Affordability issues remain top of mind for Floridians ahead of 2024 legislative session
TALLAHASSEE — As Florida prepares to begin the 2024 legislative session next month in Tallahassee, new statewide polling conducted by Progress Florida and Florida Watch, collectively known as the Florida Communications and Research Hub (Hub), shows Governor Ron DeSantis’ job approval (45% approve / 52% disapprove) and favorability (45% favorable / 50% unfavorable) ratings underwater among voters in the state. Floridians’ views of the Governor are also reflected in their overall feeling about the direction of the state (36% right track / 51% wrong track).
Floridians continue to be concerned with affordability issues in the state. When asked to identify the top two issues causing stress in their personal lives, respondents cited the cost of everyday items (49%), the cost of property insurance (35%), and the cost of housing (31%) as their leading concerns. As anxiety over costs continue to grow, Floridians do not believe Governor DeSantis is doing enough to address the cost of housing (29% approve / 62% disapprove) or the cost of health care (37% approve / 51% disapprove). Opinions of the Governor’s ability to improve the economy (48% approve / 48% disapprove) and improve public safety (48% approve / 47% disapprove) have also shifted noticeably since May.
“As Governor Ron DeSantis has traveled the country speaking to voters in other states, his constituents in Florida are growing increasingly dissatisfied with the job he is doing to address the issues impacting their daily lives here at home,” stated Florida Watch Executive Director Josh Weierbach. “Ahead of this year’s legislative session, it certainly appears that working families and seniors in Florida are dissatisfied with the perceived lack of leadership being provided by the Governor during his campaign for president.”
When asked to assess policies which may be considered during the upcoming legislative session, Floridians appear largely dissatisfied with key proposals being put forward by the Republican majority.
| Policy | Support | Neither | Oppose | Net Support |
| Removes background check requirements for firearm purchases if they take more than 3 days to complete. | 14 | 10 | 77 | -63 |
| Removes sales tax on private aircraft sales. | 10 | 23 | 66 | -56 |
| Bans independent citizen review boards for law enforcement. | 18 | 31 | 51 | -33 |
| Allows 16 and 17-year-olds to work unlimited and unrestricted hours. | 28 | 13 | 57 | -29 |
| Allows 16 and 17-year-olds to work in roofing, scaffolding, and in residential and nonresidential construction. | 31 | 18 | 51 | -20 |
| Restricts charitable organizations and some private businesses from enacting LGBTQ inclusive workplaces policies or trainings. | 33 | 21 | 46 | -13 |
However, progressive policy proposals on public education, gun safety reform, the environment, abortion care, and workers’ and renters’ rights receive strong support among Floridians polled in this survey.
| Policy | Support | Neither | Oppose | Net Support |
| Increases the minimum salary for full-time classroom teachers to $65,000. | 82 | 9 | 10 | +72 |
| Requires background checks on all persons involved in a firearm sale or other transfer. | 84 | 4 | 12 | +72 |
| Provides free school breakfast and lunch for all public school students. | 77 | 10 | 13 | +64 |
| Caps rent increases at 5% per year. | 72 | 15 | 12 | +60 |
| Requires firearm sales or transfers to be conducted by a licensed dealer. | 74 | 8 | 18 | +56 |
| Reestablishes a state Department of Labor to focus on workplace issues. | 68 | 20 | 12 | +56 |
| Sets state renewable energy goals. | 67 | 21 | 12 | +55 |
| Prevents patients from being criminally charged for accessing abortion care. | 69 | 14 | 18 | +51 |
| Requires landlords to provide air conditioning. | 66 | 20 | 15 | +51 |
| Prohibits oil and gas drilling on environmentally sensitive lands. | 67 | 14 | 19 | +48 |
“Floridians are overwhelmingly in support of protecting our environment, public safety, patients seeking abortion care, and the rights of workers and renters, but appear underwhelmed with key proposals being pushed by legislators in the majority in Tallahassee,” said Progress Florida Executive Director Mark Ferrulo. “This polling should serve as a wake up call to those setting the legislative priorities during session that it is time to step up and address the real issues that are impacting their constituents instead of the needs of corporate donors or the political ambitions of other elected officials.”
The full memo from the Hub’s Research Department can be seen below.
Date: December 15, 2023
To: Interested Parties
From: Annika Ramnath, Director of Research and Polling
Subject: New Statewide Polling
A new statewide poll from Florida Watch and Progress Florida, collectively known as the Florida Communications and Research Hub (Hub), weighted to reflect registered active and inactive voters (R+4), shows Governor DeSantis under water for the first time in both job approval and favorability. The Governor’s approval – now at 45% approve, 52% disapprove – reflects a 27-point net drop from the Hub’s polling in February, just weeks ahead of the 2023 legislative session. In terms of favorability, DeSantis has suffered a large decline following the official launch of his presidential bid, moving from +8 favorable in May to -5 unfavorable, currently. These shifts come in spite of new net voter registrations over the last year trending in favor of the Governor’s party.
The momentum against the Governor in his overall ratings is also reflected in his standing on key affordability issues in the state, namely when it comes to the cost of housing, where he has a net approval rating of -33 (29% approve / 62% disapprove). The cost of housing consistently ranks as a top issue among Floridians; in this survey, when respondents were asked to cite the top two causes of stress in their personal lives, the cost of everyday items (49%), the cost of property insurance (35%), and the cost of housing (31%) are their leading concerns. DeSantis has also lost considerable ground on making health care more affordable (-14 approve; -15 shift in net approval since May), improving the economy (+0 approve; -15 shift in net approval since May), and improving public safety (+1 approve; -16 shift in net approval since May), as shown in the graphs below.
For Floridians, their frustration with the Governor is reflected in their overall view of the direction of the state as a whole. The proportion of those expressing the state is headed on the wrong track statistically mirrors the Governor’s increasing disapproval rating.
Legislative Policies
Floridians largely oppose several policies that may be considered by the Florida Legislature in the 2024 legislative session.
| Policy | Support | Neither | Oppose | Net Support |
| Removes background check requirements for firearm purchases if they take more than 3 days to complete. | 14 | 10 | 77 | -63 |
| Removes sales tax on private aircraft sales. | 10 | 23 | 66 | -56 |
| Bans independent citizen review boards for law enforcement. | 18 | 31 | 51 | -33 |
| Allows 16 and 17-year-olds to work unlimited and unrestricted hours. | 28 | 13 | 57 | -29 |
| Allows 16 and 17-year-olds to work in roofing, scaffolding, and in residential and nonresidential construction. | 31 | 18 | 51 | -20 |
| Restricts charitable organizations and some private businesses from enacting LGBTQ inclusive workplaces policies or trainings. | 33 | 21 | 46 | -13 |
Floridians also show overwhelming support for several policies that may be considered by the Florida Legislature in the 2024 legislative session.
| Policy | Support | Neither | Oppose | Net Support |
| Increases the minimum salary for full-time classroom teachers to $65,000. | 82 | 9 | 10 | +72 |
| Requires background checks on all persons involved in a firearm sale or other transfer. | 84 | 4 | 12 | +72 |
| Provides free school breakfast and lunch for all public school students. | 77 | 10 | 13 | +64 |
| Caps rent increases at 5% per year. | 72 | 15 | 12 | +60 |
| Requires firearm sales or transfers to be conducted by a licensed dealer. | 74 | 8 | 18 | +56 |
| Reestablishes a state Department of Labor to focus on workplace issues. | 68 | 20 | 12 | +56 |
| Sets state renewable energy goals. | 67 | 21 | 12 | +55 |
| Prevents patients from being criminally charged for accessing abortion care. | 69 | 14 | 18 | +51 |
| Requires landlords to provide air conditioning. | 66 | 20 | 15 | +51 |
| Prohibits oil and gas drilling on environmentally sensitive lands. | 67 | 14 | 19 | +48 |
Methodology
Survey of 2,663 registered voters in Florida from December 1-12, 2023 with a margin of error of ±1.72% at 95% confidence. Results have been weighted to reflect registered voters in Florida by gender, race, age, geography, and party registration (37% Republican / 33% Democrat / 30% NPA).
References to May polling reflect a survey of 2,713 registered voters in Florida from April 26-May 3, 2023 with a margin of error of ±1.85% at 95% confidence, weighted to reflect party registration at that time (37% Republican / 34% Democrat / 28% NPA).
References to February polling reflect a survey of 2,024 registered voters in Florida from February 6-14, 2023 with a margin of error of ±2.14% at 95% confidence, weighted to reflect party registration at that time (38% Republican / 35% Democrat / 28% NPA).
Some numbers may not add up to 100 due to rounding.