Florida House – Budget negotiators signaled they were done discussing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ controversial State Guard air and sea missions and other operations after the House refused to fund the work, pushing the dispute into the narrowest possible pocket of remaining n
When Florida lawmakers returned to Tallahassee this week without a budget passed during the 60-day Regular Session. the fight over Gov.. Ron DeSantis’ State Guard quickly reappeared on the ledger.. Negotiators are now circling a dispute that could leave the State Guard’s most visible missions with no Florida taxpayer money—even as talks drag on toward a post–Memorial Day vote.
Budget conference negotiators signaled they were done discussing funding for the State Guard’s air and sea missions, information technology, crisis response operations and special missions. The agreement they were pointing toward mirrors the House’s position: no money for those items.
On the Senate side, that approach marks a sharp step back from earlier proposals.. The Senate initially wanted $15.3 million for the State Guard’s aviation expenses. $3.2 million for crisis response and special missions. $1.7 million for maritime expenses and $494. 000 for information technology.. The House pushed hard in the other direction, arguing for spending nothing.
Even as the air, sea, and technology categories face a dead end, other State Guard-related expenses remain in play.. In its latest offer in the Transportation and Economic Development (TED) budget conference. the Senate lowered its stance from $4.6 million to about $3.9 million to fund 32 full-time State Guard positions. according to an offer released Friday afternoon.. The House again sought to wipe out that funding.
The tug-of-war over day-to-day State Guard operations is also still alive. even as money keeps shrinking in the Senate’s latest counters.. The Senate initially asked for $1.6 million, then raised its proposal to $3.6 million in both its first and second counteroffers.. The House didn’t budge and is still asking for $0.
The Senate also moved to narrow the gap on workload-related spending. It reduced its proposal to increase the workload for the State Guard from $901,000 to $601,378 in its latest offer as it sought to move toward the House’s $0 position.
That resistance from House negotiators comes amid media reports about turmoil inside the State Guard. The reports cited allegations of misspending, a wave of senior departures and retaliation for whistleblowers.
The dispute isn’t limited to staffing and operations. On maintaining the Camp Blanding Joint Training Center’s Level 2 status, the House is still seeking $40 million. The Senate initially proposed $10 million for the same goal, then nixed that offer and is now asking for $0.
Lawmakers are continuing to negotiate during budget talks that resumed this week in Tallahassee as they work to pass the budget—something they failed to do during the 60-day Regular Session.
Senate President Ben Albritton said Friday he expected a final budget vote just after Memorial Day. leaving only a narrow window for negotiators to bridge the gaps. particularly where the House has pushed to zero out core State Guard funding for aviation. maritime operations. crisis response. special missions and information technology.
Florida budget conference Ron DeSantis State Guard Ben Albritton Camp Blanding Joint Training Center TED budget Tallahassee budget talks House and Senate negotiations