In this episode: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis confirmed this week that the state is closing “Alligator Alcatraz” after one year — but not before paying out millions in “demobilization fees” to vendors who have already banked hundreds of millions building and operating the infamous immigrant detention facility in the Florida Everglades. Plus: A closer look at some recent favors Florida’s governor and Legislature have done for a few billionaire megadonors — including a car dealer, an insurance magnate, and a luxury hotel owner.

Show notes

The stories discussed in today’s show:

Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” shutting down permanently, sources say

Good Riddance to ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ a Cruel, Expensive, and Pointless Authoritarian Stunt

Scrutiny mounts over DeSantis’s use of state funds for migrant flights

Hidden consultants and hurried payments: Records reveal details of DeSantis’ campaign against abortion and marijuana amendments

Ron DeSantis proposed delaying a tax break for Florida drivers until it was most helpful to his re-election campaign

A favor for a billionaire car dealer and Republican megadonor, tucked inside a transportation law

State lawmakers gave another gift to car dealers

Industry leaders urge DeSantis to veto billionaire-backed insurance bill

Florida tax package delivers gambling breaks to Soffer’s Big Easy

The bills discussed in today’s show:

Senate Bill 488 — Transportation

House Bill 291 and Senate Bill 352 — Common Entities of Motor Vehicle Distributors and Manufacturers

Senate Bill 1028 — Citizens Property Insurance Corporation

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In this episode: A new nonpartisan analysis of a proposed constitutional amendment to cut and cap property taxes across Florida finds that it could wipe out nearly a quarter of all local government property tax collections. It could also fuel further privatization around the state — of everything from electric utilities to animal shelters. Plus: How lobbyists for a national pet retailer weakened a new state law meant to end abusive sales practices in pet stores. And Florida says no to Donald Trump-backed tax cuts for corporations.

Show notes

The stories discussed in today’s show:

State-backed ballot measure could wipe out a quarter of local property tax collections

A national chain selling puppies for profit lobbied to weaken new rules for pet stores, records show

A Koch-connected school choice contractor could get $2 million from Florida taxpayers

Corporations could get a $3.5 billion tax break in Florida unless state lawmakers step in to stop it

The bills discussed in today’s show:

Senate Bill 1004 — Domestic Animals

Senate Bill 1356 — Handling of Animals (note: the animal shelter privatization language is in section 2 of the original text)

House Bill 1451 — Utility Services

House Bill 655 — Pub. Rec. and Pub. Meetings/Attorney Meetings to Discuss Private Property Rights Claims

House Bill 7031 — Internal Revenue Code

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In this episode: Twenty years ago, Republican leaders in Florida raced to get a radical property tax plan onto the statewide ballot — a plan that was negotiated largely in secret, sprung on the public at the last minute, and approved during a lighting-quick special session in June. If that sounds familiar, it’s because that is, beat for beat, what just happened again in Tallahassee, where Ron DeSantis and GOP lawmakers just rushed a giant property tax cut onto the November ballot that they don’t even fully understand. The irresponsible legislating blew up in their faces two decades ago. Will this time be any different?

Show notes

The bills discussed in today’s show:

House Joint Resolution 1F — Save our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes

Senate Bill 4F — Property Tax Administration

The stories discussed in in today’s show:

A new tax break for Trump appointees

Perez defends tax break for diplomats after Brazil ambassador nod from Trump

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In this episode: Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature has finally agreed on a new state budget, following a flurry of last-minute spending deals — most of them negotiated behind closed doors and sealed late on the Sunday night of a holiday weekend. The eleventh-hour additions to Florida’s $115 billion spending plan include provisions that could let the state buy more property from a big developer and donor; steer a $2 million education contract to a Koch-backed company; and pave the way for the use of artificial intelligence in an anti-hunger program that feeds nearly 3 million Floridians. Plus: Ron DeSantis signs a bill written by lobbyists for a mining company that recently donated $50,000 to his Super PAC. And the devolution of Florida’s public university system into a pure political patronage machine continues.

Show notes

Register here for the Seeking Rents + Welcome to Florida live event in Jacksonville

The stories referenced in today’s show:

A tour of Florida’s new state budget, from money for Mike Huckabee to tax cuts for casinos

A last-minute budget measure could let Florida buy more land from a donor the state paid $83 million to last year

A Koch-connected school choice contractor could get $2 million from Florida taxpayers

Florida may hire an AI vendor to help decide which hungry families get grocery assistance

Companies linked to a Trump appointee are seeking money from Florida taxpayers — and giving money to Florida lawmakers

Florida is cutting funding for transit — and exposing the true cost of business tax breaks

A management firm is poised to profit off plan to divert local property taxes to charter schools

A right-wing news network lobbied Florida lawmakers to defund fact-checkers, records show

Last-minute legislation could give more money to Publix, 7-Eleven and Circle K — but less to Florida students

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In this episode: Florida lawmakers might take more powers away from cities and towns, cut funding for a cross-state wildlife corridor, and start testing toilet water for drugs. They could give politicians more control over courses offered at public universities, let the attorney general dish out rich legal contracts with less scrutiny, and make taxpayers foot the bill for Ron DeSantis’ security even after he leaves office. And they may keep squeezing public employee unions, outsource more of the state’s prison system, and further expand the Florida Lottery. A look at some of the many projects and issues in play as Florida lawmakers meet in a special session to finalize a new state budget.

Show notes

Stories discussed in today’s show:

Welcome to Florida, Episode 305: ‘Welcome to Florida’ x ‘Seeking Rents’

The budget shenanigans begin

Budget update: Lawmakers may cut funding for the Florida Wildlife Corridor to pay for a small park in the Panhandle

Amid a growing national witch hunt for abortion medication, Florida may fund testing for ‘contaminants’ in toilet water

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In this episode: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis just got the state’s Republican-controlled Legislature to pass new Congressional district maps that were intentionally drawn to violate an anti-gerrymandering constitutional amendment that was approved by nearly two-thirds of Florida voters. It’s a scheme meant not only to give Donald Trump and national Republicans an edge in the 2026 midterms — but also to give DeSantis-appointed courts an opening to eliminate those anti-gerrymandering amendments completely. But the governor failed to get lawmakers to go along with plans to regulate artificial intelligence and weaken school vaccine rules, as Florida’s GOP leadership quickly settled back into a year-long cold war. Plus: DeSantis marks International Workers’ Day by signing the single most anti-worker piece of legislation of the 2026 session.

Show notes

Stories discussed in today’s show:

Florida lawmakers cede redistricting authority to executive power

Counsel for DeSantis tells lawmakers they can ignore Fair Districts Amendments in approving new map

Emails show right-wing group gave talking points to Florida GOP lawmaker on anti-union bill

Did Florida’s attorney general break the law during a Martin Luther King Day legal stunt?

DeSantis pushed lawmakers to purge Medicaid, records show

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In this episode: After more than a year of hostilities, Republican leaders in the Florida House and Senate reached a budget deal just days before Gov. Ron DeSantis hauls them all to Tallahassee for a special session that some people seem to want no part of. What happens next — on gerrymandering, vaccines, artificial intelligence and more — remains a mystery. Plus: Corporate donors who need favors from the DeSantis administration are flooding money into a federal super PAC supporting the governor. And a look at what the charter school industry has been lobbying for in the state Capitol.

Show notes

Links and stories discussed in today’s show:

House, Senate call 18-day budget special session for May 12-29

The DeSantis decisions: Quiet wins for homebuilders and car dealers

Lobbyists for a mining company wrote a bill to block lawsuits over radiation on former mines

Ron DeSantis PAC took $250,000 from Florida Power & Light after record-setting rate hike

‘Schools of Hope’ charter operator is moving into 5 Miami-Dade high schools

Lobbyists for a billionaire and a charter network pushed Florida lawmakers to expand a school privatization program, records show

A management firm is poised to profit off plan to divert local property taxes to charter schools

Register now: Seeking Rents + Welcome to Florida: Live Meet & Greet (St. Pete)

Register now: Seeking Rents + Welcome to Florida: Live Meet & Greet (Winter Park)

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In this episode: As he looks ahead to another presidential run — and a potential showdown with a Donald Trump heir apparent like J.D. Vance or Marco Rubio — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is starting to pick some subtle-but-strategic fights with the Trump White House. Plus: Three years after promising to expand children’s health insurance, Florida leaders are utterly failing needy kids. And new records show that state lawmakers banked $14 million from special interests just before they started their 2026 legislative session.

Show notes

Stories discussed in today’s show:

Coming soon: Seeking Rents on stage

RFK Jr. launches midterm travel push to shore up MAHA support

Florida’s special session could burnish DeSantis’ legacy — but pitfalls lurk

Florida drops KidCare lawsuit, but expansion hasn’t happened

Florida stalls as 42,000 Kids wait for affordable healthcare

Florida lawmakers banked $14 million the day before session began

How Florida became the national leader at denying health insurance to kids

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In this episode: Ron DeSantis has begun signing bills sent to him by state lawmakers during Florida’s recently concluded session — including new laws that will make it more cumbersome for some Floridians to vote, give state politicians the power to label civil rights groups domestic terrorists, and let a billionaire hotel owner build an unpopular water park in Miami Beach. At the same time, the Republican governor and GOP-controlled Legislature are preparing for special sessions to resolve a budget impasse and re-gerrymander the state’s Congressional districts. But Florida voters, it turns out, aren’t happy with them. Plus: A look at how politicians in Tallahassee are politically profiting off of earmarks in the state budget.

Show notes

A quick correction from the show: The special election for House District 87 (not 85) was won by Democrat Emily Gregory (not Holly Gregory)

And the stories referenced during the show:

The DeSantis decisions: Singling out university students and hoping they’ll just stay home

The DeSantis decisions: A Friday afternoon favor for the Fontainebleau

A river runs into it

Industry leaders urge DeSantis to veto billionaire-backed insurance bill

A startup got $5 million from Florida taxpayers and gave $500,000 to Florida politicians

Florida’s budget stalemate takes on Cherfilius-McCormick probe-related twist

A familiar face in Florida’s proposed budget

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In this episode: Florida lawmakers arrived in Tallahassee two months ago promising to focus on affordability and fix a growth-management mess they made last year. They did neither. They did, however, undermine the collective bargaining rights of public school teachers, shield a mining company from lawsuits over radioactive contamination, and pass a billionaire-backed bill that could force condo owners to pay higher prices for property insurance. They did some good things, too. A recap of Florida’s 2026 legislative session. Correction: This podcast used the incorrect bill number for Senate Bill 1028, the bill that could force some Florida condo owners to pay higher prices for property insurance.

Show notes:

For a links to all the bills mentions discussed in this episode — and the vote sheets for every one that passed — see this post on Seeking Rents:

The Florida Legislature made a mess. The Florida House refused to clean it up.

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