State Rep. Chris Dorworth, R-Lake Mary, received a big check from special-interest groups working to get his constitutional amendment passed.
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
Florida real estate agents are not only shelling out big money for a campaign pushing Amendment 4 — they are also giving big money to its sponsor, state Rep. Chris Dorworth.
Amendment 4, if passed, would cap the assessed values of homes and lower property taxes for investors, businesses, and owners of rental properties and second homes. The ballot measure will also increase the number of people eligible for homestead exemptions by including anyone that hasn’t had an exemption in the past three years.
Local government officials such as city and county managers have railed against the measure, arguing that Amendment 4 would shift costs to full-time residents in Florida as well as strain local government services.
However, the campaign to pass Amendment 4 has raised more money than any other ballot measure campaign, which is striking considering that this year’s ballot includes controversial amendments regarding abortion and religious freedom. Amendment 4 campaign has been funded exclusively by real estate agents, who have shelled out more than $4 million to push for the ballot measure.
Now it seems that Florida real estate agents are also handing over big checks to Dorworth’s powerful and flush political campaign.
A new political group paying for television ads promoting future Republican House Speaker Chris Dorworth has picked up another pair of five-figure checks: $50,000 from the Florida Realtors and $25,000 from a fund controlled by outgoing Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park …
Dorworth, R-Lake Mary, and the Florida Realtors have worked very closely together in the Legislature. Dorworth was the sponsor of Amendment 4 on this year’s ballot, which would grant big property-tax cuts immediately to first-time home buyers and over time to commercial and non-homestead residential property owners. The Realtors, who hope the measure will spur more home sales on which they’ll earn commissions, are spending millions of dollars to persuade voters to support the amendment.
The Enterprise Foundation, which Dorworth is raising money for, is has paid for more than $82,000 worth of advertising for Dorworth so far this month, according to Bright House Networks records. That’s in addition to about $34,000 of ads Dorworth bought in September on the cable operator through his own re-election campaign.
Dorworth has recently run into tough financial times as a property investor. However, his amendment, if passed, is expected to improve the real estate market, and likely his own investments.
In Florida, there are no laws prohibiting state lawmakers from writing legislation that will benefit them financially.