TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida lawmakers are shifting at breakneck pace within the 60-day legislative session, specializing in property tax reduction, housing, public security, and water high quality, all whereas navigating a flurry of payments and committee deadlines.
On the state Capitol, Florida’s Voice Radio host Drew Steele caught up with senators to get a front-row have a look at priorities and views shaping the session.
Sen. Clay Yarborough emphasised reforms to Florida’s insurance coverage market and property taxes, whereas additionally pushing to maintain DEI applications accountable in native authorities. He described efforts to stop DEI workplaces from being “rebranded” underneath new names and highlighted the “Official Actions of Native Authorities” invoice to tie actions to accountability.
“Sure, nationwide politics matter, however boy, what we do proper now in these subsequent 60 days… you need to speak about one thing that hits individuals. It’s tangible. It’s proper there at their entrance door,” Yarborough mentioned.
“If we do issues merit-based, you’ll nonetheless have variety… however it’s not going to be this orchestrated effort to control completely different teams.”
🚨WATCH: How can we counter teams that attempt to preserve DEI practices? Sen. @Clay_Yarborough explains that we should goal the ACTIONS not the titles, as many teams have rebranded away from a DEI title, however proceed DEI actions pic.twitter.com/DXt67iGnqA
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) January 21, 2026
Sen. Debbie Mayfield mentioned the session’s tempo, funds priorities, and payments she is sponsoring, together with renaming Palm Seaside Worldwide Airport to Donald J. Trump Worldwide Airport and an election transparency measure requiring candidates to reveal overseas citizenship. She additionally highlighted a invoice guaranteeing public discover earlier than state conservation land is taken into account on the market or swap.
“Folks have to know this is happening the poll. It is a constitutional modification. It’s not very straightforward to vary as soon as we do that,” Mayfield mentioned.
🚨WATCH: Sen. @Debbie_Mayfield pushes for greater transparency in elections by requiring dual-citizens to reveal their overseas citizenship earlier than working for workplace pic.twitter.com/LGiVYCAoXw
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) January 21, 2026
Sen. Keith Truenow targeted on rural Florida, agriculture, and water high quality. He underscored the significance of agriculture for nationwide meals safety and mentioned methods to protect rural character by wildlife corridors and growth rights. He additionally highlighted a possible poll modification eliminating tangible private property taxes for agricultural producers.
“Consider the state of Florida because the anchor of the nationwide safety of this nation on the subject of meals and rising meals,” Truenow mentioned.
🚨WATCH: Sen. Keith Truenow discusses how lawmakers can steadiness preserving previous Florida whereas adapting to the brand new rising way forward for the state pic.twitter.com/mWiAWQ5LhQ
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) January 21, 2026
Sen. Ileana Garcia spoke about her Miami-Dade district and Hispanic voters, emphasizing shared values over celebration labels and highlighting financial challenges for households. She praised the Trump administration’s insurance policies as a return to a “Reagan-era” imaginative and prescient of prosperity and freedom.
“It was all the time there. We simply wanted somebody like Trump to be the catalyst,” Garcia mentioned.
“Miami-Dade County might be one of the costly areas to stay in… It’s the place the left meets the proper. It’s the financial engine of the state of Florida.”
.@IleanaGarciaUSA: “Simply since you communicate a special language, or at a given second your background was from some place else, there are lots of people that [legally] got here right here, very nicely intentioned, keen to work very arduous, and keen to die for this nation.” pic.twitter.com/dMrm19bOU0
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) January 21, 2026
Sen. Jason Brodeur weighed in on property tax reform, urging warning to keep away from jeopardizing public providers, and highlighted Everglades restoration initiatives. He expressed skepticism about changing property taxes with greater gross sales taxes, calling them regressive.
“You’d hate to have the ability to fly the banner that claims, ‘Take a look at what we did. After which any individual goes to dial 911, and no one reveals up,’” Brodeur mentioned.
“We’re markedly higher than we have been 10, 15, 20 years in the past, when it comes to restoring us to what for now might be probably the most pure state.”
🚨WATCH: Florida Senate President Professional Tempore @JasonBrodeur touts continued efforts to revive the standard of Florida’s waterways whereas adapting to new developments pic.twitter.com/5OSvefEo7l
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) January 21, 2026
Sen. Alexis Calatayud mentioned workforce growth and reasonably priced housing in the course of the fourth iteration of the Reside Native program, which goals to offer housing for varsity staff and different important employees. She additionally highlighted home violence laws, enhancing prison penalties, in addition to a brand new anti-Semitism process drive to observe threats and defend communities.
“We need to actually spark and catalyze the chance for varsity districts to construct for their very own staff… and actually make a distinction of their value of residing,” Calatayud mentioned.
“That second of incitement… is basically the tipping level between what is just free speech and what’s hate speech.”
🚨WATCH: Florida is pursuing a NEW technique to draw and maintain prime quality educators, Sen. @AlexisMCalatayu explains how lawmakers are exploring the conversion of unused landholdings into new housing for educators pic.twitter.com/UOQu1Pfe7o
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) January 21, 2026
Sen. Ed Hooper careworn the necessity for a balanced funds regardless of projected federal shortfalls and highlighted property tax reduction as a prime precedence whereas defending important native providers.
“There’s 31 counties on this state which can be struggling to maintain the jail open, and if we do one thing to minimize their advert valorem tax income, we’ve got harmed them,” Hooper mentioned.
“We’re not going to get rid of property taxes. We’re not. That’s unattainable to do and nonetheless have providers.”
🚨WATCH: Probably the most talked about situation on the minds of Florida’s lawmakers is PROPERTY TAX, says Sen. @EdEhooper1 pic.twitter.com/ufrmELk0Ki
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) January 21, 2026
As lawmakers race towards the March 13 adjournment, the main target stays on tangible options for Floridians: holding communities secure, defending property homeowners, supporting employees, and guaranteeing water and pure assets are preserved for the longer term.
