TALLAHASSEE — In a flurry of late-night negotiations on Friday, Florida lawmakers reached critical agreements to finalize the fiscal year budget before its Tuesday deadline. The deal includes targeted raises for specific state worker groups, significant funding for an emergency response reserve, and increased support for citrus research. These measures come as House and Senate leaders worked urgently to meet the constitutional timeline required before voting in a special session that concludes on Friday.
Targeted Pay Raises For First Responders
A key component of the budget deal involves compensation adjustments for state employees, though it diverges from earlier proposals. Instead of an across-the-board 3% raise favored by the Senate, corrections officers, state law enforcement officials, and firefighters will receive a 4% pay increase.
Additionally, prison guards will benefit from a 1.5% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) applied to their pensions. This move addresses long-standing recruitment and retention challenges within the correctional system. Senate budget chief Ed Hooper of Clearwater noted that retention has been particularly difficult in this sector, describing the COLA as an essential tool for stabilizing the workforce.
Emergency Funding And Spending Disputes
The chambers also agreed to allocate $250 million into a new emergency fund. This figure exceeds the House’s initial preference of $100 million and is intended to support Governor Ron DeSantis’ immigration enforcement operations following his declaration of a state of emergency on the issue.
However, this spending is contingent upon the signing of Senate Bill 7040 into law. Passed during the regular session, SB 7040 imposes new rules requiring legislative approval for funds spent on "manmade" emergencies. The bill has not yet been sent to DeSantis’ desk.
Budget Stewardship And Other Priorities
The negotiations highlighted a sharp divide between the chambers regarding overall spending levels, which previously prevented completion during the regular session ending in March. House budget chief Lawrence McClure of Dover defended their approach as fiscal stewardship, contrasting it with what he called the easier option of increasing taxpayer expenditures.
"It's always easier to spend the taxpayers' money," McClure stated. "Instead, we've embraced this other way... As to why it's taking so long — there are 160 of us up here that come from different parts of the state."
Beyond pay and emergency funds, the deal includes $164.5 million for citrus research, a priority for Senate President Ben Albritton who is also a citrus farmer. The legislature also secured funding for the Florida State Guard and established a Job Growth Grant Fund with $40 million in reserves.
Security Provisions And Next Steps
The House maintained its stance against providing lifetime security for DeSantis after his term ends, rejecting Senate proposals to cover the First Family. However, both chambers agreed to provide security for Republican and Democratic gubernatorial nominees following the Aug. 18 primary.
Lawmakers must now finalize the spending plan by Tuesday to satisfy a mandatory 72-hour "cooling off" period before the final vote on Friday. This special session was necessitated by disputes over cutting $1.4 billion from current year spending versus maintaining level funding.
