Budget

Legislative leaders have not reached agreement on key initial budget details, as lawmakers prepare to return to the Capitol to hammer out a spending plan for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, which will begin July 1. The House and Senate did not pass a budget before Friday’s scheduled end of the annual legislative session, requiring an extension.

The School Board of Lee County has voted to change the job descriptions of several key positions. The action begins a restructuring of some district operations. The decision came despite opposition from some members of the public, district employees and one member of the board.The board also voted to implement the Safe Start Initiative, which would change school start times district-wide for the 2025-2026 school year. The initiative passed with a 7-0 vote.

Gov. Ron DeSantis late Sunday proposed a $115.6 billion budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year that calls for increasing pay for state law-enforcement officers and firefighters, eliminating a commercial-lease tax and holding a new sales-tax “holiday” on guns and ammunition.The proposal is an initial step as lawmakers prepare to negotiate a final budget during the regular legislative session, which will start March 4. It also was released as DeSantis quarrels with House and Senate leaders over an immigration bill that lawmakers passed during a special session last week.

State economists on Wednesday increased general-revenue projections by a total of about $2 billion for the current fiscal year and next year, giving a boost to lawmakers as they start preparing to draw up a budget during the 2025 legislative session.A panel of economists known as the Revenue Estimating Conference said about half of the projected increase is tied to anticipated earnings on historically high state investments receiving favorable interest rates.

Among the budget spending vetoed by DeSantis was $11.6 million for renovations to Florida Gulf Coast University’s Reed Hall classroom building.Also among the vetoes was $80 million for the Florida College System to participate in the state group insurance program, which provides health insurance to state workers.Among big-ticket items approved by the governor, the budget includes $14.5 billion for the state transportation work program and $232 million for cancer-research funding, including $127.5 million for the Casey DeSantis Cancer Research Program.Also included in the state budget is $15.547 million for Fort Myers Beach for a new Town Hall site and revenue replacement.

“The Everglades has not seen this type of funding at these levels, ever,” said Eric Eikenberg, chief executive of the Everglades Foundation. Eikenberg said that billion-dollar-plus annual funding will now be needed to get the job done

Florida’s 60-day legislative session is expected to end on time Friday after the release Tuesday of a $117.46 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year.House Speaker Paul Renner announced at 11:49 a.m. Tuesday that the spending plan was “on the desk,” after House and Senate budget leaders finished negotiations Monday.

Governor Ron DeSantis, just a week from suspending his 2024 Presidential campaign, announced an effort Monday to bring constitutional reforms to the U.S. Congress.DeSantis made the announcement in Naples along with Florida House Speaker Paul Renner.

DeSantis has earmarked $30 million to pay for efforts to reduce blue-green algae in Caloosahatchee River and increase water quality

Disaster-recovery projects in Florida and other states could be affected by the looming federal-government shutdown, the White House said Thursday.