Florida’s 2022 legislative session kicked off, Tuesday with Governor Ron DeSantis’ State of the State address. The session will likely be driven by priorities in DeSantis’ nearly $100 billion proposed budget, which is buoyed by billions of dollars in federal money including a $1 billion reprieve from the state’s 25-cents-a-gallon gas tax, a $500 million grant program to address failing infrastructure, and $5.7 million to create a special law enforcement arm to investigate election crimes like voter fraud.
Other issues taking the stage this session include proposed new restrictions on abortion similar to the recently enacted abortion law in Texas and the redrawing of legislative and congressional district boundaries. Florida is gaining a new congressional district due to population growth over the past ten years.
We get a preview and analysis of what to expect with Florida Gulf Coast University Political Science Professors Peter Bergerson, Ph.D. and Roger Green, Ph.D.