A judge is considering whether Amendment 3’s ballot summary is misleading, while Democrats target Ashley Moody, Florida carries out a rare double execution and Haitian TPS protections expire.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A judge could force Florida lawmakers to rewrite their pitch for a sweeping property-tax amendment — one of several legal and political battles that unfolded across the state this week.
Judge weighs Amendment 3 ballot language
Leon County Circuit Judge David Frank is considering three consolidated lawsuits challenging the title and summary voters are scheduled to see for Amendment 3 on the November ballot.
The proposal would expand homestead tax breaks and restrict how quickly certain property assessments and local-government spending could grow. Supporters say it would deliver needed relief to homeowners. The challengers argue its ballot description reads more like a campaign advertisement than a neutral explanation.
Among their objections is the title, “Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Tax,” along with language promising to protect small businesses and essential public services. The coalition of former lawmakers, local officials and voters says those claims obscure the amendment’s potential multibillion-dollar impact on cities and counties.
“I think this is definitely an issue for the Supreme Court,” former Republican state Sen. Jeff Brandes, one of the plaintiffs, said. “There is no doubt that if they just follow the law, we’re going to be fine.”
The plaintiffs are seeking a rewrite of the ballot title and summary—not removal of the proposal itself. Frank is expected to rule after Monday, though an appeal is likely regardless of the outcome as Florida approaches its deadline to finalize the November ballot.
Amendment 3 would need support from at least 60% of voters to become part of the Florida Constitution.
Hope Florida dispute enters U.S. Senate race
The controversy surrounding Hope Florida also moved deeper into Florida’s U.S. Senate campaign.
Democrats called on Republican Sen. Ashley Moody to support the release of a sealed Leon County grand-jury report connected to the Hope Florida Foundation’s handling of $10 million from a Medicaid settlement.
The money was directed to the foundation through a settlement negotiated by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. It was later transferred to two nonprofit organizations, which subsequently sent millions of dollars to a political committee opposing a 2024 ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana.
Critics have questioned whether the arrangement improperly steered settlement money into political activity. Moody was Florida’s attorney general when the agreement was reached, but her office has maintained that AHCA negotiated the settlement through its own attorneys and outside counsel.
Democratic Senate candidate Alex Vindman, Moody’s chief November rival, accused her of failing to provide accountability and said the controversy is one reason the candidates should debate.
“There is an absolutely stark contrast with Ashley Moody — calling her out on her corruption, calling her out on her failed policies, her do-nothing policies,” Vindman said. “Showcasing that in a debate makes sense.”
Vindman’s corruption claim is a campaign accusation. Moody has not been charged with wrongdoing connected to Hope Florida.
"This was an Agency for Health Care Administration agreement that AHCA chose to negotiate and settle through AHCA-lawyers and outside counsel almost two years ago. This information is publicly available in previously released documents,” said Moody Campaign Communications Director Cameron Gambini in a statement. “The Senator has had no role in any grand jury proceedings and would certainly have no issue with the public release of any report."
Florida carries out first double execution since 1964
Florida also executed two men on the same day for the first time in more than six decades.
James Aren Duckett, 68, and Dominick Anthony Occhicone, 80, were put to death by lethal injection Tuesday at Florida State Prison.
Duckett, a former police officer, was convicted of the 1987 rape and murder of 11-year-old Teresa McAbee. Occhicone was convicted of killing his former girlfriend’s parents in 1986
Their deaths were Florida’s 11th and 12th executions of 2026—the highest total of any state this year. Occhicone was also the oldest person executed in modern Florida history.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has continued signing death warrants, signaling that the state’s accelerated execution schedule is not over.
Haitian TPS protections expire
Temporary Protected Status also ended for hundreds of thousands of Haitians nationwide, stripping recipients who rely solely on the program of deportation protections and work authorization.
Florida is expected to bear an outsized share of the impact, with more than 100,000 Haitian TPS holders living in the state. Many have worked legally in the United States for years in health care, hospitality, construction and other industries.
The Trump administration argues TPS was designed to offer temporary protection — not permanent residency — and says Haiti’s designation should end. Opponents point to continuing gang violence, political instability and a humanitarian crisis in Haiti while warning of consequences for Florida families and employers.
“The ‘T’ for TPS stands for temporary,” Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia said.
Democratic state Rep. Wallace Aristide warned that removing thousands of people from the workforce could carry a high economic cost.
“I think you’re going to lose billions of dollars in the tax base when you take them out of work, because these folks came here to work,” Aristide said.
What comes next
Judge Frank could rule next week on Amendment 3’s ballot language. A victory for the challengers would not eliminate the property-tax proposal; it would require the state to rewrite the title and summary presented to voters.
Any appeal could quickly send the dispute to a higher court as Florida moves closer to finalizing the November ballot.
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