Seeking Rents – The Podcast

Hosted by Jason Garcia

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175

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Jun 2026

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"Rent-seeking" is a term in economics that describes when a corporation uses its political influence to twist tax laws and other public policy in its favor. Seeking Rents – The Podcast brings you the stories of how that's happening in Florida, where corporate interests like Florida Power & Light, Big Sugar, and Walt Disney World wield enormous influence everywhere from local city halls to the state Capitol. Hosted by award-winning journalist Jason Garcia, Florida's leading corporate-accountability reporter. jasongarcia.substack.com

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June 16, 202650 min

The other side of the equation

In this episode: A new nonpartisan analysis of a proposed constitutional amendment to cut and cap property taxes across Florida finds that it could wipe out nearly a quarter of all local government property tax collections. It could also fuel further privatization around the state — of everything from electric utilities to animal shelters. Plus: How lobbyists for a national pet retailer weakened a new state law meant to end abusive sales practices in pet stores. And Florida says no to Donald Trump-backed tax cuts for corporations. Show notesThe stories discussed in today’s show:State-backed ballot measure could wipe out a quarter of local property tax collectionsA national chain selling puppies for profit lobbied to weaken new rules for pet stores, records showA Koch-connected school choice contractor could get $2 million from Florida taxpayersCorporations could get a $3.5 billion tax break in Florida unless state lawmakers step in to stop itThe bills discussed in today’s show: Senate Bill 1004 — Domestic Animals Senate Bill 1356 — Handling of Animals (note: the animal shelter privatization language is in section 2 of the original text) House Bill 1451 — Utility Services House Bill 655 — Pub. Rec. and Pub. Meetings/Attorney Meetings to Discuss Private Property Rights ClaimsHouse Bill 7031 — Internal Revenue CodeQuestions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.comListen to the show: Apple | SpotifyWatch the show: YouTube Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe

June 3, 202643 min

Same circus, different clowns

In this episode: Twenty years ago, Republican leaders in Florida raced to get a radical property tax plan onto the statewide ballot — a plan that was negotiated largely in secret, sprung on the public at the last minute, and approved during a lighting-quick special session in June. If that sounds familiar, it’s because that is, beat for beat, what just happened again in Tallahassee, where Ron DeSantis and GOP lawmakers just rushed a giant property tax cut onto the November ballot that they don’t even fully understand. The irresponsible legislating blew up in their faces two decades ago. Will this time be any different?Show notesThe bills discussed in today’s show: House Joint Resolution 1F — Save our Homes from Excessive Property TaxesSenate Bill 4F — Property Tax Administration The stories discussed in in today’s show: A new tax break for Trump appointeesPerez defends tax break for diplomats after Brazil ambassador nod from TrumpQuestions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.comListen to the show: Apple | SpotifyWatch the show: YouTube Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe

May 29, 202653 min

No way to run a railroad

In this episode: Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature has finally agreed on a new state budget, following a flurry of last-minute spending deals — most of them negotiated behind closed doors and sealed late on the Sunday night of a holiday weekend. The eleventh-hour additions to Florida’s $115 billion spending plan include provisions that could let the state buy more property from a big developer and donor; steer a $2 million education contract to a Koch-backed company; and pave the way for the use of artificial intelligence in an anti-hunger program that feeds nearly 3 million Floridians. Plus: Ron DeSantis signs a bill written by lobbyists for a mining company that recently donated $50,000 to his Super PAC. And the devolution of Florida’s public university system into a pure political patronage machine continues. Show notesRegister here for the Seeking Rents + Welcome to Florida live event in JacksonvilleThe stories referenced in today’s show:A tour of Florida’s new state budget, from money for Mike Huckabee to tax cuts for casinosA last-minute budget measure could let Florida buy more land from a donor the state paid $83 million to last yearA Koch-connected school choice contractor could get $2 million from Florida taxpayersFlorida may hire an AI vendor to help decide which hungry families get grocery assistanceCompanies linked to a Trump appointee are seeking money from Florida taxpayers — and giving money to Florida lawmakersFlorida is cutting funding for transit — and exposing the true cost of business tax breaksA management firm is poised to profit off plan to divert local property taxes to charter schoolsA right-wing news network lobbied Florida lawmakers to defund fact-checkers, records showLast-minute legislation could give more money to Publix, 7-Eleven and Circle K — but less to Florida studentsQuestions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.comListen to the show: Apple | SpotifyWatch the show: YouTube Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe

May 18, 202654 min

Outsourcing prisons, selling lottery tickets and testing toilet water for drugs

In this episode: Florida lawmakers might take more powers away from cities and towns, cut funding for a cross-state wildlife corridor, and start testing toilet water for drugs. They could give politicians more control over courses offered at public universities, let the attorney general dish out rich legal contracts with less scrutiny, and make taxpayers foot the bill for Ron DeSantis’ security even after he leaves office. And they may keep squeezing public employee unions, outsource more of the state’s prison system, and further expand the Florida Lottery. A look at some of the many projects and issues in play as Florida lawmakers meet in a special session to finalize a new state budget.Show notesStories discussed in today’s show: Welcome to Florida, Episode 305: ‘Welcome to Florida’ x ‘Seeking Rents’The budget shenanigans beginBudget update: Lawmakers may cut funding for the Florida Wildlife Corridor to pay for a small park in the PanhandleAmid a growing national witch hunt for abortion medication, Florida may fund testing for ‘contaminants’ in toilet waterQuestions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.comListen to the show: Apple | SpotifyWatch the show: YouTube Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe

May 2, 202630 min

Florida voters passed reforms. Florida politicians are undoing them.

In this episode: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis just got the state’s Republican-controlled Legislature to pass new Congressional district maps that were intentionally drawn to violate an anti-gerrymandering constitutional amendment that was approved by nearly two-thirds of Florida voters. It’s a scheme meant not only to give Donald Trump and national Republicans an edge in the 2026 midterms — but also to give DeSantis-appointed courts an opening to eliminate those anti-gerrymandering amendments completely. But the governor failed to get lawmakers to go along with plans to regulate artificial intelligence and weaken school vaccine rules, as Florida’s GOP leadership quickly settled back into a year-long cold war. Plus: DeSantis marks International Workers’ Day by signing the single most anti-worker piece of legislation of the 2026 session. Show notesStories discussed in today’s show:Florida lawmakers cede redistricting authority to executive powerCounsel for DeSantis tells lawmakers they can ignore Fair Districts Amendments in approving new mapEmails show right-wing group gave talking points to Florida GOP lawmaker on anti-union billDid Florida’s attorney general break the law during a Martin Luther King Day legal stunt?DeSantis pushed lawmakers to purge Medicaid, records showQuestions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.comListen to the show: Apple | SpotifyWatch the show: YouTube Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe

April 24, 202633 min

Cold war thaw

In this episode: After more than a year of hostilities, Republican leaders in the Florida House and Senate reached a budget deal just days before Gov. Ron DeSantis hauls them all to Tallahassee for a special session that some people seem to want no part of. What happens next — on gerrymandering, vaccines, artificial intelligence and more — remains a mystery. Plus: Corporate donors who need favors from the DeSantis administration are flooding money into a federal super PAC supporting the governor. And a look at what the charter school industry has been lobbying for in the state Capitol. Show notesLinks and stories discussed in today’s show:House, Senate call 18-day budget special session for May 12-29The DeSantis decisions: Quiet wins for homebuilders and car dealers Lobbyists for a mining company wrote a bill to block lawsuits over radiation on former minesRon DeSantis PAC took $250,000 from Florida Power & Light after record-setting rate hike‘Schools of Hope’ charter operator is moving into 5 Miami-Dade high schoolsLobbyists for a billionaire and a charter network pushed Florida lawmakers to expand a school privatization program, records showA management firm is poised to profit off plan to divert local property taxes to charter schoolsRegister now: Seeking Rents + Welcome to Florida: Live Meet & Greet (St. Pete)Register now: Seeking Rents + Welcome to Florida: Live Meet & Greet (Winter Park)Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.comListen to the show: Apple | SpotifyWatch the show: YouTube Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe

April 17, 202641 min

DeSantis vs. Trump II

In this episode: As he looks ahead to another presidential run — and a potential showdown with a Donald Trump heir apparent like J.D. Vance or Marco Rubio — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is starting to pick some subtle-but-strategic fights with the Trump White House. Plus: Three years after promising to expand children’s health insurance, Florida leaders are utterly failing needy kids. And new records show that state lawmakers banked $14 million from special interests just before they started their 2026 legislative session. Show notesStories discussed in today’s show: Coming soon: Seeking Rents on stageRFK Jr. launches midterm travel push to shore up MAHA support Florida’s special session could burnish DeSantis’ legacy — but pitfalls lurkFlorida drops KidCare lawsuit, but expansion hasn’t happenedFlorida stalls as 42,000 Kids wait for affordable healthcareFlorida lawmakers banked $14 million the day before session beganHow Florida became the national leader at denying health insurance to kidsQuestions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.comListen to the show: Apple | SpotifyWatch the show: YouTube Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe

April 7, 202640 min

Cracks in the foundation

In this episode: Ron DeSantis has begun signing bills sent to him by state lawmakers during Florida’s recently concluded session — including new laws that will make it more cumbersome for some Floridians to vote, give state politicians the power to label civil rights groups domestic terrorists, and let a billionaire hotel owner build an unpopular water park in Miami Beach. At the same time, the Republican governor and GOP-controlled Legislature are preparing for special sessions to resolve a budget impasse and re-gerrymander the state’s Congressional districts. But Florida voters, it turns out, aren’t happy with them. Plus: A look at how politicians in Tallahassee are politically profiting off of earmarks in the state budget.Show notesA quick correction from the show: The special election for House District 87 (not 85) was won by Democrat Emily Gregory (not Holly Gregory)And the stories referenced during the show: The DeSantis decisions: Singling out university students and hoping they’ll just stay homeThe DeSantis decisions: A Friday afternoon favor for the FontainebleauA river runs into itIndustry leaders urge DeSantis to veto billionaire-backed insurance billA startup got $5 million from Florida taxpayers and gave $500,000 to Florida politiciansFlorida’s budget stalemate takes on Cherfilius-McCormick probe-related twistA familiar face in Florida’s proposed budgetQuestions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.comListen to the show: Apple | SpotifyWatch the show: YouTube Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe

March 20, 202656 min

Florida Legislature 2026: When rhetoric met reality

In this episode: Florida lawmakers arrived in Tallahassee two months ago promising to focus on affordability and fix a growth-management mess they made last year. They did neither. They did, however, undermine the collective bargaining rights of public school teachers, shield a mining company from lawsuits over radioactive contamination, and pass a billionaire-backed bill that could force condo owners to pay higher prices for property insurance. They did some good things, too. A recap of Florida’s 2026 legislative session. Correction: This podcast used the incorrect bill number for Senate Bill 1028, the bill that could force some Florida condo owners to pay higher prices for property insurance. Show notes:For a links to all the bills mentions discussed in this episode — and the vote sheets for every one that passed — see this post on Seeking Rents:The Florida Legislature made a mess. The Florida House refused to clean it up.Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.comListen to the show: Apple | SpotifyWatch the show: YouTube Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe

March 14, 202655 min

Florida Legislature 2026: At least a billionaire got his waterslide

In this episode: Florida’s 2026 legislative session ends with one more development showdown on the floor of the Florida Senate, a weaker-than-expected deal on data centers, and a bunch of big decisions punted to a special session on the state budget that will be held later this spring. A recap of 60th and final day of the Florida Legislature’s 2026 session. Show notes:The bills discussed in today’s show: Senate Bill 628 — Traffic Facility DesignationsPassed the Senate by a 31-4 vote and now goes to the governor (vote sheet)House Bill 1451 — Utility ServicesPassed the Senate by a 30-6 vote and now goes to the governor (vote sheet)House Bill 1279 — EducationPassed the Senate by a 36-1 vote (vote sheet) and the House of Representatives by an 81-16 vote (vote sheet) and now goes to the governorHouse Bill 905 — Foreign InfluencePassed the House of Representatives by an 83-17 vote (vote sheet) and now goes to the governorSenate Bill 484 — Data CentersPassed the Senate by a 31-6 vote and now goes to the governor (vote sheet)House Bill 399 — Land Use and Development RegulationPassed the Senate by a 27-11 vote (vote sheet) and the House of Representatives by a 73-27 vote (vote sheet) and now goes to the governor.Fontainebleau amendment to HB 399Failed to pass the Senate by a 17-20 vote (vote sheet)Rural boundaries amendment to HB 399Failed to pass the Senate by a voice voteSenate Bill 180 amendment to HB 399Ruled out of order by House Republican leadershipSenate Bill 7044 — Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund/Executive Office of the GovernorPassed the Senate by a 29-7 vote (vote sheet) and the House of Representatives by an 80-20 vote (vote sheet) and now goes to the governor.The stories discussed in today’s podcast:Florida lawmakers clear path for Fontainebleau water park despite oppositionA developer wants to build a giant data center in Palm Beach — after lobbying for a tax break in TallahasseeBuried in the budget: Mike Huckabee, Donald Trump and NewsmaxA New York investment firm with vast land holdings across north Florida wants state lawmakers to greenlight giant developmentsLandowner behind ‘Blue Ribbon Projects’ bill gave $300K to Florida leaders before session began, records showA gun company gave lots of money to Florida lawmakers. Now it’s lobbying for legal immunity.Gun money in the Florida LegislatureFlorida politicians may give Big Sugar legal power to go after activists and silence criticsThey said they wanted to help farmers. They really wanted to hurt environmentalists.Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.comListen to the show: Apple | SpotifyWatch the show: YouTube Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe

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