The 2026 Florida Legislature begins this week, and in all, more than 1,000 bills have been filed for consideration in the Legislature.
Some of the main issues:
Fixed asset tax
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has promised to present a plan to exempt homeowners from paying local property taxes, but to get what he wants on the 2026 ballot, he will need to include support from the Republican-controlled state Senate and state Assembly, which likely won’t agree.
redistricting
Republicans hope to strengthen Florida’s legislative power by creating another district that favors Republicans. The governor has already called for a special legislative session after the regular legislative session, if necessary.
gun
Republican lawmakers in the state House believe they have the votes to repeal a 2018 gun bill that raised the age to purchase long rifles from 18 to 21. Currently, the Florida Senate has shown no signs of supporting the bill.
Florida Attorney General James Usmayer recently announced a number of policy proposals for lawmakers to consider during the 2026 legislative session.
Proposals include Missy’s Law, which would require bail revocation and strip judicial discretion for those convicted of dangerous crimes, and Florida’s Insanity Defense and Mental Health Accountability Act, which would narrow the scope of the “insanity” defense to prevent the abuse of mental health claims to evade justice.
Attorney General Usmayer is also asking Congress to codify emergency regulations related to the classification of isolated and/or concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) as a Schedule I controlled substance. It also proposes adding prosecutors to the Florida Retirement System (FRS) special risk class and expanding safeguards to prevent predators from pursuing parentage.
Liberty Partners also contributed to this article.
