House leader calls for sales tax cut. Can Florida schools afford it?
Tampa Bay Times | Jeffrey S. Solochek | March 27, 2025
The big story: Early talk of reducing or eliminating Florida’s property tax system, which undergirds local funding of public education, has faded as the legislative session has progressed.
On Wednesday, a major source of state funding for education and other aspects of government emerged as the target for reduction. House Speaker Danny Perez announced his goal of cutting the sales tax from 6% to 5.25%.
He said it would mark the largest single tax cut in Florida’s history.
While many people across the political spectrum advocate slashing the sales tax, which is viewed as affecting most those who can afford it least, some have questioned how the government would cover all the services it provides if billions in revenue are gone.
Already, House budget committees including PreK-12 Education have unveiled plans that shrink spending plans by millions, with chairpersons talking about the need to “right-size.”
Perez said he has transformational goals in mind.
“We often talk about how to improve affordability in Florida, and our strategies usually involve spending money on more government programs,” Perez said. “But this year, we’ll try a novel concept and make Florida more affordable by giving the people of Florida their own money.”
