Here comes another special session.
Florida House and Senate leaders announced Thursday that they have agreed to spend about $52 billion in general revenue dollars in the next fiscal year on the state’s priorities, finally clearing the way for the Legislature to do the one thing it’s annually required to do: Pass a budget.
The Republicans who control the Legislature have been at odds over state spending for weeks now and were unable to pass a budget during their regular session that ended in March. It marked the second year in a row that GOP leaders were unable to resolve their differences on time.
Legislators will now return to Tallahassee May 12-29 for an 18-day special session dedicated to crafting the fiscal year 2026-27 budget to guide spending from July 1 through June 30, 2027.
This will mark the second special session of the year. Lawmakers already are scheduled to come back next week for a special session dedicated to redistricting, artificial intelligence, and vaccines.
The announced agreement calls for legislators to set aside $22.8 billion in state dollars for both K-12 and higher education, more than any other section of the budget, followed by $19.2 billion for health and human services.
Combined, those areas account for slightly more than $40.2 billion, or more than 77% of the state funds the leadership has agreed to spend.
The announcement did not include the overall dollar amount for the FY 2026-27 budget, only the general revenue allocations. That’s Florida’s main budget account that comes from sales taxes, corporate income taxes, and other sources.
The overall amount for the budget goes beyond state general revenue funds and includes federal funds. More than 54% of the $114.8 billion FY 25-26 budget comes from federal trust funds.
The agreed-to $52 billion in general revenue spending exceeds the near $50.6 billion in general revenue spending in the current year’s budget.
Nevertheless, in written statements both House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, and Senate President Ben Abritton, R-Wauchula, stressed that the spending agreement will yield a smaller budget for the coming year than the current year.
“I am pleased to announce that, for the second consecutive year, our budget will reduce overall government spending while responsibly directing taxpayer dollars toward essential priorities,” Perez told members in a memo.
Albritton told his members, “As with the budget passed off the Senate Floor, our final budget will be lower than Florida’s state budget for the current fiscal year, facilitating long-term financial stability and continuing our focus on keeping taxes low, paying down debt and saving for the future.”
Reducing state spending has been a priority for Perez, who throughout the regular session voiced concerns about a turning economy.
He based that sentiment in part on a three-year outlook drawn by state economists. The outlook — last updated in September — doesn’t predict the overall funding levels of future state budgets; it provides a baseline to help the Legislature plan for the state’s coming financial needs.
But the most recent outlook projected a $3.7 billion surplus for FY 25-26, the current year, but then deficits for FY 2026-27 and 2027-28.
The projected deficit for FY 26-27, the budget lawmakers will work on next month, is more than $1.5 billion and soars to nearly $6.6 billion in FY 27-28.
Meanwhile, legislators won’t start from Ground Zero when they return to Tallahassee. Perez’s memo to his members makes clear that the chambers will use the proposed spending plans offered during the regular session as a starting point.
The House passed a proposed $113.6 billion budget whereas the Senate passed a $115 billion spending plan.
Albritton and Perez agreed to an 18-day special session but most members of the Legislature will be at work for just three days before returning to their districts.
The schedule released shows that committee negotiations will take place May 12-15. Any outstanding differences that haven’t been resolved by budget spending committees by then will be “bumped” to Senate Appropriations Chairman Sen. Ed Hooper and House budget chief McClure, along with Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton, R- Wauchula, to resolve.
“Senators should plan to return to Tallahassee the week after Memorial Day to vote on the conference report,” Albritton said.
This is the second time in as many years that the Republican-led Legislature has not passed a budget during the regular 60-day session. When lawmakers can’t complete their work on time and are required to hold special session, it increases costs for taxpayers.
Last year’s extended session on spending and tax relief cost slightly more than $259,000, according to figures compiled by the Office of Legislative Services and obtained by the Phoenix.
That’s the second highest total associated with a special or extended session since 2018. A special session in May 2021 to ratify a gambling deal with the Seminole Tribe cost more than $131,000.