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Issue record

Costs and taxes

In short

Beltran's campaign would cut what he calls wasteful spending and points to Florida tax holidays. Castor's campaign says she will keep family costs in check; Lambert's backs a balanced budget, lower taxes and a simpler tax system. On the record, Beltran voted for Florida's 2022, 2023 and 2024 tax packages, which carried gas and sales tax holidays. They passed with no votes against, and he sponsored none of them.

Campaign positions

What each campaign says.

Mike Beltran

Would cut the wasteful spending he says drives prices up. He points to tax holidays on gas and everyday purchases, and what he calls the largest tax cut in Florida history.

Kathy Castor

Says she will keep costs for families in check and keep health care and energy affordable.

Brian Lambert

Wants a balanced budget, lower taxes, a simpler tax system and an end to what he calls reckless spending.

Evidence timeline

What the record shows.

  1. official action

    Mike Beltran: Matches stated direction

    He backed the unanimous 2022-2024 state tax packages with gas/sales tax holidays, without sponsoring them. Whether 2023's was the largest cut was not tested.

    Read the full check

    Full detail

    His campaign says he helped deliver the largest tax cut in Florida history, and tax holidays on gas and everyday purchases. He voted Y on all three yearly tax packages of his last three years. The 2022 package, passed 107-0, created a one-month gas tax holiday for October 2022. The 2023 package, passed 112-0, carried sales tax holidays and a first-year cost of $1.16 billion. The 2024 package passed 110-0, and it includes word for word a change from his own 2024 tax bill: voters must approve the county indigent care surtax. Limit: He was not the sponsor of the three packages, which passed with no votes against, and his own tax bill died in committee. Whether 2023's was the largest tax cut in state history is not tested here.

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Sources16 source records

How we use sources

  1. Mike Beltran for Congress, platformhttps://beltranforcongress.com/platform

    Mike Beltran for Congress · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Captured 2026-10-01. Thirteen headings, from health care and taxes to guns, abortion and elections.

    candidate statement

    For: Mike Beltran: campaign position; Mike Beltran: Matches stated direction

  2. Castor for Congress, about Kathyhttps://castorforcongress.com/about/

    Castor for Congress · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Captured 2026-10-01. Her biography and the record she claims: the infrastructure law, children's health bills, veterans and a military pay raise.

    candidate statement

    For: Kathy Castor: campaign position

  3. Brian Lambert for Congress, fiscal responsibilityhttps://www.brianlambertforcongress.com/issues/fiscal-responsibility

    Brian Lambert for Congress · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Captured 2026-10-01.

    candidate statement

    For: Brian Lambert: campaign position

  4. Brian Lambert for Congress, economy and small businesshttps://www.brianlambertforcongress.com/issues/economy-small-business

    Brian Lambert for Congress · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Captured 2026-10-01.

    candidate statement

    For: Brian Lambert: campaign position

  5. Mike Beltran for Congress, abouthttps://beltranforcongress.com/about

    Mike Beltran for Congress · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Captured 2026-10-01. His biography and the record he claims from six years in the Florida House.

    candidate statement

    For: Mike Beltran: Matches stated direction

  6. House vote, CS/HB 7071 conference report, March 14, 2022 (document)

    Florida House of Representatives · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Passed 107-0. Beltran voted Y.

    official legislative record

    For: Mike Beltran: Matches stated direction

  7. CS/HB 7071 (2022), Taxationhttps://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/7071

    The Florida Senate · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Became chapter 2022-97. Section 47, the Florida Motor Fuel Tax Relief Act of 2022, cut fuel taxes from October 1 to October 31, 2022. The staff analysis puts the bill's 2022-23 impact at -$804.3 million.

    official legislative record

    For: Mike Beltran: Matches stated direction

  8. CS/HB 7071 (2022), House staff final bill analysis (document)

    Florida House of Representatives · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Says the bill "creates a one-month gas tax holiday in October" and puts its 2022-23 impact at -$804.3 million.

    official legislative record

    For: Mike Beltran: Matches stated direction

  9. House vote, HB 7063 final passage, May 5, 2023 (document)

    Florida House of Representatives · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Passed 112-0. Beltran voted Y. He also voted Y on the first House passage, 114-0, on April 27, 2023.

    official legislative record

    For: Mike Beltran: Matches stated direction

  10. HB 7063 (2023), Taxationhttps://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/7063

    The Florida Senate · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Became chapter 2023-157. House sponsor: Ways & Means Committee, Rep. McClain. The staff's final analysis puts its 2023-24 impact at -$1,161.1 million.

    official legislative record

    For: Mike Beltran: Matches stated direction

  11. HB 7063 (2023), House staff final bill analysis (document)

    Florida House of Representatives · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Lists sales tax holidays and exemptions and puts the 2023-24 impact at -$1,161.1 million.

    official legislative record

    For: Mike Beltran: Matches stated direction

  12. House vote, CS/HB 7073 final passage, March 8, 2024 (document)

    Florida House of Representatives · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Passed 110-0. Beltran voted Y.

    official legislative record

    For: Mike Beltran: Matches stated direction

  13. CS/HB 7073 (2024), Taxationhttps://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2024/7073

    The Florida Senate · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Became chapter 2024-158.

    official legislative record

    For: Mike Beltran: Matches stated direction

  14. HB 1481 (2024), Taxes, Licenses, and Feeshttps://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2024/1481

    The Florida Senate · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Filed by Rep. Beltran, with Rep. Garcia as co-introducer. Died in the Ways & Means Committee; the page marks CS/HB 7073 (chapter 2024-158) as the companion that passed.

    official legislative record

    For: Mike Beltran: Matches stated direction

  15. HB 1481 (2024), bill text as filedhttps://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2024/1481/BillText/Filed/PDF

    Florida House of Representatives · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Section 1 amends s. 212.055(4)(a). Read from the page image (page 6): it strikes "either approved by an extraordinary vote of the governing body or" and "If the ordinance is conditioned on a referendum,", so the indigent care and trauma center surtax needs a referendum.

    official legislative record

    For: Mike Beltran: Matches stated direction

  16. CS/HB 7073 (2024), enrolled texthttps://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2024/7073/BillText/er/PDF

    Florida House of Representatives · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Section 30 amends s. 212.055(4)(a). Read from the page image (page 79): it strikes the same two passages as HB 1481 section 1, word for word, and also deletes the limit to counties whose government is not consolidated with a city.

    official legislative record

    For: Mike Beltran: Matches stated direction