2026 Florida Legislature

Legislators have included $50 million in the state budget for campus improvements, as requested by the school. However, the governor said the state could eventually provide additional funding.

Gov. Ron DeSantis will ask lawmakers to schedule a referendum in November to gradually eliminate most property taxes.

The requests describe the project as a public-private partnership that would include a 100,000-square-foot indoor sports complex with basketball, pickleball, tennis and volleyball courts, museum space and event facilities.

The Legislature plans to vote on the bill on Friday, along with the $114.5 billion budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.

USF leadership has promised to be transparent and said it has plans for a teach-out of current students. They have created an initial list of FAQ's should the transfer get final approval later this week.

The House and Senate reached agreement late Sunday night on several issues, including a plan to transfer control of the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus to New College of Florida, which the House wanted but the Senate resisted until late in budget negotiations.

The talks were part of a flurry of meetings as House and Senate leaders try to meet a Tuesday deadline to complete the budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

Senate Appropriations Chair Ed Hooper said the money won't be set until local financing agreements are a "done deal," and lawmakers needs something more concrete than this week's approved MOU.

Florida legislative leaders are negotiating next year’s state budget behind closed doors — a secretive process Gov. Ron DeSantis compared to selecting a pope.

The organization is calling on Black athletes to boycott the athletic programs of public universities in Florida and other states to dissuade GOP-led legislatures from changing congressional maps.

Thousands of Black cemeteries have been destroyed, built over or fallen into disrepair. Hear about a movement to protect them that started at USF.