Senate Appropriations Chairman Ed Hooper: Hits and Misses in Florida's 2026 Budget

Florida Policy Project President Jeff Brandes: The Spirit Airlines‑ification of Government

Jeff Brandes, a Pinellas County Republican who served for 12 years in the Florida Senate, isn't holding back on his analysis of a proposed property tax overhaul going before voters in November. Brandes, the founder and president of the nonprofit Florida Policy Project, joins the "Between the Lines with Dara Kam" podcast from State Affairs this week with his take on what he calls one of the most consequential measures headed to the ballot in modern history. Brandes argues the measure championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis was pushed through during a special legislative session at "warp speed," with lawmakers "under threat" that their priority projects could be vetoed if they didn't vote for it. He says the process lacked the data and deliberation needed to understand its real-world impact, especially the risk that cities and counties could be squeezed into consolidation as local tax revenues shrink. Brandes tells Dara that the Legislature effectively abdicated its responsibility to act as the gatekeeper for what belongs on the ballot, leaving former legislative leaders "spinning in their graves" over how the bill was handled. Tune in to hear Brandes contend that, if approved by voters, the plan could significantly change who wields power over local government spending. Visit pro.stateaffairs.com/florida [http://pro.stateaffairs.com/florida] for more.

Senate Appropriations Chairman Ed Hooper: Hits and Misses in Florida's 2026 Budget

Crafting a budget for a state of more than 23 million people means working with a dizzying number of stakeholders and trying to please some of Florida's most powerful political leaders. An even-tempered onetime fireman with nearly two decades of legislative experience, Senate Appropriations Chairman Ed Hooper might be the perfect person for the job. The senator joins "Between the Lines with Dara Kam" from State Affairs this week to discuss the hits and misses of the $114.5 billion state spending plan finalized just days ago. Hooper reflects on his time in the Legislature and digs into a perennially thorny issue that will bring lawmakers back for a sixth special session this year: property taxes. The senator and Dara give listeners a primer on the dramatic reduction in property taxes proposed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and dig into the plan's potential economic and political fallout. Plus, the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas! Visit pro.stateaffairs.com/florida [http://pro.stateaffairs.com/florida] for more.

Congressman Mario Diaz‑Balart: The Long Road to the Raúl Castro Indictment

The recent indictment of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro on murder charges was more than 30 years in the making. Prosecutors allege that Castro ordered the killing of members of the humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue during their missions to aid Cubans fleeing to the United States. Republican Congressman Mario Diaz‑Balart joins "Between the Lines with Dara Kam" from State Affairs this week to discuss what the indictment means for the victims' families and, more broadly, for Cuban‑American communities in South Florida. Diaz‑Balart reflects on the significance of the Brothers to the Rescue missions for Cubans escaping what he describes as "dire" human rights conditions on the island, and he walks listeners through the decades‑long effort to hold Castro accountable. The congressman also discusses what comes next, and what could happen if tensions escalate between Washington and Havana. Visit pro.stateaffairs.com/florida [http://pro.stateaffairs.com/florida] for more.

Center for Biological Diversity Senior Attorney Elise Bennett: Inside the Legal Showdown Over Alligator Alcatraz

The Everglades is woven into the fabric of Florida as the state's defining ecological treasure. This week on "Between the Lines with Dara Kam" from State Affairs, Elise Bennett, Senior Attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, joins the show to unpack her organization's legal challenge to the Gov. Ron DeSantis-backed detention center dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz." Bennett explains why the Center argues that state and federal agencies violated multiple laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act, in approving and constructing the sprawling facility. She walks listeners through how Alligator Alcatraz effectively "evicted" critically endangered Florida panthers from 2,000 acres of habitat and details the ripple effects on countless other species that call the Everglades home. Visit pro.stateaffairs.com/florida [http://pro.stateaffairs.com/florida] for more.

State Senator Shevrin Jones: Redistricting, Representation, and What's at Stake in Florida

Could Gov. Ron DeSantis' new congressional maps, passed by the Legislature and now being challenged in court, topple Florida's Fair Districts Amendments? Democratic Senator Shevrin Jones, who voted against the maps, believes they could pave the way for courts to undo the constitutional amendments aimed in part at preventing partisan gerrymandering. On this week's "Between the Lines with Dara Kam" podcast from State Affairs, Jones argues that so‑called "race‑neutral" map‑drawing undermines meaningful representation for minority communities. He also discusses a generational shift in how Black voters are represented following a seminal U.S. Supreme Court decision in a Louisiana redistricting case. Plus, Jones gives listeners a preview of the special legislative session on the state budget that kicks off this week. Visit pro.stateaffairs.com/florida [http://pro.stateaffairs.com/florida] for more.