TALHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) – Gov. Ron DeSantis has avoided the shutdown and signed Florida’s $117.4 billion budget for next year’s fiscal year, starting Tuesday, July 1, 2025.
After the drawn-out session with Capitol Clashes marked, critics wonder if the Floridians really came to the top. And was the 105-day extended session really worth the wait?
Lawmakers launched a 2025 legislative meeting that promised to focus on affordability, but that quickly turned into a showdown between the governor, the House Speaker and the Senate.
DeSantis called the 2025 session “unnecessarily bumpy” and denounced House Speaker Danny Perez (R-Miami) for the delay.
“The session was unnecessary bumpy,” DeSantis said. “I don’t think a lot of the agendas that voters sent there, so I don’t think there was a need to go on to 45 days. I didn’t have to go 45 days ago. This might have been done 45 days ago.
But DeSantis said this year’s budget is proud to reduce state spending, build reserves, support priorities such as teacher salaries and law enforcement bonuses, and provide tax cuts to Florida families.
“This year’s budget continues our commitment to paying off debt earlier than planned, saving money for Florida people and providing tax relief to Florida families,” DeSantis said.
Despite permanent school return tax holidays, new annual hurricane sales tax exemptions, and business rent tax elimination, concerns about budget priorities continue to rise.
“This session starts with a lot of hope and a lot of affordability, and is trying to make Florida more affordable for Floridians. But in many ways, it feels like it ends with a whisper, as it is forever characterized by the Republican infighting that slows us down.”
Political analyst Tara Newsom added to the debate, saying that even in a long session, the final budget lacked the Floridian mark.
“These 105 days and this long extension session did not produce the kind of policies Florida voters sought to do to the Florida Legislature. They called for property tax cuts, and they called for changes to their household insurance.
Ultimately, lawmakers passed the budget with a lot of tax cuts, but was that kind of kindness Floridians wanted?
