TALAHASSEE, Fla — As Florida’s legislative session nears its end, the state finds itself in a chaotic situation, with lawmakers unable to agree on a tax cut package. With only seven days remaining on the regular session clock, a major impasse persists, and it’s unclear when the session will conclude.
The key issue is the state’s budget, but more specifically, the debate centers around tax cuts: what to cut, how much to cut, and for how long.
“We just have a philosophical difference on how to approach it… that really is it,” said Florida Senate President Ben Albritton (R-Bartow), Thursday.
That’s as House Speaker Danny Perez (R-Miami) told reporters, “I don’t believe that the way that we see the world is the same way that President Albritton sees the world.”
For Floridians, the ongoing negotiations mean that this year’s session is likely to extend into overtime as lawmakers attempt to reach a consensus.
Rep. Lawrence McClure (R-Plant City), the House Budget Chair, said he was seeing progress, but lawmakers will likely need to wait until next week for more updates.
“We sent a good faith offer over to the Senate after the Speaker’s message to us yesterday,” McClure said, Friday. “We expect to get an offer back from the Senate tonight… I think we're getting to a place here where we can hopefully start to see the end.”
The announcement came after the House moved forward with its tax plan, despite the back-and-forth. House Speaker Perez’s proposal calls for permanently cutting Florida’s 6% sales tax rate by 0.75%, a move that would provide an immediate annual savings of $5 billion without requiring voter approval.
“When you go home, you can go tell everybody — we were trying to bring you, we wanted to bring you tax relief today,” said Representative Randy Maggard (R-Zephyrhills).
However, the idea has raised concerns. Some Democrats expressed concern about a provision that would allow counties to reroute money currently designated for tourism promotion, requiring it to be used to offset property taxes.
“We don’t know what our economic outlook is going to be even a year from now. The state’s revenue estimating conference shows we do have to make some changes. But— by undermining tourism I would submit to you we would be undermining our very economy,” said Rep. Fentrice Driskell (D-Tampa), the House Minority Leader.
The economy remains a key issue behind the tax debate. Senate President Albritton is cautious about making significant, permanent cuts, fearing that lawmakers may later have to reverse course if the state faces financial difficulties.
“At the end of the day— I’m just not comfortable with a proposal that I believe will likely lead to shortfalls— if not, substantial shortfalls in the years to come,” Albritton said.
The Senate’s latest proposal includes $1.3 billion in recurring tax cuts, most of which would come from eliminating the sales tax on clothing and shoes priced at $75 or less. Additionally, it proposes $1.5 billion in one-time cuts, along with a promise to study the possibility of eliminating property taxes for the 2026 ballot.
Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has repeatedly pushed for property tax reductions over sales tax cuts. He’s pitched a $5 billion property tax rebate program for homesteaded Floridians.
“I don't know why you would want to relieve the burden on Brazilians who come to Disney and stay for and spend all this money. I want the government funded by our non-residents as much as possible. I want to relieve burdens on Floridians and give the burdens to them,” DeSantis said earlier this month.
Supporters of the governor were at the Capitol on Friday to advocate for his tax plan. They have suggested that the debate over tax cuts is a politically charged issue.
Dr. Joel Rudman, a former state representative, said, “We’re seeing this open revolt… and it’s not just going after—not just the governor—but anyone who affiliates with the governor.”
With time running out, it remains unclear how the conflict will be resolved. Both House and Senate leaders have expressed confidence that an agreement will eventually be reached, but what it will look like is unknown. Lawmakers will need a new budget by July 1st at the latest. That’s when the current fiscal year ends.
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