DeSantis says Florida will rewrite Amendment 3 after court ruling

Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida will accept a judicial ruling regarding Amendment 3 rather than pursue an appeal, placing the property tax ballot measure back into motion ahead of schedule, according to Florida Politics.

Leon County Circuit Judge David Frank ruled that the original ballot title and summary for the amendment were clearly and conclusively defective. According to Florida Politics, Judge Frank determined that the previous summary amounted to political rhetoric by endorsing the measure and making unsupported claims regarding the protection of core services, small businesses, and resident fairness. This ruling successfully concluded three consolidated lawsuits brought by a coalition of nonprofits and former municipal and state leaders.

Media additions

The legal challenge brought together multiple figures in state politics. The plaintiffs included the nonprofit Save Our Voters From Misleading Ballot Language, former Stuart Mayor Thomas Campenni, former Key Biscayne Mayor Michael Davey, former South Miami Mayor Philip Stoddard, former U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, and former state Sen. Jeff Brandes, as reported by Florida Politics.

Although state leadership reportedly disagrees with the initial legal analysis, Attorney General James Uthmeier’s office is taking charge of recrafting the text to satisfy the court's specifications. Governor DeSantis expressed strong confidence in the revised draft while speaking in Lehigh Acres, noting that he had seen portions of the text and describing it as very clear for voters, according to Florida Politics.

DeSantis added further context regarding the upcoming ballot language, noting according to Florida Politics:

"It’s fine. It’s going to be a very good summary, very straightforward. People are going to know, you’re going to get tax relief. You’re going to get an increased homestead exemption if you’re for it. So that’s going to happen. That will, of course, be on the ballot. It will just be with a little bit different summary than what the Legislature passed, but I look forward to doing that."

Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida Politics

The revised proposal is expected to maintain its core objective: raising the homestead exemption to $250,000 by 2028. Despite legislative changes that removed trust funds for local governments and omitted school tax exemptions from the final package, DeSantis affirmed his personal support for the ballot item, confirming that he plans to vote for it and let people know where he stands.

However, without a prominent political committee or the Governor leading a dedicated campaign organization, the passage of the proposal faces significant hurdles. Major law enforcement organizations, including the Florida Sheriffs Association, the Florida State Fraternal Order of Police, and the Florida Professional Firefighters, have voiced formal concerns about the measure, as detailed by Florida Politics.

Furthermore, a sprawling opposition coalition has mobilized against the amendment. This coalition features 1199SEIU Florida, AFSCME Florida, Catalyst Miami, Community Spring, EduVoter Action Network, Engage Miami, Equal Ground Education Fund, Families for Strong Public Schools, Florida AFL-CIO, Florida Education Association, Florida For All, Florida Policy Institute, Florida Rising, Florida Voices for Health, Florida Watch, League of Women Voters of Florida, Miami Workers Center, MomsRising, NAACP Florida State Conference, Pastors for Florida Children, Power U Center for Social Change, Progress Florida, SEIU 32BJ, SEIU FPSU, SEIU Florida State Council, Southern Poverty Law Center, and UnidosUS.

Polling data highlights the sensitivity of voter awareness regarding the measure. Recent surveys from the James Madison Institute and the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab indicate that the amendment fails to reach the required threshold of support when voters are informed of its potential impacts on local government funding. Conversely, the measure could succeed if voters remain unaware of those fiscal consequences.

What to Watch Next

• Attorney General James Uthmeier’s finalized draft of the Amendment 3 ballot summary will be submitted to satisfy Judge Frank’s judicial specifications.
• The modified property tax ballot item will appear before voters with the revised explanatory text.
• State officials will monitor polling shifts as public awareness campaigns regarding the homestead exemption ramp up ahead of the vote.