Tallahassee Tidbits

Chris Dawson, Attorney, GrayRobinson

The Legislature is slowly preparing for the 2024 Regular Session and October saw the commencement of committee weeks with a slew of agency reports and budget forecast updates. Bill drafts are starting to trickle in for consideration and members in the Florida House of Representatives face a November 14 deadline to file their annual legislative appropriation requests. This month, we will review a few tidbits that are driving the policies and politics of Tallahassee in advance of what is widely expected to be a slow legislative session come January.

Property Insurance Reform Likely Off the Menu

While property insurance costs continue to dominate headlines – and ravage pocketbooks – across the state, the Legislature is not expected to take up significant reform legislation during the 2024 Regular Session. Instead, the Legislature is satisfied to give time for generational reform efforts advanced in 2023 to take hold and eventually stabilize the market. There are some positive signs on the horizon, including a softening reinsurance market and proposals for depopulation of policies from Citizens Insurance Corporation. Of course, property insurance is a highly volatile market and one speedbump could rush the Legislature to further action in the near term.

New Leadership Crowned in the House and Senate

In recent weeks, the Republican majorities in both chambers of the legislature have designated their leaders for the 2025-2026 legislative cycle. Representative Danny Perez (R – Miami) was selected by his peers to serve as the Speaker of the House for that term. Further, he will chair efforts by Republicans to protect and bolster their supermajority in the House during the 2024 elections. Across the rotunda, Senator Ben Albritton (R – Bartow) has been designated by Senate Republicans to preside as the Senate President in 2025-2026. Similarly, he will head their campaign efforts to protect and expand the Republican supermajority in the Senate during the 2024 election cycle.

2024 State Elections in Focus

While legislators prepare for an upcoming session, the campaign machinery in Florida politics never sleeps. Recent campaign finance reporting shows that Florida legislators have been hard at work out on the campaign trail in preparation for the 2024 election season. Candidates in both chambers faced reporting deadlines in recent weeks and the resultant data shows strong fundraising numbers for both Representatives and Senators alike. The top hauls in both chambers are listed in the tables at left.

Fundraising Leaders in the Florida House and Senate House of Representatives

FRM

Chris Dawson is an Attorney and professional Lobbyist for GrayRobinson’s Orlando office and is licensed to practice law in both Florida and Alabama. He primarily focuses on lobbying and government relations for public and private sector clients at the executive and legislative levels of state government. He is credentialed as a Designated Professional Lobbyist by the Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists. Chris also holds two degrees in Civil Engineering and has experience in construction litigation and design professional malpractice defense.

FRSA Members Deliver PAC Checks to Candidates

Pictured L-R: FRSA Legislative Counsel Chris Dawson.

Lee Collier, Sen. Corey Simon and Ralph Davis, President, Streamline Roofing & Construction Inc.

Pictured L-R: David Crowther, President CFS, Rep. Tiffany Esposito and Tammy Hall, CFS Director of Marketing. Rep. Tiffany Esposito stopped at CFS Roofing Services to tour their offices and was presented with a campaign check from FRSA’s Political Action Committee.