In Florida’s third special legislative session this year, the Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis resolved the immigration-related disagreements that had previously emerged between them. Nevertheless, the friction between DeSantis and House Speaker Daniel Perez that became evident during that time continues.

On Mar. 4, the opening day of the regular session, DeSantis gave his State of the State address. Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton convened the regular 60-day session and outlined their own 2025 legislative priorities. DeSantis called for eliminating the property tax, while Perez proposed significantly cutting the state sales tax. The House and Senate released budget proposals that are $4 billion apart.

It has been a busy two months since my last update, and the session is nearly two-thirds over. Read on for details about this Florida government news and more.

Bad Blood

After getting nearly everything he asked from the Legislature in his first six years in office, DeSantis and the Legislature appear to have parted ways.

Immigration

First, there was the rift over immigration enforcement described in my last Catching Up with Our Florida Government post, followed by social media posts from DeSantis staffers who criticized Republican legislative leaders for passing what they called a “weak, weak, weak” immigration bill, according to Axios.

Budget Veto Overrides

Then, lawmakers voted to override a pair of DeSantis’ 2024 budget vetoes that slashed $57 million for legislative services.

Further, Perez announced the creation of four budget workgroups to review the governor’s other vetoes for more possible overrides or budget reinstatements in the future.

Compromise

Behind-the-scenes negotiations after the second session ended led to a third special session convened on Feb. 11 to resolve the issue. Legislators and DeSantis compromised, resulting in two immigration enforcement bills: SB 2-C and SB 4-C.

Abbreviations like HB, CS/HB, SB, and CS/SB refer to specific versions of bills used in the Florida Legislature.

The bills were “designed to be helpful to the Trump administration with their plans” to identify and deport large numbers of undocumented immigrants, according to then-Sen. Randy Fine, as reported by the Miami Herald.

A key concession in the new plan requires Gov. DeSantis and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson to share immigration enforcement authority with the full Cabinet. A new State Board of Immigration Enforcement, comprising the Governor, Agriculture Commissioner, Attorney General, and Chief Financial Officer, will:

• coordinate immigration enforcement with federal officials,
• mandate local law enforcement’s participation in the 287(g) program and reporting of undocumented immigrants, and
• distribute $250 million in grants to support federal enforcement, with decisions requiring unanimous approval.

The plan also restricts the state Division of Emergency Management from transporting migrants unless federally requested, federally funded, and federally supervised. In 2023, lawmakers allocated $12 million for such relocations, including the transport of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard.

In addition, the plan repeals in-state tuition for undocumented students, requiring them to pay out-of-state rates at Florida public colleges and universities.

A separate bill, HB 3-C, makes it a state crime to be in the country illegally and would impose the death penalty on undocumented immigrants who commit murders or rape children.

Session Opening Remarks

DeSantis State of the State

On March 4, the opening day of the joint legislative session, DeSantis delivered a 2025 State of the State address.

“We are convening for the regular Legislative session having already enacted groundbreaking legislation to fulfill the historic mission of delivering on President Donald Trump’s mandate to end the illegal immigration crisis once and for all. No state has done more, and no state did it sooner than we did in Florida.”

He spoke of the strength of the state’s economy and said that Florida “represented the refuge for freedom and sanity during the coronavirus pandemic, not just for the rest of the country but for the entire world.”

He went on to propose tax holidays for the purchase of marine fuel, firearms, ammo, and related gearand the elimination of the state’s business rent tax.

He also proposed “constitutional protections for Florida property owners,” which he later clarified meant eliminating property taxes.

Watch the full address here. Find the transcript here.

In closing, he said that addressing teacher salaries and amendment fraud, condos, and the Second Amendment were also priorities.

Senate President Albritton Remarks

“I was born and bred in Florida citrus, and this vital industry is not going down on my watch,” he said. “To those growers who are left in the business, hear me when I say you are not forgotten, you are not alone, and I’m running to this fight.”

His priority Rural Communities bill (SB 110) seeks $200 million for rural infrastructure, “smart technology,” and block grants for communities with declining populations. It also establishes an Office of Rural Prosperity within the Department of Commerce. (Senate New Release)

Watch the full address here. Find the remarks as prepared for delivery here and excerpted remarks here.

House Speaker Perez Remarks

Perez took a different approach. “When I spoke to you from this rostrum in November at Organization Session, I said I would be foregoing the traditional presiding officer game of defining the work of session around a set of my own personal priorities,” he said.

“We have an obligation to make sure that government works for the people and isn’t the playground for a group of insiders,” he said.

Perez emphasized his commitment to cutting spending, challenging budget subcommittee chairs to “dive into the budget and find real savings in recurring revenue. Members, this money doesn’t belong to us; it belongs to the people of Florida,” he said, reinforcing the need for spending restraint.

Watch the full address here. Find the remarks as prepared for delivery here.

Budget and Taxes

DeSantis Budget Proposal

As is customary, the governor released a budget proposal before the start of the legislative session to convey his wishes and priorities to the Legislature.

DeSantis’ “Focus on Fiscal Responsibility” budget totals $115.6 billion, more than $3 billion lower than the current year’s budget. Find press release, budget highlights, FAQs, and transmittal letter here.

After vetoing $32 million in state arts and culture grants last year over concerns about content he deemed “inappropriate for state tax dollars,” DeSantis now proposes restoring $27 million in funding—this time restricted to “family-friendly” programs. The grants would include conditions designed to prevent support for events considered unsuitable for children.

See also:

• No pay raise for rank-and-file state workers in DeSantis’ proposed budget for 2025-26, Tallahassee Democrat, 2/3/25
• Industry Leaders Commend Governor Ron DeSantis’ Focus on Fiscal Responsibility Budget Recommendations, FloridaCommerce, 2/7/25

DeSantis Tax Proposal

DeSantis has said he wants a one-time property tax break for homesteaded properties (Executive Office of the Governor Newsroom) and to ask voters in 2026 to pass a constitutional amendment to reduce or eliminate property taxes (@GovRonDeSantis).

House Budget Proposal

On Mar. 28, the House released a proposed $112.95 billion “Make Florida Affordable” budget. It is $6 billion less than the current year’s budget and $2.7 billion less than the DeSantis proposal. (House News Release and Infographic)

“This budget reflects our chamber’s values of conservative fiscal stewardship and accountability. [It] also reflects decisive action to rein in recurring spending and refocus on the true needs of everyday Floridians,” Perez said.

To free up funds, the House proposal would repeal a 2024 law that earmarked money from a gambling deal with the Seminole Tribe of Florida — about $834 million in the coming fiscal year — to help pay for the expansion of a state wildlife corridor and other environmental projects. It would also eliminate a requirement to earmark $150 million a year in documentary-stamp taxes for affordable housing efforts. That earmark was included in a 2023 law known as the “Live Local Act,” a priority of former Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples.

House Tax Proposal

The House proposal includes eliminating the existing sales tax holidays and permanently reducing the state sales tax from 6 percent to 5.25 percent, which would save nearly $5 billion in annual sales tax. It would also reduce the sales tax on electricity from 4.35 percent to 3.6 percent, on new mobile homes from 3 percent to 2.25 percent, and on coin-operated amusement machines—such as pinball machines—from 4 percent to 3.25 percent. (News Service of Florida)

“Tax dollars don’t belong to the government; they belong to the people,” said Perez in a news release.

Senate Budget Proposal

Also, on Mar. 28, the Senate released a proposed $117.36 billion budget. It is $1.6 billion less than the current year but $1.76 billion above the Governor’s proposal and $4.41 billion more than the House’s. (Senate News Release)

The Senate plan makes major investments in Florida’s transportation infrastructure, and strengthens the healthcare workforce. It dedicates substantial funding to environmental priorities, including Everglades restoration, citrus recovery, water resiliency, and the preservation of working farms and ranches. It also includes record funding for K–12 public schools, expands school choice options, and supports career and technical education through both school districts and colleges. (Senate News Release)

“On the heels of historic state revenue balances and influxes of time-limited federal stimulus funds related to the pandemic, our revenue forecasts, while still growing, have stabilized,” Albritton said in a news release. “This year, we are right-sizing our budget for the long-term, spending less while setting aside robust rainy-day funds.”

Senate Tax Proposal

The Senate proposed:

• permanently eliminating the sales tax on clothing and shoes costing $75 or less,
• conducting a study to “establish a framework to reduce, or hopefully eliminate, property taxes for homesteaded property”,
• extending the Communications Services Tax rate freeze, and
• renewing the five existing sales tax holidays.

In addition, it introduces a new “Home Away From Home Tax Credit” for businesses that support charities housing families of critically ill children during treatment-related travel. (Senate Tax Relief Package)

Reconciliation Needed

The House and Senate budget proposals differ by $4.4 billion, with disagreements over both tax cuts and many areas of spending.

Despite the significant gap, both Albritton and Perez said they expect to reach an agreement before the session ends on May 2. (Tampa Bay Times)

Florida’s DOGE

On Feb. 24, DeSantis announced the creation of the Florida State Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) task force. The task force will work to “further eliminate waste within state government, save taxpayers money, and ensure accountability in Florida.” (News Release)

For supporters, the aim of the initiative is clear, they say: savings for Florida taxpayers. The state’s education commissioner, going further, suggested schooling would improve.

However, many Democrats are voicing strong opposition to the idea, fearing it could lead to job cuts and destabilize state agencies.

• Gov. DeSantis announces Florida DOGE task force to streamline government, WPTV, 2/25/25

Some Noteworthy Bills

These are some of the  1,911 bills filed in the regular session that I am watching. I’ve included them here not because they reflect any particular viewpoint but because they have received widespread media coverage or sparked significant public debate—and may have far-reaching implications if enacted.

Gulf of America (CS/HB 549)

Requires state agencies to update geographic materials to reflect the new federal designation of “Gulf of Mexico” as “Gulf of America”; requires instructional materials and library media center collections adopted or acquired by certain entities…

The bill passed the House by a vote of 78/29 on Apr. 3 and the Senate by a vote of 28/9 on Apr. 9.

• ‘Gulf of America’ bill heads to the governor’s desk, Local10, 4/9/25

Amendments to the State Constitution (CS/HB 1205)

Revises provisions relating to amendments to the State Constitution, including initiative petitions, handling petitions, sponsor and petition circulator registration, signature verification procedures…

The bill passed the House by a vote of 76/31 and is currently awaiting consideration in the Senate. A comparable bill (SB 7016) has also seen action in the Senate.

• Florida House approves measure to place additional restrictions on ballot initiatives, WFSU Public Media, 4/3/25
• Republican lawmakers in Florida want to silence the state’s top economist, Jason Garcia, Seeking Rents, 3/30/25

Parental rights (CS/SB 1288)

Revises exceptions for certain parental rights; creates the parental right to review and consent to a survey or questionnaire provided to a parent’s minor child; revises exceptions for specified requirements of parental consent; ….

• Florida teens may be blocked from birth control, STI treatment without parental consent, USA Today Network — Florida via Tallahassee Democrat, 4/4/25

The bill passed in two of its three assigned House committees and is now in the third. A similar bill (CS/HB 1505) is now in the third of its three assigned committees.

Civil Liability for the Wrongful Death of an Unborn Child (CS/SB 1284) / HB 1517)

Revises the definition of the term “survivors” to include the parents of an unborn child; defines the term “unborn child”; provides that the Wrongful Death Act does not authorize a wrongful death action against the mother of an unborn child for the death ….

• Wrongful death suits for the unborn would be allowed under proposed Florida law, USA TODAY NETWORK — Florida via USA Today, 4/3/25

The House bill passed on April 9 with a vote of 79/32. A comparable bill is now in the Senate.

Thanks for reading!

More soon.

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https://www.sparkers-soapbox.com/catching-up-with-our-florida-government-february-march-2025/