Governor DeSantis speaks in Tampa

Added: 2026-05-28

[00:00:00]total amount of that budget uh you know both in terms of the top line and then what they kind of put in the back of the bill uh is roughly in line with what we've there's more I think it's probably a safe assumption that when I'm done with my veto pen that that it'll be less than current year budget I think that's probably a safe assumption but just understand what that means next fiscal year we will be spending less as a state than current fiscal year. Current fiscal year we're spending less than the year before and the year before we spent less than the year before that. How many other places in this country or in the world for that matter could actually say that they've reduced spending four years in a row.

[00:00:48]And that's what we're going to be able to save for.

[00:00:54]And I know that a lot of people are excited uh to get that budget passed.

[00:00:57]And I know a lot of the legislators have been working very hard on us. I want to thank them for all that they've done.

[00:01:03]Then I told people we are going to do uh the property tax. And so I'm excited to be able to say today uh that I'm going to be momentarily issuing a proclamation for a special legislative session beginning on Monday of next week for the purpose of putting on the ballot uh an initiative that Florida voters will be able to vote on this November. And the primary purpose of that is to make your homestead property taxfree. and that will be historic.

[00:01:41]Now, there's a lot that has gone into this. You know, we've worked uh really hard, certainly in my office. I know other people have been working, people in the legislature have been working about uh what would be the most meaningful for Floridaians, but then also what could get 60% of both houses in the legislature and then potentially 60% of the voters. Uh philosophically uh I believe and I think a lot of people believe not just conservatives but I think others believe that uh taxing something that you own repeatedly which is a property tax is is the worst way to do taxation because you you have this you pay all these taxes to acquire that property and then year after year you're just having to to write a check just for the privilege of being able to maintain ownership of something that is supposedly yours. Um, but we're not writing on a blank slate. And if you look in Florida in 2019, lo and all the property tax revenue is local government. None of it is is state.

[00:02:43]2019, 7 years ago, they were taking in about $ 32 billion from property taxes.

[00:02:48]Now, that's homestead residential, which is about a third of all the revenue, nonhomestead residential, which is actually more than even the homestead, and then commercial.

[00:03:01]Now, seven years later, that number has gone from 32 billion to $60 billion. So, that's a lot of money. That's a lot of taxes that people are paying. And part of it is because some jurisdictions may have raised millage, but a lot of it is they're raising the valuations.

[00:03:22]So, you have a home and then all of a sudden you're having to pay more just because the house down the street may have sold more. And so from a matter of first principle, the whole idea of doing the property taxes, if we were starting from scratch, I would not do a system that relied on that type of taxation. I mean, think about it. They'll justify it and say, "Well, you have to pay property tax because you're using police or you're using these services." Well, wait a minute. If you had a house you bought for 300,000, now they're saying it's worth 900,000. Are you using three times as much services? No. So that's not really I know it goes to those things, but there's not really a connection to what you're consuming and what they're charging you. So there's a whole host of reasons why you would not want to do a type of of of wealth tax, a property tax if you were writing on a blank slate.

[00:04:13]We're not writing on a blank slate. Uh that's 60 billion, even though I think that's way too much from what uh folks should be should be getting in local governments. uh you know that does do a lot of things and I know a lot of us all support uh whether it's first responders, law enforcement and education. Uh obviously that's a lot of level and then they do a lot more with it too which I think probably few of us support some of the other things that are done with it. But in order to do something that can get support from the legislature and ultimately I think win support of voters, you're not going to be in a situation where you can say every single one of those is just eliminated immediately because that would be even though you don't need 60 billion. You know, they would be like, well, what are you going to do? You going to propose new tax? You no, that's not what we need to start standing for taxpayers. You know, for all this time, as we've seen inflation throughout the country, all these different things, it's always the individual, the consumer, the taxpayer that's expected to change things in order to make ends meet. They never expect government to be able to change things so that it can benefit the taxpayers. And so, uh, we were not in a situation where we were going to be able to just simply say any property tax on commercial, non-homestead, residential. So, we've always focused on the homestead portion of it, which again is actually less money than local governments get from residential properties that are not homestead. So, so, so that is something that's doable and it's something that's really, really meaningful. So, we've always focused on the homestead and I know there's people that maybe live here three three months a year and they think that they should be able, you know, to to have the property tax, too. And in an ideal world, you know, maybe that would be good policy, but but where we are now, uh, I want to get something done. I want to make sure people can go and vote for something and then see something that's going to be very, very meaningful in their lives. And, uh, the way to do that is to focus on the homestead property owners. Now, I also, uh, people say, well, how you gonna how are they going to pay for this? How are they going to pay for that? And there's different approaches to this. You know, I reject the idea that a good approach would be for us at the state government to somehow propose new taxes. We can't do that. Taxpayers are are we're one of the lowest tax states in the country.

[00:06:36]Certainly at the state level, we are with no income tax and all the other things we've done. I mean, we've done about 10 billion dollars in tax relief since I've been governor. So that was always out of the question uh that we are just going to say okay I'll give you a property tax but then you're going to have to do this here or there. That's not first of all it's not the state government's role. We don't need any revenue at the state government beyond uh what we're getting and we have surplus. So focusing on homestead I think is a way to show look we think that there's too much revenue going from taxpayers to these local governments.

[00:07:09]doesn't mean they don't need anything.

[00:07:11]Obviously, you know, you got to run services. Uh but all the time the taxpayer is having to pay more and more for basically the same level of services that they would have gotten 10 years ago when their property tax bill was a lot less. Now, in order to even do the homestead, it's been clear to us as we've worked this issue over the last year, um that this would be have to be something that would be phased in if you want to fully eliminate it. And I would do it full turkey. I would do it straight up. Uh I don't think we'd be able to get that support in the legislature and I don't know that it would necessarily even pass with voters uh if you did it that way. And so the proposal that that we are going to work with the legislature on to be on the ballot uh will begin with an initial raising of the homestead limit uh to $250,000 for all Florida homesteaders with then the legislature commanded to enact a schedule that will lead to the full elimination of the homestead limit. Now, why this is something that I think will be very strong and I think something that will be meaningful. A $250,000 limit that eliminates property tax for 60% of Florida homeowners. Once you put a schedule in, and this would be something that we'd work with the legislature on after the vote is taken in November if it's successful. When you raise to 500,000 limit, that's 92% of all Florida residents would be tax-free. I think this bottom up approach is a better approach. You know, there have been some proposals where, you know, every homestead, they take twothirds off every homestead or however they do it. Uh, and the problem with that just to me is, you know, even someone owns a $200,000 house isn't going to have eliminated. They're still going to be paying property tax. someone has a $200 million home. What they're going to get this massive I'd rather focus on folks who are uh new homeowners, young people, uh seniors on fixed income, you know, our middle class folks. And so this will be really significant. Now, why do it that way?

[00:09:20]Well, one, you got to pass it. Two, um it's a way to be able to make this a smooth transition to where people aren't going to say, "Oh, you're not going to be able to have money for services."

[00:09:30]You're going to be able to do it. And I'll talk a little bit about other things we're going to do to ensure that.

[00:09:34]Uh so this is something that can actually get done. I think it could be meaningful right off the bat. 60% do nothing. Everyone else is still getting a massive tax cut. And then pretty soon you're going to end up having uh over 90% of Florida homeowners for sure. And then as you go up obviously you sweep more people in. But that's just something really significant that 92% of the people in this state who own a home and are homesteaded, you know, would not have property tax just by getting the the uh exemption up to that level.

[00:10:06]That's something that's really really meaningful and those are the people that I really really want to help uh because we've seen all the things that um you know have been difficult in the economy in terms of the uh America's inflationary spiral since co and uh and it's tough and people see all this inflation accumulates uh uh in terms of compounding and so we want to be able to do so those are the folks I think it's going to really make a difference of now uh what the proposal will also do is constitutionally say, "Okay, local governments, you get all this residential property tax from the non-homestead and from the commercial.

[00:10:42]Uh we always say that if you cut property tax that people aren't going to have police or all this." So, here's the thing. That revenue can only be used for schools, uh for police, for fire, for the core services that we all agree on.

[00:10:56]it's not going to be allowed to be used on some of the other things that I know are a little bit more divisive in terms of whether they're going to do so that actually ensures that that money that is being taken that's still an awful lot that's still going to be under this proposal that'll be more than 50 billion it'll be it'll be over 50 55 billion somewhere like that they're still getting a lot of money way more than what they got uh just seven years ago tens of billions of dollars more and obviously that will phase down from the homestead, but it will also go up as the economy expands, as more people buy second homes and the snow. Here's the thing. Tax someone, rich. Um, if some billionaire from Brazil's buying a tax them good, I I that's fine with me. I'm I'm looking out for the flidians here, but all that revenue that they will be getting uh will be limited to core services, which I think is really really good. The other thing is is what we don't want is to say, oh, you know, we want to make up revenue, so we're going to just go and hit small businesses. So, right now, under current law, uh, they can raise valuations of small businesses by up to 10% each and every year. This proposal cuts that limit in half. They will only be able to do 5%. So, that's the strongest protection for small businesses, you know, that we've ever seen. The way I want them getting revenue from businesses is we have a good economy that creates more businesses, not to try to raise taxes on existing businesses, particularly our small businesses. The other thing the proposal will do was it will ensure fairness for Florida residents by putting Flidians first. We know that we are a state that has attracted a lot of migration over the years. I don't think there's ever been a state in the history of the country if you look at what's happened since co uh that has seen the amount of income and people flow into this state. There's benefits from that but I think a lot of people also understand that there can be some tensions with that because traffic and so there's a whole host of things that go into that. And so I think one of the things is if we want this to make things more affordable for people, if this passes and everyone can just move here and then claim the no tax, well that's not going to make it as good for Flidians. And so what this does is it says if you establish residence after this passes uh that we can insist on up to five years of you paying tax under the old system like all the Flidians have been doing for all these years then you can qualify for what we're doing. So I think that's smart to mitigate the potential negative incentives that that passing this would be. And I don't want flityians to go and see this on the ballot and say, "Oh man, uh, I really would like the property tax relief, but I don't want the entire state of Illinois to empty out into Florida or wherever because of this." That's not going to happen. This is something that's, I think, very smart in terms of how you're structuring this. And again, it it allows the legislature to set that schedule going forward. The final key component of this is like I said, I I'm not doing taxes, but I do understand if we do get uh this this enacted uh those homestead owners, you know, you're going to be saving huge amounts of money, which was very good, uh that that will mean a loss of that homestead revenue, some of it to start and eventually um it goes uh for for some of the for the local governments. Uh so we are creating in this a trust fund in state government that will be able to provide grants to local governments for support for these core services. So I've already said I'll send money to rural uh they don't necessarily have the same tax base. You know in Palm Beach they're sitting on a gold mine. They've got all this people people live there three months of the year and they buy $25 million homes. All right. Well then that should be your tax base. Um, it shouldn't be people, you know, it shouldn't be the cops and the and the and the teachers and the small business owners of your tax base, but in some of the rural, they don't have necessarily the same luxury. Fine, send them money. You know, education, we'll send money. You know, we're just, we just did on the budget. Um, and I'm really thankful the legislature did. We did more money for teacher salaries, including an extra 200 million for teachers that have been 10 years or more. You know, when we started our teacher pay initiative, we got that minimum salary up because we wanted to recruit people out of colleges to be able to go into the profession when a lot of young people weren't as interested as they may have been 30, 40 years ago. Uh but now this is going to be an extra 200 million for that. I've been very supportive of of that type of funding. And so so we will do that. So that will help uh I think ameliorate some of the you know the the quote revenue loss. But just understand this, even though we'll do that and we have a big surplus and the legislature uh has helped us build that with our rainy day fund which is maxed out uh with all the other uh you know trust funds that have big surpluses, general all this other stuff. I would much rather use that to help this property tax land than to spend it on something else. Um or even the tax stuff we do at the state level.

[00:16:16]As proud as I am of what we've done, uh we've we've already done a lot, right?

[00:16:21]And so there's no tax even close to what would be meaningful for people in Florida than the property tax which is local. So I would rather take that money and use it for that to make this this work then uh try to figure out oh maybe we'll you know cut the tax on you know like a cell phone bill. Nobody even notices that, right? And it's and honestly it ends up being kind of a lot of money. Uh we've done we have done some good but we've made a lot of these things permanent. Back to school tax holiday permanent disaster relief tax holiday permanent. Uh that's actually year round for disaster supplies. Uh we did um baby all baby items permanently exempt from tax white diapers, wipes, cribs, strollers, all that stuff.

[00:17:06]Conveniently right after my youngest got out of diapers, we enacted it. my I mean we could could have made a lot more money but you know but it is what it is.

[00:17:14]Uh so all that stuff we're proud of.

[00:17:16]We're proud of doing the toll relief program for those years that we did. You know the legislature wasn't as as keen on that and kind of it's current an iteration but I thought it was meaningful for people to get the 50% reduction in tolls. We eliminated the business rent tax on small businesses, which is something that's good and all that is great and and I think it's meaningful, but I'm thinking like, okay, what would be next at the state level to do? And there's nothing that's comparable uh to helping people, our homeowners with the property tax burden.

[00:17:46]That is the best way we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of people uh particularly those who are trying to make ends meet. So, all that being said, um I'm supportive of doing uh uh support for the local governments.

[00:18:01]I think that that makes a lot of sense.

[00:18:03]Uh this is something that's that's doable and we ought to do it. So, final thing I'll just say is uh so they'll come in next week. You know, they'll be uh we'll put out kind of the the language we've been working on for for the ballot summary and people can look at that. Um and I know a lot of people have worked hard on this and I think that uh that it's been good. I think a lot of the people in the legislature have been listening. Uh people were saying, "Why aren't you doing it?" And and I never wanted to do it before the budget was done. That was always what what we were intending to do and we've had to go back and forth on things because, you know, when these things appear on the ballot, you know, every word matters in terms of what people think that they're voting on. And so, you want to make sure that it's clear.

[00:18:44]You want to make sure that it's something that's that pops meaningfully.

[00:18:47]And there's a whole host of different things uh for that. But um but but we've worked really hard to be able to to to to land at this. I think a lot of people are going to be very excited to have an opportunity to be able to do it. Uh we are going to put out uh a a website where you'll be able to put in your property uh address and see uh what you will get uh once once this is enacted.

[00:19:11]And you'll be able to do it for the initial 250 and then you'll be able to do it when the legislature raises it to 500. Now, for 92% of you, you're going to pay zero at that point, which we think is very, very good. But on and on it goes, and you'll be able to see it.

[00:19:27]So, um, if you look at how we can make a difference, this is more meaningful than anything we can do with tax at the state level just is. I mean, you know, we have a a sales tax in the state, but, you know, that's paid a good chunk of that is paid by non Florida residents and tourists. So, the snowbirds will be here for four or five months. they pay that tax when they when they go and shop. Uh and then you have people that visit. You know, we had I think 140 million visitors uh most recent year. So that's honestly it's an advantage for us. You'd rather have that than than have some of the other systems of taxation like they have in these other states. Obviously, we wouldn't want an income tax. So doing this is the best thing. Now look at all the other things that people are are grappling with. You know, the grocery cost. I wish that there was some type of uh uh provision of state law that would allow us to uh to really uh cut that and it's just I think everybody knows that's market driven. There's whole bunch of issues with with whole host of things in the economy that's led to that over many many years. Uh same thing with you know you look at you look at the fuel that's a global issue. Again I wish the state government could just say hey we're gonna we're going to go ahead and do this. I mean, I mentioned that I would sign a suspension of the of our state fuel tax, but I'd also acknowledge that when we did that last time, fortunately, the gas stations pretty much just raise the price. I think the average person of the 3940 cents Florida has um I think the average person probably got about 8 cents uh of that in their pocket and the rest went to to the stations. Well, you know, that's that's not going to make a meaningful difference right in there.

[00:21:12]And so there's a lot of things that that we've done. You know, we we we've done a lot of stuff to reform our insurance market. We now have 20 companies that have come in since we did those reforms a few years ago. Citizens lowered rates for the first time ever. Uh people have seen stability. You know, some people are even seeing uh lower rates. I know Peninsula did an 8% average reduction.

[00:21:33]uh we think the reinsurance is going to come in really uh lower this year than it was uh last year even which then that's going to have an effect. So so those things are moving in the right direction but again it's not something we just snap your finger. This is private money, private capital, private businesses that are offering policies and are having to assess this. Uh now hopefully we don't have a a hurricane this summer and and that would be good to have two summers in a row. You know, sometimes we go on stretches where we don't have we don't have very much. Uh and we had a stretch uh I guess 2006 to 16 where we didn't have hurricanes in between those those two year and those 10 years, but then we had a a a run where we had kind of a lot and got hit and got hit hard in in some of the parts of our state, mostly on the west coast of Florida. Now, they say when you have drought that means you have a weaker hurricane season. I don't know if that's true, but I would just note literally every year since I've been governor going to be the worst hurricane season ever. They predicted every single this year they're actually not doing that. So honestly, I don't know if I makes me feel good or bad because they said it was going to be really bad last year and fortunately it wasn't. Uh but all that being said, that's a huge issue. Uh there's been a lot of progress made that's going to take uh it's not something government can just dictate.

[00:22:50]This is the one thing that we can do that's going to make a really big difference in the lives of people in the state of Florida. And I'm sensitive to people saying that, well, you know, some of these uh elderly on fixed income, as the taxes go up, it's harder. But at the same time, uh I've rejected the idea that you only do homestead elimination for 65 and plus simply because they have more money as a group than than the younger people. And so I think you got to give young people an ability to realize the the American dream of home ownership in a way that they're not going to be having to fork over thousands of dollars a year uh in property taxes. This gives them that pathway and that opportunity to be able to do it. And I'm really as concerned about those folks as anything. And I said we've got to include everybody. If you don't include everybody, then I just think it's like you're saying this versus this. Yes. I get some people have paid taxes already for 30 years. It's like, okay, how much more can you pay?

[00:23:54]And I'm sensitive to that, but I'm also sensitive to people that, you know, nationwide, it's not just Florida, nationwide. When they get that that statement when they buy a home, the principal and interest portion of that statement is oftentimes less than the property taxes and the insurance are.

[00:24:13]Whereas it always used to be that principle and interest would be the biggest chunk. you'd have some insurance and some property tax, but that's really changed to where that's almost the norm now throughout the United States of America. This this changes that here in the free state of Florida. So, people have been asking, "Oh, are we going to do it? Are we going to do it?" The special session will start on Monday. Uh they have an opportunity to to put something on the ballot. Now, we have 2thirds plus majorities in both uh houses of the legislature. Whereas Republicans, you only need 60% to pass this. But, you know, honestly, good thing about the property tax relief, it's good for everybody. Red, blue, none of the above. You're going to get the property tax relief. And I don't think it's a partisan issue. I think a lot of people need relief. I think a lot of people have been wondering where can we get it. uh we're showing a pathway to be able to get that done in a way that I think is going to be transformational for people not just in the near term uh but for the rest of the state's history.

[00:25:14]So uh what I will say is this this will go out later today. Uh you can just make sure you know you want to make sure that something gets on the ballot. Just uh contact your local representatives, your senators and representatives. Tell them you know we're going to meet on on Monday and we got to get this done and and they'll hear you. uh because I've talked to a lot of they want to get they want they want to get something done too. They know it's important. They know it's going to be meaningful for people and we have um an opportunity to step up you and to get this done. So um and again uh I've said this before but people why are you doing property listen I haven't paid property tax in public housing. Okay. I'm in public housing and so so I'm I'm listening to people who've been I'm not I I this is not one thing that it really hasn't impacted me the way it's impacted so many of our homeowners. This is from me listening to people and talking about the this the help that they need and they want. But I I really look forward to the day where a flityian and if this passes this will be a reality. Uh you know where you do own your own home and you know maybe you have a mortgage payment. Maybe you have some you know some other stuff. Uh but if you stop paying tax the government ain't going to be able to just take your home from you. No actually if you own the home you own the home. And guess what'll happen? This is what'll happen.

[00:26:38]all this tax um the 60% that won't be paying with this initial the 92% you know once that's raised and on and on it goes that money is going to be used in the economy the economic base is going to get better these local governments are actually going to be able to get revenue from these other existing uh sources that they already have because we're expanding the economic base and making and I will tell you when you've had big initiatives like this in the past. They actually did one in California in 78. Oh, they were saying everything's going to fall apart.

[00:27:13]Everything's fall. And look, there was a couple year transition period. Then things boomed. Uh things really did well. So, I think putting this money back in the people's pockets, letting them have that peace of mind that they actually own their own home, that's going to end up redounding to the benefit of local communities all across uh the free state of Florida. So, let's get it done. Now's our chance. Okay.

[00:27:36]Hey, do we have any questions back there?

[00:27:37]>> Yeah, Governor is that something counties how much they >> It'll be something. So, once it passes, uh this this will be established. We we've I think we all realize we we'd have to have an implementing session after the November election. So, it'll be uh the new legislature and me doing this and and setting out both the schedule for the raising of the homestead, but also for this uh fund for the for the local governments. I it would not be limited in my judgment, it would not certainly on the on the face of it, it's not limited to to fiscally constrained. Uh fiscally constrain a small amount of money. I mean, if you do 250 $300 million, you could you could fill every single penny for fiscally constrained. And I'm not even and look I I put that in my budget. I knew it. I knew it was more symbolic because I knew we didn't need it right now, but I did that and I'm happy to do but um even if you did, you'd be able to do that. Now when you start talking about uh the rest of the state, you know, I'm supportive of education. So we will do education 100%. Now, we may not do it um in really wealthy areas, you know, like a Palm Beach, which, you know, they've got a lot of resources. I mean, I run into someone that's moved from New York every other day that buys these very expensive homes. Well, you know, you have an opportunity, I think, as a county to to utilize that in a way that's giving your residents, particularly your middle class residents, a historic uh sense of relief. But I do anticipate us using that to support education, which we've done a lot uh from the state level anyways. This would obviously be over and above that, which I think is great and I think it's something that that I'm supportive of. And then it could be uh also for some of the law enforcement uh as need be. Uh look, we've got our rainy day funds now maxed out. The legislature actually voted to do put something on the ballot last year even though we have a maxed out rainy day fund. They wanted to do like another like fund to just sit there which, you know, I disagreed with.

[00:29:55]I don't think it's going to pass the voters, but they've already agreed to earmark billions and billions of dollars a year that would not be spent by the state and would just be parked. Rather than park it, I'd rather use that to be able to get this done and to be able to help with these. And now look, we're going to have some people and a lot of my friends, you know, they're going to say, they're going to say, um, who cares? Just eliminate, they'll figure it out all this other stuff. But I think that's about 50%, right? That argument will get 50%. You need 60% to be able to do. Now, you're going to have 25% 20% that that probably just just aren't going to like it. That's just it's a diverse state. It's fine. People have different opinions. Um, but I think you're gonna have a lot of voters who who say, okay, they they want this. they think it'll be good. They just want to make sure so that it's doable. So, the fact that we're doing the phase in, the fact that we have this fund, the fact that we're limiting the remaining uh property tax to the core services, I think it answers those concerns in a really really thoughtful way. And again, if it was just me snapping my fingers, maybe you maybe you could you could do something a little bit different. But you got to get it through the legislature and you got to get it approved by the voters in the state of Florida. And that's something that I I'm I'm pretty sure this will answer the bell on both of those. I mean, look, I I'm not a guy that really obsesses over polling, but I can tell you um if this is presented as it will be on the ballot, um it it pops pretty good.

[00:31:26]>> Governor You have less money.

[00:31:39]I just want to ask how much is this deal?

[00:31:46]>> I'm not involved in what the counties and the cities are doing uh with the raise. I mean, obviously that's their uh responsibility to work out an agreement if they can. I think it's in the interest of the community to work out an agreement. I think it's in the interest of Tampa Bay to have the raise remain in Tampa Bay. Uh, first of all, I mean, even though they've had they had a couple rough games against Baltimore, um, they still have one of the best records in baseball, they've produced very well given the the constraints on the franchise, and I just think it's a good asset. Football does well in Tampa Bay. Hockey does well in Tampa Bay with the right formula. Baseball would do well. So, our role has been not necessarily to say, oh, you know, we have state money for a stadium or this or that, because that's just not something we've done since I've been governor. Uh, you know, they have the soccer stadium down there with Messi, great facility, you know, we weren't involved. Marlins, we weren't involved.

[00:32:39]Ray J, all these things over the years.

[00:32:41]That's not something the state's been involved. They have done some stuff before I was governor on spring training when that was in the budget in years past. I vetoed that just simply because I can't I'm going to give you here there. So, so we've not done that. But what we have done, we did it with the soccer uh we do we'll do with the Rays is is help with the surrounding infrastructure for one reason. We have a state a state college that's that's on that site and they have an opportunity and I think the money will be fine if the deal happens. HCC will get more money because they need money because the campus has problems and rather than try to refurbish the current footprint.

[00:33:19]I'd rather do something special and make it something that's really significant that obviously will have a good working relationship with the ball club and all the surrounding entertainment and and lodging that's created there. I think that'll be very compelling. So, so we're we want to help HCC. Uh this was something that the board and the president thinks is in their interest. I did too, but I was like, "Look, if you guys tell me this isn't good, then then tell me that." And they said, "No, this is going to be good." The other thing is is the surrounding roads and and and all the things that would go into something of that magnitude. Uh that's always been something that we've done. That's something we've done again with the soccer. It's something we've done uh in other places. Uh it's I think it could be a great area, but we want to make sure there's ingress and egress. Uh FOD already tells me they can do the overpass where you can walk across from Raymond James over there and that I think there's going to be two of those.

[00:34:12]So there's there's a possible uh really really something, you know, meaningful.

[00:34:16]But if you look at that site and from a from a local perspective, it it's it's not driving really economic activity. I mean, it's primarily parking lots and then some of the buildings there. Uh this would be something that would be significantly bigger than the battery in Atlanta, which has been very successful for how they're doing it. So, so I think the vision just from an economic development perspective makes sense. Um, and then look, I just, you know, as governor, I don't want to lose a baseball franchise. I don't think that'd be good for the state, and I know maybe they could do Orlando. Orlando definitely wants it, but I also just think, and and look, I'm a I'm a native of this area. And so, so I do have a little bit of biases, but I think take that out. Uh, this area is one of the best areas in the country for baseball.

[00:35:02]If you look at the history, you had Babe Ruth and Lou Garri would come here for spring training. Uh, you've produced some of the great baseball players from Wade Bogs to Fred McGriff, Doc, all these guys that really have been amazing. Great youth sports, great little league, great great high school teams. All this stuff that's happened over so many years. Don't tell me that you can't do well in baseball in this area. Uh, you have shown that that you can do it. So, I don't think there's any question about it. So, but but yes, I I don't know the Tampa City Council kind of what their what their views are on it. And I've been agnostic on, oh, this county should do this or this county should do this on any of these deals from the time I've been involved in any of this stuff just because I think it's ultimately those are negotiations that they have to make. But I also will just say I've looked at the modern history of these um of these stadiums and I think the only one that wasn't a public private partnership in like the last 30 years is San Francisco Oracle and there were some unique circumstances of that.

[00:36:05]Obviously it's a very very wealthy part of the country but and it's actually phenomenal ballpark. I mean, one of my top five um favorites. Uh very good ballpark. But but all the rest, you know, are some form of public private partnership. And what I've looked at over this is what percentage is private versus public. And I think this proposal has a higher percentage of private uh for doing this than most of the other ones that have been done uh throughout.

[00:36:35]I mean, some of the ones in Tampa Bay, for example, were basically just paid for um entirely public or certainly mostly public. So, so I think in that sense, just looking at the landscape as it is, that's just the reality that we're dealing with. So, what I think is um we're happy to help with the HCC site. We've done a lot. We we can do more on the infrastructure. I think it'll be good for HCC. I think it'll ultimately be good for Florida, and I do think it will be very good for the city of Tampa, the county of Hillsboro, but also the overall region. And you know, even some of these Panelis guys, like I grew up in Dundee and it's be easier to get to the the the Dale Mabberry site than it probably would be from my house where I grew up down to St. Pete. That's just the reality. I think you have a chance to draw more people there. And I think that's kind of what went into the analysis of it. Um and so so I do think it would be good uh maybe if they don't want to do it. I know I know Orlando's ready, Willing, and Able, but I think you have Raleigh, Durham, Nashville. I'd hate to see and those are great cities, but I'd hate to see uh us us fumble a team and have it end up in some of those other areas. And and I I've talked about the economics of it. I think when you start talking about having retail and and uh and then hotels and restaurants and and bars and all that area, that transforms that area. Right now, I remember someone said like, "Well, what would be the value of this property?"

[00:37:55]Honestly, I don't think it's very valuable under current use at all. No one's going to build the housing development there. No one's going to do like office space there. What would you do there unless you had this type of mixeduse vision? That's really the only thing I think that would bring it to life and ultimately produce a lot of um and it's not just all about producing revenue for for the for the local government, but I do think it would produce jobs. So, all that's important, but then I just think about, you know, we didn't have a team when I was a kid growing up. Now, we we did have spring training, which was really really neat.

[00:38:27]Um, and fortunately, we had WTBS, so I watched the Braves as a kid. Um, a lot of people did, not just in the Southeast either, throughout the country. And, um, we actually, I mean, you lost um, Bobby Cox recently, Ted Turner, and then Bob her, who was the third baseman in that in the 80s. He was unbelievable. Um, and so those are just memories you have as a kid, but like we didn't have a team to necessarily go. So, I think there's a cultural component. I've seen how with the with the lightning's rise. I run into these families where the kids are going to hockey practice. We didn't have hockey growing up here when I was a kid.

[00:39:03]It just wasn't something that was done.

[00:39:04]Now it's created interest and kids are out there doing it and they have leagues and stuff. And I think having that a good viable franchise I think is good for the culture of the of the community, but particularly for the youth. And I really hope that uh and I've talked to a lot of people about this. I hope we can kind of get back to just like doing like normal little league. I don't think you should have to pay $20,000 a year for travel ball for some kid that's 11 years old or 12 years old. I mean, like, you know, look, if your kid's going to be Mickey Manel, like, you know, he grew up in, you know, in in in some farm in Oklahoma. He wasn't doing travel, but I mean, so so it's just it's it's it's gotten to the point private equities involved, all this other stuff.

[00:39:45]I don't know. I I just don't get, you know, why um why it's gone that way. I think there's value in kind of how it used to be. But I do think that that would be another component, but having this be something that that families can enjoy and young kids can enjoy, I think really would be meaningful. So this 50 million that was in the budget, I don't think they were ever talking about 150 in the budget for now. I think maybe over time you would do more to spruce up the campus because I think it could be something meaningful.

[00:40:13]Uh and I'm happy to support it. Now, if if somehow they reject the deal and they they say they don't want to do a a stadium on that site, well, then obviously, you know, I would I would re-evaluate how we would handle our approach uh at that point, but I still think that they're kind of doing doesn't seem like there's a whole lot of of uh of disagreement. It seems like it's pretty close relative to the overall uh thing with with everything that's going on. But but I'll let them do their thing and and make the decisions that that they think that they want to do going forward. Uh but I do think it'd be good for Florida to have um that franchise remain here. I think this is probably the best formula I've seen for that Dale Mabry site. Again, we're we're we're supportive of helping with the surroundings because I think it's good in the best interest of the state to do it. And we actually have some state agencies. Our Department of Juvenile Justice facility, they've been trying to get out of there for a long time. They were already scheduled to leave having nothing to do with this. And then Florida Department of Law Enforcement has a building there. Uh they've wanted to get out for a long time too that we didn't necessarily have it planned, but now that if this project comes to fruition, uh FDLE will be thankful that they're able to to relocate to a different part of Tampa.

[00:41:26]>> Yesterday county commissioners, one of them, well, first of all, One of the commissioners saying this is too big of an >> Well, that's their job to be able to look out for their citizens interest. I mean, seriously. Um, so look, who's the only state that's taken action on this to protect the the rate payers? We in Florida are the only ones. So, um, this has been something I've been talking about. You know, now it's getting more more play. I was talking about this year ago and not just on the data centers but on what direction is is AI going and some of the people that are pushing it uh I think have transhumanist impulses that ultimately is not the way you want technology to interact in society. You want technology to enhance the experience as for us as human beings not to supplant it not to overtake control not to have you know quote a mind of their own. not to do things that are going to corrupt the youth. So, there's all these different uh while there's certainly some benefits uh from AI, maybe some very very serious significant uh maybe even pathbreaking benefits, there's definitely huge downside and and how we deal with this as a society and and if we're able to create a framework to channel that in the most productive ways possible by eliminating or minimizing the downside risk of this, that's going to be much better off. Now, um, obviously the downsides, these companies can still make money, right?

[00:43:12]The more kids that get addicted to what they're doing, the chat bots and all this other stuff, uh, they can harvest the data, sell the data, sell advertising, and do all these other things. So, it creates a whole host of issues. But, but with the data centers, they take up as much power as a city of half a million people, and some of them more. you know, Meta is building one in Louisiana that's bigger than Manhattan in terms of its physical footprint. So, if you have 500,000 or even more added to the existing grid, that's a double or tripling of supply maybe for a local community or demand. Unless you double or triple the supply, guess what's going to happen? It's going to be more expensive for people. So, we passed legislation, you know, at my, you know, proddding. And it wasn't easy to do because even though they'll go to the White House and say, "We pledged not to not to put this uh put put the cost onto consumers, we're signing a pledge."

[00:44:11]Behind the scenes, they were fighting this bill, right? It just was what it was. So, I signed the legislation saying you can't do any costs onto rateayers associated with a hypers scale data center. Now, we don't have any hypers scale data centers in Florida. Uh sometimes these things get pushed around. You know, there's companies that have had kind of data centers. This hypers scale is really a a newer thing over the last couple years where they're building just these massive massive footprints. So, we're the only state that has those protections in law so that you're not going to have a data center come and then your rates go up.

[00:44:47]And the reality is they'll say, "Oh, no, they produce their own." They don't produce their own. Maybe someday they will, but they're not producing their own certainly um uh in whole uh but even in part and they try to do some of these other things, but but I just don't think the technolog is there. So, they're going to have to go into the grid. It's not a standalone thing. The other thing I think that's been concerning is, you know, you'll hear people now talk about, oh, you know, these data centers can be like a renaissance, industrial renaissance if you do it. And um but I just find it interesting they're not really proposing these in hollowedout industrial areas. They're proposing them in like farmland and ranch land and places that are kind of our are our are our our spaces. And so there is kind of like a land grab component to it that I think a lot of people have been concerned about especially in Florida. I mean we have a very sensitive ecosystem.

[00:45:41]We've worked really really hard at Everglades restoration. What we did with the Kousa Hatchee Reservoir and stopping the discharges and and and all the algae that was going in there. We had to put real money behind that. Raising the Tamiami Trail, doing things for Florida Springs. You go up north of here. We have some of the best springs in the world uh right here in our own backyard.

[00:46:03]And we're really proud of that. But and then we've also done a lot to conserve farmland through our rural and family lands program. Hundreds of thousands of acres has of farmland is put into conservation where it can be used for agriculture but not for development. We also created the Florida wildlife corridor. Massive massive expansion of the lands that will be set aside against development and not be allowed to be developed. And that goes spans the entire spa spine of the state. So I do think that issue is something that that people are concerned about. And then I just think the broader thing is and you know look if you're running one of these companies why would you go out and say half the people are going to lose their jobs? I mean even if that's true it's like you wonder why people don't like you. You wonder why AI is unpop oh yeah everyone's just going to get universal basic income. We're going to put you all on because there's not going to be jobs for people. You can understand why people don't think that's a very appetizing future. When you see what happens with these chat bots, with these young kids, people find out, a lot of people don't know, but the more they find out, well, wait a minute, a chatbot goated a teenager into committing suicide. How outrageous is this that this is happening in our country? So, you have all these different things. And I think the data center has become uh symbolic of a future that a lot of people don't find appealing. Uh they don't want to I mean I know some people are fine to just you know take a UBI but I think most people have aspirations to actually have have a job have a business do things that are doing it. So I just find it odd because most technology throughout history it creates disruption but a lot of times it opens up new opportunities. So there are jobs that are done today that didn't exist 30 years ago in our economy partially because of technology and it's done that. Uh but I just find it I mean kind of troubling that they would not be making that argument. They're basically just saying oh yeah you know forget it you know chronically high unemployment uh no future. And that's why these people that go to these college commencements they start talking about AI and the students boo them. And I just find that very interesting. Um because if that was something that they thought was really opening new horizons for them, yeah, they would be cheering and instead they're booing. And I think it's because of the messaging is saying, hey, you know, get ready to be replaced.

[00:48:37]We're coming for you. And then you'll even have some of these tech execs will be asked, would it be better for the world if AI replaced humans entirely?

[00:48:48]Would it be better if the human race just went extinct? And like rather than say no that wouldn't be good, they start doing it's like wait a minute, you know, what's going on here? And I think that there's an issue about how is society even apart from the jobs and the economy and all that stuff. How is what's this going to do to society? What's it going to do to have handful of companies that exercise massive amounts of power over our society in ways that we've never seen before in all of human history? Uh what are they going to do with that power? Well, our founding fathers, this is 250 years from the founding of this country, our founding fathers were very cleareyed about concentrations of power.

[00:49:28]They knew that those concentrations would be abused uh because it's endemic to human nature. And so, you know, you may have someone that's an angel in power at some point, uh but that's not the norm. And you are going to end up having people abuse their power. and and that's as true in a massive tech company as it would be if you're if you're doing the reigns of government. So these are real profound implications about okay um are we just a cog in the wheel here? Uh are these people looking what do they think of us? Is it kind of like a technosurfdom that we're going towards?

[00:50:05]What are we doing? I think a lot of people just by listening to what the people who are touting the technology are talking about they have those concerns. So it's not at all surprising to me that this stuff is very very unpopular. Uh part of it I think is because there are we don't have a good framework right now. You know I I did the special session uh with the legislature on the maps but we also added the AI bill of rights because I think it's important to have a framework for people in Florida and the Senate uh passed it 37 to1 uh bipartisan uh good good piece of legislation. Uh the House refused to even debate AI bill of rights. They didn't take it up. U they said that no one passed. So, you know, it's like look, I don't think that's what the voters want. I think the voters want us tackling issues that are going to help uh help Florida going forward into the future. And um and you know, maybe we'll get another bite at the apple at some point on that, but I think that that was a missed opportunity. And again, providing a framework is not saying you can't develop things that are going to benefit society or humanity. Uh, but I do think it allows us to minimize the downside risk and to make sure that ultimately it's the human being that's at the center of our society, not a computer, not a machine. They can be accutrants.

[00:51:26]They can be supplements to the human experience. But if it goes beyond that, then I think we're in really dangerous water.

[00:51:34]>> Govern?

[00:51:44]>> Well, I mean, look, I it wasn't something I asked for. It's something that I think is the judgment of FDLE just given the amount of threats that they take about this. It's, you know, Florida has occupied a pretty unique part uh space in the country over the last decade, particularly since COVID, you know, I've been the face of that.

[00:52:02]And while that's been great in many respects, I mean, obviously, I got reelected really big, all this other stuff. You know, you do have kind of a a nasty undercurrent out there that it's not just me, there's a lot of elected officials. Um, but I can just tell you for me personally, what I have now is the day I the day I walked out of the hotel room on election night 2018, I had security. I've had security since then.

[00:52:24]Post governorship that would not be something where I would do round the clock. I mean, I just I don't think that that would be necessary. Um, but I think that that they believe that if I'm doing certain types of functions, if I'm speaking, if I'm doing that, that having folks there to be able to to assist uh would be justified based on the types of threats that they get. But, you know, the legislaturator's got to do um you know, got to do what they got to do and and they can make those judgments accordingly. But, um you know, we've seen we're in an era of some pretty disturbing political violence and um it's kind of going in one direction by and large, unfortunately. So, so that just is what it is. And so, I think that there's concern from the agency about, you know, what that looks like uh going forward. But, you know, they the legislator's got to do what they got to do. Governor, you know Tampa has a large Cuban American population. What's your reaction to the R Castro indictment?

[00:53:22]Should the US take more action against Cuba?

[00:53:25]>> The indictment of R Castro is justified.

[00:53:28]I think it's long overdue, but it was the right thing to do and I hope he's brought to justice very swiftly and um it's something that would be a good day uh if that happened. But I also understand, you know, he's an aging tyrant. uh ultimately he's um he's done his damage and so the question is uh what is going to happen to the people of Cuba and if communism ends and they have self-government there where people have freedom to make the most of their own lives I think the island would do very very well uh I think it would do very well uh when you have a repressive communist dictatorship I don't care how talented you are I don't care you are not going to be able to realize your god-given potential. The only thing you can do to advance yourself is join the Communist Party and become part of the regime. That's the only way. They live like kings and everybody else. You you think I mean, look, I've not been in Cuba proper. I've been in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, not as a detainee, as a military officer.

[00:54:35]Just want to make that clear. You never know what the news will do on that. Uh, so I but I so I've seen just the base and you know it's kind of like the movie A Few Good Men. Um Tom Cruz walks out there and Jack Nicholson uh Colonel Jessup is sitting there you know smoking a cigar but like it's just like this breathtaking backdrop because it's like the commander co's house is right on the water and that is true in Gitmo. So, I've been to kind of what that house was supposed to represent and actually seen that and this amazing coastline for people that like fishing and boating and and and snorkeling, all that stuff. I mean, just amazing. So, if they had a free country, you would see the island really really boom. And they've been repressed for decades. Uh I look forward to there being a new day. Now, ultimately, as I've said, I mean, look, I was willing to to send internet there back in 21 when Biden abandoned the protesters. I we were going to send a hot air balloon over because they shut off the internet. You would have got hot you'd have got internet through hot air balloon. But the the vendor was worried that the federal government under Biden was going to take their business license, so they wouldn't do the deal.

[00:55:47]But I was willing to do that because I thought ultimately it's got to be the people of Cuba that determine that own destiny. the idea that we can just kind of go and all of a sudden, you know, it's not that simple. Uh these are very complicated things, but the Ra Rul Castro indictment is welcome news. I do think that that it's justified uh not just for the brothers of the rescue, but just for all the um all the infringements of liberty, stealing people's life's work, um political prisoners. I mean, you name it, they've done it. And I know that that's not the only place in the world that that unfortunately happens. But in Florida, we just have a lot of people who were personally oppressed by the Cuban dictatorship when Castro took power. And so, it's something that is very sensitive here in the state of Florida.

[00:56:38]And I know a lot of people kind of lost a little hope over the years as as it just seemed like, you know, how can this this regime stay in power? But I do think I do believe that the communist dictatorship in Cuba is on its last legs. Uh, I can't tell you it's going to be tomorrow, next year. Uh, but, uh, I think it's getting to the point where certainly in the not not too distant future, it's ultimately going to be put out to pasture and that'll be a good day for human freedom. All right. Thanks everybody.