Perez poised to become next Florida speaker as he draws some distance with DeSantis

TALLAHASSEE – Hinting that he’d like to see the Legislature exert more influence over policy even as Gov. Ron DeSantis commands state government, Miami Republican Rep. Daniel Perez was designated the next Florida House speaker.

Perez, 36, was selected Monday by House Republicans to begin a two-year term following next fall’s elections if the party continues to control the chamber. With Republicans holding supermajorities in both the House and Senate, Perez’s elevation looks likely.

But Perez sounded some cautionary notes about the political balance that’s been in place with DeSantis seeming to call the shots over the past five years for a mostly compliant Legislature. DeSantis now is running a struggling campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.

“Legislative power should be the first branch of government,” Perez, a lawyer, told House members in remarks following his selection, drawing applause.

Perez also seemed to raise questions about how at least some of the culture war policies enacted over the past couple of years have divided the state.

“The problem with wielding the power of government like a hammer is that people start looking like nails,” Perez said.

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But following his speech in the Capitol’s House chamber, Perez downplayed any differences with DeSantis, who called for measures endorsed by the Legislature, including parental rights, health care and voting laws which have alienated many LGBTQ and Black Floridians.

“It’s not a message to the governor. The governor is a dear friend,” Perez told reporters. “Part of the reason the state of Florida is the state of Florida is the governor. Granted, the Legislature, in my opinion, is the most important part for the success of the state of Florida. But the state can’t work alone.”

House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell of Tampa said she was encouraged by Perez’s comments about working toward common ground.

“We have to wait and see,” Driskell said, adding it’s often difficult for leaders to “operationalize,” their “sweeping visions.”

House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, will continue to preside until the 2024 elections.

Perez was first elected during a special election in 2017. He'd become the third Cuban-American Floridian to serve as House speaker.

Perez is poised to share leadership duties with Sen. Ben Albritton, a Wauchula Republican tapped for the Senate presidency next year.

Noting the urban, rural contrast that looks likely to top the Legislature next year, Perez said it was proof, “opposites attract.”

Perez said it’s clear the Legislature has more work to do to improve the state’s property insurance market, plagued by insurers leaving Florida and skyrocketing rates. He said it’s the primary issue he hears about from voters when he tours his Westchester neighborhood in Miami.

“I think that over the next year, maybe even 10 months, we’ll either see the increases get smaller, or some sort of stability,” Perez said.

“But are we done with property insurance? Absolutely not,” he added.

Perez also has talked of trying to eliminate the state’s lengthy waiting list for services for people with developmental disabilities. Perez’s younger brother, Brian, has such disabilities and the lawmaker said he is inspired to work toward improving the state’s system of care.

“My brother’s condition – and my parents struggle to help him – have also taught me what really matters in life,” Perez told the House. “The patience I learned from being with my brother has made me impatient in so many other areas.”

John Kennedy is a reporter in the USA TODAY Network’s Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jkennedy2@gannett.com, or on Twitter at @JKennedyReport.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Incoming Florida House speaker draws some distance with DeSantis