The Florida legislative session is fast approaching, committee weeks are already underway, and Tallahassee is buzzing again. But before the flood of new bills, budget talks, and soundbites begins, it’s important to pause—to take a clear look at what worked last session, where implementation fell short, and what must come next.
As the founder of Guardians of Liberty, I’ve spent the past year in conversation with people across our great state—homeowners, small-business owners, teachers, tradesmen, and retirees. No matter where you go, their message rings the same: Keep Florida free, affordable, and accountable.
That’s the standard we hold everything against. Florida has made tremendous strides in recent years, but freedom and prosperity aren’t self-sustaining—they require vigilance. So as lawmakers return to the Capitol, this is a moment not just to celebrate progress, but to double down on reform.
Florida’s Wins That Deserve Recognition
1. Ending the Tax on Commercial Rent
For more than fifty years, Florida stood alone as the only state to tax commercial rent. It was an invisible penalty on every entrepreneur trying to build something. Whether it was a family-owned restaurant in Panama City, a barber shop in Kissimmee, or a church renting meeting space, that tax quietly inflated the cost of doing business.
Last session, lawmakers finally repealed it—effective October 1, 2025. This was a structural, pro-growth reform that will unleash billions in economic energy. Removing this tax means lower costs, more hiring, and greater reinvestment in local communities. It’s not a flashy change, but it’s one that will help Florida remain the best state in the nation to start and grow a business.
2. Expanding Education Freedom—Now It’s About Precision
Florida made national headlines with its universal expansion of school choice. By giving every student access to education scholarship accounts, the Legislature made parental control—not bureaucracy—the centerpiece of Florida education. That’s monumental.
But even the best reforms can falter without strong implementation. Some families faced delays in payments, confusion navigating new systems, and inconsistencies in the treatment of special-needs students. Those challenges don’t undermine the policy—they simply highlight where precision and accountability must meet ambition.
Florida has led the nation in innovation; now it must lead in flawless execution. Parents deserve a system that works as smoothly as the promise behind it.
3. Reforming Civil Justice for Fairness and Stability
In 2023, the Legislature also advanced civil justice reforms designed to reduce lawsuit abuse and stabilize costs for families and businesses. Lawsuits that once dragged on for years and drove up insurance rates are being streamlined. The system is moving closer to one where fairness and predictability replace jackpot verdicts and legal gamesmanship.
That said, reform is an ongoing process. We’ll continue watching to ensure that legitimate claims aren’t squeezed out in the name of efficiency. A fair civil justice system must protect victims and honest actors alike.
4. A Productive Legislative Year
Last session saw more than 260 bills passed and a balanced $115 billion budget. Major reforms spanned education, public safety, and tax relief. But as always, the measure of success isn’t the number of bills signed—it’s whether everyday Floridians are freer, safer, and more financially stable because of them.
That’s the bar the next session must clear.
Where Florida Still Needs to Tighten the Bolts
Education Freedom—Implementation First
The expansion of school choice was a bold step forward. Now the focus must shift from theory to function. Parents need on-time payments, responsive support, and uniform program standards—especially families relying on special-needs scholarships. When government keeps its promises, confidence grows. When it doesn’t, even the best ideas lose credibility.
This year, we’ll urge lawmakers to establish clear service-level standards and performance reporting for scholarship programs. Florida can be both the freest and most efficient education system in America.
Local Spending—Where Transparency Is Missing
While state tax reform has made national waves, local taxpayers are still struggling. Property taxes continue to rise at unsustainable rates, and local budgets often grow faster than the people funding them. Even when millage rates stay “flat,” ballooning property values drive up bills, leaving homeowners feeling blindsided.
That’s why Guardians of Liberty has introduced the Property Tax Reform & Spending Accountability Act—a commonsense safeguard that restores balance, transparency, and voter control over local government spending.
This act caps year-over-year local revenue growth at the previous year’s millage rate plus inflation and population—unless local officials bring the increase to voters for approval. In short: if government wants more, it must ask the people directly.
The act also requires every local government to maintain a user-friendly “Open Checkbook” portal, posting expenditures in real time with vendor-level detail. And each property owner will receive a clear, plain-language notice comparing last year’s tax bill with this year’s, broken down by taxing authority—alongside meeting times for public comment.
This is accountability at work. Transparency doesn’t stop spending—it earns trust.
Smarter Justice, Not Broader Bureaucracy
Florida has made strides in criminal justice, but real reform means precision. It means focusing resources on violent offenders while giving those who can turn their lives around a genuine chance to do so. Mental health courts, veteran programs, and evidence-based reentry initiatives deserve continued expansion—because they work.
We’ll advocate for a “Smart on Crime” model that prioritizes outcomes over optics, safety over symbolism.
Guardians of Liberty’s Top 10 Priorities for the 2026 Legislative Session
Our priorities are guided by three principles: personal freedom, fiscal restraint, and government accountability. The following ten issues reflect those values in action—with the first three serving as our top legislative priorities.
Priority 1: The Property Tax Reform & Spending Accountability Act
The Problem: Property taxes are quietly eroding Florida’s affordability. Homeowners, small landlords, and retirees are watching their bills climb even as their wages or fixed incomes stay flat. Meanwhile, local budgets expand year after year without transparent justification.
Our Plan:
- Cap Automatic Increases: Local governments can only grow revenue by the rate of inflation plus population unless voters approve more.
- Transparency by Default: Require every county and municipality to host a real-time “Open Checkbook” portal showing where each tax dollar goes.
- Taxpayer First Notices: Send easy-to-read comparisons of current versus previous tax bills, with meeting details for residents to provide input.
The Goal: Restore taxpayer trust by ensuring that government growth is intentional, justified, and voter-approved.
Priority 2: Ending Burdensome Mandates and Overregulation
The Problem: Florida’s economy thrives on innovation and enterprise—but unnecessary mandates and overlapping regulations keep entrepreneurs tangled in paperwork. Every permit delay and redundant inspection is time and money lost.
Our Plan:
- One-Permit Promise: Merge redundant local permits into one streamlined digital application with automatic fee refunds if deadlines are missed.
- Five-Year Sunset Rule: Every new mandate automatically expires after five years unless lawmakers vote to reauthorize it.
- Small Business Impact Notes: Require a cost analysis on any new rule that affects small employers before it’s enacted.
The Goal: Let Florida’s innovators spend their time creating jobs, not navigating bureaucracy.
Priority 3: Free Speech and Civic Education
The Problem: Too many Floridians have never read their own state constitution. Civic literacy is fading, and public spaces for petitioning government are shrinking under complex red tape.
Our Plan:
- Civic Forum Access: Guarantee the right for citizens to use public venues—parks, libraries, and community centers—for peaceful petitioning and debate.
- Constitution Classes: Encourage civic organizations and libraries to host free, nonpartisan workshops teaching the Declaration, the Constitution, and the fundamentals of citizen participation.
- Campus Speech Protections: Reinforce students’ rights to express diverse viewpoints without fear of censorship or retaliation.
The Goal: Revive the civic spirit that built this state—one educated, engaged citizen at a time.
4. Perfecting Education Freedom
Florida’s universal school choice policy has changed lives. Now, we must ensure consistency and reliability. Parents need timely reimbursements, providers need clarity, and special-needs families deserve stability.
We’ll champion operational reforms that hold the system accountable to parents—not the other way around.
5. Housing Supply and Smart Growth
Florida’s population continues to boom, but housing supply isn’t keeping pace. Impact fees, slow permitting, and restrictive zoning keep costs high.
Our Plan:
- Legalize traditional neighborhood housing types like duplexes and cottages.
- Enforce strict “shot clocks” for permit reviews, with automatic approvals when deadlines are missed.
- Require online posting and regular auditing of impact fees.
Affordable housing starts with allowing more homes to be built where people want to live.
6. Lasting Tax Relief Over Temporary Gimmicks
Florida’s tax holidays are helpful—but lasting relief is transformative. We’ll push for permanent exemptions on essential goods, inflation-indexed tax thresholds, and airtight enforcement of the commercial rent tax repeal.
Long-term prosperity depends on consistency, not seasonal politics.
7. Smart on Crime, Safer Communities
Public safety requires focus, not overreach. We’ll advocate for targeted deterrence strategies, expanded treatment courts, and efficient victim restitution systems—ensuring that justice is both firm and fair.
8. Data Privacy and AI Oversight
Freedom includes the right to privacy. We’ll support strong penalties for deepfake exploitation, transparency in data collection, and strict auditing of artificial intelligence tools used by state agencies.
Technology should serve citizens, not surveil them.
9. Licensing Reform and Workforce Freedom
Occupational licensing should protect the public, not block opportunity.
Our Plan:
- Recognize equivalent out-of-state licenses automatically.
- Review and reduce excessive training-hour requirements.
- Expand apprenticeship pathways as alternatives to classroom mandates.
Work builds dignity. Let’s clear the path to it.
10. Modern Sunshine and Transparency
Florida’s Sunshine Laws are legendary—but many citizens still struggle to access information.
Our Plan:
- A unified, statewide records portal for tracking public requests.
- Mandatory video archiving and searchable transcripts of all public meetings.
- Real-time lobbying disclosures that are simple, readable, and public.
Government transparency isn’t just a slogan—it’s a safeguard.
Common Questions, Honest Answers
“Won’t property tax caps starve local services?”
Not at all. The Property Tax Reform & Spending Accountability Act still allows increases—if voters approve them. Accountability isn’t austerity; it’s consent.
“Isn’t school choice undermining public education?”
No. It’s expanding opportunity. Competition drives excellence, and every child deserves an education that fits their needs, not a system’s convenience.
“How do you fund civic education or transparency upgrades?”
Through efficiency. Streamlining duplicative programs and cutting bureaucratic waste can fund civic literacy initiatives that rebuild public trust.
Applauding Progress While Staying Watchful
Let’s give credit where it’s due. Florida’s repeal of the commercial rent tax, expansion of school choice, and balanced budget are genuine victories. These are the kinds of reforms that make a difference in real people’s lives.
But reform isn’t a finish line—it’s a continuous process. Execution and accountability must match ambition. Families still struggling under heavy property taxes or delayed school reimbursements aren’t feeling the full promise yet. That’s what this next session is for.
The Path Forward
Guardians of Liberty will do what we always do:
- Draft and Deliver: Provide lawmakers with model legislation that’s ready to file and ready to win.
- Build Coalitions: Unite Floridians from every walk of life—business owners, teachers, veterans, and families—around shared values.
- Stay Honest: Praise what works. Fix what doesn’t. Always tell the truth.
Closing Thoughts
Florida stands as a national model of what’s possible when government trusts its citizens more than it taxes them. But freedom is fragile—it has to be guarded, practiced, and renewed.
The Property Tax Reform & Spending Accountability Act represents that renewal. It’s about restoring authority to where it belongs: in the hands of the people who earn the money, pay the taxes, and build the communities we all call home.
So as the gavel falls and the debates begin, let’s keep our mission simple and our focus sharp:
Does this policy make Floridians freer, safer, or more financially secure?
If it does, we’ll stand for it. If it doesn’t, we’ll stand against it.
Because true reform isn’t about party lines—it’s about protecting the people’s liberty, one accountable act at a time.
— Stephen Despin
Founder, Guardians of Liberty
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