House budget negotiators push to eliminate Florida State Guard funding, clashing with a Senate plan that funds full-time positions and missions.

A simmering budget fight over a force Gov. Ron DeSantis resurrected has moved into the center of Florida’s special-session negotiations, with House GOP leaders pressing to eliminate funding for the Florida State Guard.

The proposal lands amid a broader feud between the governor and lawmakers who have not consistently backed his priorities. That tension, already visible in earlier policy fights, has carried into the state’s ongoing budget conference as both chambers return to Tallahassee to negotiate the numbers.

The Senate’s version of the plan includes $4.6 million to support 32 full-time Florida State Guard positions. along with $15.3 million for air-related expenses.. It also sets aside $3.2 million for crisis response and special missions, $1.7 million for maritime expenses, and $1.6 million for operating costs.

In addition. the Senate includes a pair of smaller line items aimed at expanding the guard’s workload and improving related systems: $901. 000 to increase workload and $494. 000 for information technology.. The House rejected both proposals, and under the House approach, the State Guard would receive $0.

House Transportation and Economic Development Budget Subcommittee Chair Jason Shoaf said the House and Senate are still working through differences while trying to ensure the government continues operating day to day.. He framed the debate as a focus on essential coverage rather than a blanket shutdown of state functions.

Still, both sides acknowledge the numbers are not settled.. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Ed Hooper said it is unlikely the final amount would match either extreme—he suggested it would not be the Senate’s figure and also not be zero.. The comment underscores that negotiations are ongoing and the final budget line for the State Guard could land somewhere in between.

The controversy surrounding the State Guard has added political heat to the appropriations process.. A recent investigation published this year described internal turmoil and allegations tied to the guard’s spending and leadership.. The report cited claims including misuse of taxpayer dollars. sexual harassment. and poor planning and budgeting by the State Guard’s top executive.

The same investigation described a departure wave across the organization. with senior officers. pilots. and rank-and-file members leaving amid accounts that retaliation followed for those who spoke out.. It also pointed to public statements made by some current or former members that criticized Executive Director Mark Thieme. who is described as the third chief executive since the guard was reactivated about four years ago.. Those statements. as reflected in the reporting. alleged Thieme committed fraud by racking up $100. 000 in flight time and other costs related to obtaining a personal private pilot’s license. and they criticized spending on aircraft parts and planes they say are incompatible with existing surveillance equipment and the guard’s mission.

When asked whether those allegations influenced the House’s push to refund the State Guard, Shoaf said lawmakers are watching for the results of an Inspector General investigation. He indicated that the outcome of that review would help inform what he called the “right decision.”

Alongside the State Guard funding fight, negotiations also include money tied to Camp Blanding Joint Training Center, a key installation used by the Florida National Guard. The House supported $40 million to keep Camp Blanding’s Level 2 status, while the Senate proposed $10 million.

Camp Blanding is rated a Level 2 facility because it can train between 5,000 and 11,999 guardsmen. But the DeSantis administration has said the facility falls short in critical areas, citing a bed capacity of about 3,000 and a lack of sufficient amenities.

DeSantis has also warned that if Camp Blanding continues to fail federal guidelines. the Florida National Guard could face force reductions.. That concern gives additional urgency to the budget negotiations over training-center funding. which could affect operational readiness even as lawmakers contest the State Guard’s broader role.

With both chambers still negotiating and the Inspector General review pending for the guard’s disputed practices. the outcome of the budget conference could carry consequences not only for staffing and missions. but also for how Florida’s governor and legislature manage high-profile public safety efforts—especially those that move quickly from hurricane deployments to politically charged immigration operations.

Florida budget conference Ron DeSantis Florida State Guard House GOP Senate appropriations Camp Blanding Level 2 Inspector General investigation