletter: Lobbyists for a mining company wrote a bill to block lawsuits over radiation on former mines
Show notes
The bill discussed in today’s show:
House Bill 167 — Former Phosphate Mining Lands (first committee vote, second committee vote)
To contact for Florida legislators:
Find Your Elected Officials in Florida
Florida House of Representatives full list of members
Florida Senate full list of senators
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
Listen to the show: Apple | Spotify
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In this episode: Florida Power & Light recently won permission to raise electricity rates by at least $7 billion over the next four years. It appears to be the largest electric rate hike in American history. In this episode, we explain why this increase is so big, how FPL pulled it off, and who should be held accountable.
Editor’s note: A written version of this story first appeared in the Seeking Rents newsletter: Florida just approved the largest electric rate increase in history. Here’s how it happened.
Show notes
Check out some of Seeking Rents’ previous coverage of Florida Power & Light and utility regulation in Florida:
Inside the $5 billion deal that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ political appointees gave to Florida Power & Light (August 2022)
Florida Power & Light pocketed $1 billion in tax cuts for itself. But now it can pass tax increases on to its customers (August 2022)
How Ron DeSantis helped Florida Power & Light raise electricity rates by $5 billion (September 2022)
A power company wants to take $1 billion from Florida customers. It just gave $3 million to Florida politicians. (November 2022)
Customers took Florida’s biggest power company to court. Ron DeSantis and lawmakers stepped up to help...the power company. (July 2023)
As his campaign runs low on cash, DeSantis turns to big Florida businesses for help (October 2023)
Ron DeSantis just re-stacked the deck on the board that sets electricity rates in Florida (October 2025)
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: Florida lawmakers have begun working on a new bill that would let giant landowners lock in real-estate development rights regardless of the underlying zoning — and without having to go through a vote before the local county commission or city council. It’s already looking like one of the big lobbying blitzes of Florida’s 2026 legislative session, which begins next month. Plus: Ron DeSantis doubles down on the state’s “Schools of Hope” privatization program and wants more money to continue New College of Florida’s transformation from quirky liberal arts college to right-wing academic and employment hub.
Show notes:
The bill’s discussed in today’s show:
House Bill 299 — Blue Ribbon Projects (see votes)
Senate Bill 354 — Blue Ribbon Projects
Senate Bill 208 — Land Use and Development Regulations (see votes)
Ron DeSantis’ proposed FY2025-26 budget and his budget-related bills
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: Pushed by a potential future candidate for governor, Florida lawmakers are working on a bill that would make it easier for the agriculture industry to sue people who criticize its production practices. It could help Florida’s politically influential Big Sugar companies attack environmental groups who say the sugar industry has polluted the Everglades. Plus: More bills on the move as Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature gears up for a new legislative session that begins in January.
Show notes
The bill’s discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 290 — Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (first committee vote)
House Bill 167 — Former Phosphate Mining Lands (first committee vote, second committee vote)
House Bill 191 — Verification of Reemployment Assistance Benefit Eligibility (first committee vote)
House Bill 289 — Civil Liability for the Wrongful Death of an Unborn Child (first committee vote, second committee vote)
House Bill 37 — Removal, Storage, and Cleanup of Electric Vehicles (first committee vote, second committee vote)
Senate Bill 88 (2021) — Farming Operations (Senate final vote, House final vote)
For further reading:
Lobbyists for a mining company wrote a bill to block lawsuits over radiation on former mines (Seeking Rents)
In Support of Free Speech on Food (article from Penn State Law Review)
Publix sought to block electric vehicle rules, records show (Seeking Rents)
Prodded by business lobbyists, lawmakers may cut more Floridians off from unemployment insurance (Seeking Rents)
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: In mid-June, just a few hours before Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature finalized this year’s state budget, GOP leaders in Tallahassee slipped a sentence into the spending plan authorizing state officials to acquire a piece of property in the Panhandle through a popular land-preservation program. Three months later, the administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis used that little line in the budget to spend $83.3 million in taxpayer money on a tiny spit of vacant land owned by a prominent real-estate developer and Republican Party donor. Here’s the story of how Florida politicians pulled off a land deal that one longtime conservation leader called “a sham.”
Editor’s note: A written version of this story first appeared in the Seeking Rents newsletter: Florida lawmakers took instructions from a landowner’s lobbyist. Now Florida taxpayers will pay $83 million for four acres.
Show notes
For further reading:
Lobbyist wrote proposal directing Florida to buy pricey 4 acres in Destin (Tampa Bay Times)
‘A sham’: Florida’s longtime conservation experts question pricey 4-acre Destin purchase (Tampa Bay Times)
State senator promotes Destin waterfront land purchase added late in budget talks (Politico Florida)
$83 million for sandy Florida lot: Did GOP donations pay off for seller? (Orlando Sentinel)
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In this episode: With the start of the Florida Legislature’s 2026 session approaching, lawmakers just revived two big bills they failed to pass during their last session. One would give fetuses some of the same legal rights as living children — and further cement into law a legal theory known as “fetal personhood” that conservative legal groups want to use to cut off all access to abortion. Another would help fertilizer giant Mosaic Co. fend off lawsuits related to radioactive contamination left behind in the company’s former phosphate mines.
Show notes
The bill’s discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 164 — Civil Liability for the Wrongful Death of an Unborn Child
House Bill 167 — Former Phosphate Mining Lands
For further reading (and listening) about fetal personhood and Mosaic’s proposed legal shield:
Florida AG made sweeping claims in confidential abortion case
Florida politicians will go further to interfere with abortion – unless Florida voters stop them
Florida lawmakers may help a mining giant fend off lawsuits
Mosaic’s Next Chapter (Florida Trend - July 2018)
And the the story mentioned at the very end of the show:
Florida lawmakers took instructions from a landowner’s lobbyist. Now Florida taxpayers will pay $83 million for four acres.
Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spent between $35 million and $40 million of taxpayer money last fall during an unprecedented advertising campaign against citizen-led amendments that would have enshrined abortion rights and marijuana freedom in the state constitution. The estimate is based on hundreds of pages of emails, invoices, transaction logs and other documents obtained by Seeking Rents through a series of public records requests. The records also reveal ways in which the governor and his aides bent rules and blurred lines during their publicly funded campaign against a pair of ballot measures supported by millions of Floridians — from paying political strategists on hidden subcontracts to making rushed payments under misleading pretenses.
Show notes
Hidden consultants and hurried payments: Records reveal details of DeSantis’ campaign against abortion and marijuana amendments
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: A new state law that was supposed to be about helping Floridians rebuild their homes after hurricanes is now being weaponized by Gov. Ron DeSantis and some politically influential real-estate developers to strip local governments of all power to manage growth. As a result, communities across the state have suddenly lost their ability to protect wetlands, save rural land from suburban sprawl, or make homebuilders harden subdivisions against flooding. Some places are even now having trouble regulating roosters in residential neighborhoods. But more than two dozen cities and counties just decided to do something about it.
Show notes
Senate Bill 180 — Emergencies
Ron DeSantis is helping real estate developers exploit a hurricane relief law
Neal Bundles Checks to DeSantis at Manatee Press Conference
Your town, their rules
How the ‘Free State of Florida’ works with business lobbyists to keep wages low
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: A billionaire hedge fund manager and a New York City charter network lobbied to expand a school privatization program in Florida, according to records obtained by Seeking Rents.
Editor’s note: A written version of this story first appeared in the Seeking Rents newsletter: Lobbyists for a billionaire and a charter network pushed Florida lawmakers to expand a school privatization program, records show
Show notes
Senate Bill 2510 — Prekindergarten Through Grade 12 Education
A few examples of key Florida lawmakers who have had personal and financial ties to the charter school industry:
Firms belonging to wife of Rep. Donalds grabbed millions in charter school contracts
New disclosures only deepen mystery of Rep. Donalds’s wife’s charter school companies
A South Florida charter school network now runs a small district 500 miles away. Legislators with close financial ties to charters helped make that happen.
Incoming speaker Corcoran says bill that would benefit his wife’s charter school is part of broader reform
A few stories about the failure of Florida’s first ‘School of Hope’:
Federal grand jury investigates bid-rigging in DeSantis’ education department
Florida officials tried to steer education contract to former lawmaker’s company
Jefferson gets its schools back following bid shenanigans and efforts to keep it with a charter operator
And some of the stories and resources referenced in the pod:
Commentary: Florida doubles down on failed Schools of Hope experiment
This link will download an spreadsheet from Florida Department of Education with 2025 list of public schools that are now classified as “persistently low-performing.”
A billionaire is showering cash on Florida politicians
Lobbyist for a billionaire-run hedge fund wrote a bill allowing longer non-competes, records show
The Secret to Success Academy’s Top-Notch Test Scores
At a Success Academy Charter School, Singling Out Pupils Who Have ‘Got to Go’
At Success Academy School, a Stumble in Math and a Teacher’s Anger on Video
Filing Alleges Bias at Success Academy Network Against Students With Disabilities
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Legislature just approved an odd new law that tries to choke off funding for fact-checking organizations and media-monitoring firms that rate news outlets based on their accuracy and ethics. The unusual measure had a hidden backer: Newsmax, the right-wing cable news network that rose to prominence by promoting phony election-fraud claims after the 2020 presidential election.
Editor’s note: A written version of this story first appeared in the Seeking Rents newsletter: A right-wing news network lobbied Florida lawmakers to defund fact-checkers, records show
Show notes
Senate Bill 2502 — Implementing the 2025-2026 General Appropriations Act
House Bill 1449 — Agency Contracting with Media Reliability and Bias Monitors
Newsmax Will Pay $67 Million to Settle Dominion Defamation Lawsuit
Newsmax paid $40 million to settle defamation suit over US 2020 election claims
Newsmax Analyst Lauds DeSantis for New Anti-Censorship Law
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: After a pitched battle that dragged on for more than a year, the people of Fernandina Beach finally seemed to beat an effort by Rayonier Advanced Materials to build an ethanol plant in the historic seaport town. But then the company sent its lobbyists to the state Capitol with legislation to overturn to the decision. And the lawmakers who filed the bill on RYAM’s behalf tried to cover the company’s tracks.
Show notes
For more on the on-the-ground battle against ethanol in Fernandina Beach, check out this Craig Pittman piece:
Florida beach town faces explosive fight over ethanol plant
And don’t miss our previous episodes in this series:
A Republican megadonor got caught hosting a pigeon shoot. Then he got Florida politicians to change the law.
Florida’s largest landowner lobbied to weaken development rules on rural land
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: The largest private landowner in Florida is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Better known as the Mormon Church, it owns more than 600,000 acres around the state. About half of its land holdings are cattle ranchlands east of Orlando — where the the church has long-term plans to build the equivalent of a new city of 500,000 people. But voters in Orlando recently approved new rules meant to slow suburban sprawl on rural land. So the Mormon Church turned to Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature to step in. And the church had help.
Show notes
The bills discussed in this show:
Senate Bill 1118 — Land Use and Development Regulations
Senate Bill 180 — Emergencies
Time is a flat circle:
Lobbyists for developers pushed Florida lawmakers to block rules meant to save rural lands from sprawl
The top 10 landowners in Florida:
Land Lords
Reach more about the Mormon Church’s long-term development plans in central Florida (stories from the August 2017 issue of Florida Trend magazine):
Ranchland to rooftops in central Florida
Deseret Ranch — the Land
Rural Florida’s players and their projects
Tavistock’s Role in Developing Rural Florida
Duda's agribusiness development reach
This the second episode to come out of public records we obtained after the end of the Florida Legislature’s 2025 session. Here’s the first episode:
Florida Passed Bills for Pigeon Shooters?! (YouTube)
A Republican megadonor got caught hosting a pigeon shoot. Then he got Florida politicians to change the law. (audio)
And here’s the podcast mentioned in this show about the erosion of home rule happening Florida and other Republican-controlled states:
Your Town, Their Rules: How States Are Stealing Local Power (YouTube)
Your town, their rules (audio)
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: In recent weeks, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — and aides he installed as attorney general and education commissioner — have bent local leaders in Orlando and Tampa to their will in disputes over mass deportations and book bans. They’ve done so by twisting laws and then threatening punishment under their twisted interpretations. But there are ways communities can fight back.
Show notes
908.104 — Cooperation with federal immigration authorities
908.102(6) — Definition of “sanctuary policy”
Under duress, Orange County mayor signs ICE addendum to ward off threat of removal from office
South Miami mayor hopes lawsuit will help cities decide ‘without fear’ if ICE agreement works
How Florida’s new education chief is rattling schools with public threats
Judge strikes down parts of a Florida law used to ban school library books
Penguin Random House LLC v. Gibson — Order (Aug. 13, 2025)
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
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In this episode: In February 2024, a pair of animal-rights groups used drone recordings to expose a massive pigeon-shooting event at a ranch in Okeechobee, Fla., owned by Troy Link, the CEO of Jack Link’s Meat Snacks and a major donor to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other Republican politicians A little over a year later, DeSantis signed a new state law that criminalizes the use of drones to record people on private property. That law, records show, was written by lobbyists hired by Troy Link.
Show notes:
Pigeon Jerky: Florida Beef Jerky Magnate Blasted for Hosting Live Pigeon Shoot
House Bill 1121 – Unmanned Aircraft and Unmanned Aircraft Systems
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In this episode: Late last month, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 180, a sweeping new law intended to help communities better prepare for — and recover from — hurricanes. But developers around the state are now trying to use the new law to undermine local rules that help slow suburban sprawl. One industry group used Senate Bill 180 to sue a county in southwest Florida that raised fees on homebuilders. Another developer is threatening a similar suit in Orlando to eliminate protections for rural land. Did Tallahassee Republicans and industry lobbyists quietly work together to pull a fast one under the guise of hurricane recovery? Or are developers exploiting a well-intentioned law that was merely meant to make sure homeowners can rebuild after a storm?
Show notes
Senate Bill 180 – Emergencies
A few recent stories about the impact of Senate Bill 180:
Legislature wants to make it impossible for local governments to build back better after hurricanes
Florida bill could block communities from rebuilding stronger after hurricanes
Facing threat of lawsuits, Orange County may scrap its rural boundary
Manatee receives threat of litigation over increased impact fees
Burdensomely Vague Intentions
And two other stories mentioned in the podcast:
Florida chafes under flood-protection rules
Apple quietly lobbied to stop ‘Right to Repair’ bill, records show
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In this episode: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is hiding $250 million in taxpayer-funded contracts tied to the new immigration detention camp Florida just opened in the middle of the Everglades. His hand-picked attorney general is showering public money on $875-an-hour lawyers. And his administration has been ducking auditors for nearly three years now. But Ron DeSantis wants you to think that its your local town council that needs to be audited.
Meanwhile, the governor just did a big favor for a billionaire donor — and he did it in a way meant to make sure nobody else noticed. Florida workers will pay the price.
Show notes
The tab for Florida's immigrant prison in the Everglades is $250 million — and counting
'Alligator Alcatraz' Contracts Disappeared From a Florida State Database
Maxwell: Florida flouts auditing law on ‘emergency’ immigration spending
House Bill 1219 — Employment Agreements
Lobbyist for a billionaire-run hedge fund wrote a bill allowing longer non-competes, records show
A billionaire is showering cash on Florida politicians
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In this episode: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis just slashed millions of dollars in funding for river restoration, public radio, and well-behaved inmates who want to phone their families. But the Republican governor also approved pork-barrel projects supporting the Inter Miami Major League Soccer team, owners and breeders of thoroughbred racehorses, and a giant real-estate developer near Daytona Beach. We take a closer look at what DeSantis decided to veto — and, more importantly, what he chose to approve — in Florida’s new $115 billion state budget.
Show notes
People in Florida prisons will get free calls for good behavior in new program
Free prison call program rewarded good behavior, cost taxpayers zero. DeSantis killed it
Ron DeSantis just pocketed nearly $1 million from an industry he helped
After a personal meeting, and a $10,000 donation, DeSantis approved a $10 million earmark
Florida lawmakers may unleash a last-second expansion of school privatization
A billionaire is showering cash on Florida politicians
Florida taxpayers will help fund a lavish pay package for a new university president
A few quotes referenced in the show from Ron DeSantis’ June 30th budget news conference:
Schools of Hope charter schools
“We got an overhaul to our Schools of Hope program. So you’re going to have groups — like there’s a group in New York City, Success Academy, and they’ve been able to do very well in New York City, which is very tough because the unions want to kill charter schools up there and the elected officials are negative — they’re going to be able to go in the most dire areas of Florida and open up these schools and potentially change people’s lives for the better…I’m glad we were able to work with the Legislature to get that through in this extended session.”
Civics Seal of Excellence teacher training
“We created this Civics Seal of Excellence program. We created a 50-hour course — well, we didn’t, we got scholars from, like, Hillsdale, Heritage Foundation, all these places, and they devised this programming, basically lectures — about all these different things that went into the formation of the country and the values and principles that made us a unique experiment.”
New College of Florida takeover
“We made sweeping appointments to the Board of Trustees, they replaced the president with a conservative who had been the commissioner of education under our administration in the first term, and now, all of a sudden, they’re bringing in these professors that are, like, really, really strong. And that is being transformed almost into, like, our version of a Hillsdale College.”
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In this episode: In the morning, Ron DeSantis celebrated the opening of an immigrant detention camp built on Everglades land he commandeered using emergency powers under what is now a nearly three-year-long “state of emergency” in Florida. In the afternoon, he vetoed a bipartisan bill intended to limit corruption in his administration by stopping him from interfering in future elections and making it harder for his aides to squeeze lobbyists for cash. It was a day that underscored just how much power the state of Florida has allowed to become concentrated in one person.
Show notes
Republican Donors Cash In on ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Immigrant Camp
Florida Taps Contractors With No Detention Experience for ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
DeSantis vetoes bill aimed at limiting corruption in office
The best and worst of Florida's 2025 session (so far)
House Bill 1445 – Public Officers and Employees
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In this episode: Florida’s attorney general defied a federal court order and bragged about it on TV. A trio of appellate court judges colluded to strike down a state law. The board of education ordered a school superintendent to break the rules and ban more books. And the governor seized property to build an immigrant prison in the Everglades. Each of these would be an extraordinary story on its own. But taken together, they show just how far the authoritarian state has expanded in Florida.
Show notes:
Judge finds Florida attorney general in contempt over immigration law
How a Florida court took unusual steps to limit abortion access for minors
As Hillsborough book battle unfolds, other districts wonder who’s next
Florida seizes Everglades land to house detained migrants in ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
Read the federal judge’s order finding Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier in contempt of court
Read Uthmeier’s legal briefs and the Florida appellate court’s opinion in a case permitting parents to force their kids to give birth
Watch comments from Board of Education members ordering a school superintendent to ban more books and see the list of books they wanted banned
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In this episode: They say a budget reflects your values. And if that’s true, state lawmakers in Florida sure do value culture wars. The new state budget pours more than $100 million of taxpayer money into culture-war crusades — including cash for anti-abortion activists, new book-banning software, and an “economic freedom” center that invented an award for Ron DeSantis and praises Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Show notes
A few recent Seeking Rents stories on Florida’s new $115 billion budget:
In Tallahassee, a feast of tax breaks for businesses – and table scraps for everyone else
Florida lawmakers may unleash a last-second expansion of school privatization
Florida taxpayers will help fund a lavish pay package for a new university president
Lawmakers just slashed Ron DeSantis' budget for high-priced lawyers
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In this episode: Florida lawmakers are springing some last-minute surprises as they inch toward a final budget deal — including a potentially massive charter school expansion. An update from Day 100 of the Florida Legislature’s 60-day-session. Yes, you read that right.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
House Bill 1267 — Education
Senate Bill 1708 — Education
House Bill 1115 — Education (specifically this amendment)
House Bill 1427 — Nursing Education Programs (specifically this amendment)
Senate Bill 2510 — Prekindergarten Through Grade 12 Education
Senate Bill 2514 — Health and Human Services
House education budget offer — Conforming Bill (SB 2510)
House healthcare budget offer — Conforming Bill (SB 2514)
Senate administered funds budget offer — Budget
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In this episode: Across the country, state-level politicians are hollowing out home rule, robbing communities of the freedom to make their own choices, and seizing power for themselves. They are doing it by weaponizing a legal tool known as “preemption.” Katie Belanger of the Local Solutions Support Center, an advocacy group that fights for home-rule rights, joins the show to talk about what preemption is and how states are abusing it.
Show notes
LSSC’s roundup of some of the most egregious preemptions that have passed around the country in 2025
A brief history of abusive preemptions in Florida
And a case study: No water, no shade: How homebuilders, farming companies and construction firms got politicians to reject heat rules for outdoor workers in Florida
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In this episode: Ron DeSantis made a college lower its standards so he could make a middling politician its president. He tried to use a university presidency as a dumping ground for another politician no one liked. It was just a matter of time before political goons came for the state’s most prestigious school, too. Meanwhile, in Tallahassee: Lawmakers are finally negotiating a new state budget, while the governor flails away online.
Show notes
Maxwell: Politics at Florida universities is really about the grift
Out-of-state employees, a Paris trip, missing vehicles: Florida legislators question spending
Florida Crossroads – Ocklawaha
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In this episode: The Florida Legislature has agreed to give giant tax breaks to businesses — and table scraps to everyone else. The Republican Party of Florida is defending a law that takes rights away from its own voters. And Florida’s governor is cashing in on his veto power.
For show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
House Bill 1205 — Amendments to the State Constitution
House Bill 6017 — Recovery of Damages for Medical Negligence Resulting in Death
House Bill 105 — Pari-mutuel Wagering
A New Crackdown on Ballot Initiatives Unnerves Florida Organizers
Read Florida Decides Healthcare’s complaint in the lawsuit against House Bill 1205
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In this episode: Ron DeSantis is once again flexing political muscle in Florida, seizing control of more state universities and joining forces with the state’s Big Business lobby. But after yet another attempt to develop conservation land collapsed in controversy — and amid a new criminal investigation into DeSantis’ “Hope Florida” charity — it’s clear that Florida’s governor can’t get away with everything any more.
Show notes:
The Florida Senate gave Ron DeSantis an inch. He's taking a mile.
Maxwell: DeSantis in hot seat with Hope Florida probe and “Free Kill’ veto
Who was behind Florida’s latest public land deal? DeSantis won’t say.
Criminal investigation launched related to Hope Florida, prosecutors say
House Bill 6017 — Recovery of Damages for Medical Negligence Resulting in Death
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In this episode: Well, everyone knows the Florida Legislature’s 2025 session broke down in dysfunction. What this podcast presupposes is…maybe it didn’t?
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 1620 — Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
House Bill 913 — Condominium and Cooperative Associations
Senate Bill 56 — Geoengineering and Weather Modification Activities
Senate Bill 1388 — Vessels
House Bill 1205 — Amendments to the State Constitution
Senate Bill 498 — Trust Fund Interest for Purposes Approved by the Supreme Court
House Bill 1549 — Financial Institutions
House Bill 173 — Interest on Trust Accounts Program Interest Rates
House GOP demands text messages, emails from DeSantis administration in spending probe
Lawmaker says DeSantis administration is withholding Hope Florida records
Banks lobbyists want to slash funding for legal support programs
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In this episode: All of a sudden, nobody knows when Florida’s annual legislative session will end. But lawmakers are still racing to finish up a few big special-interest favors before it does.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 492 — Land Development
House BIll 1609 — Waste Incineration
Senate Bill 700 — Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Florida lawmakers may help a mining giant fend off lawsuits
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In this episode: After key players in a scandal roiling Ron DeSantis and his closest allies refused to answer their questions, Republicans in the state House decide to end their hearings rather than escalate even further. So what’s next? Plus: Bills to help banks earn bigger profits, hedge funds bind workers to longer non-competes, and Success Academy charter schools set up shop in Miami.
Show notes:
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 498 – Trust Fund Interest for Purposes Approved by the Supreme Court
House Bill 1219 – Employment Agreements
House Bill 1267 – Education
Senate Bill 1080 – Local Government Land Regulation
Lawmakers end Hope Florida charity probe without hearing from key players
Tax-funded nonprofit spent $5 million on ads amid abortion ballot battle
Florida pushed anti-abortion nonprofit to run ads against Amendment 4
Billionaire Ken Griffin gifts $25M to Success Academy
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In this episode: Some bright-red warning flags just began waving in the Florida Legislature, suggesting that top lawmakers are about to spring some last-minute surprises. Meanwhile, Florida’s attorney general has some explaining to do as the Hope Florida scandal roiling the DeSantis administration continues to deepen.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 492 – Land Development
House Bill 1225 – Employment
Senate Bill 676 – Minimum Wage Requirements
Senate Bill 1672 – Labor Pool Act
Countering DeSantis, $10M Hope Florida donation came from Medicaid, draft shows
Top DeSantis staff spoke with group pushing state park golf course earlier than known
Records show Big Sugar lobbyists are working on plans for an Everglades-area mine
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In this episode: Republican lawmakers are digging deeper into a scandal in which the Ron DeSantis administration may have used a Casey DeSantis charity to turn $10 million of Medicaid money into funding for TV ads in a political campaign that was important to the governor. It’s obviously bad — and potentially illegal. But it’s also part of a broader pattern of abuses. Plus: Is the Florida Senate getting ready for war? And a good day for an environmentally destructive mining giant.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 1144 — Hope Florida
Senate Bill 110 — Rural Communities
Senate Bill 832 — Former Phosphate Mining Land
Ron DeSantis won the battles. He may have lost the war.
‘Mistakes were made,’ Hope Florida charity leader tells lawmakers
Lawmaker will subpoena Florida attorney general in DeSantis charity probe
Florida lawmakers may help a mining giant fend off lawsuits
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In this episode: Florida lawmakers may shower millions in taxpayer money on the beef-cattle industry — while also passing laws to obstruct potential lab-grown and plant-based competitors. Plus: Subsidies for the horse-racing industry; a money-losing incentive program written by a company that profits off of money-losing incentive programs; and a corporate tax break for a national funder of conservative causes.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 700 — Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Senate Bill 2500 — Appropriations
House Proposed Bill WMC 25-02 — Taxation
Senate Proposed Bill 7034 — Taxation
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In this episode: The state House has suddenly gotten very aggressive with Ron DeSantis, as lawmakers probe ever-deeper into his administration’s spending. The enraged governor has responded by accusing House Republicans of betraying GOP voters. The Florida Senate has avoided taking sides — for now.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
House Bill 1445 — Public Officers and Employees
Senate Bill 1760 — Public Officers and Employees
House Bill 1321 — Higher Education
Senate Bill 1726 — Higher Education
Donors gave big to DeSantis’ marijuana campaign after getting $10M from Hope Florida
Records show DeSantis wanted to make university president searches a secret
Report: After DeSantis intervened, a state college scrapped its search for a new president and will hand the job to a politician
Hope for legislative property insurance fix dimming as Legislature enters second half
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In this episode: Republicans in the Florida Senate are trying to pass a bill that would help everyone from farmers to cellphone owners find affordable repairs when the stuff they buy breaks. Why are Democrats in the Florida Senate trying to stop them? Plus: New records reveal that Ron DeSantis is secretly behind a bill to weaken child-labor laws. And the charter-school industry is having a very good session.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 1132 — Consumers’ Right to Repair Certain Equipment
Senate Bill 918 — Employment of Minors
House Bill 1225 — Employment of Minors
House Bill 1157 — Verification of Reemployment Assistance Benefit Eligibility
Senate Bill 1238 – Verification of Reemployment Assistance Benefit Eligibility
House Bill 443 — Charter Schools
House Bill 123 — Education
House Bill 569 — Construction and Facilities
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed for child labor rollbacks behind the scenes, records show
A billionaire-backed think tank keeps sabotaging Florida workers. More attacks are coming.
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In this episode: Florida lawmakers are working on changes that could stop staffers in the Governor’s Office from squeezing lobbyists for campaign contributions and interfering with university presidential searches. Meanwhile, a bad bill written by lobbyists for car dealers has been gutted. And good bills giving people the power to fix broken tractors, wheelchairs and cell phones are inching closer to passing. A look at some of the positive things happening in Tallahassee midway through the Florida Legislature’s 2025 legislative session.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
House Bill 1445 — Public Officers and Employees
House Bill 1321 — Higher Education
Senate Bill 1726 — Higher Education
House Bill 429 — Motor Vehicle Manufacturers and Franchised Motor Vehicle Dealers
Senate Bill 1820 — Motor Vehicle Manufacturers and Franchised Motor Vehicle Dealers
House Bill 235 — Digital Right to Repair
House Bill 311 — Repair of Motorized Wheelchairs
Senate Bill 412 — Repair of Motorized Wheelchairs
Senate Bill 1132 — Consumers’ Right to Repair Certain Equipment
Car dealers try to keep a chokehold on new car sales in Florida
Corporate lobbyists scurry to stop bipartisan 'Right to Repair' bills
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In this episode: You won’t find the word “abortion” anywhere in them, but two bills that just passed the Senate Judiciary Committee in Florida may ultimately amount to a backdoor expansion of a statewide abortion ban that is already one of the strictest in the nation. Plus: Bills that would make it it harder for college students to vote and easier for billionaires to suppress worker salaries.
Show notes
Senate Bill 1288 — Parental Rights
House Bill 1505 — Parental Rights
Senate Bill 1284 — Civil Liability for the Wrongful Death of an Unborn Child
House Bill 1517 — Civil Liability for the Wrongful Death of an Unborn Child
House Bill 1381 — Elections
Senate Bill 922 — Employment Agreements
Lobbyist for a billionaire-run hedge fund wrote a bill allowing longer non-competes, records show
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In this episode: An investment company with a history of peddling poorly performing tax incentives is back in Tallahassee, trying to attach itself to the “rural renaissance” movement in the Florida Senate. An update from Day 28 of the Florida Legislature’s 60-day legislative session.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 1322 — Tax Credits for Investment in Rural Communities
Senate Bill 1238 — Fraud in the Reemployment Assistance Program
House Bill 1157 — Verification of Reemployment Assistance Benefit Eligibility
Investment company writes Florida incentive laws, then profits from them
In Search of Rural Jobs, States Weigh Strategy With Checkered Past
How Savvy Financiers Pitch Complex Investment Programs
Payday at the mill: How sophisticated financiers used a Maine investment program they devised to wring millions of dollars in risk-free returns at taxpayer expense
Shrewd financiers exploit unsophisticated Maine legislators on taxpayers’ dime
Nothing Ventured, Millions Gained — Capco’s benefit in Florida program
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In this episode: Republicans in Tallahassee want to punish the state’s chief economist because she refused to bend to political pressure during a debate last year over an abortion-rights ballot measure. Meanwhile, the speaker of the state House calls for a historic tax cut for consumers. It’s an idea with a lot of promise — but a lot of peril, too.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
House Bill 1205 — Amendments to the State Constitution
Senate Bill 7016 — Initiative Petitions Proposing an Amendment to the State Constitution
State lawmakers could slash sales tax, saving Floridians billions
Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy: Who Pays? (7th ed.)
ITEP: A Revenue Analysis of Worldwide Combined Reporting in the States
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In this episode: Republicans voting against Republicans, Democrats fighting with Democrats, sick-and-tired-of-it public testimony in every hearing, and a long list of bad bills on the move. But also a public execution for one particularly controversial piece of legislation. An update from Day 22 of the Florida Legislature’s 2025 session, one of the wilder days we’ve seen in Tallahassee in years.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 814 — Weapons or Firearms at School-sponsored Events or on School Property
Senate Bill 1816 — Protection of Historic Monuments and Memorials
House Bill 541 — Minimum Wage Requirements
Senate Bill 676 — Minimum Wage Requirements
Senate Bill 918 — Employment of Minors
House Bill 1387 — Public Employees Relations Commission
Senate Bill 1288 — Parental Rights
Senate Bill 100 — Display of Flags by Government Entities
Senate Bill 440 — Gender Identity Employment Practices
House Bill 875 — Educator Preparation
Senate Bill 832 — Former Phosphate Mining Lands
Senate Bill 752 — Defamation, False Light, and Unauthorized Publication of Name or Likenesses
Senate Bill 872 — Price Controls for the Removal and Storage of Electric Vehicles
Senate Bill 1388 — Vessels
Senate Bill 134 — Sales Tax Exemption of Bullion
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In this episode: Philip Morris, the Big Tobacco giant best known as the maker of Marlboro cigarettes, helped Ron DeSantis defeat ballot measures last fall that would have legalized marijuana and protected abortion rights. A few months later, the Florida governor did a favor for Philip Morris: Allowing the company to sell its IQOS product line free of state tobacco taxes. And now Florida lawmakers are advancing company-backed bills that would cement that decision into state law.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 1418 — Heated Tobacco Products
House Bill 785 — Heated Tobacco Products
House Bill 1517 — Civil Liability for the Wrongful Death of an Unborn Child
House Bill 1219 — Employment Agreements
Senate Bill 806 — Florida Trust Code
House Bill 1173 — Florida Trust Code
DeSantis grants tax favor for Philip Morris after $500,000 gift
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In this episode: Republican lawmakers in Florida are considering a bill pitched by a billionaire-backed think tank that would make it even harder for workers to qualify for unemployment insurance. Plus: “Baby Olivia” comes to the Florida Capitol and all the adults play dumb. An update from Day 15 of the Florida Legislature’s 2025 session.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
House Bill 1157 — Verification of Reemployment Assistance Benefit Eligibility
House Bill 1255 — Education
House Bill 651 — Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Is ‘Baby Olivia’ headed to a school near you? Bills in several states would allow screenings of fetal development video.
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In this episode: In a single afternoon, Florida lawmakers advanced bills to roll back protections for rural land in Orlando, allow an ethanol plant in a historic city north of Jacksonville, and help hedge funds bind workers to years-long non-compete contracts. Those issues and more from Day 14 of the Florida Legislature’s 2025 session.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 420 — Official Actions of Local Governments
Senate Bill 1118 — Land Use and Development Regulations
Senate Bill 922 — Employment Regulations
Senate Bill 1776 — Employment Rights
Senate Bill 1822 — Regulation of Auxiliary Containers
Ron DeSantis took money from you and gave it to businesses. And you didn’t even notice.
A developer-backed bill would unravel rural protections in Orlando, allow an ethanol plant near Jacksonville
Ranchland to rooftops in central Florida
Florida beach town faces explosive fight over ethanol plant
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In this episode: There's a quiet effort afoot in the Florida Capitol to enable a charity funded by the duPont family fortune to shift spending from Delaware to Florida. Meanwhile, an ugly plan to cut funding for Legal Aid — so a few banks can make more money — has begun to move forward. Those bills and more from Day 9 of the Florida Legislature’s 2025 session.
Show notes
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 806 — Florida Trust Code
Senate Bill 498 — Interest Rates Applicable to the Interest on Trust Accounts Program
Senate Bill 832 — Former Phosphate Mining Lands
Senate Bill 752 — Defamation, False Light, and Unauthorized Publication of Name or Likenesses
House Bill 541 — Minimum Wage Requirements
House Bill 683 — Construction Regulations
House Bill 429 — Motor Vehicle Manufacturers and Franchised Motor Vehicle Dealers
Banks lobbyists want to slash funding for legal support programs
Florida lawmakers may help a mining giant fend off lawsuits
Car dealers try to keep a chokehold on new car sales in Florida
After taking money from Walmart heirs, Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature helped billionaires hide their family fortunes
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In this episode: Wealthy communities in Florida have hijacked a program that is supposed to help impoverished areas. Some Republican lawmakers want to put a stop to it. Unfortunately, they also want to help the dairy industry duck competition from plant-based rivals. An update from Day 8 of the Florida Legislature’s 60-day legislative session.
Show notes:
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 1242 — Community Redevelopment Agencies
Senate Bill 700 — Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
House Bill 565 — Regulation of Auxiliary Containers
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In this episode: As the second week of Florida’s 2025 legislative session begins, Republican lawmakers roll out an intentionally unconstitutional plan meant to provoke a legal showdown over the state’s voter-approved minimum wage. But there’s also a budding bipartisan movement to make sure Ron DeSantis never again pays for political ads with taxpayer money.
Show notes:
The bills discussed in today’s show:
Senate Bill 676 — Minimum Wage Requirements
House Bill 541 — Minimum Wage Requirements
Senate Bill 7016 — Initiative Petitions Proposing an Amendment to the State Constitution
Senate Bill 1624 — Higher Education
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In this episode: With lobbyists for big corporations like Publix and Florida Power & Light cheering them on, Republican leaders in the Florida Legislature began advancing new plans this week that are meant to make it much harder — maybe even impossible — for everyday citizens in Florida to pass ballot measures through petition drives. Plus: An oversight fight that could have major implications for efforts to restore the Florida Everglades and an anti-abortion poison pill slipped inside a boat-safety bill.
Show notes:
Links to all the bills referenced in today’s show:
House Bill 1205 — Initiative Petitions for Constitutional Amendments
Senate Bill 7016 — Initiative Petitions Proposing an Amendment to the State Constitution
Senate Bill 7002 — Water Management Districts
House Bill 289 — Boating Safety
Senate Bill 628 — Boating Safety
Senate Bill 676 — Minimum Wage Requirements
Senate Bill 700 — Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services
Senate Bill 498 — Interest Rates Applicable to the Interest on Trust Accounts Program
Senate Bill 832 — Former Phosphate Mining Lands
Banks lobbyists want to slash funding for legal support programs
Florida lawmakers may help a mining giant fend off lawsuits
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In this episode: The Florida Legislature opened its 2025 session Tuesday — and Republican legislative leaders are already forcing Ron DeSantis onto some politically dangerous ground. Plus: Lawmakers move forward on a favor for one of the state’s biggest companies. And the most important battle of session is about to begin.
Show notes:
Secret study reveals insurance companies pocketed billions while crying poor in Florida
Florida lawmakers may help a mining giant fend off lawsuits
What to watch as Florida's 2025 session begins
HB 1205 — Initiative Petitions for Constitutional Amendments
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In this episode: Insurance companies in Florida have been quietly pocketing billions of dollars in profits while claiming to lose money, according to an explosive new report from the Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald. The insurance industry used those “losses” as a pretense to lobby Florida politicians into passing a series of industry-written, anti-consumer laws that have left millions of Florida homeowners and business owners paying higher prices for poorer quality policies. And a taxpayer-funded study exposing it all was kept hidden from the public for two years. Tampa Bay Times reporter Lawrence Mower, the journalist who broke the story, joins the show to talk about it.
Show notes:
Florida insurance companies steered money to investors while claiming losses, study says
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In this episode: Ron DeSantis and Republicans in the Florida Legislature end a month of fighting over immigration by agreeing to a package of bills that crack down on college kids — but cower from big corporations. Florida’s new immigration legislation is most interesting for the way that Republican state lawmakers used the process to push back against DeSantis after years of playing a submissive second fiddle to the governor. And now the Republican-appointed Florida Supreme Court is kicking his butt, too.
Show notes:
Jim DeFede analysis: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis backs down on immigration
Debbie Mayfield vs. Secretary, Florida Department of State
Car dealers try to keep a chokehold on new car sales in Florida
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In this episode: Florida lawmakers are finding ways to reassert themselves after half a decade of cowering in a corner from Ron DeSantis. Meanwhile, Florida’s agriculture commissioner — a potential candidate for governor in 2026 — doesn’t think the state should use its power to protect farmworkers dying in 100-degree heat. But he doesthink the state should use its power to protect the dairy industry’s market share. An update from another week of hearings in Tallahassee as the Florida Legislature prepares for its 2025 session.
Show notes:
Senate Bill 108
Babies over bachelor’s degrees? DeSantis appointee says women should choose motherhood over higher ed
Why DeSantis vetoed a farmworker housing bill passed unanimously by state lawmakers
Milking the system: The dairy industry takes more of your money by erecting barriers to competition. Got rent-seeking?
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In this episode: One year ago, Ron DeSantis wiped out almost all state funding for arts and cultural programs across Florida because he claimed some of the shows getting to be funded were too “sexual.” Now, the Republican says he’s willing to restore arts funding in Florida — but only if he gets to deny money to any groups he doesn’t like. It’s part of a broader theme running through a new state budget DeSantis proposed this week, which could further empower the governor and his allies to block research grants, defund university programs, pull books from libraries, harass petition drives, and spread taxpayer-funded propaganda.
Show notes:
DeSantis said he cut Florida’s arts funding over ‘sexual’ festivals
Ron DeSantis wants lawmakers to sanction his election interference
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In this episode: In a wild 48 hours, Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature made clear that it is sick of Ron DeSantis’ self-promoting schtick. But as much fun as it was to watch the biggest bully in Florida politics get his head metaphorically dunked in a toilet, Florida’s two-day special session on immigration also saw a bunch of innocent kids get hurt by politicians who seem more interested in performative cruelty than solving root causes.
Show notes:
Selective outrage: DeSantis, GOP lawmakers give pass to companies violating immigration laws | Commentary
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In this episode: Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature just wrapped up its first week of hearings ahead of the state’s annual 60-day lawmaking session, which will begin in March. The week offered a sneak preview of some big coming battles on issues like abortion and immigration. But it also revealed important fights ahead over insurance industry secrets, rock mining in the Everglades, and favors for banks.
Show notes:
How Florida could try to stop voters from ever again voting on abortion access
Politicians weakened state ethics laws. Investigators are now closing cases.
How home insurance companies in Florida sidestep rules meant to prevent excess profits
Banks lobbyists want to slash funding for legal support programs
Ron DeSantis' top aide punished bank lobbyists for being disloyal
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In this episode: Florida has become a national leader…at kicking kids off health insurance. Over the past year or so, politicians in Tallahassee have presided over a brutish purge of state insurance rolls, defied federal rules meant to keep kids covered, and slow-walked a bipartisan expansion plan that was supposed to ensure medical care for more children. Joan Alker, a professor at Georgetown University and national health-policy expert, has has been sounding the alarm about Florida’s actions. She joins the show to explain what’s happened.
Show notes:
A few helpful resources and articles:
Florida’s children’s healthcare report card
What is the impact of unwinding on Medicaid enrollment?
Child Medicaid Disenrollment Data Shows Wide Variation in State Performance as Continuous Coverage Pandemic Protections Lifted
State of Florida Files Legal Challenge to Weaken Continuous Coverage Protection for Children in CHIP Nationwide
A Deeper Dive into Florida’s Lawsuit Seeking to Undermine the New Requirement for 12-Months Continuous Eligibility for Children in Separate State CHIP Programs
Florida’s Governor Spends Taxpayer Money on Lawyers to Further Delay Covering Children
Biden administration OKs Florida KidCare waiver
Thanks but no thanks: State turns down Florida KidCare waiver approval
DeSantis health officials to delay KidCare expansion until after Trump takes office
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In this episode: Since taking total control of state government 25 years ago, Florida Republicans have systematically rolled back reforms that once kept state courts independent. It was a project launched by Jeb Bush, expanded by Rick Scott, and that has now culminated under Ron DeSantis with a Florida Supreme Court that is a rubber stamp for the governor and Legislature — and a roadblock for anyone who dares to challenge them. Learn more about how it happened from Martin Dyckman, a Florida journalist and historian whose investigative reporting once exposed Supreme Court corruption and spurred some of the very reforms that have been undone.
Show notes:
Read this Dyckman column in the Sun-Sentinel explaining some of the history and changes in more detail.
And if you want to do a truly deep dive into the subject, check out his book: A Most Disorderly Court: Scandal and Reform in the Florida Judiciary (and don’t forget his biographies of Govs. Reubin Askew and Leroy Collins, too).
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In this episode: Longtime Florida journalist and Bloomberg Opinion columnist Mary Ellen Klas dug through a trove of legislative and electoral data from around the country to understand what happens when one party commands total control of a state’s government. She joined the show to talk about what she found.
Show notes:
This Is Why You Don’t Recognize Your State Government (Bloomberg Opinion)
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In this episode: The new leaders of Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature take the stage for the first time in Tallahassee. The good: The speaker of the Florida House of Representatives suggests he may try to stop private equity firms from squeezing individual homebuyers out of the housing market. The bad: The president of the Florida Senate signals he’ll turn a blind eye to Ron DeSantis’ decision to spend millions of dollars of taxpayer money on political ads.
Show notes:
Check out “Buying Up the Bay,” the Tampa Bay Times series mentioned on the show.
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In this episode: The first twins of Florida politics — Anna Eskamani, a state representative from Orlando, and Ida Eskamani, a long-time advocate in the Florida Legislature who now organizes in state legislatures across the country — join the podcast to talk about corporate influence in the Sunshine State and how to defeat it. Hint: It takes a lot of hard work. (Note: Ida Eskamani appeared on the show in her personal capacity.)
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In this episode: Thomas Kennedy, a progressive organizer in Miami and former Bernie Sanders campaign staffer, rejoins the pod to talk about how Democrats lost touch with the working class — and what needs to happen next.
Show notes:
A couple of items referenced on the show:
What It Took to Win: A History of the Democratic Party
Trump’s closing campaign ad in 2016
Thomas’ podcast
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In this episode: Orlando Sentinel columnist Scott Maxwell joins the podcast to talk about Florida’s 2024 elections — including some stunning local results in which voters in Orlando chose a pair of grassroots activists over tourism- and developer-backed alternatives who had outspent them by as much as 8-to-1. It’s the dawning of a new day in what has historically been one of the nation’s biggest company towns. And it further established Orlando as a blue island in a statewide sea of red.
Show notes:
For more about Florida’s elections — both in Orlando and across the state — make sure to read Scott’s most recent column in the Sentinel. And check out more of his work here.
To understand what made these Orlando races so important, and why they will have statewide repercussions, see these pieces from Seeking Rents:
Voters in Orlando have a chance to loosen the tourism industry's grip on taxpayer money
Candidates in Orlando split over new rules to save rural land from suburban sprawl
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In this episode: Thoughts on the 2024 election results in Florida.
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In this episode: Amid a growing consensus that overly restrictive housing rules are a major driver of high housing prices, the city of Gainesville just passed far-reaching reforms meant to make it much easier to build more homes. At the same time, Orange County is on the brink of passing changes meant to slow suburban sprawl and encourage denser urban development instead. A pair of leaders from both communities — Eric Grimmer of Orlando YIMBY and Gainesville City Commissioner Bryan Eastman — join the show to talk about their housing efforts, as well as a couple of fascinating local referendums on the ballot this fall.
Show notes
As promised in the show, here’s a link to Orlando YIMBY.
And for more details about Gainesville’s zoning reforms, check out this presentation.
Lastly, here are a few stories that we touched on during the discussions:
The Missing Middle: Supply vs. Aesthetics in the Drive for New Housing (Governing)
Florida Republicans Are Fighting Gainesville’s Zoning Reform, and Themselves (Bloomberg)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' Administration Tells Gainesville To Abandon Zoning Reform (Reason Foundation)
Gainesville community rallies for amendment returning GRU leadership to city (The Independent Florida Alligator)
In five races, Orange County voters can choose sides in the fight over growth (Orlando Sentinel)
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In this episode: Roxey Nelson is an executive vice president with 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the largest healthcare union in Florida and a board member for Floridians Protection Freedom. That’s the group sponsoring a constitutional amendment to overturn Florida’s near-total abortion ban. She joined the show to talk about Amendment 4, and the ties that bind policies like abortion bans, union busting, and tax breaks for billionaires.
Show notes
For more information about Amendment 4, or to find ways to get involved in the final two weeks of the campaign, check out Floridians Protecting Freedom.
Here are some of the stories we talked about on the show:
The think tank behind Project 2025 is also behind some of Florida's most extreme laws
A billionaire-backed think tank keeps sabotaging Florida workers. More attacks are coming.
The billionaires financing union-busting in Florida
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In this episode: Ron DeSantis is now threatening television stations with criminal prosecutions unless they take down ads supporting a ballot measure that would overturn Florida’s near-total ban on abortion. It’s the latest escalation in DeSantis’ increasingly extreme efforts to use the powers of state government — and the pocketbooks of Florida taxpayers — for political campaigns against citizen-led petition drives to end the statewide abortion ban and legalize marijuana.
Show notes
For further reading and listening:
Ron DeSantis’ Administration Is Threatening to Prosecute the Media for Airing Pro-Choice Ads (Slate)
Ron DeSantis blurs lines, burns cash in tax-funded campaign to block abortion and marijuana ballot measures (Seeking Rents)
Delayed and Denied: How Florida’s Six-Week Abortion Ban Criminalizes Medical Care (Physicians for Human Rights)
Hemp execs pledge millions to Republican Party of Florida, texts reveal (CBS News)
DeSantis, Florida House pay outsiders to influence financial statement on abortion measure (Tallahassee Democrat)
Florida politicians will go further to interfere with abortion – unless Florida voters stop them (Seeking Rents – The Podcast)
The think tank behind Project 2025 is also behind some of Florida's most extreme laws (Seeking Rents)
Because of Florida abortion laws, she carried her baby to term knowing he would die (CNN)
Florida DOT’s driving high ads are ‘propaganda,’ marijuana campaign tells TV stations (Miami Herald)
DeSantis turns to TV lobbyists to stop Florida voters from overturning a statewide abortion ban (Seeking Rents)
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In this episode: Progressive activist and Ron DeSantis antagonist Thomas Kennedy joins the show to talk about why the DeSantis bubble burst so spectacularly on the national stage and to call out some of the Florida politicians from both parties who take money — and marching orders — from Big Sugar. We also talk about DeSantis’ refusal to extend Florida’s voter registration as a monstrous hurricane looms off the coast and new campaigns targeting Republican lawmakers who have attacked and exploited immigrants.
Show notes:
As promised on the show, here are links to watch the CBS Sunday Morning segment on the ways Florida’s anti-immigrant laws are hurting Florida farmers and to see the infamous Tallahassee billboard mocking a cosplaying governor pretending to be a fighter pilot.
You can also find lots more detail about the ways some top Florida Democrats teamed up with DeSantis and Florida Republicans to do Big Sugar’s bidding in these stories and podcasts:
After sugar’s $11 million investment, a bipartisan push to protect industry (Miami Herald)
Glades residents left behind: Nikki Fried’s ‘changes’ to cane burning served only Big Sugar (Palm Beach Post)
How Ron DeSantis and Nikki Fried Teamed Up to Defend Big Sugar (Seeking Rents – The Podcast)
Finally, make sure to check out Kennedy’s Podcast, Why Are We Like This, and to follow him on social media (@tomaskenn on Instagram and @tomaskenn on Twitter).
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In this episode: There are some important battles being waged in Orlando right now — including a pivotal local election and a tug-of-war over a vast swath of cattle pasture that could become covered in subdivisions. And at the center of both fights are Buddy Dyer, the longtime mayor of Orlando, and Tavistock, the billionaire-backed real-estate developer that has cultivated close ties with the mayor during his more than 20 years in City Hall. Beth Kassab, a former investigative reporter with the Orlando Sentinel and now the editor of the Winter Park Voice, joins the show to talk about both of those battles, the tourism lobby, housing politics, and the future of local news.
Show notes
Subscribe to the Winter Park Voice (and be sure to support local news wherever you are).
Read some of Beth’s recent work on Orange County’s District 5 commission race:
Steve Leary, with Buddy Dyer's endorsement, heads to run-off from second place
Steve Leary taps political committee for unlimited dollars in race against Kelly Semrad
For a deeper dive into a couple of the controversies discussed on the show, check out these recent Scott Maxwell columns in the Orlando Sentinel:
Irresponsible. Orlando wants to hastily annex a Baltimore-sized piece of land to sate developers
Candidates won’t reveal promises made to hotel lobby
And for even more of the history here, see this piece I wrote a few years back for Florida Trend magazine:
Ranchland to rooftops in central Florida
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In this episode: State Rep. Angie Nixon just won re-election to a Jacksonville-based state House seat after steamrolling over a challenger backed by the state’s big-business lobby. She joins the podcast to talk about what it’s like to take on corporate influence in the Florida Legislature and whether a backlash may be building to Republican overreach.
For more on some of the topics that came up during the conversation:
Florida Democrats get infusion of cash from DNC as voting by mail is set to begin (Florida Phoenix)
Keep your eye on the Florida Senate race (The Washington Post)
Ron DeSantis blurs lines, burns cash in tax-funded campaign to block abortion and marijuana ballot measures (Seeking Rents)
Florida Supreme Court weighs high stakes for minority voting rights after DeSantis’ redistricting (The Tributary)
Operatives working for FPL arranged job offer to opponent of Jacksonville utility sale, records show (Orlando Sentinel)
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In this episode: Longtime Florida journalist Nate Monroe, the statewide columnist for USA Today’s Florida newspapers, joins the show to talk about the bursting of the Ron DeSantis bubble — an implosion that plenty of people in Jacksonville always said was inevitable. We also chat about why TV execs are trying to keep abortion banned in Florida and who to root for as some of the biggest bullies in state politics turn on each other.
Show notes
Check out some of Nate’s recent work:
Noticed a lot of anti-abortion ads on Florida TV? Columnist Nate Monroe found out why
Will Florida Supreme Court finally constrain Gov. Ron DeSantis?
With national ambitions extinguished, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is adrift
Plus, as promised on the pod, here’s more about one of the most delicious backstories from Ron DeSantis’ doomed presidential campaign: DeSantis Tried to Bury Her. Now She’s Helping Trump Try to Bury Him
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In this episode: A recent report from the United Way revealed a staggering fact about Florida: Nearly half of the state’s 9 million households are now unable to afford basic living expenses. One reason so many Florida families are struggling is that the state has the most unfair tax code in the country — one that takes far more money from the working and middle class than it does from the very wealthy. But there’s a way Florida lawmakers could solve both problems at once. It’s called the “Working Floridians Tax Rebate,” and it would deliver a tax cut to more than 2 million Floridians. Esteban Santis, an economic policy analyst at the Florida Policy Institute, joins the show to discuss it.
Show notes:
Check out a a terrific deep dive into the United Way study that found nearly half of all households in Florida are struggling to make ends meet.
Find more research and read report itself directly from the United Way.
Learn what makes Florida’s tax code so easy on the rich — and punishing on the poor — from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.
Read up on the Working Floridians Tax Rebate, including how it would work, who would get a tax cut, and why the benefits would ripple out others.
And if it sounds good to you, figure out your representatives in the Florida Legislature and tell them to support it.
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In this episode: Anti-abortion politicians in Florida are in a panic over Amendment 4, the proposed constitutional amendment that would overturn the state’s near-total abortion ban and prevent further government interference with abortion. State police are going door to door to interrogate Floridians who signed the Amendment 4 petition, and political appointees are using taxpayer resources to advertise against the ballot measure. Maya Brown, a political strategist and advisor to the Amendment 4 effort, joins the show to talk about where things stand with the campaign — and a few other key races on the ballot in Florida this fall.
Show notes
Read more about how some Florida politicians are weaponizing state police and spending taxpayer money as they scurry to save one of the strictest abortion bans in the nation.
Then visit Yes on 4 and make a plan to vote.
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In this episode: With help from some politically plugged-in groups, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hatched a plan to build golf courses, hotels and pickleball courts on state parkland across Florida. But the plans leaked — and blew up in his face. Legendary Florida environmental journalist Craig Pittman joins the show to discuss the controversy.
Show notes
Get the latest updates on DeSantis’ state park plan from the Tampa Bay Times, which has been on top of the story from day one.
Read Craig Pittman’s unique perspective on the controversy at the Florida Phoenix. Then check out his podcast. And his books, too!
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In this episode: The most important result to come out of this week’s primary elections in Florida was the rejection of culture-warring School Board candidates in races around the state. But the most interesting result came in Manatee County, where, in one fell swoop, residents completely overhauled a local county commission that many believed was in the pocket of a few influential real-estate developers. Liv Coleman, a political science professor at the University of Tampa and resident of Manatee County, joins the show to talk about how it all went down.
Show notes
Read some of the important local reporting from The Bradenton Times and the Florida Trident:
-
County's Effort to Gut Its Own Wetland Protections Gets Murkier
-
Did a Tampa-based Political Consultant Secretly Participate in the Redistricting of Manatee County?
-
Hopes Exchanged Text Messages with Beruff and Pedicini
-
Hatchet Man
Check out Liv Coleman’s newsletter, The Manatee Muse.
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In this episode: Just two years after they seemed to be in their ascendancy, School Board candidates backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the conservative censorship group Moms for Liberty suffered big losses in local elections across the state. Longtime Orlando Sentinel education reporter Leslie Postal joins the show to talk about what just happened in Florida.
Show notes
Both Politico Florida and the Associated Press have good roundups of the statewide results in School Board elections.
Here are some of the stories we alluded to during the show:
-
Tolstoy, Sendak picture book among hundreds banned from Florida schools
-
Textbook authors told climate change references must be cut to get Florida’s OK
-
Only one reviewer complained of ‘critical race theory’ in Florida math textbooks
-
Schools Without Rules: An Orlando Sentinel Investigation
-
An inside look at the private interests shaping public education in Florida
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In this episode: Over the past few years, Republican politicians in Florida have enacted a near-total abortion ban, spent millions in taxpayer money on anti-abortion propaganda, and blocked funding for contraceptive care. But many of them want to go much further — from completely banning abortion in all situations to granting legal rights to frozen embryos used for in vitro fertilization. That makes the stakes incredibly high for Amendment 4, a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would enshrine abortion rights into the Florida Constitution.
Show notes
Read Amendment 4 for yourself.
Learn more from the organization supporting it (Floridians Protecting Freedom).
See the impact of an abortion ban imposed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and state lawmakers — a ban that would be overturned if 60 percent of Florida voters approve Amendment 4.
Make a plan to vote.
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In this episode: Every year, Florida lawmakers take more power away from cities, counties, towns and school districts — stripping local communities across the state of ability to make decisions for themselves. Often in response to lobbying by some of the state’s largest corporations, Florida’s governor and Legislature have blocked locally elected leaders from passing laws that address water pollution, wages and benefits, gun safety, fossil fuels, rent control, and so much more. In this episode, Jason Garcia is joined by Danny Rivero, an investigative reporter at WLRN in Miami, whose series “Tallahassee Takeover” examined just how far Florida politicians have gone in eliminating local freedoms — and the long-term consequences of concentrating so much power in one place.
Show notes
Listen to “Tallahassee Takeover,” WLRN’s nine-episode series about the many ways that Florida politicians in Tallahassee are seizing control of cities, towns, counties and schools from the people who actually live in them.
Check out more of investigative reporter Danny Rivero’s work.
Further reading: There's a war on democracy in Florida. It's being waged by Big Business. (Seeking Rents)
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In this episode: Bowing to pressure from Florida’s construction and farming industries, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Legislature just passed an infamous new law protecting businesses that refuse to provide clean drinking water to employees working outside in 100-degree heat. In this episode, Jason Garcia talks to a trio of activists who have spent years fighting for heat protections for outdoor workers in Florida: Esteban Wood of the immigrant-rights group WeCount! and Jeannie Economos and Ernesto Ruiz of the Farmworker Association of Florida. The group discusses their work from Miami to Orlando to Tallahassee, what it’s like to go up against the Big Business lobby, and why this fight is NOT over.
Show notes
Check out some of the Farmworker Association’s research on the health impacts of extreme heat
Learn more about WeCount’s Qué Calor! campaign to win heat protections for outdoor workers in South Florida
Further reading: No water, no shade: How homebuilders, farming companies and construction firms got politicians to reject heat rules for outdoor workers in Florida
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In this episode: Nearly 20 years ago, Florida leaders erased an anti-competitive law that had been preventing a public nonprofit insurance company from challenging private, for-profit insurers. Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state’s Republican-controlled Legislature decided to reinstate that law. As a result, Florida homeowners are now paying higher prices for their home insurance.
Sources:
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House Bill 1A (2007)
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Senate Bill 2A (2022)
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Citizens chooses higher rate hikes for South Florida than its own numbers indicate (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
-
Florida Republicans protected insurance companies from competition. Florida homeowners are now paying higher prices. (Seeking Rents)
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In this episode: The Florida Constitution gives governors the authority to suspend local officials over “incompetence” and “neglect of duty.” Ron DeSantis is exploiting that power unlike any governor before him.
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In this episode: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis just made some of his most important decisions of the year, by signing a new, $117 billion state budget — but eliminating hundreds of millions of dollars in spending on everything from tampons in high schools to tax prep in poor communities. It was a great day for credit card and bank lobbyists. But not so much for environmentalists trying to tear down a notorious old dam.
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In this episode: At a time when so many Floridians are struggling to find and keep home insurance, the state’s new insurance commissioner has started cracking down on predatory practices, pushing for pro-consumer changes, and forcing more transparency on a notoriously inscrutable industry.
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In this episode: Farmworkers and construction workers across Florida spent years pleading with state leaders to pass a statewide heat-safety law that would ensure everyone working outside had access to water and shade. When Tallahassee refused to help, workers turned to city and county leaders instead. So Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature finally leapt into action — to make sure local governments couldn’t help, either. (Click here to read a print version of this story.)
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In this episode: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis just signed a bill erasing most mentions of climate change from state law — even though climate change is one reason so many of his state’s residents can no longer afford their homeowner’s insurance.
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In this episode: Just before Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis launched his campaign for president, Florida lawmakers passed a law hiding his flight records from the public. The DeSantis-for-president campaign quickly crashed and burned. But the secrecy around state air travel endures.
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In this episode: Florida lawmakers want to stop Visa and Mastercard from charging inflated swipe fees. The credit card companies are turning to Gov. Ron DeSantis for help.
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In this episode:Behind closed doors, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 433, a sweeping piece of legislation that was originally written by lobbyists for some of the biggest companies doing business in the state. The legislation will dissolve local living wage laws, prevent communities from passing “Fair Workweek” rules, and block efforts to set new heat-safety standards for outdoor workers. How did a bill like this pass? Well, $160,000 a week in campaign contributions from Big Business lobbying groups certainly helped.
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In this episode: The Florida Supreme Court just issued a pair of seismic decisions on abortion. One ruling stripped women and pregnant people in Florida of their right to abortion, while the other ruling will give the state’s voters a chance to restore that right in November. But the conservative court also signaled that it’s ready to rule that fetuses are people, too — which would have enormous implications for all reproductive rights.
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In this episode: Following a failed presidential campaign, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is trying to bring some long-running feuds to a close, including battles with Disney and other opponents of his infamous 'Don't Say Gay' law.
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In this episode: Florida lawmakers just finished up their 2024 legislative session, and the one issue everyone is worried about is property insurance. So how did lawmakers decide to help? They’re going to give you fifty bucks.
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In this episode: The Florida Legislature concluded its 2024 session on Friday by passing Big Business-backed bills that loosen the state’s child-labor laws and block wage, benefit and safety protections for workers. But banking industry lobbyists took it on the chin, too.
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In this episode: Less than 24 hours before the end of their 2024 legislative session, Florida lawmakers passed a bill that could undermine enforcement of state ethics laws. Plus: Day 60 decisions loom on legislation to weaken child-labor laws and strip wage and benefit protections from workers.
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In this episode: On the third-to-last day of their 2024 legislative session, Florida lawmakers passed a quartet of bills expanding controversial laws — including laws that target discussions of racism and sexism, public-sector unions, immigrants, and local government autonomy.
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In this episode: On Day 57 of the Florida Legislature’s 60-day session, lawmakers send Gov. Ron DeSantis a bill that implicitly criminalizes homelessness in Florida. Let’s unpack that bill a bit.
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In this episode: On Day 56 of the Florida Legislature’s 60-day session, lawmakers finally bring budget negotiations in for a landing — thanks to hundreds of millions of dollars in last-minute earmarks and hidden legislation. Plus: Bills pass to lower wages for construction workers and raise interest rates on low-income consumers.
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In this episode: Florida is about to pass a law banning kids from some social media platforms after the speaker of the state House successfully backed Gov. Ron DeSantis into a corner.
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In this episode: Work slows in the Florida Legislature as everyone waits for the governor and House speaker to hash out a plan to kick kids off social media. But lawmakers are still making big decisions — including choosing to turn a blind eye to a bunch of global corporations using accounting shell games to skip out on Florida corporate taxes.
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In this episode: Day 51 of the Florida Legislature’s 2024 session featured some last-minute shenanigans in support of real-estate developers in Orlando and more slow progress on a state budget. But things are about to get spicier in the state Capitol, as important policy showdowns loom in both the House and Senate.
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In this episode: With less than 10 days to go in the Florida Legislature’s 2024 session, the end game is beginning to come into focus. Some bills are stalling while others are setting up for showdowns.
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In this episode: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has ruled the state’s Legislature with an iron fist for nearly three years now. But Day 45 of the state’s 2024 session suggests things are finally changing — and that lawmakers aren’t afraid of him anymore. Plus: A reminder of why you can’t always trust what some lawmakers say in public.
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In this episode: On Day 44 of the Florida Legislature’s 60-day session, lawmakers advance bills to help more workers afford childcare — thanks to support from a Big Business lobbying group. But that same Big Business group is simultaneously pushing bills that bust worker unions, too. Plus: Florida may double down on a disastrous immigration law.
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In this episode: Days after the Florida House of Representatives rolled out a package of proposed tax cuts that would steer the vast majority of savings to businesses instead of consumers, the Florida Senate introduces another tax plan — one that is a bit better but still disproportionately favors businesses over consumers.
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In this episode: Florida lawmakers were already working on bills to ban everything from living wages to lab-grown meat. Now, they’re talking about banning offshore wind energy, too. Plus: Bills that would protect industrial polluters from accountability.
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In this episode: On Day 37 of the Florida Legislature’s 2024 session, Republican leaders start to show their hand on tax breaks. They want to give lots of help to businesses. But they’re offering very little help for consumers. And, of course, they’re going to hand out a few special-interest favors, too.
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In this episode: Checking in after Day 36 of the Florida Legislature’s 2024 session, with updates on bills to throw shoplifters in prison, teach kindergarteners about communism, and slip shady tax breaks into law.
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Florida’s Republican Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson — a likely 2026 candidate for governor — takes center stage on Day 35 of the Florida Legislature’s 2024 session, with a proposal that tries to turn corporate protectionism into a base-rallying culture war.
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In this episode: It’s Day 31 of Florida’s 60-day legislative session and we’re focusing on the positive — including a plan to help families trying to climb the economic ladder. Plus: A terrible tax break turns into something that’s actually pretty good.
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In this episode: The Florida Legislature’s 2024 session reaches the halfway point with state lawmakers starting a new fight with city and county leaders. Plus: Republican legislative leaders help Ron DeSantis get back on his feet.
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In this episode: A day in the Florida Legislature filled with highs and lows. There were big wins for corporate lobbyists and white nationalists. But there was also a glimmer of hope for Florida homeowners getting crushed by the cost of property insurance.
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In this episode: As the Florida Legislature nears the halfway mark of its 2024 session, we’ve got updates on bills that could help homeowners rebuilding after a hurricane, throw homeless people into camps or county lockup, and pick a petty and needless culture-war fight.
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In this episode: A bunch of tax breaks are starting to surface in the Florida Legislature, including a $200 million cut for timeshare companies and owners. Plus: An opportunity to separate the fiscal conservatives from the phony panderers.
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In this episode: The corporate and culture wars continue on Day 22 of the Florida Legislature’s 2024 session, with lawmakers attacking wage protections for workers but protecting statues for Confederate generals, all while loosening the laws around both child labor and guns.
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In this episode: Week four of the Florida Legislature’s 2024 session kicks off with the state Senate taking up the most duplicitous bill of the year. Plus: Lawmakers get involved in a small legal dispute with a big defendant.
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In this episode: Ron DeSantis starts to reassert himself on Day 17 of the Florida Legislature’s 2024 session, as lawmakers begin moving bills to give the governor more military power and tools to punish everyone from Palestinian students to…woke airports? Predatory lenders are probably nervous, too.
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In this episode: Day 16 of the Florida Legislature’s 2024 session is in the books, and it’s not all bad. Today we’re talking about bills dealing with tiny homes, carbon capture and — of all things — registered mail.
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In this episode: On Day 15 of the Florida Legislature’s 2024 session, state lawmakers and big-business lobbyists try to bring back an ugly barrier to unemployment insurance that even former Gov. Rick Scott backed away from. Plus: Updates on more bills that moved forward, including legislation to deny drinking water to construction workers and to fill the labor shortage by encouraging high school dropouts.
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In this episode: An update from Day 14 of the Florida Legislature’s 60-day session, where some lawmakers are standing up to the insurance industry…but other lawmakers are proving how unreliable they are.
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In this episode: Republican lawmakers in the Florida Legislature say some news organizations can’t be trusted. But they don’t want you to know which organizations can be trusted. Plus: Florida’s latest abortion battle.
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In this episode: On one side of the state Capitol, Florida lawmakers were passing a bill to ban pride flags from public buildings. On the other, they were passing a bill to let homebuilders use more kids on construction sites. A dispatch from Day 9 of the Florida Legislature’s 2024 session.
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In this episode: Recapping another busy day in the Florida Legislature. Lawmakers are now eight days into their 60-day legislative session, and they’re moving bills to protect poultry companies, plastic polluters, and police officers who engage in brutality. But they also want to build more housing for migrant farmworkers.
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In this episode: A quick recap of the second day of the Florida Legislature’s 2024 legislative session, including two big fights pitting some of the state’s biggest business lobbying groups against advocates for children and environmental activists. Plus a new “Stand Your Ground” law, but to shoot black bears.
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In this episode: The Florida Legislature opened its 2024 session on Tuesday, a news-filled first day that included a pledge to keep Florida one of the worst states in the nation for health insurance coverage. Learn more in a quick Day One recap that also has updates on lobbying by big-box stores to incarcerate more shoplifters and by police officers to avoid accountability — but also promises to preserve access to mail voting and to consider a public option for hurricane insurance.
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In this episode: Sixteen- and seventeen-year-old high-school students in Florida could be made to work overnight shifts and 40-hour workweeks under a bill being lobbied through the state Legislature. The legislation was written by a think tank financed by a billionaire donor to Ron DeSantis, and it’s being pushed by lobbyists for chain restaurants like McDonald’s, Burger King, Outback and Olive Garden. It’s the latest example of billionaire-backed foundations and big-business front groups joining forces to squeeze working families in Florida.
Further Reading:
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House Bill 49 — Employment and Curfew of Minors
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Washington Post: The conservative campaign to rewrite child-labor laws
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Seeking Rents: A billionaire-backed think tank keeps sabotaging Florida workers. More attacks are coming.
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Seeking Rents: A think tank funded by a far-right billionaire wrote a bill to weaken child-labor laws in Florida, records show
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Tampa Bay Times: 2 Florida bills could roll back child labor laws. What do they do?
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Seeking Rents: Local communities keep trying to help workers. Corporate lobbyists and Florida politicians keep teaming up to stop them.
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In this episode: Lobbyists for rent-seeking retailers like Walmart, Target and Home Depot are pushing policies in Florida that send small-time shoplifters to prison for many years — and then make it harder for them to get back on their feet when they finally get out. It’s an example of short-sighted, self-interested corporate lobbying that prioritizes protecting the profits of a few above all else. And it is blocking bipartisan reform efforts in the Florida Capitol that could help more workers find sustainable careers, bring prices down for consumers, and save money for taxpayers.
Further Reading:
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The Captured Economy: How the Powerful Enrich Themselves, Slow Down Growth, and Increase Inequality (Book, Website)
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House Bill 785 / Senate Bill 704 – Limited Barbering (2024)
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House Bill 549 – Retail Theft (2024)
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House Bill 133 / Senate Bill 42 – Professional Licensing Requirements for Barbers and Cosmetologists (2024)
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Institute for Justice: License to Work (3rd edition)
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Florida Policy Institute: Saving Taxpayer Dollars and Reducing Recidivism Through Occupational Licensing Reform
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The Marshall Project: What the Panic Over Shoplifting Reveals About American Crime Policy
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KPMG & Florida Department of Management Services: Charting a Path to a Safer, More Efficient Correctional System
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CNBC: Retailers are shaping a wave of laws to crack down on organized theft — here’s how they do it
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Seeking Rents: The Florida Legislature just let Target dodge $15 million in corporate taxes
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In this episode: We go deep inside the gears of government to show you how the state of Florida, urged on by lobbyists for the state’s biggest businesses, has rigged the rules around property taxes in a way that helps special interests keep tax breaks they squeeze out of Tallahassee — even when those tax breaks are unconstitutional. (For a written version of this story, click here.)
Further reading:
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Seeking Rents: Ron DeSantis tried to give $25 million to a gun company
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Florida Supreme Court: Sebring Airport Authority v. McIntyre (2001)
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Florida Supreme Court: The Crossings at Fleming Island Community Development District v. Etcheverri (2008)
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Florida Trend: Space Florida's rocket science financing
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Second District Court of Appeal: Hillsborough County Aviation Authority v. Henriquez (2023)
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Second District Court of Appeal: Gulf Marine Repair Corp. v. Henriquez (2023)
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In this episode: Inside a federal courtroom in Atlanta, a lawyer for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis just made a remarkable confession: The state is trying to prevent private employers from talking to their own employees about things like systemic racism and gender inequality. It’s part of a broader effort by the DeSantis administration to control what Floridians can say, hear and learn about groups that have been historically disenfranchised — like Black people, women and LGBTQ+ people. There’s a reason why Ron DeSantis and his backers don’t want people thinking about this stuff. (Editor’s note: This is a podcast version of a story that first published Aug. 31.)
Further Reading:
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Tampa Bay Times: Florida schools got hundreds of book complaints — mostly from 2 people
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Politico Magazine: DeSantis’ culture warrior: ‘We are now over the walls’
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Miami Herald: Florida reviewers of AP African American Studies sought ‘opposing viewpoints’ of slavery
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New York Times: At a college targeted by DeSantis, gender studies is out, jocks are in
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The Uncertain Hour: Unemployment benefits are hard to get. That’s on purpose.
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Orlando Sentinel: Thousands of jobless Floridians face meager unemployment benefits, due to cuts under Gov. Rick Scott
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The Atlantic: How the U.S. tax code privileges white families
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The Whiteness of Wealth: The Whiteness of Wealth: How the tax system impoverishes Black Americans — and how we can fix it.
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More Perfect Union: How Ron DeSantis let billionaires destroy Florida
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In this episode: Days before he launched his campaign for president, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a sweeping law making it much harder for many Florida workers to band together in unions and collectively bargain for better pay. It takes direct aim at hundreds of thousands of public-sector employees in Florida, from public-school teachers to municipal garbage collectors. But it also threatens to suppress pay for people working in the private sector, too — especially women. This new law was the culmination of more than a decade of lobbying by big-business front groups and billionaire-funded think tanks. And it’s even worse for workers than most people realize.
Further reading:
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WMNF: DeSantis signs law placing restrictions on Florida unions; teachers union says it will sue
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PolitiFact Florida: Chamber takes up 'paycheck protection' proposal in campaign-style ad
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National Library of Medicine: What do government unions do? Public sector unions and nonunion wages, 1977–2015
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In this episode: Florida’s tourism industry runs on a low-wage workforce. And the state’s biggest tourism businesses, from Walt Disney World to Outback Steakhouse, fight hard to suppress pay for workers — whether that means cutting off unemployment assistance for jobseekers or litigating against local living wage laws. They’ve had help from a long line of Florida governors, from Jeb Bush to Rick Scott to Ron DeSantis.
Further reading:
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Wall Street Journal: States that cut unemployment benefits saw limited impact on job growth
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Tampa Bay Times: Florida ended unemployment benefits early. Did people return to work?
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CNBC: Cuts to unemployment benefits didn’t spur jobs, report says
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Miami New Times: Miami Beach approves raising minimum wage to $13.31
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WUSF: Legal fight over Miami Beach minimum wage could have far reaching impacts
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Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association: Florida’s leading business coalition celebrates court ruling against Miami Beach’s minimum wage ordinance
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Florida Trend: The new Florida Supreme Court
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Seeking Rents: Records show Ron DeSantis took $300,000 from Florida lobbyists
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Seeking Rents: Customers took Florida's biggest power company to court. Ron DeSantis and lawmakers stepped up to help...the power company.
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In this episode: The state of Florida has long been a harsh place to rent an apartment, with industry-backed laws that give landlords enormous power over their tenants. But things had been getting better: Over the last few years, cities and counties around the state have passed dozens of local laws that provide some basic rights to renters and help keep families from being forced into homelessness. But with the stroke of a pen, Ron DeSantis just took all those rights away.
Further reading:
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The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz: #BecauseMiami: Mamacita Lolita
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The Washington Post: DeSantis donor supplied golf simulator for ‘Governor’s Cabana’ and private flights
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Tampa Bay Times: Hillsborough transportation tax saga: still following the money
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South Florida Sun-Sentinel: Only DeSantis can save us from ‘radioactive roads’
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Orlando Sentinel: Locked Out: Low pay, soaring rents, pro-landlord laws set up Florida renters for eviction once COVID hit
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Orlando Sentinel: Locked Out: Black renters in Central Florida more likely to be evicted — even before COVID
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Orlando Sentinel: Locked Out: Not even COVID could end Florida leaders’ long record of snubbing pro-renter bills
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Evicted: Evicted: Without a home, everything else falls apart
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In this episode: Before Ron DeSantis was elected governor of Florida, the state and some of its local communities passed a series of laws that were supposed to reduce the influence of money in politics. But DeSantis has rolled back many of those reforms — from a local ordinance that tried to keep Super PACs out of city elections to a state law that made it harder for Florida politicians to hide their donors from the public. It’s become a major legacy for DeSantis, who is now running for U.S. President: More money for politicians, and less transparency for voters.
Further reading:
Washington Post: DeSantis donor supplied golf simulator for ‘Governor’s Cabana’ and private flights
Washington Post: DeSantis agency sent $92 million in covid relief funds to donor-backed project
Florida Phoenix: New Interstate 95 interchange hurts creek but benefits Florida governor’s buddy
Florida Phoenix: Florida’s fertilizer addiction leads to ban on sales bans, roads that glow
The Regulatory Review: Red state lawmakers preempt campaign finance laws in blue cities
Sarasota Herald-Tribune: New Florida law guts contribution limits in local races in Sarasota city and county
Tallahassee Democrat: New Florida law strikes down Tallahassee contribution limits in local races
Tampa Bay Times: St. Pete tried to abolish super PACs. Jeff Brandes wants to end that.
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In this episode: In west-central Florida, a bit inland from Tampa Bay, The Mosaic Co. makes billions of dollars every year scraping phosphate rock out of the ground and turning it into fertilizer at chemical factories. But in doing so, the Fortune 500 mining giant generates millions of tons in toxic waste. Now, Mosaic wants new laws and taxpayer subsidies that could let the company turn its toxic waste into profit. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is helping — and cashing Mosaic’s campaign checks.
Further reading:
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Tampa Bay Times: Radioactive roads? Tampa fertilizer giant Mosaic wants to start testing it.
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Tampa Bay Times: Piney Point pollution spread farther than first thought, new study shows
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Tampa Bay Times: Florida lawmaker sponsored ‘radioactive roads’ bill. Mosaic threw him a fundraiser.
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The Price of Plenty: Chemical fertilizers help feed the world — at increasingly steep costs to people and the planet.
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The Price of Plenty: Florida’s Hidden Backbone: Abundant phosphate reserves made the Sunshine State a key player in the global fertilizer industry — leading to both riches and sacrifices.
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The Price of Plenty: Rare Finds: Scientists say Florida phosphates are significant sources of rare earth elements, highly sought for everything from cell phones to EVs. Is a new era ahead for the state’s phosphate industry?
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The Price of Plenty: Seeding Research: Critics warn against industry-driven environmental research agendas in Florida
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The Price of Plenty: When the Storm Hits: How vulnerable are the southeast’s phosphate plants, mines and mountains of waste to stronger rains and hurricanes?
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The Price of Plenty: Beneath the surface Florida’s old phosphate mines have been turned into housing developments, parks, bass lakes, golf courses and restored habitat. Does “reclaiming” live up to the claims?
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Orlando Sentinel: 2 big companies poised to benefit from new tax law
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Orlando Sentinel: Florida’s tax break often helps companies do already-planned work
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In this episode: The city of Orlando, home to Disney World and Universal Studios, raises hundreds of millions of dollars every year from a tax on hotels. But while other communities spend hotel taxes on public safety, environmental preservation and affordable housing, Orlando spends all its money propping up tourism businesses and sports billionaires. It’s the result of decades of lobbying by Disney, Universal and other big tourism businesses — and of compliant politicians, from the local county commission to the state Legislature. But change may finally be afoot.
Further reading:
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Orlando Sentinel: Hoteliers, Keys fight for use of tourist tax
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Orlando Sentinel: Florida police group: Use hotel tax to keep tourists safe
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Orlando Sentinel: Small county takes on tourism industry over control of bed taxes
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Florida Trend: The bed tax never sleeps in Florida
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Orlando Sentinel: Universal Orlando’s new road deal with Orange County is lopsided, critics say
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Orlando Sentinel: Orlando hotel taxes don’t pay for roads or housing like in other cities. One reason: Disney and Universal’s political power
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Orlando Sentinel: Environmentalists praise plan to spend hotel taxes on ailing springs and lakes. But the tourism industry is fighting it.
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Orlando Business Journal: Orlando state representative files bill to expand TDT uses
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Seeking Rents: Mr. Smith goes to Washington…and gets rolled
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Seeking Rents: The Orange County mayor's office isn't telling the truth as it tries to sell voters on a higher sales tax
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Orlando Sentinel: An uprising? Mayor’s hotel-tax task force suggests overdue changes | Commentary
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In this episode: With his eye on the American presidency, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has spent the past four years courting the billionaires and big-dollar donors he hopes will bankroll a national campaign. DeSantis has hosted private receptions at the Governor’s Mansion and planned $100,000 rounds of golf. But he’s also granted policy favors that have helped some of the world’s richest people — often at the expense of workers and consumers. Today, we look at three examples from Florida’s just-concluded legislative session involving space moguls, baseball owners and car dealers.
Further reading:
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Reuters: Texts tie DeSantis closely to Trump insider Lev Parnas in 2018 race
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Tampa Bay Times: Ron DeSantis’ political team planned $25K golf games, $250K ‘intimate gatherings,’ memos say
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NBC News: Ron DeSantis administration officials solicit campaign cash from lobbyists
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New York Times: DeSantis Campaign Says It Raised $8.2 Million in First 24 Hours
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Seeking Rents: Ron DeSantis risked selling out his Republican base to help Disney
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Seeking Rents: The Ron DeSantis administration gave $16.5 million. The Ron DeSantis campaign got $200,000.
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Seeking Rents: Ten special-interest tax breaks from Ron DeSantis' first term as Florida governor
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Seeking Rents: How Ron DeSantis helped Florida Power & Light raise electricity rates by $5 billion
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Seeking Rents: Ron DeSantis tried to help a developer pass a bill making it easier to turn affordable housing into high-priced apartments
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Seeking Rents: A big lottery contractor is cashing in. So is the Ron DeSantis reelection campaign.
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Seeking Rents: Ron DeSantis worked with gas-station lobbyists who wanted to weaken a gas-tax break for consumers
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Seeking Rents: After taking money from Walmart heirs, Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature helped billionaires hide their family fortunes
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Seeking Rents: Ron DeSantis’ crackdown on “woke” banks could help a big Ron DeSantis donor
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Seeking Rents: A chemical company that donated to Ron DeSantis now wants the state to help sell its product
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Seeking Rents: After a personal meeting, and a $10,000 donation, DeSantis approved a $10 million earmark
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Orlando Sentinel: DeSantis attacks $15 minimum wage initiative; Morgan fires back
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In this episode: Gov. Ron DeSantis just signed a draconian rewrite of Florida’s property insurance laws that will give homeowners less time to file claims, make it harder to sue companies that won’t pay those claims, and force hundreds of thousands of Floridians to pay higher prices. It’s bitter medicine that the governor says is necessary to save his state’s ailing insurance market. It’s also the biggest bet of DeSantis’ career.
Further reading:
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Tampa Bay Times: Will rates go down? Answering questions from Florida’s insurance session
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Orlando Sentinel: DeSantis defends property insurance bill, signs it into law
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Insurance Journal: Florida Bills Offer Broad Attack on Insurance Costs: Legal Fees, AOBs, Reinsurance
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Tampa Bay Times: When Florida’s property insurers fail, few ask why
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Tampa Bay Times: Florida insurance company execs saw big payouts in years without hurricanes
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Seeking Rents: Ron DeSantis could have made lawmakers reduce insurance rates by $150 a year. He was attacking immigrants instead.
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Seeking Rents: Florida won't stop rising insurance rates without combating climate change
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In this episode: Nearly 60 percent of voters in Orlando, Fla., just passed a referendum calling for rent control in one of the most unaffordable housing markets in the country. But they’re probably not going to get it. That’s because Florida leaders have passed a landlord-friendly state law that blocks cities and counties from enacting local rent control. Meanwhile, lobbyists for everyone from real-estate developers to Walt Disney World have used state politicians to prevent local voters from making changes on everything from worker benefits to water pollution. (Read a written version of this story here.)
Further reading:
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Orlando Sentinel: Orange County commissioners vote to continue legal fight for rent control
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Orlando Sentinel: Scott blocks paid sick-time vote in Orange, statewide
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New Yorker: A lake in Florida suing to protect itself
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Miami Herald: Pier operator fighting Key West cruise referendum gives DeSantis’ committee $1 million
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Tampa Bay Times: St. Pete tried to abolish super PACs. Jeff Brandes wants to end that
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Miami Herald: ‘Abolish’ Key West? Someone wants to do away with the city, and locals call it ‘nonsense’
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In this week’s episode: You might not know it, but minimum wage is back on the ballot again this year in Florida — in the form of legislative elections around the state that could decide the fate of a Big Business-led effort to wipe out local wage laws. In this week’s episode, we take a closer look at that and other important economic issues that you never hear about in campaign commercials, but which voters are deciding when they cast a ballot in a state House or state Senate race. Plus, some voters have the chance at a do-over following one of the biggest election scandals in recent Florida history: The 2020 “ghost candidate” scheme. (Transcript.)
Further Reading:
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Tampa Bay Times: St. Petersburg company pushing for bill that would prohibit higher local wages
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Seeking Rents: High-interest lenders targeting low-income borrowers want Florida lawmakers to let them double their interest rates
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Orlando Sentinel: Florida’s dark money playbook: How ‘ghost’ candidate scheme revealed secretive political tactics
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Orlando Sentinel: Transcript details ‘ghost’ candidate’s aid in probe of spoiler scheme
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In this week’s episode: There’s a narrative taking hold in political media that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is waging a “war on Corporate America.” There’s just one problem: It’s a myth. Today, we take a close look at just how friendly Florida’s governor has been to Big Business — from cutting taxes on corporate profits to doing favors for companies like Disney and Florida Power & Light. But there is something Ron DeSantis could do if he really wanted to stand up to Corporate America. (Transcript)
Further Reading:
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Washington Post: How DeSantis used Disney’s missteps to wage war on corporate America
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Seeking Rents: The DeSantis administration has started sending more than $600 million to Florida's biggest corporations
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Seeking Rents:Ten special-interest tax breaks from Ron DeSantis' first term as Florida governor
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Seeking Rents: In his first term as governor, Ron DeSantis raised taxes on Floridians by more than $1 billion
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American Conservative: DeSantis Readies for the National Stage
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Seeking Rents: How Ron DeSantis helped Florida Power & Light raise electricity rates by $5 billion
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ProPublica: “They’re Trying to Make It So We Walk Away”: It’s About to Get Harder to File Lawsuits Saying Sugar Harvesters Poisoned the Air
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Orlando Sentinel: Fake E-Verify: Florida immigration law is just bogus pandering | Commentary
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Miami Herald: Pier operator fighting Key West cruise referendum gives DeSantis’ committee $1 million
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Yahoo! News: US appeals court rejects Florida social media law, finds tech giants have First Amendment rights
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NBC News: Judge blocks Florida's 'Stop WOKE Act' pushed by Gov. DeSantis
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Seeking Rents: Ron DeSantis risked selling out his Republican base to help Disney
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Variety: After ‘Don’t Say Gay,’ a Weakened Disney Hopes to Limit the Damage
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Orlando Sentinel: Rep. Matt Gaetz: Close tax loophole that benefits Disney, others | Commentary
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In this week’s episode: Late last year, a small group of people appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis allowed utility giant Florida Power & Light to raise electricity rates by roughly $5 billion over the next four years. But this record-setting rate hike is even more generous than you think. Today, we’re talking about equity ratios, ROEs and RSAMs — and how you’re paying more for power because of them. (Transcript)
Further Reading:
Miami Herald: Residential customers to bear brunt of $1.5 billion FPL rate hike
Floridians Against Increased Rates: Initial brief before the Florida Supreme Court
Florida Power & Light: Answer brief before the Florida Supreme Court
Seeking Rents: Florida Power & Light pocketed $1 billion in tax cuts for itself. But now it can pass tax increases on to its customers
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In this week’s episode: In 2019, a group of residents living in Florida’s poverty-stricken sugar country sued the state’s Big Sugar companies, accusing them of poisoning the air. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and Democratic Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried both stepped in to help…defend Big Sugar. (Transcript)
Further Reading:
Associated Industries of Florida: AIF releases roster of endorsements for 2022 legislative races
Palm Beach Post | ProPublica: Black Snow
Palm Beach Post | ProPublica: The Smoke Comes Every Year. Sugar Companies Say the Air Is Safe.
Palm Beach Post | ProPublica: “A Complete Failure of the State”: Authorities Didn’t Heed Researchers’ Calls to Study Health Effects of Burning Sugar Cane
Palm Beach Post | ProPublica: Sugar Companies Said Our Investigation Is Flawed and Biased. Let’s Dive Into Why That’s Not the Case
Grist: Fire Drill: ‘They’re killing people by doing this’ — why students at a school 40 miles from Mar-a-Lago can’t go outside
US Sugar: Second annual State of Our Air report
Palm Beach Post: Glades residents left behind: Nikki Fried’s ‘changes’ to cane burning served only Big Sugar
Miami Herald: After sugar’s $11 million investment, a bipartisan push to protect industry
Politico Florida: Florida Power & Light operates an exclusive, invite-only lounge for lawmakers and lobbyists
Birmingham News: Operative group Matrix hired detective who surveilled Southern Co. CEO
Miami Herald: ‘Nightmare scenario’: How FPL secretly manipulated a Florida state Senate election
Tampa Bay Times: Florida’s latest homeowners insurance crisis is a mess decades in the making
Tampa Bay Times: For Florida tenants, fighting eviction comes at a price
Orlando Sentinel: Locked Out: Low pay, soaring rents, pro-landlord laws set up Florida renters for eviction once COVID hit
Orlando Sentinel: Locked Out: Black renters in Central Florida more likely to be evicted — even before COVID
Orlando Sentinel: Locked Out: Not even COVID could end Florida leaders’ long record of snubbing pro-renter bills
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In this episode: Newspapers across Florida have been pulling back the curtain on schemes orchestrated by political consultants working on behalf of a small number of big corporate clients, including utility giant Florida Power & Light. Many of their plans focused on one target in particular: Jose Javier Rodriguez, a Cuban-American Democrat from Miami who was once seen as a future candidate for governor — but is now out of office thanks to a ghost. (Transcript)
Further reading:
Orlando Sentinel | Floodlight: Operatives working with FPL plotted primary challenge for Miami senator
Miami Herald: Powerbrokers: How FPL secretly took over a Florida news site and used it to bash critics
Orlando Sentinel | Floodlight: Firm working for FPL took control of news site, let execs influence coverage, records show
Florida Times-Union: 'Unsettling,' 'un-American': FPL consultant obtained personal information, surveillance photo of journalist Nate Monroe
Orlando Sentinel | Floodlight: Dark power: How FPL, other utilities neutralize opponents, grow profits
Orlando Sentinel: Tampa congresswoman asks DOJ to probe FPL’s use of ‘dark money’
Miami Herald: Investment firm downgrades assessment of FPL parent company, citing Miami Herald report
WFTS: Tampa City Council wants voters to decide on rent control
WESH: Orange County commission votes in favor of ordinance to protect tenants
Tampa Bay Times: Incoming Florida leaders Passidomo, Renner point to housing, ‘woke’ issues as priorities
Washington Post: DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw makes sure reporters feel the burn
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In this episode: Last year, the Florida Legislature quietly passed an obscure piece of legislation that didn't draw any attention at all. But this arcane bill included a big favor for grocery-store giant Publix — a favor that took away rights from the company's stockholders...who are mostly current and former Publix employees. Plus: Why is Gov. Ron DeSantis making Floridians wait six months before giving them a break on gas prices? (Transcript.)
Further reading:
Tampa Bay Times: DeSantis’ aide first pitched October gas tax break, emails show
Seeking Rents: Ron DeSantis proposed delaying a tax break for Florida drivers until it was most helpful to his re-election campaign
Orlando Sentinel: Come October, 25-cent gas tax ‘holiday’ won’t save Floridians much
Washington Post: Republican states are trying to use federal covid aid to cut taxes
American Bar Association: White Paper for SB 602 & HB 339
Miami Herald: Legislators didn’t make improving Florida’s unemployment benefits a priority
Seeking Rents: Ron DeSantis risked selling out his Republican base to help Disney
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In this episode: A little over one year ago, Ron DeSantis signed one of the most divisive and polarizing pieces of legislation of his first term as Florida governor. And then, while everyone was focused on that fight, DeSantis quietly signed another bill: One that increased taxes on Floridians by more than $1 billion a year... and gave all that money to businesses. (Transcript)
Further reading:
Seeking Rents: In his first term as governor, Ron DeSantis has raised taxes on Floridians by more than $1 billion
Orlando Sentinel: Lobbyists for Amazon, Walmart and other big businesses are writing a law to collect Florida sales tax online
Tallahassee Democrat: Just before midnight, Florida governor reveals he's signed online sales tax bill
WPTV: Gov. Ron DeSantis quietly signs online sales tax bill into law
The St. Augustine Record (2013): Fla. retailers 'disappointed' in DeSantis' opposition to Internet sales tax
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