Q&A – Are RINOs Holding Up DeSantis’s Agenda? - Driven By Braman Motorcars
Each day I feature a listener question sent by one of these methods.
Email: brianmudd@iheartmedia.com
Social: @brianmuddradio
iHeartRadio: Use the Talkback feature – the microphone button on our station page in the iHeart app.
Today’s Entry: Hey Brian, thanks for all the great information you provide. Piggy backing off the story about Florida trending Republican. Do you give any validity to the accusation by Governor DeSantis that it seems some representatives got elected as Republicans and are voting like Democrats. Did you ever consider looking in the their backgrounds? Or have you? Thanks again.
Bottom Line: Today Florida’s legislature resumes budget negotiations as the senate, led by President Ben Albriton, and House, led by Speaker Daniel Perez, have been at odds over spending levels and tax cuts. Notably, Senate President Albriton has expressed support for Governor DeSantis’s agenda, preferred approach to spending, and the allocation of tax cuts.
As noted in today’s entry, Governor DeSantis has accused elected Republicans in the legislature of being RINOs, or Republicans in name only – implying that some members of the legislature have run as Republicans only to get elected – while having differently aligned values. So, about that... in addressing today’s question, let’s start with voter registration information.
In the Florida legislature there are two elected members who’ve changed political parties, and both flipped from Democrat to Republican prior to this year’s state legislative session – however, neither had been elected as Republicans. House Representative Hillary Cassel was elected as a Democrat in 2022 and reelected as a Democrat in 2024 – however she switched to the Republican Party in December, citing the Democrat Party’s disconnect with Floridians and her support for Israel. Similarly, around the same time, House Democrat Susan Valdes flipped stating that she was “tired of being the party of protesting” and that she actually wanted to accomplish something for her community.
So, it is possible that these two former Democrats are effectively “Republicans in name only”, perhaps flipping as the perceived expediate thing to do to help them have more influence within the majority party. With not even a full session behind them, it’s a bit early to evaluate voting records to see if there’s been a significant change of heart. Regardless, Cassell and Valdes don’t really fit the bill for what DeSantis has publicly lamented as he’s suggested, without naming names, that there are GOP members who are really Democrats who ran as Republicans because that’s the only way they could win. So, about that...
Reps Cassell and Valdes are the only two members of the Florida legislature to have ever switched their voter registration status at any point. In other words, if there are Democrats masquerading as Republicans in the state legislature – they've been playing the long game to do it and that takes us to the current issues in play...spending and tax cuts.
House Speaker Perez and those within his ranks who stand opposed to the DeSantis-proposed budget/agenda are still divided over two main issues: 1) Spending levels 2) Tax cuts. Specifically, Perez and co. are proposing a budget with $4 billion less in spending and tax cuts that he’d have issued through a permanent state sales tax cut. The Senate/DeSantis approach prioritizes the use of sales tax holidays, a reduction in property taxes, and the potential for the future elimination of property taxes.
Speaker Perez wants to see overall spending lower, is opposed to sales tax holidays, and wants to permanently reduce the state sales tax rate as a means of lowering the tax burden. That’s a good place to kick off the contextual aspects of today’s question.
One may agree or disagree with Perez’s proposals, however it’s hard to say that proposing less government spending and calling for a permanent cut to the state sales tax are RINO, or left leaning positions. Far from it. I dream of the day that Democrats call for less government spending and permanent tax cuts. Personally, I agree with some of what DeSantis and the senate wants and some of what Perez is calling for. Specifically, I’d like to see:
- Perez’s $4 billion reduction in spending over proposed levels
- Perez’s plan to put an end to sales tax holidays
- DeSantis’s plan to reduce property taxes for homesteaded owners this year
- DeSantis’s plan to pass a law to conduct the study to consider a constitutional amendment to eliminate property taxes
If the stars align in Tallahassee maybe, just maybe that’ll be the compromise between the two chambers we’ll see. But regardless, the facts don’t support a RINO agenda obstructing DeSantis’s plan, but rather a difference in conservative opinions.