Legislative Update 2025 - Flipbook - Page 37
Senate President Ben Albritton and
House Speaker Daniel Perez have
both acknowledged that the
Legislature is unlikely to complete
its work on time due to significant
challenges in reconciling a $4.4
billion spending gap and differing
views on the fiscal impact of
proposed tax cuts. The House has
introduced a sweeping plan to
reduce the state sales tax from 6%
to 5.25%, a move that would slash
annual
state
revenue
by
approximately $5 billion. Senator
Albritton
expressed
serious
concerns about the long-term
consequences, stating, "At the end
of the day, I'm just uncomfortable
with a proposal I believe will likely
lead to shortfalls—if not substantial
shortfalls—in the out-years."
With budget negotiations at an
impasse,
leaders
from
both
chambers have confirmed that the
legislative session will not conclude
on schedule. The next critical
deadline is July 1, 2025—the start of
the new fiscal year—by which time
a budget must be in place to avoid
a government shutdown.
This week, the Florida House of Representatives
demonstrated its continued commitment to
supporting law enforcement by passing two major
priority bills, sending them to the Senate for final
consideration.
Freshman
legislator
and
FOP
rising
star
Representative Judson Sapp secured a major
victory this week with the unanimous House
passage of House Bill 751. His prime co-sponsor,
Representative Bartleman, delivered powerful floor
speeches highlighting the critical need to better
support Florida’s first responders.
Known as the
