In an unusual move this year, the Florida Legislature has divided its work into two separate sessions. While the policy portion concluded on May 2nd after the traditional 60-day session, lawmakers still need to return to Tallahassee before June 30th to vote on next year’s budget and tax cuts.
State Senator Don Gaetz recapped the 2025 Legislative Session in an email to his constituents.
- “This year, for the first time in memory, the Legislature bisected its responsibilities.” This unprecedented separation has revealed significant disagreements between House and Senate leadership on fiscal priorities.
Unusual Budget Stalemate
The normal budget process has stalled in an unexpected way. As Senator Gaetz explains, “Both the House and Senate have already passed budgets. Typically, the presiding officers next agree on what are called allocations – how much money will be spent in each of several general categories like education, health care and transportation.”
From there, the process usually works through a series of negotiations, with only the most contentious items requiring resolution from the highest leadership. However, this year is different.
- “This year, however, the presiding officers have not yet agreed on allocations, and they are miles apart on tax policy,” Gaetz notes. “The Speaker is pushing for a reduction in sales tax. The President is more inclined toward a property tax cut, maybe through a constitutional amendment.”
Property Tax vs. Sales Tax Debate
With the state already facing financial constraints that “call for $6.7 billion in spending cuts over three years,” Florida cannot afford both types of tax reductions. Senator Gaetz has taken a clear position in this debate.
“I favor property tax cuts,” he states. “Property taxes are like paying rent to the government for our own property. We feel those taxes when we write checks to the Tax Collector every year. Those payments come right out of our family and business pockets. Along with property insurance, property taxes are a major cost driver in making Florida unaffordable for many folks.”
He contrasts this with sales tax reductions, pointing out a regional consideration: “Sales taxes are important, too, but in our part of Florida, 35 percent of sales taxes are paid by tourists. So, a big sales tax reduction is a disproportionate advantage for visitors.”
Legislative Accomplishments Despite Budget Uncertainty
Despite the budget impasse, Senator Gaetz has successfully sponsored several bills that passed both chambers:
- SB348 – Ethics (Stolen Valor): Makes it a crime to fabricate military honors when seeking public office or employment.
- SB348 – Ethics (Collecting Fines): Allows garnishment of wages from public officials who don’t pay ethics violation fines.
- SB150 – Troopers Law: Creates penalties for abandoning animals during declared emergencies.
- SB80 – Preventing Commercialization of State Parks: Protects state parks from commercial development like hotels and golf courses.
- SB 7016 – Reforming Constitutional Amendment Process: What Gaetz called “probably the most significant bill passed in the 2025 session,” addressing fraud in the petition process.
Looking Ahead
The June 30 constitutional deadline for submitting a budget to the Governor looms large. Senator Gaetz notes, “The Governor has said he will veto the House proposal, which could put us into an emergency special session.”
Despite the challenging situation, Gaetz remains hopeful: “In my prior Senate service, and now, I have never witnessed the two Houses of the Legislature this far apart this far into the year. Speaker Danny Perez, President Ben Albritton and Governor DeSantis are highly intelligent men of integrity. I look forward to their working together and to a solution I can support.”
As Northwest Florida residents await the resolution of this unusual legislative situation, Senator Gaetz’s office remains available to constituents through their Pensacola District Office.
For more information or assistance with state agencies, contact Senator Gaetz’s office at (850) 595-1036.
