Property taxes, guns, education & more: Here’s what happened to 10 key issues in the 2026 Florida legislative session
Florida lawmakers failed to agree on a $114.8 billion budget, with House seeking lower spending and Senate preferring higher, delaying final approval until mid-April.
- Last Friday, the Florida Legislature adjourned without a budget, and House Speaker Daniel Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton agreed to return in mid‑April to finish the spending plan while about 235 measures await action by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
- Because leaders could not agree on toplines, House Speaker Daniel Perez pushed for spending below the current $114.8 billion plan while the House passed $113.6 billion and the Senate preferred $115 billion, leaving a $1.4 billion difference.
- Several high-profile DeSantis priorities, including the Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights, stalled in the House, while about 185 general bills passed both chambers.
- DeSantis called a special session the week of April 20, and Secretary of State Cord Byrd moved congressional qualifying to the week of June 8, with unresolved budget issues potentially affecting rural funding, health care, education, and transportation.
- The session, which began with a public handshake snub, ended "with a whimper," highlighting GOP supermajority clashes while Democrats criticized affordability concerns and redistricting stakes for the 2026 midterm elections.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Legislative session ends with unfinished business, including budget
(The Center Square) – Florida’s legislative session ended with several notable pieces of legislation passing both chambers, but unfinished business with the budget and no property tax relief proposal means
Florida session ends without property tax plan — special session may decide issue
Florida lawmakers wrapped up their legislative session last week without delivering one of the years biggest promises: a plan to cut property taxes and place it on the November ballot.For months, leaders in Tallahassee had talked about letting voters decide whether to reduce property taxes through a constitutional amendment a change that would require 60% approval from voters statewide. But when lawmakers adjourned, no final proposal had made it…
Property taxes, guns, education & more: Here’s what happened to 10 key issues in the 2026 Florida legislative session
Florida lawmakers put forward just under 2,000 bills and resolutions as they entered the 2026 legislative session. They returned home on Friday, having agreed to about 235 measures that await action from Gov. Ron DeSantis. Here is what became of 10 key issues.
Another Pass-Fail Session of the Florida Legislature: Here's What Happened To Ten Key Issues
Significant gridlock between the Florida House and Senate left the state budget, property tax reform, and education voucher fixes unfinished. Legislators plan to reconvene in April to resolve fiscal disputes. Key successes included utility data center regulations and expanding armed campus security. Most high-profile proposals regarding medical malpractice and artificial intelligence rights failed to advance. The post Another Pass-Fail Session o…
Here's what happened to ten key Florida Legislative session issues
Jim Turner and Ana Goñi-Lessan ©2026 The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Florida lawmakers put forward just under 2,000 bills and resolutions as they entered the 2026 legislative session. They returned home on Friday having agreed to about 235 measures that await action from Gov. Ron DeSantis. Here is what became of 10 key issues: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE DeSantis’ priorities included creating an “Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights” and…
Sine Die 2026: Legislators End Session, But Have Unfinished Business
By Gray Rohrer, Jim Turner, Ana Goñi-Lessan, The News Service of Florida The legislative session that began with a handshake snub ended Friday with a whimper, without a budget and without the traditional hanky drop ceremony. Despite the GOP’s supermajority and Gov. Ron DeSantis’ push for aggressive conservative bills, House and Senate leaders clashed over several issues and haven’t entered formal budget negotiations. House Speaker Daniel Perez, …
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