TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida lawmakers have finalized a roughly $114.5 billion state budget, setting up a final vote Friday after negotiations again stretched beyond the regular legislative session.
The spending plan is about $500 million smaller than the current year's $115.1 billion budget. Republican leaders are pitching it as a restrained, balanced proposal that keeps state spending in check while investing in schools, health care, public safety, infrastructure, Everglades restoration, water projects and citrus recovery.
WATCH BELOW: Florida lawmakers finalize $114.5B budget
Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, said in a statement that the budget reflects an effort to limit spending while preserving state reserves.
"We are holding the line on spending, living within our means and striking the right balance between spending and saving," Albritton said.
The proposal includes record K-12 funding, teacher pay money focused partly on veteran educators, major transportation spending and tax breaks tied to hurricane home-hardening. It also includes a hunting, fishing and camping sales-tax holiday that covers some firearms, ammunition and accessories, including silencers.
But Democrats say the deal falls short of meeting the state's affordability challenges.
"It is unacceptable that this is the second year in a row, where Republicans failed to deliver a timely, transparent, balanced budget that addresses the affordability crisis that so many Floridians are facing," House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, said Tuesday.
Democrats have criticized the budget for not including a broad gas-tax suspension, sweeping property-insurance relief or stronger housing assistance. The deal also does not include across-the-board raises for state workers or post-term security funding for Gov. Ron DeSantis’ family.
"Floridians, most in need, have not seen relief from this legislature, and they won’t find it in this budget," state Rep. Kelly Skidmore, D-Delray Beach, said.
The House and Senate finished the budget Tuesday, triggering the constitutionally required 72-hour cooling-off period before lawmakers can vote. That puts the final vote on track for Friday.
The budget is expected to pass both chambers before heading to DeSantis, who has line-item veto power and can strike individual projects from the spending plan.
DeSantis has already signaled he will take lawmakers’ support for his agenda into account when reviewing local spending items.
