Politics
Florida Chamber of Commerce Unveils 2023 Legislative Report Card
Today, the Florida Chamber of Commerce unveiled its 2023 How They Voted. A comprehensive review of what passed this legislative session, what didn’t, and what remains unfinished business, How They Voted reveals the Florida Chamber’s 2023 Legislative Report Card, showcasing grades earned by all 159 legislators in the Florida House and Senate based on their votes during the 2023 Legislative Session, and recognizes the Florida Chamber’s Most Valuable Legislator and Distinguished Advocates.
“Florida welcomes $4.48M per hour, and a unified business community is how we will keep Florida’s economy growing and competitive,” said Florida Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Mark Wilson. “I want to thank Governor Ron DeSantis, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, Speaker Paul Renner and the pro-jobs legislators who continued to put Florida’s business climate first by prioritizing the growth of private sector jobs and diversifying our economy.
Representative Tommy Gregory has been named the 2023 Florida Chamber of Commerce’s Most Valuable Legislator, the business community’s premier legislative award, for his leadership in rebalancing Florida’s civil justice system and strengthening Florida’s competitiveness through historic lawsuit abuse reform. As Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Representative Gregory worked tirelessly to ensure the passage of HB 837, a generational lawsuit abuse reform package that will improve Florida’s bottom-five legal climate and reduce the more than $5,000 in lawsuit abuse taxes that each family pays in the form of higher-priced goods and services.
DISTINGUISHED ADVOCATE AWARDS:
In addition, the Florida Chamber awarded 22 Legislators the 2023 Distinguished Advocate Award. The Florida Chamber’s Distinguished Advocate Award recognizes lawmakers who ensured consideration of the business community’s legislative priorities and fought tirelessly for the passage of a Chamber-backed policy or a priority piece of pro-jobs legislation. For a full description of the leadership each legislator exhibited to earn the distinction, click here.
2023 Distinguished Advocate Recipients:
Senator Jim Boyd
Senator Alexis Calatayud
Senator Nick DiCeglie
Senator Travis Hutson
Senate President Kathleen Passidomo
Senator Corey Simon
Senator Linda Stewart
Senator Jay Trumbull
Senator Clay Yarborough
Representative Alex Andrade
Representative Dean Black
Representative Robbie Brackett
Representative Demi Busatta Cabrera
Representative Wyman Duggan
Representative Tom Fabricio
Representative Griff Griffitts
Representative Tom Leek
Representative Stan McClain
Representative Lauren Melo
House Speaker Paul Renner
Representative Dana Trabulsy
Representative Kaylee Tuck
REPORT CARD:
The Florida Chamber’s 2023 Legislative Report Card is an annual opportunity to recognize members of the Florida Legislature who placed making Florida more competitive through support for free enterprise over special interests and attempts to protect the status quo. The Report Card also lets Florida families, small businesses, taxpayers and voters know who voted in favor of private sector job creation and a stronger, more diversified economy.
After tabulating 5,819 votes cast during the 2023 Legislative Session, the Florida Chamber’s Legislative Report Card shows:
- Average GPA for both legislative chambers was 82 percent
- Average Senate GPA was 85 percent
- Average House GPA was 82 percent
Lawmakers who earned high grades this legislative session focused on important competitiveness issues such as:
- Ending Florida’s “Judicial Hellhole” Standing and Improving Florida’s Bottom-Five Lawsuit Abuse Climate: Reduces our lawsuit abuse tax of more than $5,000 that each Florida family pays by aligning several elements of Florida’s civil justice system to most other states, such as reducing the statute of limitations, increasing transparency to juries, and appropriately allocating fault in negligence claims. For more information on this generational legal reform package, click here.
- Affordable Workforce Housing: The “live local” act increases funding for state and local affordable housing programs, relaxes burdensome regulations, and incentivizes the private market to increase the availability and affordability of housing so each Floridian can live in the community in which they work. Greater access to affordable housing will help employers attract and retain a competitive workforce.
- Workforce Development: Continues to build Florida’s talent pipeline by aligning education systems with industry to increase access to work-based learning opportunities such as apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, career and technical education, and on the job training.
- Innovation in Transportation: Builds on the work of the Florida Chamber’s Autonomous Floridainitiative to become the mobility innovation capital of the world by creating a system to grade Florida’s highways for autonomous vehicle use and allows for collaboration, research, testing and market delivery of mobility solutions at the Implementing Solutions from Transportation Research and Evaluating Emerging Technologies (I-Street) lab at the University of Florida.
- Rural Economic Development: Improves access to state and federal financial assistance and economic development programs to boost economic activity in rural communities, which will help meet the 2030 Blueprintgoal of doubling the rural share of state gross domestic product.
- Fiscal Cliff Reform: Encourages a pathway to prosperity by reducing “fiscal cliffs” and phasing in costs for parents that qualify for subsidized health insurance under Kidcare, so they are not choosing between a small increase in their paycheck or health insurance for their child.
- Universal School Choice: Expands school choice so a student’s zip code is not the primary factor determining a student’s opportunity for earned success. The passage of universal school choice ensures every family can choose the best learning environment for their children, which should boost educational outcomes and better position Florida’s current learners to become earners in the 21stcentury global economy
- Paycheck Protection: Brings transparency and accountability around government sector union dues by prohibiting the use of taxpayer dollars to collect dues and empowers the Public Employees Relations Commission to certify and decertify unions.
GRADES ARE EARNED USING A TRANSPARENT GRADING PROCESS:
- The Florida Chamber’s legislative grading process is both transparent and accountable.
- The Florida Business Agenda (FBA) was announced in concert with the opening of the 2023 Legislative Session.
- The Florida Business Agenda, outlined in the Chamber’s annual Where We Stand publication was delivered to each member of the Florida Legislature in advance of voting.
- Florida Chamber leadership raised awareness to the legislative agenda through meetings with numerous media, legislators and staff in advance of session, during the interim committee weeks, over the nine-week legislative session.
- Most importantly, prior to each vote graded on the Report Card, a “Your Vote Matters” letter outlining the pro-business position and the Florida Chamber’s intent to score the vote was transmitted to voting members of the legislature.
To see the grades received by each of Florida’s 159 Legislators following the 2023 Legislative Session, visit https://reportcard.flchamber.com/.
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Florida
Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia Targets Orange County Over $300 Million in Alleged Wasteful Spending
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — Blaise Ingoglia announced that more than $300 million in the 2025-2026 Orange County budget has been identified as “excessive and wasteful spending,” as part of an ongoing statewide review of local government finances.
According to the Florida Agency of Fiscal Oversight, Orange County’s General Fund Budget has increased by 66.06% since 2019. Last year, the CFO’s office identified nearly $200 million in what it described as excessive spending in the county’s 2024-2025 budget.
Ingoglia said the continued increase in spending highlights the need for property tax reform across Florida.
“Last September, my office revealed that Orange County’s local government officials were irresponsibly spending taxpayer dollars,” Ingoglia said in a statement. “Not only did they not heed our warning, but they doubled down on excessive spending. The taxpayers are suffering the consequences of their wasteful spending problem. The time for property tax reform is now.”
ORANGE COUNTY BUDGET GROWTH
State officials reported that Orange County’s General Fund Budget increased by $688,768,908 since 2020, while the county’s population grew by 131,538 residents during that same period.
According to the report, for every family of four that moved to Orange County, the budget increased by approximately $20,945.
The Florida Agency of Fiscal Oversight also stated that Orange County has spent an estimated $747.5 million in excessive or wasteful expenditures over the last six years.
PROPERTY TAX RELIEF PROPOSAL
The report claims Orange County could reduce its millage rate by 1.22 mills without disrupting essential county services. If implemented, homeowners could see annual savings based on taxable property values:
- A taxable home value of $300,000 could save approximately $365 annually.
- A taxable home value of $400,000 could save approximately $486 annually.
- A taxable home value of $500,000 could save approximately $608 annually.
The findings come as Florida leaders continue discussing broader statewide property tax reform initiatives focused on reducing the burden on homeowners.
STATEWIDE FISCAL OVERSIGHT EFFORT
Ingoglia said his office has now uncovered more than $2.4 billion in excessive and wasteful government spending statewide. He pledged to continue reviewing local government budgets and advocating for transparency and accountability in taxpayer spending.
Americans for Prosperity also voiced support for the effort.
“CFO Ingoglia continues to keep his foot on the gas when it comes to identifying wasteful spending within local governments,” said Greg Ungru of Americans for Prosperity. “Taxpayers deserve transparency, especially as Orange County has continued to throw away money over the last six years.”
Florida
Darren Soto Faces Toughest Re-Election Fight as Puerto Rican Political Influence Shifts in Central Florida
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — A decade ago, Central Florida’s growing Puerto Rican population was widely viewed as a political force poised to reshape Florida politics for generations.
Today, that momentum faces growing uncertainty.
As congressional redistricting redraws political boundaries, voter turnout fluctuates, and internal political divisions deepen, Puerto Rican political representation in Central Florida is confronting one of its most significant challenges in modern Florida history.
At the center of the debate is Darren Soto, Florida’s first Puerto Rican member of Congress, who now faces a dramatically reshaped congressional district that political analysts say could strongly favor Republicans in 2026.
The battle over Soto’s political future has become symbolic of a larger question unfolding across Orange and Osceola counties: Can Puerto Rican political influence maintain its footing in a rapidly changing Central Florida electorate?
A Community That Once Redefined Florida Politics
Puerto Rican migration to Central Florida accelerated in the early 2000s and surged further following the economic downturn in Puerto Rico and the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017.
The migration transformed communities throughout Orlando, Kissimmee and surrounding areas, creating one of the largest Puerto Rican populations in the continental United States.
The political impact soon followed.
Puerto Rican candidates increasingly won elections at both the state and federal levels, creating what many viewed as a rising pipeline of Hispanic leadership in Florida.
That rise included the elections of leaders such as:
US House of Representatives
- Darren Soto (D) — U.S. Congressman(2016) ; former State Senator (2012) and State Representative (2007)
Florida State Senate
- Victor Torres (D) — former State Senator (2016-2024) and State Representative (2012)
Florida House of Representatives
- Susan Plasencia (R) — State Representative (2022)
- Johanna López (D) — State Representative (2022) and former Orange County School Board Member
- Daisy Morales (D) — former State Representative (2020) and former Supervisor of Orange County Soil & Water Conservation District
- Amy Mercado (D) — former State Representative (2016)
- René Plasencia (R) — former State Representative (2014)
- John Cortes (D) — former State Representative (2014)
- Bob Cortes (R) — former State Representative (2014)
- Ricardo Rangel (D) — former State Representative 2012
- John Quiñones (R) — former State Representative (2002) and former Osceola County Commissioner
- Anthony Suarez (D) — former State Representative (1999)
Puerto Rican representation reached a high point during the mid-2010s.
In 2016, six Puerto Rican elected officials simultaneously held seats in Congress or the Florida Legislature, including Soto, Torres, Bob Cortes, John Cortes, Amy Mercado and Rene Plasencia.
Political strategists at the time predicted that Puerto Rican voters could eventually help Democrats establish long-term dominance in Florida.
That projection, however, has not materialized.
Redistricting Changed the Political Landscape
The congressional map approved by Ron DeSantis and the Republican-controlled Legislature significantly altered Central Florida’s political boundaries following the 2020 Census.
The changes reshaped Soto’s congressional district by expanding it eastward and incorporating more conservative coastal and suburban voters.
Under the revised district:
- The Hispanic voting-age population declined substantially.
- Puerto Rican voter concentration dropped sharply.
- White voters became the district’s largest demographic group.
- Republican performance improved across multiple precincts added to the district.
Political analysts say the new map transformed what had been a Democratic-leaning Hispanic-majority district into a far more competitive seat.
The map also intensified concerns among civil rights advocates and Puerto Rican community leaders who argue the changes diluted Hispanic voting power.
Several legal challenges were filed against the congressional maps, though Florida courts have thus far allowed the districts to remain in place.
Election Results Raise Concerns
Recent election outcomes have further fueled debate over the future of Puerto Rican political representation.
In Senate District 25, Puerto Rican leadership ended after term limits forced the departure of Victor Torres.
His wife, Carmen Torres, sought to retain the seat in 2024 with support from Democratic leaders and Puerto Rican political organizations. She ultimately lost to a White candidate, Kristen Arrington.
In House Districts 35, 44 and 47 — districts with large Hispanic populations — White candidates also prevailed.
Meanwhile, former State Representative Daisy Morales lost her re-election bid after facing opposition supported by portions of the Democratic establishment. That opposition included, but not limited to Johanna López (Puerto Rican), who previously served as campaign manager for Samuel Vilchez Santiago during his unsuccessful 2020 challenge against Morales and later strongly supported a white candidate in Morales re-election race in 2022.
Some Puerto Rican community leaders argue these election outcomes reflect a growing disconnect between Central Florida’s expanding Hispanic population and the candidates ultimately elected to represent those communities.
Others point to changing coalition politics in Central Florida, where Venezuelan, Colombian, Brazilian and non-Hispanic voters increasingly shape election outcomes alongside Puerto Rican voters.
Internal Political Divisions Complicate the Picture
Political observers also note that internal divisions within Democratic and Puerto Rican political circles have contributed to leadership turnover.
Several recent races featured:
- Competing endorsements among Puerto Rican leaders.
- Financial support directed toward non-Puerto Rican candidates.
- Divisions between progressive and establishment Democratic factions.
- Low turnout in local and legislative elections.
The victories of candidates such as Rita Harris demonstrated how coalition-building among African American, White progressive and non-Puerto Rican Hispanic voters could overcome traditional Puerto Rican political bases.
Voter Turnout Remains a Major Challenge
Despite population growth, Puerto Rican voter turnout has remained inconsistent in nonpresidential elections.
Political strategists say turnout gaps continue to weaken electoral influence, particularly in:
- Midterm elections.
- Local legislative races.
- Municipal and county contests.
Lower participation rates among younger voters and newly relocated residents have also limited the community’s ability to fully translate population growth into political power.
Republicans, meanwhile, have made gains among Hispanic voters across Florida, particularly among working-class and socially conservative voters concerned about inflation, public safety and economic issues.
Soto Still Maintains Key Advantages
Despite the challenges, Darren Soto enters the next election cycle with several advantages.
Soto remains one of the most recognizable political figures in Central Florida and has built strong relationships throughout Osceola and Orange counties during his years in public office.
Supporters credit Soto with helping secure federal investments involving:
- Transportation infrastructure.
- SunRail expansion efforts.
- Airport development.
- Economic development initiatives.
- Hurricane recovery assistance for Puerto Rican families relocating to Florida.
Democrats also believe backlash against aggressive redistricting and growing concerns over immigration enforcement policies could energize Hispanic voter turnout.
Still, many political analysts acknowledge that the new district lines significantly complicate Soto’s path to reelection.
What Happens if Soto Loses?
If Soto is defeated, Florida could temporarily lose Puerto Rican representation in Congress entirely.
For many community leaders, the symbolic impact would be significant.
Puerto Rican advocates argue that representation matters not only legislatively, but culturally and politically, particularly for communities that spent decades building political infrastructure in Central Florida.
The concern extends beyond a single election cycle.
Currently, Johanna López and Susan Plasencia remain among the few Puerto Rican voices serving in the Florida House.
López has announced she will not seek reelection and instead is running for Orange County commissioner. She endorsed Samuel Vilchez Santiago, a Venezuelan American candidate, to succeed her.
If elected, Santiago would further reflect the political evolution of Central Florida’s Hispanic electorate, where multiple Latino communities increasingly share political influence once largely associated with Puerto Rican voters.
A Defining Election Cycle Ahead
As Central Florida continues to diversify politically and demographically, the 2026 election cycle is expected to test whether Puerto Rican political influence can regroup under new district boundaries and changing coalition dynamics.
For Soto and many longtime Puerto Rican leaders, the coming election may determine whether the political movement that transformed Central Florida over the last two decades can maintain its influence — or whether a new political era is already emerging.
