April 18 • 2:30 P.M.

With hundreds of anti-tax demonstrators outside the Capitol urging them on, the Florida House yesterday advanced Speaker Marco Rubio’s (R-Miami) controversial property tax reform package (HJR 7089) to replace property taxes with a 2.5 cent increase in the state sales tax. The House is scheduled to take a final vote on the plan this afternoon. Democrats argued unsuccessfully that the tax swap plan would benefit weather property owners and hurt other taxpayers, including renters. Rubio disagreed. “As long as you pay property taxes on your home, you’ll never own your home,” he told people who had gathered for a rally on the Capitol Plaza. “In Florida, we don’t tax food, we don’t tax medicine. How can we tax the American Dream?”

Meanwhile in the Senate, the Finance and Tax Committee unanimously approved its tax reform bill (SJR 3034), which Senate leaders say will save taxpayers $12.35 billion over five years. It includes a rollback of property taxes to 2006-2006 levels and a $50,000 homestead exemption for first-time homebuyers for a period of time.

Both chambers are expected to pass their plans next week, then name a conference committee to work out the differences before the regular session adjourns on May 4.