Nick DiCeglie discusses ‘incredible victories’ in 2023 session

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – Sen. Nick DiCeglie, R-St. Petersburg, spoke with Florida’s Voice following the 2023 Legislative Session to talk about his wins, along with a controversial bill that may pop back up in the future.

This was DiCeglie’s fifth legislative session after previously serving in the Florida House of Representatives since 2018.

Watch the full interview here or scroll down to the bottom of this report.

“The amount of work that we did was extraordinary. We had some some incredible victories this legislative session. We have a lot to lot to be proud of,” DiCeglie said.

DiCeglie chaired the Senate Transportation Committee and carried a number of bills. As the state grows, he said transportation and infrastructure needs are “incredibly important.”

His transportation package provides assistance for the Florida Department of Transportation’s contractors and subcontractors, and outlines other legislative proposals.

“The funding of the $4 billion going towards this initiative to get these projects kind of moved up in the five year plan list, I think is gonna go a long, long way, making sure that this state continues to support the growth that we’re going through,” DiCeglie said.

“It doesn’t make the headlines, but we all feel it – every time we go to work, every time we travel to this central part of the state, I-4 corridor, we’ve got some issues there. This legislation is going to go a long way in tackling some of those challenges that we face,” he explained.

He also carried legislation that designated over 20 honorary roadways and bridge memorials, including the “Deputy Michael Hartwick Highway” and “Rush Limbaugh Way.”

“Deputy Hartwick was tragically killed in Pinellas County on 275 in 2022. So that was my priority,” he said.

He said the dozens of honorees after Deputy Hartwick are people that were important to his colleagues.

Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, brought forward the late Rush Limbaugh as an honoree. Limbaugh was a conservative radio host and author who died of lung cancer on Feb. 17, 2021.

“Yes, a controversial figure. But he was someone, for over 30 years, was able to articulate our conservative values, our conservative principles on the radio, and he was one of the first folks to do that,” DiCeglie said.

DiCeglie carried another bill that would allow tenants an option to pay a fee in lieu of a security deposit.

“It’s only an option for landlords to – if they choose – to give them the option to pay a fee, which which averages to about $25 a month for a $1,500 a month rent. That’s $3,000 in the pocket of Floridians, and they can get out of that contract whenever they want,” DiCeglie explained.

He said some people argue this legislation “doesn’t go far enough” to address the affordable housing issue.

“My response to that is, we’re not trying to address the affordable housing issue, we’re trying to create options for the consumer, and that activity is currently being done right now, there is no oversight. There’s nothing that speaks to that and Florida statute,” DiCeglie said.

He said they will create regulatory framework and some guidelines to make sure they’re “doing it the right way.”

Another achievement includes DiCeglie securing over $9 millions dollars in funding for his community.

On top of bills he sponsored, DiCeglie played a key role in securing a total of $26.4 million in appropriations for his district.

These projects will provide critical funding for University of South Florida at St. Petersburg ($24 million), the Holocaust Museum, YMCA, Restoration of the Weedon Island Salt Marshes, and workforce development in high school.

DiCeglie said he ran the vacation rental bill, which he said was “very controversial” and ended up dying in the session. He said the goal was to give local governments some additional tools to deal with “bad actors.”

“There are some private property rights at issue here – that I take very seriously. This is a constitutional right, our property rights. I think if the legislature doesn’t act accordingly, and in a balanced manner, I think that many local governments are going to take this issue too far and while they might appease their local constituents, I think the irresponsibility of that is that it’s going to invite lawsuits,” DiCeglie said.

The House amended the bill and “stripped out some of these additional tools for local governments” and the Senate did not concur, according to DiCeglie.

DiCeglie said there’s been so much “misinformation” on that bill throughout the entire legislative session.

“We’re trying to find a balance here because vacation rentals are not going anywhere. It’s something that I believe we have to get right,” DiCeglie said.

“Sometimes you can legislate things, sometimes you can’t. We’ll see if we can tackle it again next year, but my concern is that local governments are going to push the envelope too far when it comes to the regulation of these properties,” DiCeglie said.

DiCeglie represents around 550,000 people in Pinellas County. He won his 2022 race by double digits.