‘Red tape’ for rentals refused

By RYAN DAILEY
News Service of Florida

TALLAHASSEE – Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed one of the more contentious measures of the 2024 legislative session this week, giving the thumbs-down to a bill that sought to regulate at the state level the ballooning number of vacation rentals in Florida.

DeSantis said in a veto letter Thursday that the measure (SB 280) — a priority of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples — would have created “bureaucratic red tape” for local officials. The bill was aimed at “preempting” regulation of short-term rental properties to the state.
The bill aimed to scrap city ordinances enacted after 2011, doing away with registration programs already adopted by many coastal communities as the use of online platforms such as Airbnb ballooned.
While regulatory responsibilities would have been shifted to the state, the measure would have allowed local governments to have short-term rental registration programs that met certain parameters for what the local programs could require.
The vetoed bill would have prevented local governments “from enforcing existing ordinances or passing any new local measure which would exclusively apply to vacation rentals,” DeSantis wrote in a veto message Thursday.
“Under the bill, any such measure must apply to all residential properties. The effect of this provision will prevent virtually all local regulation of vacation rentals even though the vacation rental markets are far from uniform across the various regions of the state,” the governor wrote.
Proponents of short-term rentals say they provide extra income for homeowners and boost tourism, while critics complain that noise, trash, and traffic woes generated by renters negatively transform neighborhoods.
DeSantis’ veto drew mixed reactions.
Senate bill sponsor Nick DiCeglie, R-Indian Rocks Beach, told The News Service of Florida that “I disagree with the governor’s decision” but “understand his concerns.”
“This is a difficult issue that has property owners on both sides who deserve a voice in the process,” DiCeglie said.
But Melbourne Beach Mayor Alison Dennington called DeSantis’ veto “wonderful.”
“It seems like he’s recognizing that there should be some local registration, that we should be allowed to have it, and that this went too far,” Dennington told the News Service.
Dennington suggested DeSantis create a work group to explore the issue.
“I would love it if he would form some kind of task force with some legislators and some local officials and some building officials, like a regional task force, and maybe we could come back and propose better legislation next year. That would make both sides happy on some of these issues,” the mayor said.

MORE RED INK

The governor also scrapped other measures this week, including one that would have given the state health department more authority and another that sought to set in-state tuition rates for formerly incarcerated Floridians.
DeSantis on Wednesday scrapped a bill (HB 165) that would have required the Florida Department of Health to take steps — including possibly preventing people from swimming in water off beaches — if water quality did not meet standards.
The measure was approved unanimously by the Legislature. But DeSantis, in a veto letter, objected to the amount of authority that would have been given to the Department of Health.
“Health departments like DOH can serve a valuable function, but they should not be vested with the power to supersede local jurisdictions regarding the operation of beaches,” the governor wrote.
Rep. Lindsey Cross, D-St. Petersburg, said the veto “puts public health at risk.”
“The public health of Floridians and tourists is imperative. Uniform state standards are critical. When you swim, you should trust it is safe for you and your family. Right now, piecemeal advisories often lead to Floridians jumping into raw sewage,” Cross said in a statement.
A day earlier, the governor vetoed a bill (SB 62) that would have helped people who have been in prison keep their Florida resident status for higher-education tuition purposes.
The measure would have applied to people who otherwise met requirements to be classified as residents, such as maintaining legal Florida residence for 12 months before enrolling at colleges or universities.
“We should not reward criminal activity by providing inmates with the same benefits as law-abiding citizens,” DeSantis’ accompanying veto letter said.
The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, which advocates for “returning citizens,” issued a statement that said it was “disappointed” in DeSantis’ veto of a bill that “sought to strengthen public safety, increase successful reentry, and stimulate Florida’s economy.”

REMEMBERING
BUFFETT

The governor wasn’t just wielding his veto pen this week, as he put his stamp of approval on a slate of bills that include proposals honoring the late singer Jimmy Buffett.
The measures will designate Florida A1A as “Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway” and create a “Margaritaville” specialty license plate.
The highway bill (HB 91), which lawmakers passed unanimously during the legislative session that ended in March, will attach Buffett’s name to A1A from Key West to the Georgia border.
The other bill (HB 403) will make changes to the state’s specialty license-plate program and create a series of potential new plates, including one displaying the name of the Buffett song “Margaritaville.”
Proceeds from the sale of the “Margaritaville” license plate are slated to benefit the SFC Charitable Foundation, also known as Singing for Change, which Buffett founded.
Buffett died Sept. 1 at age 76 of a type of skin cancer.

STORY OF THE WEEK: Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday vetoed a measure aimed at regulating vacation rentals, saying the proposal would create “bureaucratic red tape” for local officials.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “No tax on recreational items. No tax on things, fishing supplies, boating supplies, athletic equipment, you name it, tax free for the month of July. … That is really, really significant.” — Gov. Ron DeSantis, referring to a tax holiday that begins July 1.