LIVE OAK, FL – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, while speaking at a infrastructure press conference on Tuesday, promised his constituents that “the biggest tax cuts in the history of the state” will be included in his administration’s upcoming 2023 spending plan.
While the Republican Governor didn’t elaborate on what taxes in particular were going to be reduced while speaking in Live Oak, Florida – the state currently does not have a state income tax, and sales tax is just 6 percent – he did note that details would be revealed soon, possibly within a matter of weeks.
“We are going to roll out our tax package for next year, probably in the next couple of weeks, and that is going to be by far the biggest tax cuts in the history of the state of Florida, so stay tuned for that,” DeSantis said.
The announcement sparked some discussion, as revealing tax and spending plans is normally done by state Governors just prior to the start of the next legislative session, which in Florida’s case would be March 2023. DeSantis’ claim on Tuesday, however, seemed to indicate that he will be rolling out his tax and spending plan far earlier than the norm.
This would not be the first time DeSantis has given Florida residents a break on taxes; in May, he signed a bill into law that included $1.2 billion in cuts to numerous consumer items, such as diapers and cell phones, and last week he revealed a discount for drivers who use tolls on a regular basis.
Some are speculating that Tuesday’s unveiling of the additional tax cuts could be to assist DeSantis’ chances of reelection on November 8 of this year, when the incumbent will be taking on Democratic challenger Charlie Crist, the current U.S. representative from Florida’s 13th congressional district who had previously served as Florida’s 44th Governor from 2007 to 2011.
However, Crist is not seen as any threat in the upcoming election, given the fact that the number of registered Republicans in the state of Florida – among whom the outspoken DeSantis is quite popular – far exceeds the number of Democrats. There is also rampant speculation that DeSantis may throw his hat into the 2024 presidential race, especially if former President Donald Trump declines to seek reelection following his 2020 loss to Joe Biden.
While spending plans are normally crafted by state legislatures, DeSantis has proven to have considerable pull among lawmakers; in addition, his announced tax cuts are certainly a doable proposal, given the fact that Florida finished its most recent fiscal year in June with a $22 billion surplus.
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