TALLAHASSEE --- Florida has seen an uptick during the past couple of years in bills turning into laws. But that could slow down as a new leader takes over in the state House.
Incoming House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, said he’s going to put a little more pressure on House members to justify bills they file for consideration during the 2025 and 2026 sessions.
“Are you fixing or are you creating a problem? Or are you finding a solution for a problem that doesn't exist?” Perez said during a recent appearance on The News Service of Florida’s “Deeper Dive with Dara Kam” podcast. “I've always thought that less is more in government.”
Perez will become speaker after the November election, while Wauchula Republican Ben Albritton will become Senate president.
Perez said a goal is to “make sure that we don’t mess up the successes that we’ve had before us.”
“There's a reason over 1,000 people a day are moving to Florida. It's because we've been doing a good job and we've been making the right decisions,” Perez said. “Sometimes tough decisions, by the way. But the right decisions, nonetheless. But we'll see what the next two years bring.”
Over the six regular legislative sessions since Gov. Ron DeSantis took office, an average of 260 bills have been signed into law each year. The average has been pushed up with 341 new laws from the 2023 regular session and 299 this year.
Perez said he gets along “very well” with DeSantis, as “we all have the same common goal: make Florida a better place tomorrow than it is today.”
But at the same time, Perez acknowledged there could be some disagreements down the line.
“It's OK to disagree from time to time, as long as it's done in the right way,” Perez said. “And I'm sure that there will be plenty of times that we will be in disagreement. But it will be done in a respectful manner. And we'll move forward in the way that the Legislature sees fit.”