
John Kennedy
Florida Capital Reporter at USA Today
Florida capital reporter for @USAToday Network..Ex-@OrlandoSentinel, @SunSentinel, others. Tracks state govt., politics & more. Enjoys fine irony.
Articles
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2 weeks ago |
tallahassee.com | John Kennedy
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is pushing for property tax rollbacks, claiming rising home values are giving local governments excess funds. But local governments heavily rely on property taxes for essential services like police and fire departments. Property tax rates vary across Florida, with some cities and counties relying on them more than others.
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3 weeks ago |
tallahassee.com | John Kennedy
Florida Republicans are debating the extent of tax cuts amid a projected budget shortfall. House Speaker Perez prioritizes curbing the state budget, clashing with the Senate and Governor DeSantis. Disagreements exist on cutting sales tax, property tax, and other taxes, with DeSantis threatening vetoes. Florida’s Republican leaders are engulfed in a bitter clash over how many billions of dollars in tax cuts they should hand residents, visitors and businesses – and just how to do it.
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3 weeks ago |
eu.heraldtribune.com | John Kennedy
A Florida House committee is exploring how to overhaul local property taxes, which are the primary funding source for most counties and many cities. Analysis shows that reliance on property taxes varies across Florida communities, but law enforcement costs are a major expenditure for most. Committee members emphasized the need for local governments to control spending and find efficiencies, rather than simply seeking replacement revenue sources.
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4 weeks ago |
news-journalonline.com | John Kennedy
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican legislative leadership are at odds over tax cuts, jeopardizing the state budget. DeSantis favors property tax relief, while House Speaker Daniel Perez supports a sales tax cut, for instance. The disagreement may lead to a repeat of 2015, when budget disagreements also forced an extended legislative session into the summer. A standoff between Gov.
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1 month ago |
tallahassee.com | John Kennedy
Till lawmakers return, 'I think the governor should play an extra round of golf,' Sen. Jason Pizzo said. 'And he should turn off his phone.'Florida's legislative session extended to June 6th due to disagreements on a tax-break package and the budget. A tentative deal includes a $2.8 billion tax cut and a budget smaller than Governor DeSantis's proposal. Tension remains between DeSantis and House Speaker Perez, with investigations into the governor's actions continuing.
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ICE rounds up 'non-criminals' and trouble looms for special session. Listen up...w/@pbpoliticsfins, @goni_lessan & @JKennedyReport https://t.co/iVXGr7alLZ

'Blew up': Florida House speaker slams Senate president for breaking state budget deal. Just in time to celebrate the 10th anniversary of 'lost summer,' more GOP clashing has lawmakers on course for session until June 30.... https://t.co/jgyLspbYPD via @tdonline

Florida GOP divide on taxes, budget could make for long, hot summer at Capitol. Could history be in the making (again) as Legislature marks 10th anniversary of lost summer? https://t.co/85G3EZKguW via @tdonline