The Florida legislature’s republican majority remains at impasse over a state budget even as the start of the next fiscal year, looms. This comes as state agencies and others grow increasingly concerned about a possible government shutdown.
A memo from the House and Senate leadership offices tells lawmakers not to plan on returning to Tallahassee before Monday, June 2nd. Initially, it was expected they’d come back after Memorial Day.
When the legislature left after the 60-day regular session ended in May, they did so without passing the one, constitutionally mandated bill they have to pass each year: the state budget. The House and Senate are more than $4 billion apart in their spending plans, and a big chunk of that is a divide over tax cuts. Other concerns include early debt payoffs and the level of the state’s reserve funds.
Governor Ron DeSantis wants to cut property taxes, while the House wants to cut the sales tax. The Senate, meanwhile, is increasingly concerned about the long-term implications of both of those plans. Florida has no income tax, so the bulk of its revenue is dependent on sales and other taxes on services.
In a recent interview with WFSU Senate President Ben Albritton called the impasse “a very healthy exercise.”
“From my perspective, we still have plenty of time. These ideas will get honed, they’ll get winnowed, they may get more narrow, they may get more broad -- but we’re talking about ideas. That’s healthy. Even though we have disagreements, that’s healthy, too. And we get a better result, I think, at the end of the day,” he said.
The chambers’ respective budget leaders are still trading offers, but there’s yet to be a deal.
DeSantis has called for $1,000 property tax rebates while House Speaker Daniel Perez is pushing to decrease the state’s sales tax from 7% to 5.25%.
Florida’s new fiscal year starts on July first and time is winding down for a deal.
