You know it's a big deal when Bruce Kyle shows up for a meeting.

Kyle, a member of the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, has missed a majority of the full meetings, contributing to an overall poor attendance record for the all-important, 25-member panel. But with a critical day on property tax proposals, there is a full house. In the saddle for the first time is Richard Corcoran, the former top aide to House Speaker Marco Rubio. Corcoran replaced Alan Levine, who resigned due to work in Louisiana.

"It's a clear indication of the importance of this issue," John McKay said at the outset of remarks. The TBRC is still debating McKay's plan to replace school property taxes with other revenue sources, including a 1 cent sales tax increase. Supporters in the audience cheered when an amendment was adopted to reduce the school millage rate to 5 mills from 10 mills.

McKay's plan once seemed certain to fail, but there is a growing sense it could pass in amended form. "We're very close to historic property tax reform," Rubio told reporters as he briefly left the meeting.