Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis issued the following statement on Governor Ron DeSantis’ call for a special session on protecting Florida from illegal immigration, funding the My Safe Florida Home Program, addressing condo law, and petitions.
“I fully endorse Governor DeSantis’ call for protecting Florida from illegal immigration, reining in insurance rates through funding the My Safe Florida Home Program, reworking Florida’s condo laws, and dealing with how these amendments get on the ballot,” Patronis said. “I traveled to our Southern Border and saw with my own eyes people trying to cross over – and that was within the fortified areas. Florida deployed the National Guard, State Guard, Florida Highway Patrol, and Fish & Wildlife assets to South Texas, and I was proud to help fund these efforts to protect Florida communities. The reality is America’s open border creates a money-making operation for the cartels, leading to incredible human suffering and misery; it’s allowed fentanyl to be pumped into our communities, killing America’s sons and daughters, and it’s an easy access point for terrorists who want to come to our country and kill the innocent. Ultimately, we’re all border states, and when Trump gets into office and begins undoing Biden’s horrendous border policies, we need to make sure Florida laws are oriented in a way to maximize the Trump Administration’s anticipated policies.”
“On funding the My Safe Florida Home Program, I really appreciate the Governor’s continued support of this initiative. There’s incredible demand for the program because it works. It’s just a fact that when homes are hardened to protect from storm damage, carriers see those properties as less vulnerable, and they reduce rates on policyholders. Some carriers have even reported double-digit premium reductions, including 50% reductions in certain instances. On average, we’ve seen $1,000 in premium savings for folks in the program, and as the Governor mentioned, this’ll be a great tool to help with Hurricane Helene and Milton recovery. The Legislature needs to support this program, and this Special Session will be an incredible opportunity to help expedite dollars to Floridians.
“Moreover, tackling condo laws is a smart move. I was at Surfside myself, and we never want to see that kind of death and suffering ever again. I know that many lawmakers have heard from their constituents and want to see some breathing room as condos work toward making needed enhancements to their properties. I believe in collaboration, and the legislative process is going to be a good opportunity to fine-tune the laws.
“I also appreciate the Governor looking into the process by which amendments get on the ballot. While I’m glad 3 and 4 failed, how some of this stuff gets on the ballot with convoluted language that does a disservice to voters, and tightening up that process is a no-brainer. President Ben Albritton and Speaker Daniel Perez have already shown outstanding leadership on these issues and were instrumental in ensuring homeowners could protect their homes from storms through the My Safe Florida Home Program. I have no doubt they will build on this success in 2025 to further serve Floridians.”
