Florida Legislature Finalizes $114.5 Billion Budget After Multiple Special Sessions

Florida's Legislature did not complete its state budget within the regular 60-day session for a second consecutive year, prompting three special sessions in 2026 before a final spending plan was adopted. Governor Ron DeSantis issued proclamations calling lawmakers into special session, including one covering April 28 through May 1 focused on congressional redistricting, and another beginning June 1 focused on a property tax relief measure intended for the November ballot. The finalized budget totaled $114.5 billion, which was reported as $2 billion higher in General Revenue than the prior year's budget despite being characterized by some as a reduction. Lawmakers also passed a tax package and placed a ballot question before voters that could represent a significant change to the state's fiscal structure. The property tax proposal called for exempting the first $250,000 of a homestead's value, which was described as eliminating property taxes for more than 90% of Floridians. Major priorities, including broader property tax relief and an artificial intelligence bill of rights, did not pass during this legislative process. The November ballot question on property tax reform remains pending voter approval, and its ultimate fiscal impact depends on that outcome. It is unresolved from the available reporting how the $2 billion increase in General Revenue aligns with characterizations of the budget as a cut, and the specific reasons the AI bill of rights and additional property tax measures failed were not detailed in the sourced material. A separate report describing a Louisiana special session on 2026 election administration, called by Governor Jeff Landry to address qualifying deadlines amid an anticipated U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Callais v. Louisiana, was included among these sources but pertains to a distinct legislative matter in a different state.