Jim Turner | News Service of Florida

Jim Boyd, a veteran lawmaker who heads an insurance and investment firm in Bradenton, was formally selected Tuesday by Senate Republicans to become the next Senate president.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is pushing lawmakers to put a proposed constitutional amendment on the 2026 ballot to reduce or eliminate taxes on homesteaded properties. As it gears up for the 2026 legislative session, the House Select Committee on Property Taxes on Monday received presentations about issues such as school funding and rural “fiscally constrained” counties that have limited tax bases.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture this week reported that the industry is entering the 2025-2026 growing season with 208,183 acres in use for producing oranges, grapefruit and specialty fruits, 24 percent fewer acres than a year ago.

Renner, who left the House in November after two years as speaker, issued a statement that drew links with Gov. Ron DeSantis, who cannot run again because of term limits.

The Miami Republican’s announcement came as Texas Republicans have moved forward with a controversial mid-decade redistricting plan and as the White House has pressured other GOP-controlled states, including Florida, Missouri and South Carolina, to follow suit.

The Florida governor raised the possibility of further redistricting Thursday as Texas Republicans look to redraw districts amid a push by the Trump administration to help the GOP keep its slim control of the U.S. House.

House Speaker Daniel Perez defended a bill that would repeal a law shielding information about school presidential candidates from public disclosure.

With House Speaker Daniel Perez pointing to an “age of disruption,” Florida Republican legislative leaders opened the 2025 session on Tuesday by voicing support for digging into government spending.

While oyster harvesting there was halted in 2020, officials say reviving the industry would help the area's economy. It would resume in 2026.

“For too long, nobody has cared about the taxpayers, much less the next generation, who is ultimately going to have to pay for all of the mismanagement that we have seen over these many, many years,” DeSantis said during an appearance in Tampa.

Jeanette Nunez, a former House member from Miami who was Gov. Ron DeSantis’ running mate in 2018 and 2022, will make an annual base salary of $850,000 at FIU, her alma mater, and Adam Hasner will make a base salary of $875,000.

Larry Keefe, who as public safety “czar” in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration helped orchestrate controversial flights of migrants from Texas to Massachusetts in 2022, was named Monday to oversee immigration enforcement in Florida.