Florida drivers could see their vehicle registration fees drop under a bill that passed a state Senate committee today. The proposed decrease is half the amount Gov. Rick Scott wants to cut as part of his election-year call to reduce taxes.
The bill would save the average car owner $12 every year, with additional savings for mobile home owners and others. It sailed through the Senate Transportation Appropriations Committee unanimously, and without debate.
Its sponsor, Sen. Joe Negron (R-Stuart), acknowledged it’s up to full Legislature to reconcile his plan with Scott’s, which calls for more than doubling the savings to $25 a person.
“And so we can sort that out during the upcoming session," he said. "But what we can promise people is that the fee decrease will be large and it’ll be something that they’ll feel."
Negron’s bill reverts most vehicle registration fees to where they were before a 2009 budget shortfall. Legislative staff predict the state will lose nearly 237 million dollars in yearly revenue, but Negron says Florida expects a surplus and can afford to give back to the people.