unresolved FY – As Florida lawmakers race to finalize the FY 2026-27 budget, a long list of unresolved items in the Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development silo is being kicked to budget chairs Ed Hooper and Lawrence McClure.
Lawmakers heading into the FY 2026-27 budget conference are bumping a wide set of remaining disputes to the state’s budget chairs, leaving major fights over housing incentives, economic development money, and even where military priorities should land.
In a memo Friday. Senate President Ben Albritton said the conference is “proceeding very well. ” and that lawmakers are on track for a final budget vote the week of Memorial Day.. But the work isn’t finished.. For a category of outstanding items. the remaining details are being pushed to chairs Ed Hooper and Lawrence McClure as they prepare for early next week.
“It takes time to reorganize after the bump,” Albritton wrote, adding that Hooper and McClure plan to work through the weekend with staff to prepare offers for consideration early next week. No conference meetings will be held before 10 a.m. Monday.
The biggest dollar fights are split in ways that reflect both technical budget drafting and deeper policy disagreements.
The largest single dispute by dollar is a technical one involving the Reed Act Project line in the Department of Commerce. The House offer lists $128.1 million, while the Senate puts it at $770,650—leaving a $127.3 million gap.
But the most consequential housing disagreement appears to be over the State Apartment Incentive Loan (SAIL) Innovative Housing program. administered by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation.. The Senate is holding at $100 million in general revenue plus $12 million in trust authority. while the House has it at zero.
Several other housing and economic development items also remain unsettled.. The Florida Job Growth Grant Fund. described as the Governor’s discretionary economic development tool. sits at $45 million in the Senate and $5 million in the House. a split that tracks with the House’s ongoing strife with Gov.. Ron DeSantis.. The Senate slots $71.5 million for housing and community development fixed capital outlay, with the House at $36.95 million.
The Rural Infrastructure Fund within the proposed Office of Rural Prosperity is also divided: $20 million in the Senate offer versus $5 million from the House.
Military spending draws its own sharp contrast—one side pushing investment in Camp Blanding while the other zeroes it out and favors different priorities.
Within the Department of Military Affairs, the House wants to invest roughly $50 million in Camp Blanding.. That includes $40 million for an infrastructure project. $6.5 million for the base’s REVAMP program. $2 million for minor repairs. and additional funding described as a cluster of equipment additions.
The Senate, though, is at zero across all of those Camp Blanding line items.
In the opposite direction, the Senate proposes funding the Florida State Guard at roughly $12 million.. That figure includes 32 full-time-equivalent positions at $3.88 million. $3.9 million for training and recruitment resources. $3.6 million for operating expenses. and $601. 000 for workload funding.. The House is at zero across all of it.
Arts and culture funding is also split, with the chambers disagreeing on the size and focus of cultural and museum support.
In the Department of State, lawmakers are divided on roughly $20 million in culture and museum funding. The House is offering $23 million for cultural and museum grants, while the Senate is at $11.85 million.
The House wants $3.06 million for Culture Builds Florida, compared with $1.63 million in the Senate version. The House proposes $5.09 million for the Cultural Facilities Program, with the Senate at $2.69 million.
For Department of State local initiatives, the House wants $3.64 million while the Senate is only offering $1.1 million.
Even where the dollar amounts are smaller, the gaps show up repeatedly as the conference work remains incomplete.
The Florida Highway Patrol’s Tactical Aviation Command sits at $4.96 million in the Senate and $0 in the House. The Senate wants $2 million for Florida Highway Patrol aviation support, while the House is at zero.
For the Statewide WebEOC initiative, the Senate is holding at $500,000, while the House wants more than $3.6 million.
A line for the Division of Emergency Management’s enterprise business solution includes $3.3 million from the House but zero from the Senate.. The Senate wants $800. 000 and one full-time-equivalent position for the Department of State African American Heritage Preservation Network. while the House is at zero.
With the Memorial Day-week vote still the goal. Albritton’s memo sets the pace: conference meetings won’t begin before 10 a.m.. Monday. and the weekend work is expected to translate into new offers for lawmakers to consider early next week—after the latest bump pushes unresolved items to Hooper and McClure.
Florida budget conference FY 2026-27 Ed Hooper Lawrence McClure Ben Albritton SAIL Innovative Housing Camp Blanding Florida State Guard Reed Act Project Culture Builds Florida WebEOC