TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — For the first time in a decade, Florida lawmakers could leave the Capitol without fulfilling their most fundamental duty: passing a state budget.
As the 60th and final scheduled day of the legislative session came and went Friday, the usual ceremonial drop of handkerchiefs marking the end of session was nowhere to be seen. Instead, budget negotiations remain deadlocked, with both the House and Senate reportedly billions of dollars apart.
The last time Florida lawmakers failed to pass a budget during regular session was in April 2015, when the House abruptly adjourned without agreement, primarily over a contentious debate about Medicaid expansion.
“This is your only option, you feel?” then-Speaker Rep. Steve Crisafulli was asked.
“It’s the right thing for us to do. We’ve made every effort we can to negotiate with the Senate on a budget…” Crisafulli responded.
Now, nearly 10 years to the day, the legislature again stands on the brink of session’s end without a finalized budget. At the heart of the standoff is a proposal from House Speaker Danny Perez to implement a permanent $5 billion sales tax cut — an idea the Senate has resisted, offering a more moderate plan.
“I know that many of you are anxious for news; however, I don't want to make any formal updates until we have all the necessary pieces worked out, and we are currently working on them,” Perez said. “What I can say is this: I remain hopeful…”
Friday morning offered little in the way of answers. With the clock expired on the session, lawmakers now must decide whether to extend the session or reconvene for a special session in the coming weeks.
State
'SEINFELD SESSION'? Lawmakers struggle to pass budget as session nears end
“I don’t know what to say, honestly. I’m just trying to understand what’s next...” said Rep. Ashley Gantt, a Democrat from Miami.
Democrats argue the Republican supermajorities in both chambers are responsible for the breakdown, citing unmet legislative priorities.
“This is a very unprecedented legislative session I've never seen in my tenure,” said Rep. Anna Eskamani, a Democrat from Orlando. “This type of tension between both chambers. It's not really a celebratory moment, and I get that because there's a lot of work that we haven't done for our constituents that we need to be realistic with.”
Some Republicans, however, remained unfazed, describing the standoff as a normal part of the legislative process.
“It’s not the end of the world,” said former Senate President Don Gaetz. “My hope is that in the intervening time between now and the time we would come back that there'd be folks in the Senate and folks from the House who would lock themselves in a windowless room with warm beer and cold pizza and come up with a solution.”
A solution must be found before July 1, when the new fiscal year begins. Until then, the state’s only constitutionally required legislative duty remains unfinished.
Lawmakers are expected to return home for the next week before reconvening at a yet-unscheduled date. Could be May. Could be June. It just has to be before July.
