Ron DeSantis has been fighting for Florida families who are getting crushed by skyrocketing property taxes.
Republican lawmakers haven’t exactly been rushing to help him out.
And Ron DeSantis just used one threat to get GOP lawmakers moving on property tax relief that caught everyone by surprise.
DeSantis threatens summer special session during primary season
Property taxes in Florida have been absolutely brutal for homeowners.
Between January 2020 and July 2024, property taxes shot up 27% faster than inflation – and that’s money coming straight out of working families’ pockets.¹
DeSantis has been pushing for something that would actually make a difference: eliminating property taxes entirely for homesteaded properties.
But some Republican lawmakers in Tallahassee have been dragging their feet on the issue.
So DeSantis decided to apply some pressure at a press conference at Jacksonville International Airport.
"We really have to get it passed and on the ballot, you know, prior to the Primary cycle being done in August," DeSantis said.²
https://twitter.com/CaseyDeSantis/status/1973358135583854935
Then he dropped the hammer.
"I’m not saying we’re going to wait that long, but, you know, we could potentially have a Special Session on property tax right in the middle of the Republican Primary season in July or August," the Governor added.²
That got their attention real quick.
The political calculation that has lawmakers nervous
DeSantis knows exactly what he’s doing here.
Republican lawmakers are already nervous about their primary races – and now they’re facing the prospect of having to vote on property tax relief while voters are paying the most attention.
"I don’t think a lot of these guys would want to vote the wrong way then," DeSantis explained. "When they know the voters are watching, you know, they tend to govern themselves accordingly."²
Translation: Vote against property tax relief while your constituents are deciding whether to reelect you, and see how that works out.
The numbers back up DeSantis on this one.
A new poll from the James Madison Institute shows 65% of Florida voters would support a constitutional amendment to reduce or eliminate property taxes.³
That’s not exactly a close call – and it’s the kind of margin that gets politicians’ attention.
More than 60% of voters need to approve a constitutional amendment for it to pass in Florida, so DeSantis has the polling support he needs.
Lawmakers have been slow-walking the issue
The House created a Select Committee on Property Taxes to study the issue, but they haven’t exactly been moving at light speed.
House Speaker Daniel Perez says they’re considering "five different proposals" – everything from raising the homestead exemption to completely abolishing property taxes.⁴
That sounds like a fancy way of saying they’re still talking instead of acting.
Meanwhile, the Senate hasn’t even bothered to create a counterpart committee.
DeSantis has been touring the state with Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, calling out local governments for wasteful spending that drives up property tax burdens.
They’re building the case that Florida could become the first state in the nation to eliminate property taxes entirely – something that’s actually possible because of the state’s tourism-driven economy.
This matters for families
Florida families are genuinely struggling with property tax bills that have exploded over the past few years.
A study found that eliminating property taxes for homesteaded properties would save the state $18.5 billion – money that stays in families’ pockets instead of going to government bureaucrats.⁵
For folks who work for a living and own their homes, this represents real financial relief.
Property taxes hit working families especially hard because you pay them regardless of whether your income goes up or down.
Your house might be worth more on paper, but that doesn’t help when you’re trying to figure out how to pay a tax bill that jumps by hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
What happens next
DeSantis is clearly done waiting around for lawmakers to get their act together.
The threat of a summer special session during the primary season is political hardball – and it’s exactly what the situation calls for.
Republican legislators who thought they could slow-walk this issue just got a wake-up call.
https://twitter.com/OcrazioCornPop/status/1959088473618674120
With 65% of voters supporting property tax reform and DeSantis willing to force votes during the primary season, the political math has suddenly shifted.
Smart money says we’ll see some real movement on this issue – and soon.
The Governor has made it clear he wants "something big enacted" and he’s got the polling numbers and political leverage to make it happen.
For Florida families getting squeezed by property taxes, that’s exactly the kind of leadership they need.
¹ HT US Desk, "DeSantis’ property tax reform gets big backing in new Florida poll," Hindustan Times, October 1, 2025.
² A.G. Gancarski, "Gov. DeSantis opens door to Special Session for property tax amendment," Florida Politics, October 1, 2025.
³ Jesse Scheckner, "Poll: 2 in 3 Floridians today would vote to reduce or eliminate property taxes," Florida Politics, September 29, 2025.
⁴ HT US Desk, "DeSantis’ property tax reform gets big backing in new Florida poll," Hindustan Times, October 1, 2025.
⁵ Ibid.
