TALLAHASSEE — Florida has seen an uptick during the past couple of years in bills turning into laws. But that could slow down as a new leader takes over in the state House.
Incoming House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, said he’s going to put a little more pressure on House members to justify bills they file for consideration during the 2025 and 2026 sessions.
“Are you fixing or are you creating a problem? Or are you finding a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist?” Perez said during a recent appearance on The News Service of Florida’s “Deeper Dive with Dara Kam” podcast. “I’ve always thought that less is more in government.”
Perez will become speaker after the November election, while Wauchula Republican Ben Albritton will become Senate president.
Perez said a goal is to “make sure that we don’t mess up the successes that we’ve had before us.”
“There’s a reason over 1,000 people a day are moving to Florida. It’s because we’ve been doing a good job and we’ve been making the right decisions,” Perez said. “Sometimes tough decisions, by the way. But the right decisions, nonetheless. But we’ll see what the next two years bring.”
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Over the six regular legislative sessions since Gov. Ron DeSantis took office, an average of 260 bills have been signed into law each year. The average has been pushed up with 341 new laws from the 2023 regular session and 299 this year.
Perez said he gets along “very well” with DeSantis, as “we all have the same common goal: make Florida a better place tomorrow than it is today.”
But at the same time, Perez acknowledged there could be some disagreements down the line.
“It’s OK to disagree from time to time, as long as it’s done in the right way,” Perez said. “And I’m sure that there will be plenty of times that we will be in disagreement. But it will be done in a respectful manner. And we’ll move forward in the way that the Legislature sees fit.”
A LITTLE TEASE
As the choice looms and the apparent field has narrowed, former President Donald Trump this week needled the news media amid reports about the possibility of U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., becoming his running mate.
Pointing to members of the media at a rally in Doral, Trump said there were “a lot” of journalists on hand.
“I think they probably think I’m going to be announcing that Marco is going to be vice president, because that’s a lot of press. That’s a lot of press,” Trump said before trailing back to the initial topic of the moment.
Later, while highlighting his proposal to eliminate taxes on tips for service workers, he turned to Rubio and said, “Marco, you’re going to vote for it, I hope.”
“Well, you may or may not be there to vote for it,” Trump continued. “But you’ll be involved.”
Rubio is reportedly among three finalists, with U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.
Trump, who will hold another rally Saturday in Pennsylvania, is expected to make the selection by the start Monday of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
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BIG NUMBERS
Most lawmakers met a July 1 deadline for filing financial-disclosure forms, and the numbers again show plenty of millionaires.
Rep. Kevin Steele, R-Dade City, held the top spot, with a net worth of $307.8 million as of April 30.
The founder of DataLink Software, a Tampa-based health-care technology company, his overall net worth was down from nearly $408.6 million when he was elected to the House in 2022.
Second-highest was Rep. Ralph Massullo, a Lecanto Republican and dermatologist who reported a net worth of $87 million, up from $64 million in 2022.
Third was Sen. Jason Pizzo, a Sunny Isles Beach Democrat who is in line to become Senate minority leader after the November election. Pizzo, an attorney, posted a net worth of $59.1 million. More than half of Pizzo’s net worth is tied to the estate of his father Kenneth Pizzo, a real-estate developer who died in October 2021.
Financial-disclosure forms for five House members and four senators had not been posted or submitted. While reports are due July 1 each year, late filers don’t face fines until Sept. 1.
SOCIAL MEDIA POST OF THE WEEK: “No better way to celebrate Independence Day Weekend than new state line signs welcoming Floridians and visitors to the Free State of Florida!” — Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue (@FDOT_Secretary) on new highway welcome signs.
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