TALLAHASSEE, FL — After 18 days of negotiations, Florida lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a $114.5 billion state budget during their Friday afternoon final vote on the matter, according to reports.
The late-arriving budget was expected more than two months ago, forcing the Florida Legislature to convene for a special session starting March 12 after negotiations stalled during the regular legislative session.
The Senate voted unanimously to approve the budget, which goes into effect for the 2026-2027 fiscal year starting July 1, while the House of Representatives passed it in a 99 to 6 vote.
Lawmakers return to Tallahassee Monday for a special session on property taxes.
The House and Senate reached their final budget deal late Sunday night. Several issues held up the special session negotiations, including whether the state should transfer control of the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus to New College of Florida, a state school voucher program, funding for First Lady Casey DeSantis’ Cancer Innovation Fund and Everglades restoration projects, WUSF reported.
Some Democrats were also critical of a $300 million tax cut package for predominantly benefiting special interest groups and not including the suspension of the state’s gas taxes, Florida Phoenix reported.
Ultimately, the House, which supported a $113.6-billion budget, and the Senate, proposing more than $115 billion in spending, came to a compromise on the budget approved on Friday.
The budget reduces overall spending by $365.3 million compared to the current fiscal year and maintains more than $14 billion in reserves, a House news release said.
“Floridians expect their government to spend responsibly and prioritize the issues that matter most to families across our state,” House Speaker Daniel Perez said in a statement. “For the second year in a row, the Florida House has led the charge in passing a budget that reduces spending while continuing to invest in public safety, education, environmental protection, health care, and infrastructure. We’ve maintained strong reserves, protected taxpayers, and ensured Florida remains in a strong financial position for the future.”
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