Florida Banking December 2021 | January 2022

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

ODDS, ENDS, BUDGET AND REDISTRICTING

BY ANTHONY DIMARCO, FBA EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

F irst, some odds and ends that will shine a light on redistricting, the state’s budget, and other issues. I want to thank the Florida Chamber for this information. Did you know that Florida is the 15th largest economy in the world with a $1.15 trillion GDP? If Florida was a country, its GDP would be right behind Australia and Spain and just ahead of Mexico, Indonesia and the Netherlands. This growth will lead to a natural increase in tax revenue for the legislature to appropriate. There should also be dollars

citizenry. Today there are just under 24,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans. The total active registered voters are just over 14 million voters. The Democrats lead with 35.94 percent of these registered voters, followed closely behind by 35.77 percent Republicans and 28.29 percent for the NPAs, i.e., independents, other parties, etc. The interesting number to watch is the growth of the NPAs. This past August there were more than 57,000 newly registered voters. The NPAs led the pack with 42 percent to the Republicans’ 36

percent, and the Democrats’ 22 percent. There are some counties in Florida that have more NPAs than one of the major parties. This is an interesting phenomenon that will have an impact on Florida’s closed primary elections. Whether this trend continues is something to watch. Redistricting: Where Population Meets Politics The Florida Constitution requires the Legislature to redistrict the state two years after the decennial census, that is 2022. Redistricting is a major, all-encompassing initiative that the Legislature undertakes. Florida gained one congressional seat in the last census. Where will the

left unspent from the federal stimulus packages that will add to the amount to be appropriated. Moreover, as Governor DeSantis has opened (and kept open) our state, the economy has improved and grown. All of these will lead to an expected increase in the state’s budget by the end of the 2022 Session. Additionally, more than 800 people are moving to Florida every day. In turn, this has increased Florida’s population by 14.6 percent since 2010, while the country’s population rose by 6.7 percent. Florida’s growth ranked eighth in the country. As for the raw numbers, the counties you would expect led the pack — Orange, Hillsborough, Miami

“ AS POPULATION CHANGES, SO DOES VOTER REGISTRATION;

FLORIDA USED TO BE A VERY DEMOCRATIC REGISTERED CITIZENRY. TODAY THERE ARE JUST UNDER 24,000 MORE REGISTERED DEMOCRATS THAN REPUBLICANS. ”

Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach. However, in terms of percentage growth, the top five were Osceola, St. Johns, Sumter, Walton, and Lake. However, 17 counties have experienced a reduction in population. As population changes, so does voter registration; Florida used to be a very Democratic registered

Legislature draw it? How will this affect the district lines and make up for the current 27 congressional districts? Much like a stone thrown into a pond, the ripples will be felt across the entire state. Furthermore, the Legislature must draw new district maps for all 120 House members and 40

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