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(Tallahassee, FL) - The legislature is halfway through the session and only one chamber has released a proposed budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year. The Florida House released its fiscal proposal Thursday night and it's four billion dollars less than the governor's $117-billion number.
The dollar discrepancy focuses on the rainy-day fund used by Governor DeSantis to respond to emergencies which is set to expire Monday.
House members say that money is for emergencies, not to build immigration detention facilities like Alligator Alcatraz or to fund the Florida State Guard. DeSantis reinstated the state guard in 2022 and lawmakers allege financial mismanagement.
The Senate is expected to release its budget proposal by the end of Friday.
“As you are aware, we had been hoping to release our budget proposal in concert with our partners in the House,” Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, said in a memo to state senators Thursday night.
DeSantis reminds lawmakers that they have given him $4.7 billion since the inception of the emergency management fund.
Last year's budget battle lasted into June and fully funded the stablization fund.