WEEKLY ROUNDUP: A weekend off

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Posted February 27, 2026 | By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida

Most lawmakers got a somewhat unexpected weekend off as the House and Senate didn’t begin the budget conference phase at the conclusion of the regular session’s seventh of nine scheduled weeks.

With talks growing that extra time will be needed on a property tax cut amendment to put before voters, a top priority of Gov. Ron DeSantis, the chambers did release tax cut packages this week. And while the size of the cuts isn’t as large as in prior years, there are still significant differences between the chambers that could complicate budget talks.

‘SEE YOU NEXT WEEK’

As for negotiations over the $113.6 billion fiscal year spending plan from the House (HB 5001) and the Senate’s $115 billion proposal (SB 2500), those remain on hold.

House Budget Committee Chairman Lawrence McClure advised the chamber late Wednesday that budget conference talks with the Senate will not get underway this weekend.

“It looks like we are not going to conference this weekend. I intend to go home. And I’ll see you next week,” McClure, R-Dover, told the chamber.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ed Hooper, R-Trinity, made similar comments at the start of the Senate floor session on Thursday.

Lawmakers are slated to end the 60-day session on March 13, which to finish on time with a completed budget would require a targeted deadline of March 10 to craft a single spending plan. That deadline involves a law requiring a 72-hour “cooling off” period once the final budget is made public before lawmakers can vote on it. 

GUNS, FISHING, BEER

Last year lawmakers passed a tax cut bill worth an estimated $1.6 billion in savings for taxpayers. That included making the back-to-school “tax holiday” an annual August-long event in state law and permanently lifting sales taxes on many of the individual items tied to the hurricane season, such as batteries, portable generators and tarps.

This year’s version looks like it will be more modest.

The Senate’s tax cut plan (SB 7046) has $34.1 million in savings. It seeks to revive the hunting, fishing and camping “tax holiday” to run from mid-September to the end of the year. The holiday lifts sales taxes on select ammunition, firearms, bows, crossbows and related accessories.

The proposal also permanently lifts sales taxes on liquified petroleum gas tanks with a capacity of 20 pounds or less.

The House goes deeper with its $152.6 million plan (HB 7031).

The package calls for moving the back-to-school holiday dates to July 20 through Aug. 20 and running the hunting, fishing and campaign holiday from Sept. 1 through the end of the year. The plan also cuts the tax rate on American-made beer for the fiscal year. A separate one-year exemption is sought on firearm accessories, including holsters, magazines, muzzle devices, sights and suppressors.

There is also a provision that amends the type of railroads that can qualify for the corporate income tax, as well as an exemption of some property being leased for Space Florida projects. Taxes on pari-mutuels, cardrooms and slot machines are also cut in the House bill.

SPEED MEETINGS

Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Cabinet rushed through the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday and an Executive Clemency Board meeting on Wednesday.

“Forty-eight minutes. Let’s see someone else beat that,” DeSantis said after the clemency panel granted 29 pardons and denied 14 others.

In the even shorter Cabinet meeting, clocking in just under 30 minutes, the panel approved $19.8 million for three conservation easements, allocated about $40 million in grants to local law enforcement for immigration enforcement and agreed to designate 22 acres at Hillsborough College into talks regarding a stadium and mixed-use development with the Tampa Bay Rays.

“What today is just a bunch of parking lots will be completely renovated to a live-work-entertain district that is going to have significant economic benefits to the state,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “I also think there’s a lot of great opportunities for the students to do internships, apprenticeships; walk right across the street and have job opportunities right there.”

DATA CENTERS

New restrictions on large-scale data centers, part of Gov. DeSantis’ push to tamp down on the maturing field of artificial intelligence, passed in the Senate on Thursday.

The measure (SB 484) addresses key issues such as electricity and water use needed to maintain the data centers and generally requires public notice of when plans are filed for a data center in the region.

The House has started to advance a similar data center measure (HB 1007) but has yet to show movement on DeSantis’ call for an “Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights.” House leadership prefers to defer more universal regulations over the field to the federal government.

Asked about the future of the “AI Bill of Rights” effort (SB 482), which was postponed before a vote on the Senate floor this week, Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, replied that the “Senate believes in the policy.”

FSU PRESIDENT

Florida State University President Richard McCullough was given a three-year contract extension from the Board of Trustees on Thursday.

“I look forward to the next chapter, and I appreciate the support,” McCullough told the board.

McCullough was vice provost for research at Harvard University before becoming FSU’s 16th president in 2021. His most recent contract from August 2025 increased his base salary to $1.25 million a year.

The extension needs to be approved by the state university system’s Board of Governors.

STORY OF THE WEEK:

Budget talks between the House and Senate haven’t formally started, but legislative leaders said they’re exchanging offers on top-line numbers.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: 

“I hope you won’t consider this bad news. For planning purposes, at the conclusion of today’s sitting, you’re all free to go home for the weekend. There will be no conference this weekend.” — Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ed Hooper, R-Trinity, on Thursday.