With U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Boca Raton, resigning in January, state Sen. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, has announced he’ll run in the special election to replace Wexler. That has state Rep. Maria Sachs and others eyeing Deutch’s Senate seat — which will only be open if Deutch wins the congressional race.

Read about it in this week’s Politics column…..

Business owners and part-time residents would have their annual property assessments capped at 5 percent under a constitutional amendment unanimously approved this morning by the Florida House. If the Senate agrees, the measure would be placed on the 2010 ballot.

The measure (HJR 7057) would reduce the current assessment cap of 10-percent for non-homestead properties. Assessments for homesteads, which are primary dwellings for full-time Florida residents, are capped at 3 percent annually.

Debate on the bill led to an interesting moment on the floor, which showed how self-conscious lawmakers are about property tax votes.

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