FLORIDA — Lawmakers may be gone from the Capitol, but Florida politics was anything but quiet this week.
From a deepening Republican debate fight, to new legal action against TikTok, to growing questions over a property-tax amendment headed to voters, the week brought another round of high-stakes political clashes across the state.
WATCH: Recap: GOP debate fight, Alligator Alcatraz and property taxes dominate the week
Here’s the Re-Cap.
GOP governor’s race: The debate fight continues
The fight over whether Florida’s Republican primary for governor needs a debate rolled into a second week.
U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, the current frontrunner in the GOP race, continued to dismiss calls from his rivals for a full debate.
“If the race was close, and we were battling it out, we would be debating right now,” Donalds said in a recent interview with WPLG.
That has not stopped the candidates chasing him.
James Fishback, former House Speaker Paul Renner and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins have all continued pushing for a debate, arguing Republican voters deserve to see the field tested side by side.
Collins sharpened that criticism in a social media video, responding to Donalds’ description of a debate as a “participation trophy.” In the video, Collins pointed to his prosthetic leg.
“There’s my participation trophy,” Collins said. “I participated. I stepped into the breach when he didn’t have the courage.”
The Republican Party of Florida has said only Donalds met the threshold for a sanctioned debate at its summer event. The party required candidates to hit at least 10% in credible polling, raise more than $10 million and have more than 10,000 donors.
“Alligator Alcatraz”: Detainees moved, legal fight continues
In the Everglades, the future of the immigration detention facility nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz” remained under scrutiny.
Federal officials said detainees at the “soft-sided facility” had been transferred because of hurricane-season concerns. The site has drawn criticism from environmental groups, immigrant advocates and Democrats since it opened, with opponents questioning both its conditions and its impact on sensitive Everglades land.
But watchdogs near the site said activity had not fully stopped.
“It still looks like business as usual out here,” conservationist Jessica Namath said. “They’re bringing in jet fuel, and buses are going in and out.”
Advocates say even if detainees have been moved, the legal fight is not over.
Environmental groups plan to keep their federal lawsuit alive, arguing the damage has already been done and the site should be restored.
“They built it and filled it with people during the hurricane season last year, so that makes no sense,” plaintiffs attorney Paul Schwiep said. “How stupid do they think we are? We don’t know what they’re doing, but we think the judge is going to get to the bottom of it.”
The state has defended the facility as a temporary, and effective, immigration-enforcement tool.
Florida sues TikTok under social media law for minors
Attorney General James Uthmeier also opened another front in Florida’s fight with Big Tech.
“We’ve taken action against many companies, and today time is up for TikTok,” Uthmeier said.
The state’s lawsuit accuses TikTok of violating Florida’s social media law for minors, known as HB3. The law bars covered platforms from allowing children under 14 to create accounts and requires parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds.
Florida argues TikTok is allowing underage users on the platform and misleading parents about harmful content children may encounter.
TikTok has said it is reviewing the complaint, assessing compliance and defending its safety record.
The case continues a broader push by Florida leaders to regulate major social media platforms, especially when it comes to children and online safety. Supporters say the state is protecting minors from addictive and harmful content. Critics of laws like HB3 have raised concerns about enforcement, privacy and First Amendment issues.
DeSantis signs public-safety bills
Gov. Ron DeSantis also signed five public-safety bills this week, framing the package as another law-and-order push.
The measures address xylazine trafficking, career-offender registration, gang statutes, repeat violent offenders and tougher penalties for crimes against law enforcement officers.
DeSantis also used the signing to send a warning about so-called “teen takeovers,” where large groups of young people gather in public spaces, sometimes leading to violence or property damage.
“I just want to be very clear, we do not recognize any teen takeover,” DeSantis said. “If you try that, you are doing that at your peril.”
Republicans praised the package as a way to strengthen penalties and give law enforcement more tools.
Property-tax amendment gets new scrutiny
The property-tax amendment headed to Florida voters this fall is facing growing questions over who saves — and who pays.
The proposal would expand the homestead exemption on non-school property taxes to $250,000 in 2028, meaning school taxes would be protected. The relief would apply to primary residences, not second homes or commercial property.
Supporters argue the amendment would help homeowners who are struggling with rising costs, including insurance, assessments and inflation.
But cities and counties are bracing for major revenue losses if the amendment passes. Local officials say property taxes help pay for core services including police, fire rescue, parks, road maintenance and emergency response.
“This great reduction in property taxes, they need to understand — services will be reduced as well,” Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano said.
A new online calculator is now giving homeowners a clearer estimate of what they might personally save. Casey Vockell, who created My Exemption Check, said the tool is meant to help voters compare their potential savings with the broader impact on local governments.
“The impact to the local taxing authorities is going to be bad, but the benefit to the taxpayer is not going to be nearly as big as one might think,” Vockell said.
The amendment would need 60% voter approval to pass.
That means the campaign for and against it is just beginning — and voters are likely to hear much more about the tradeoff between tax relief and local services before November.
What to watch next week
One of the biggest items to watch next week is the state’s $114.5 budget.
DeSantis has until July 1 to act on the spending plan, and he has already warned lawmakers he plans to trim it back by at least $300 million.
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Capitol Reporter Forrest Saunders is dedicated to sharing your voice with political leaders throughout the state. He works to hold our elected leaders accountable and amplify your concerns. Let Forrest know about the issues you want state leaders to focus on.
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