The State of Our State Is Still Great - Top 3 Takeaways – January 9th, 2024
- What a difference a year makes. Ok, technically ten months, that’s how long it’s been since last year’s State of the State address because Florida holds its state legislative session two months earlier in federal election years...But anyway what a difference it is for America’s Governor, heading into this year’s State of the State address which will usher in this year’s fast and furious 60 day state legislative session. A yearish ago, DeSantis’ star was shining as bright as it ever had following his record reelection win, his #1 bestselling book, and presidential polls that showed him giving Donald Trump a serious run for his money in the Republican primary process. As DeSantis delivered his fifth State of the State address. It wasn’t just the most anticipated of his administration...it was the most anticipated of any administrations’ in Florida’s history. Worldwide media coverage of DeSantis’ State of the State address took place anticipating the presidential bid that DeSantis would officially announce at the conclusion of the session. Here we are, less than a week away from the Iowa Caucus, and the vibe isn’t the same. And neither is DeSantis’ agenda. Last year DeSantis’ agenda, as laid out in his budget blueprint, called for aggressive policy proposals on many cultural issues in our society. Cultural issues which he won on legislatively, a la a six-week limit for abortions with exceptions, legislation banning many DEI programs within the state. Legislation which mandated the use of bathrooms according to one’s biological sex. Florida’s law which bans books in school libraries with age-inappropriate content, etc. DeSantis’ plan was to ride the wave of his election win, bestselling book and legislative wins into what he hoped, and still does, would be a Presidential win. However, whereas DeSantis was only trailing Trump a year ago by about 14-points and he was climbing, today he’s trailing Trump in those same polls by 52-points, and he’s been falling. That’s led to today’s State of the State address coming without the same level of fanfare and worldwide media interest. It’s also coming without an agenda proposed by the governor that’s full of cultural war material. As I mentioned last week, Governor DeSantis’ Focus on the Future budget, which is what he’ll be advocating for in today’s State of the State address...
- Has a decidedly different feel to it as well. Starting with the fact that he’s calling for a smaller budget for the next fiscal year, than the current year’s budget. That’s largely due to federal funds from the COVID-era having been used, but it’s also a sign that Florida’s booming economic times aren’t quite booming to the level that they once were. This as economic growth has slowed down in addition to the expressed interest in exercising fiscal restraint. DeSantis is calling for fewer government workers, continued raises for teachers and first responders, along with a host of policy proposals he’s championed since first becoming governor, like an additional $1.1 billion for Everglades restoration and waterway improvements that effectively keep the governor’s previous agenda intact. One new area of focus, which is sure to be popular given Florida’s property insurance crisis and related affordability issues, is DeSantis’ proposed one-year exemption on taxes, fees and assessments for homeowners' insurance policies which I’ve estimated should equal about $200 per policy this year if passed as proposed. DeSantis wants the My Safe Florida Home Grant Program, which provides for free home inspections and matching dollars for home hardening efforts of Floridians permanent. Yes, I briefly touched on last week there’s a little budgeted ($5 million) for potentially having another flight of Martha’s migrants but there are no new policy proposals involving abortions, books, matters involving the homosexual alphabet, bathrooms or Disney. Will DeSantis get all that he wants this year, as he effectively did last year? Today we’ll begin to see the response from the legislature to the agenda of America’s Governor which will determine whether he’ll get what he wants this year – or whether the legislature will begin to flex with its own agenda. There are 1,721 bills that have been filed for this year’s legislative session and there are only 60 days. There are many competing agendas.
- Florida’s still #1. This was my top takeaway from Governor DeSantis’ address last year and it remains top of mind for me entering the state legislative session this year. All of the ways in which Florida is #1. And even as someone who covers this stuff regularly, when you hear it all strung together it’s an impressive list. As DeSantis explained... Florida’s the fastest growing state, we’re number one for net migration, we’re number one for new business formations, we’re number one in economic growth among large states. Florida has record employment. We have the largest budget surpluses over the past two years in the country. And while a handful of other states don’t impose personal income tax, we’re number one for having the lowest per capita state tax and lowest per capita debt in the country – cool new stats I wasn’t even aware of. We’re number one nationally for tourism, number one for law enforcement recruitment, while Florida’s crime rate is at a 50-year low and likewise, the lowest of any large state. We’re number one for school choice options in K-12 education and our public colleges are the highest rated in the country. The quality of our infrastructure is the best, we have the top three cruise ports in the world. We’re number one for space manufacturing and flights. Again, it really is an impressive list. And just as impressive. It’s all still true a year later, which in the grand scheme of things is what matters most for most of us. Yeah, we’ve got affordability issues – which is no small issue, but at the same time it is mostly a result of how desirable our state is. But on balance Florida isn’t just a great state to live in...we’re #1. In last year’s State of the State address Governor DeSantis said...we don’t complain, we just produce results which is probably the reason we don’t necessarily realize the extent to which Florida is leading the way until/unless we leave it. That was most evident during the peak of the pandemic, but it’s still clear today. The past year hasn’t gone the way DeSantis would have preferred for it to have gone on the presidential campaign trail, however generally, it has been another great year for the Free State of Florida. And my biggest takeaway, from today’s top takeaway, is that all of that doesn’t just happen.