Several proposals for property tax cuts are currently being considered, but one has been approved by the Florida House and is set to appear on the ballot later this year. The bill, known as HJR 203, would exempt all homestead properties from non-school property taxes beginning on January 1, 2027.
Furthermore, the amendment would prevent local governments from decreasing their funding for law enforcement.
“This ensures that essential public safety services remain unaffected,” wrote state Rep. Monique Miller (R-Palm Bay), who filed the bill back in October.
After going through all its committees, the bill was finally approved by House lawmakers on Thursday with a vote of 80 to 30. It is now set to be considered in the Senate. However, the Senate has not yet introduced its own version of the bill, and with less than a month remaining in the regular session, the proposal still faces several challenges ahead.
Governor Ron DeSantis (R), a strong advocate for property tax cuts, announced on Thursday that he is collaborating with state Senators to gain approval for a proposal.
“Regarding a property tax proposal for the 2026 ballot: we’ve been working with members of the Senate who have been great partners. Given that it can’t be voted on by the people before November, it’s better to do it right than do it quick!” he wrote on social media.
Regarding a property tax proposal for the 2026 ballot: we’ve been working with members of the Senate who have been great partners.
Given that it can’t be voted on by the people before November, it’s better to do it right than do it quick!
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) February 19, 2026
If HJR 203 successfully passes through the Senate, it will be placed on the ballot for the general election in November. To be approved, it must receive at least 60% support from voters. If it achieves that level of backing, the amendment is scheduled to take effect next year.
Florida already has no state income tax.
Last August, DeSantis vowed to resist a federal judge’s order shutting down the controversial detention facility nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz.”
The facility has been a hub of illegal alien deportations in the State of Florida. However, DeSantis appeared to have anticipated the judge’s move and instituted a ‘back-up plan.’
“This was not something that was unexpected. This is a judge that was not going to give us a fair shake. This was preordained. Very much an activist judge that is trying to do policy from the bench,” DeSantis said at a press conference. “This is not going to deter us. We are going to continue working on the deportations, advancing that mission.”
The comments came after U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, an Obama appointee, issued an 82-page order halting new detainees at the facility in Ochopee, Florida, and requiring its dismantling within 60 days. Williams cited the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and claims of environmental harm raised by the Miccosukee Tribe and advocacy groups.
Williams wrote that the site’s construction “creates irreparable harm in the form of habitat loss and increased mortality to endangered species in the area,” specifically referencing the Florida panther. She ordered industrial lighting, fencing, generators, sewage facilities, and other infrastructure removed. Florida officials blasted the ruling as a political maneuver.
“This ruling from an activist judge ignores the fact that this land has already been developed for a decade,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin at the time. “It is another attempt to prevent the President from fulfilling the American people’s mandate to remove the worst of the worst including gang members, murderers, pedophiles, terrorists, and rapists from our country.”
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier called Williams’ move “a desperate attempt to derail enforcement,” adding: “Alligator Alcatraz remains operational, and we will not stop in our mission to detain, deport, and deliver for the American people.”
DeSantis also announced plans to expand detention capacity, unveiling a second site north of Jacksonville.
“Because of the success of Alligator Alcatraz, there’s demand for more. So I did announce that we’re going to be opening another facility right outside of Jacksonville in Baker County. We’ve called that the ‘Deportation Depot,’” the governor said. “That is something that will be able to hold another 2,000 and there’s an airport close by. So you have the processing and the removal.”
