Progress Florida

Building a Florida that’s safe, affordable, educated, healthy, and where all can thrive --

[Jeff Brandes @JeffreyBrandes]

Senate President Ben Albritton, who presided over the 30–9 vote to put Amendment 3 on the ballot, now says he’ll vote NO on Amendment 3.

He warns rural counties could lose up to 30% of their resources, threatening law enforcement, emergency services, and infrastructure.

I respect Ben and appreciate his willingness to speak candidly about the consequences. But perhaps this is exactly why the Legislature should have required comprehensive fiscal modeling and local impact analysis before putting it on the ballot.

These questions deserved answers before the vote, not months afterward. https://t.co/RmeNDJ4H2M

[All Voting is Local @VotingIsLocal]

Tonight, 60 Minutes is covering the election officials holding the line in the face of federal interference. ⤵️

[Florida Center for Government Accountability @FLCTRGA]

The Republican Party of Florida is threatening criminal prosecution of anyone who repeats a Leon County grand jury’s finding that high-ranking state officials diverted $10 million in the Hope Florida scandal. #DefendDemocracy https://t.co/bOXLnfIfl8

[Michael Barfield @mbar62]

BREAKING: The Republican Party of Florida wants a judge to pull a Democratic TV ad about the Hope Florida grand jury report. It says airing the report's "content, gist, or import" is now a crime.

The lawsuit, filed at 11:36 p.m. Friday in Highlands County, targets the Florida Democratic Party, its three statewide candidates and 11 TV stations in Orlando and Tampa Bay.

The party also referred the stations to FDLE and prosecutors. One copy went to the statewide prosecutor, who works in AG James Uthmeier's office. Uthmeier is the candidate the ad targets.

What the lawsuit leaves out:
- The grand jury report has been public since Aug. 26.
- The appeals court ruling it relies on isn't final until Friday at the earliest.
- The U.S. Supreme Court struck down part of the same secrecy law in 1990.

Early voting starts Monday in many counties.

https://t.co/HcGGU3ncUx

[Jim DeFede @DeFede]

Senator Ashley Moody’s appearance on @WIOD last week raised more questions than they answered about her role in the plan to divert $10 million to Hope Florida. Moody rarely does interviews and listening to this interview may explain why. @CBSMiami

https://t.co/3iDThnGevP

[Jeff Brandes @JeffreyBrandes]

I joined WEDU’s Florida This Week to discuss what Amendment 3 supporters would rather not talk about: Who pays when billions in local revenue disappear?

I support real property tax relief. But you cannot eliminate billions in recurring revenue and pretend the costs of police, fire, and essential services disappear with it.

Those costs don’t vanish. They get shifted to renters, businesses, higher fees, and assessments.

Amendment 3 doesn’t eliminate the bill. It changes who pays it.

Floridians deserve the truth before they vote.

Watch: https://t.co/jQL1IRnVPm

[Mary Ellen Klas @MaryEllenKlas]

Many of these people have been out of power for eight days. Instead of showing empathy, he yells at them. Remarkable window into this man.

[Florida Policy Institute @FloridaPolicy]

If Amendment 3 passes, some public hospital districts in Florida will lose over half their revenue, resulting in less access to care & decreased funding for programs that serve Floridians with low income.

Read/download FPI's fact sheet ⬇️
https://t.co/vOtCByB9Zh

[Jeff Brandes @JeffreyBrandes]

Here’s an Amendment 3 question we aren’t asking enough: What happens to your home’s value when the community around it slowly deteriorates?

Cities facing significant revenue losses won’t eliminate police and fire overnight. They may trim staffing, stretch response times, reduce library hours, close recreation centers, defer road maintenance and take longer to fill potholes.

It won’t happen overnight. It’ll happen one budget at a time.

And it won’t happen evenly. Two nearly identical homes ten minutes apart could eventually have very different values because one community maintained its services while another struggled.

People don’t just buy houses. They buy neighborhoods. Safety, roads, parks, libraries and quality of life all have economic value.

This isn’t just theoretical. A peer-reviewed study examining more than 3 million Florida home sales found that access to police, fire and emergency medical services is reflected in property values.

https://t.co/luY9Xk8YbN

Some communities will cut services. Others will raise fees or find efficiencies. The outcomes will vary.

But here’s the question: How much property-tax savings would compensate you for declining services and potentially lower home values?

Your property-tax bill tells you what local government costs. Your home’s value may tell you what those services are worth.

[Jim DeFede @DeFede]

This morning I examine the appeals court striking down the Hope Florida grand jury report, @GovRonDeSantis’s reaction, and why his admin’s decision to take $10 million that could have helped Floridians but instead ended up in his PAC, remains an issue

https://t.co/rgI1YWGYj8

[The Wall Street Journal @WSJ]

"Honey please I need you to get this done for me." How Kimberly Guilfoyle pressed a MAGA ally to transfer $100,000 to her Amex account. https://t.co/hlDCaDUucK

[Miami Herald @MiamiHerald]

Palm Beach GOP doesn’t rule out supporting candidate accused of child sex abuse https://t.co/UcCeBSzMWM

[Jim DeFede @DeFede]

My latest report on Hope Florida focuses on the Florida Chamber of Commerce president for his critical role in the “scheme” to divert millions in taxpayer dollars meant to help poor children. @CBSMiami

https://t.co/fyrWUG5mBI

[George W Kruse 🇺🇸🐊 @GWKruse]

I had a good time at today’s @TampaTigerBay luncheon.

It could have been a great time.

Both candidates originally agreed to a real debate for today’s event. Unfortunately, when one candidate found out there would be real voters asking real, unscripted questions and there was a risk of fact-checking and rebuttal, that candidate bailed out and sent a proxy last week.

Fortunately, @davidjollyfl honored his commitment and showed up for the agreed-upon “debate” to answer each and every question from the audience for an hour straight.

Real debates aren’t coordinated by one campaign, structured around pre-scripted questions and canned answers written by staff. They’re not held in empty studios.

Today could have been a real debate.

One candidate ducked it.

David Jolly did not.

Thank you Tampa Bay Tiger Bay and David for an informative, honest, and energetic event!

[Progress Florida @ProgressFlorida]

Amendment 3 on your ballot is a tax shift that will cut critical services and raise our costs. This November, vote NO on 3. Learn more: https://t.co/TN1jpcAakJ

[NBC News @NBCNews]

For months, Florida GOP gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds wanted anyone who would listen to know that he was endorsed by President Trump. That moment appears to be over. https://t.co/tpJCpdPIp1

[Miami Herald @MiamiHerald]

Byron Donalds strips Trump references from his campaign website https://t.co/C00bCxwzM5

[Florida Politics @Fla_Pol]

'What kind of city do we want to be?': @MayorDeegan condemns Amendment 3

Reporting by @AGGancarski

#FlaPol

https://t.co/UQ5Ug51cJ1

[Progress Florida @ProgressFlorida]

Vote NO on 3! Teachers, librarians, retirees, veterans, faith leaders, public health advocates, conservationists, across Florida agree: Amdt 3 is a scam that will raise costs, cut services, & allow the state to take more control of local communities. https://t.co/pPpMx2FoKR

[Scott Maxwell @Scott_Maxwell]

The @orlandosentinel and @SunSentinel obtained records that show Fla. insurers paid more than $1 billion to their own affiliate companies while crying poor.

The Senate ordered us to "Destroy or Return" the documents.
We did not comply. Instead, we wrote.
https://t.co/p9stFVBKAw