Budget

The budget includes $30 billion for K-12 schools, with $201 million for teacher pay increases. That raise, though, will only go to teachers with 10 years of experience, with the increase capped at $3,000 per year.

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.

As Florida lawmakers negotiate the state budget, tensions are escalating between Gov. Ron DeSantis and House Speaker Daniel Perez.

A hantavirus has captured the world’s attention, especially here in Florida, where the cruise industry has a big footprint. We’ll talk about how dangerous the disease really is and how cruise companies deal with outbreaks.

The agreement reached Thursday involves top-line numbers, known as allocations.

Lawmakers ended their regular session on March 13 without agreeing to a spending plan for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. While talks are ongoing, no breakthrough to the logjam has been reached.

State budget leaders are being asked to let a pair of agencies distribute federal dollars for security around the seven FIFA World Cup matches that will be held in South Florida this summer.

The House and Senate are expected to take time off before returning to work out the differences in their proposed spending plans.

“Imagine literally cutting our budget 50%,” said Council Chair Lisset Hanewicz.

With the industry hammered by hurricane damage and citrus greening disease and development overtaking groves, the overall harvest during the 2024-2025 season was the lowest in more than 100 years.

During a meeting of the Florida Senate's Appropriations Committee on Higher Education Wednesday, Chair Gayle Harrell said that budget difficulties will likely lead to cuts.