Budget

One of the more-contentious legislative sessions in recent history came to a close late Monday as lawmakers approved a $115.1 billion budget for next fiscal year and prepared to send it to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Legislators are working out the details on the budget that goes into effect July 1. They've given themselves until June 18 to get it done.

The 60-day legislative is ending without a proposed spending plan for the next fiscal year. A budget must be approved by the governor before July 1, 2025.

Florida’s legislative session is now expected to run longer than planned due to stalled budget negotiations. That standoff has led to fiery exchanges between the House and Senate leaders.

The 16 pages of cuts ranged from as little as $10,500 for a county public works generator to $80 million for group insurance for the state college system.

Six cities are dropping a challenge to a 2021 Florida law aimed at shielding police departments from budget cuts. The Legislature revamped the law this spring.

Democrats say there are some things they like about the budget proposals that recently passed the Florida House and Senate, but there are also things they don't like.

A $112.1 billion budget that Florida lawmakers passed last week covers more than the state’s basics for education, health care, and law enforcement.

Florida lawmakers trying to piece together a roughly $100 billion state budget for the coming year spent the weekend trading offers on everything from teacher pay raises to more money to help mothers with newborn children.

Florida House and Senate education leaders are about $500 million apart on their proposed budgets for K-12 schools. But underneath that topline figure are scores of policy differences that will need to be resolved as the budget process continues. Both chambers have released the first drafts of what will eventually become the state’s spending plan for the next fiscal year.