Florida Senate Minority Leader Jason Pizzo announced his departure from the Democratic Party, and Republican lawmakers trade barbs on a potential sales tax cut.
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Florida lawmakers won't have a budget before the planned end of session
After weeks of discussion and debate on a state budget, it now appears Florida's legislative session will not end on May 2, as previously scheduled.
“We are all familiar with the timelines for getting the budget on the desk and concluding session on time,"Senate President BenAlbrittonsaid. "It’s clear at this point, those timelines have come and gone.”
Albritton said that despite extensive conversations, there remain stumbling blocks to putting together a final budget.
“At this time, I’m disappointed to report that we have not yet reached an agreement on allocations with the House," he said. "The biggest hurdle at the time is related to tax relief, both the number and the policy."
Additionally, it’s unlikely the House’s plan to permanently decrease the state sales tax will appear on the final budget.
“My preference, and I believe the preference of the Senate, is to focus on a responsible level of targeted, broad-based sales tax relief this session, leaving room for voters to consider a more comprehensive reduction in property taxes in the next general election,"Albritton said."Over the last three weeks, Chair Hooper and I have spent countless hours with our appropriations staff, with excel sheets displayed on our screens in our conference room. We’ve considered the House’s broad, across-the-board sales tax proposal and long-term budget assumption from every angle we could think of.
"I understand their perspective, and I applaud their resolve to pursue better government. And I have immense respect for the speaker, and his entire team. He’s a good man. At the end of the day, I’m just not comfortable with a proposal that I believe will likely lead to shortfalls."
House Speaker Danny Perez had pitched the plan to permanently lower the state's sales tax. It faced backlash, though, from Gov. Ron DeSantis, who said the benefit would be experienced by visitors to the state.
The governor argued instead for property tax relief, which he said would ensure the financial relief would go to Floridians.
Albritton said lawmakers will not work through the weekend, despite time running out on the session.
He added he hopes to see progress early next week.
Across the rotunda, Perez swiftly responded to Albritton’s comments, insisting that his proposal was the more fiscally sound path forward:
“Today, the Senate President felt the need to go on his floor, to publicly and unilaterally declare that in his opinion, our tax cut is a danger to the state budget. Respectfully, the real danger to the state budget is the habit of pathological overspending that is enshrined in the Senate’s proposed budget. As long as the revenue pours into this state, we will continue to buy things that we don’t need. Government agencies will never be expected to do their job, because we can bail them out of their mistakes."
He added his frustration came not only from the differing viewpoints of the Senate and his own chamber, but also from how he viewed the momentum of the negotiations.
“As negotiations progressed, the Senate continued to offer spending greater than the budget that they passed off of their floor. We moved $1 billion towards them, and they refused to move one penny towards us," Perez said. "The Senate’s expectation seems to be that the House should adopt the Senate budget with only slight modifications. That position is not only unacceptable, but it is patronizing."
Perez said he and his members would continue to negotiate the budget in good faith, but said he would not be moved by ultimatums.
Florida Senate Minority Leader leaves Democratic Party
Senate Minority Leader Jason Pizzo announced he was leaving the Democratic Party to become registered as No Party Affiliation Thursday.
“There’ll be a caucus meeting later this afternoon where I hope that the members of the Democratic caucus will elect a new leader, for today I FedEx’d my voter registration form to change my party affiliation to No Party Affiliation," Pizzo said. "Joe Scott should receive that by tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. in Broward County. And here’s why: Our constituents are craving practical leaders, not political hacks."
“We are entrusted to be guided by our conscience, and while I suppose it’s easier in theory than it is in application, even my worst detractors have no valid claim that I can be bullied, that I can be bought, or even borrowed for a special interest," he added. "I am my father’s son, even in his death. I am my mother’s son while she is still alive. I will not miss another one of her birthdays, and I will return to who I was when I became a young man: independent. Independent in thought, in my passion. And my conscience, not consultants, will rule my behavior and conduct."
Pizzo has served in the Senate as a Democrat since 2018. He now becomes the third Democrat to change their party affiliation in the last six months.
His departure was greeted with sharp words from some members of his party.
State Rep. Angie Nixon, who represents the Jacksonville area, wrote on X simple one-word message, “Bye.”
Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried responded to the news as well.
“Jason’s failure to build support within our party for a gubernatorial run has led to this final embarrassing temper tantrum,” she said. “I’d be lying if I said I’m sad to see him go, but I wish him the best of luck in the political wilderness he’s created for himself. The Florida Democratic Party is more united without him.”
Hope Florida Attorney won't testify in Tallahassee
Hope Florida attorney Jeff Aaron was asked to testify before the Florida House Health Care Budget Subcommittee this week, but has announced he will not appear.
Committee Chair Rep. Alex Andrade had scheduled another hearing for Friday to accommodate what he said was a scheduling conflict for Aaron.
Aaron says now, though, that he will not appear before the committee, citing attorney-client privilege.
During a Hope Florida board of directors meeting last week, Aaron said he planned to fully cooperate with any investigation.
“I don’t have anything to hide," he said. "No one’s actually, surprisingly, with all the buzz, no one’s actually asked me for my information or documents or anything. There’s been chatter and committee meetings, but nothing’s yet been directed to me."
Aaron added that, "everything that I have is a public record" and that it "doesn’t require a subpoena" for legislators to see the information.
Aaron is now listed as the registered agent for the political committee, “Friends of James Uthmeier.”
Andrade said on social media that the attorney's change in availability was not unexpected.
“I’m not surprised that Jeff Aaron doesn’t want to answer questions about why he helped defraud his client, the Hope Florida Foundation," Andrade said. "I’m just surprised he used an excuse that is so easily debunked by Florida’s public records act."
Aaron responded to Andrade, saying, in part: “I hope the rest of the members of the Legislature recognize the magnitude of his improper and embarrassing conduct that likely constitutes defamation, per se.”
