As lawmakers return to the capitol to tie up loose ends, many tax-minded Floridians may wonder what the emergency session means for them.
There are no finite figures on the cost of this special session, but Sal Nuzzo, Vice President of Policy for the free-market-based James Madison Institute, says the cost to taxpayers in previous special sessions has usually been a six-figure number. However, he encourages taxpayers to try and see the bigger picture: not settling on a statewide budget would cost Florida billions.
“When you look at the alternatives, and the fact that they’re dealing with things in the eight and nine and ten figure range, we’re talking about a very robust amount of money,” Nuzzo says.
Nuzzo predicts the daily cost of special session could be anywhere between $50,000 and $75,000, but those numbers can vary. He says settling on a budget is the only item of business legislators are constitutionally required to do.
