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(Tallahassee, FL) - Florida lawmakers are set to end their legislative session without a finalized state budget Friday and will head home with a plan to return next month for a special session.
Political science expert Dr. Sean Foreman says unlike last year when they extended the session for three months, lawmakers will go home to campaign this election year.
Legislature is constitutionally obligated to approve a balanced spending plan before the fiscal year begins July 1. But there is a 1.4 billion spending gap between the two chambers’ proposals.
In addition to negotiating a balanced budget, lawmakers will also address redistricting and possibly AI legislation.
Democratic leader Fentrice Driskell says the fact that Republican-led legislature only managed to pass about two dozen bills is "an abomination that we couldn't get more done."
She said we were supposed to focus on affordability and we didn't. "That's a missed opportunity."