TALLAHASSEE – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivered his annual State of the State address on Tuesday.
He spoke from the Florida House of Representatives Chamber at the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee.
DeSantis outlined his legislative priorities, emphasizing immigration, the economy, taxes, and education during his State of the State address.
“The days of catch and release are over. The voters have spoken and we will be part of the solution, not part of the problem,” DeSantis said on immigration. “We are not a sanctuary state, we are a rule of law state.”
In his speech, DeSantis outlined both successes and challenges.
However, House and Senate leaders have made it clear they will cooperate with the governor but not take orders from him.
While DeSantis’ address presented his goals, lawmakers framed their approach to the session as a shift from the previous one, where the governor had more influence. The Florida Senate highlighted the economic growth in urban areas but stressed that rural areas now need attention.
“We’ve seen tremendous economic growth in urban areas across Florida and as I’ve said before, It’s rural Florida’s turn,” said Republican Senate President Ben Albritton.
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Additionally, property insurance companies came under scrutiny following a study by the Tampa Bay Times, which revealed that insurance companies were claiming losses while shielding billions of dollars from Floridians.
Among the nearly 1,800 bills filed for the session, many focus on making life more affordable for Floridians. Democrats, despite being in the minority, are pushing back with bills addressing housing costs, the economy, jobs, and education.
Other legislative efforts include reforms to condo safety regulations and a push to roll back some of the gun laws enacted after the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting.
DeSantis said Florida’s economy has ranked No. 1 in the United States for the past two years and has remained below the national unemployment average for more than 50 consecutive months.
He also said Florida continues to set tourism records.
“In 2024, we saw more than 142 million visitors to our state. This includes 3.3 million visitors from Canada. Not much of a boycott. Maybe they wanted to get a glimpse of what a Stanley Cup-winning hockey team looks like!” DeSantis quipped.
He also said automobile insurance rates are expected to decrease between 6% and 10.5% among the state’s three most popular providers in 2025.
“We are spending less money in this fiscal year than the previous fiscal year,” he said. “We must continue to be a friend to the taxpayer.”
“By the end of 2024, Hope Florida has helped nearly 30,000 participants reduce or eliminate their reliance on government assistance, netting the taxpayers over $108 million in annual savings,” DeSantis added.
He proposed adding tax holidays for marine fuel to help boaters and anglers enjoy Florida’s waters.
“It is time to eliminate business tax altogether,” he said, while also advocating for eliminating property taxes and providing constitutional amendments for Floridians.
When discussing property taxes at a news conference last week, DeSantis noted the financial strain on Floridians during Wednesday’s news conference.
“You have senior citizens that have fixed incomes that have to pay more property taxes because their house went from $250,000 to $1.2 million,” he said. “People are getting pinched from these property taxes. I think people need relief from that and it’s something that should be on the ballot in 2026.”
While DeSantis has not proposed a specific amendment to eliminate property taxes, he said he “plans to work on it.”
Related story: Florida lawmaker files bill to study impact of ending property tax
DeSantis also said he does not plan to increase state taxes in 2025.
On education, he touted Florida’s top ranking in the nation and credited the Florida Choice program. He also highlighted a $4.6 billion investment in raising teachers’ salaries through a newly enacted teachers’ bill.
DeSantis said the Florida Wildlife Corridor spans 18 million acres, and since 2019, millions of dollars have been raised for species preservation, including the Florida panther, as well as Everglades restoration projects.
DeSantis said during his time as governor, Florida has banned China from purchasing land in the state and instituted the death penalty for pedophiles. The state has also enacted protections for human life and eliminated gender ideology in schools.
Additionally, he said Florida has provided billions of dollars in tax relief, including the elimination of sales tax on all baby items.
DeSantis also said there will be a push to investigate property insurance companies.
New information suggests the industry diverted billions in profits while claiming losses to lawmakers and helping them write recent reforms that benefited them.
With 59 days remaining in the session, lawmakers are gearing up for a busy period ahead.
Local 10 News viewers can watch the full State of the State address in the video below.
