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With election results already coming in, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has begun celebrating the GOP victors — as well as the failure of an amendment that was on the ballot.
“Florida sweeps again — congrats to the statewide ticket,” DeSantis wrote, giving a nod to the Republican winners in several statewide races:
Governor-Elect Byron Donalds
U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody
CFO Blaise Ingoglia
Attorney General James Uthmeier
Agricultural Commissioner Wilton Simpson
DeSantis also celebrated his oft-touted Amendment 3, a property tax plan that is poised to drastically increase the homestead exemption for many across the state.
[RELATED: What does Amendment 3 actually do?]
However, the current governor called out another amendment on the ballot — Amendment 1 — calling it a “testament to our failed former speaker of the House.”
“Good riddance,” he said.
Amendment 1 — a testament to our failed former speaker of the House — is deservedly going down in flames. Good riddance. https://t.co/Vo1vJstymF
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) November 4, 2026
DeSantis originally criticized Amendment 1 after it was officially endorsed by the Florida GOP earlier this year, causing a break between him and the party.
The proposal would change the state constitution to increase the amount of funds that can be retained in the budget stabilization fund (BSF).
WHAT DOES AMENDMENT 1 ACTUALLY DO?
The BSF was established in 1992, and it can be used to:
Offset a deficit in the general revenue fund
Provide funding for an emergency declared by the governor
Meet temporary cash-flow deficiencies
Typically, the amount of funds that can be kept in the BSF is capped at 10% of general revenue collections. However, Amendment 1 would have bumped that up to 25%.
It would also have required annual deposits of up to $750 million until that level is reached, while still allowing withdrawals for revenue shortfalls, emergencies and certain critical state needs.
“Amendment 1 keep Florida prepared for storms, emergencies, and downturns without raising taxes,” Florida GOP Chairman Evan Power said.
WHY WAS DESANTIS AGAINST IT?
After the Florida GOP announced its endorsement in September, DeSantis took to X, declaring the proposal “foolish.”
“We already have a maxed out rainy day fund and have run the largest surpluses in state history,” he wrote. “Any additional revenue should be used for lower taxes, including assisting local governments with grants so that homestead properties can be exempt from local property tax.”
DeSantis also said that extra revenue could be used to remove tolls “once the property tax issue is settled.”
This is a foolish constitutional amendment proposal. We already have a maxed out rainy day fund and have run the largest surpluses in state history.
Any additional revenue should be used for lower taxes, including assisting local governments with grants so that homestead… https://t.co/umP260lF1A
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) September 14, 2026
The governor has previously boasted about the state’s surpluses, suggesting that they can be used to cover any funding shortfalls for local governments if Amendment 3 is approved by voters.
“To fully offset homestead revenue in our 32 rural counties, it would have been like $200 million a year,” he said in a news conference earlier that month. “We have $117 billion budget and $17-18 billion surplus. We have a maxed-out rainy day fund.”
Voter ultimately decided against the proposal, which failed to meet its mandated support threshold of 60%.
