Florida's 2026 legislative session kicks off Tuesday — with property tax reform and redistricting being top issues to look out for.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has already called for a special session in late April to change Florida's congressional maps. He has also been a strong proponent for reducing homeowners' property taxes. The hope being there's a constitutional amendment for Floridians to vote on come November.
On "The Florida Roundup," Florida Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, explained why he supports a special session for redistricting, finding a "magical spot" for property tax reform and more.
Here's what to know.
Why do you support a special session for redistricting?
Albritton said he is in favor of the special session because they're waiting for the Supreme Court to rule on a case about a Voting Rights Act claim.
"However that comes down — either way — it's going to provide a huge amount of clarity on redistricting and where those processes should happen," he said.
ALSO READ: DeSantis calls a special session in late April for redistricting
Albritton also said congressional districts in Florida need to be redrawn this year as long as certain things are met. The first being the Supreme Court.
"The clarification we get from the Supreme Court would go a long way to showing that there are districts in Florida that at that point in time, would not adhere to law," he said. "And fixing that would make some sense. We are not assembling maps in the Florida Senate. We are just wanting to see what the court decision yields, and then what the playing field looks like at that point."
However, Democrats, including Florida House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, believe DeSantis's only goal is to draw maps that favor Republicans.
"No matter what DeSantis says, this is an illegal partisan gerrymander happening because Donald Trump asked for it. Trump wants to rig the midterm elections to prevent the American people from holding his administration accountable," she said.
Do you believe population changes are a justification for redistricting in the middle of the decade?
WUSF government reporter Douglas Soule reported how DeSantis said Florida's population change in recent years has made it necessary to redraw districts. The state would still have to use 2020 census data in doing so.
Albritton believes population growth is a good reason for evaluating the maps.
"Well, the growth of Florida has seen over the last two or three years has been substantial, and by relative terms, I think, on a percentage basis, one of the — if not the largest influx of people moving to Florida that we've ever seen," he said. "If that is the case, and I believe it is, and the data shows that, then a pretty good reason for looking at how these things are distributed anyhow, in what impact of that population growth has been."
What are your priorities for property tax reform?
DeSantis has been a strong proponent of property tax reform. Albritton credits the governor for bringing the issue to light and having a public discussion about it. He also applauds Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez for helping facilitate ideas on how to reduce property taxes.
ALSO READ: Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez talks redistricting, property taxes and more
The Florida House has submitted several proposals that have included exemptions, such as not cutting taxes for local public school districts or local governments not being able to cut law enforcement spending.
Last session, Democratic lawmakers like Sen. Shevrin "Shev" Jones expressed concerns about eliminating property taxes overall. He said it would "absolutely bring a true period of darkness to the Sunshine State."
Albritton said they're continuing to contemplate and understand the implications of every decision. Although he thinks there's a "valid opportunity to be able to give relief."
"Make no mistake about it. This is about Floridians. It's about everyday Floridians — not elected officials and specifically, Florida homeowners," he said.
Albritton added that homeowners deserve the conversation and to have a choice to vote on something "that provides some savings for them." However, he also said those homeowners want to make sure services — like getting their garbage picked up or knowing someone is assisting when they call 911 — are paid for.
He explained the Senate is contemplating: What are the thresholds?
For example, one service they've worked on is understanding education.
"This isn't as simple as just waking up one day and saying, 'OK, it's this amount, and we're going forward and God Bless America. Let's get it done,' " he explained. "OK. Then maybe you make a mistake doing that. So we're trying to measure a lot."
He wants to make it clear that he's not the "king of the Senate," as the Senate operates as a member-driven process.
But for his vote, he wants to "give meaningful tax relief through property taxes to homeowners in Florida that allows all those other things to be protected."
What are you looking for in a proposed constitutional amendment on property taxes?
A proposed constitutional amendment would require 60% support during an election for it to come to fruition.
Albritton said the first thing he's looking for is a single ballot amendment that is well-constructed and easy to understand.
ALSO READ: Would eliminating property taxes in Florida fix housing affordability? Policy experts weigh in
"So that for me is the first threshold that we really need to be thoughtful about. And I think it needs to be concise. Needs to be specific, it needs to be clear," he stated.
The second, when looking at it as a homeowner, is: What is the "magical spot?"
"The magical spot for this is that I get a reduction that's meaningful to my bottom line as a homeowner, and I don't have to worry about whether or not the services of my local government are cut or I have an expectation that I'm just gonna have potholes on the road," Albritton said.
What's the return on investment for Floridians if you're able to get your 'Rural Renaissance' legislation into law?
"Rural Renaissance" has been a big priority for Albritton since he became Senate president. His package this year aims to expand education, health care, modernize commerce, road repairs and more for rural areas. It'd be a little more than $200 million, he said.
Albritton said there are 32 rural counties — or 29 fiscally constrained counties. He believes investing in that part of the state helps in various ways and helps those counties be sustainable.
"Just to be clear, I'm not asking the whole world to care, but the truth is that if you live in one of those counties that's fiscally constrained, what it means is that you're not having a conversation about whether you're going to choose the chicken or the egg — you don't have either," Albritton said. "And their millage is pretty much maxed out just to provide for basic governmental services in those communities.
Overall, his goal is to provide opportunities in rural parts of Florida that haven't had them in the past.
"Because here's the deal: Regardless of your party registration, regardless of whether you're a man or a woman, regardless of the color of your skin — everybody needs hope," Albritton said. "And the fact is that my goal in the 'Rural Renaissance' is to bring a new level of hope.'"
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