As he prepares to formally take charge of the Florida Senate, President-designate Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, on Thursday named his leadership team.
— Miami-Dade County Republican Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez was named Senate President Pro Tempore. Rodriguez, who was chairwoman of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee in the past session, works with Boyd and Rules Committee leadership.
— Sen. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, was named chairman of the Rules Committee. Burgess was chairman of the PreK-12 Education Appropriations Committee in the past session. An attorney, Burgess is expected to be promoted to Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve next week.
— Panama City Republican Sen. Jay Trumbull will oversee the budget as chairman of the Appropriations Committee. Trumbull, who was the chairman of the Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee in the past session, has previously been the budget leader in the state House.
— Sen. Nick DiCeglie, R-Indian Rocks Beach, was named Majority Leader, which is the chief partisan floor leader and political strategist for the majority party. DiCeglie was chairman of the Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development Appropriations Committee in the 2026 session. Boyd noted that prior to entering the Legislature, DiCeglie “came up through the local political party structure, making him a natural choice to lead the Republican Caucus.”
On Nov. 17, the Legislature will hold its organizational session, which includes swearing in new members. Other committee chairs have not been named.
Source: The News Service of Florida.
The new Legislature will tackle how to implement the large property tax cut approved by voters Tuesday evening. Amendment 3, which increases the $50,000 homestead property tax exemption to $150,000 in 2027, and then to $250,000 in 2028, received 62% of the vote—two points more than the 60% needed to become law.
Yesterday, Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters he’ll convene a special legislative session in the next two months. He will work with lawmakers on the timing of the session, but it would be before his second term ends in early January.
- “What it’ll do is it’ll set the schedule for further homestead exemption, because we want people to get that,” DeSantis said. “But also limiting local governments from just doing an end run around the amendment and taxing them in other ways.”