Jesse Scheckner
Tensions between Florida’s legislative chambers are escalating further as House Speaker Daniel Perez sharply criticized Senate President Ben Albritton for blowing up a budget framework the two had developed.
Speaking on the House floor, Perez said he has “very strong feelings” about Albritton “breaking” their deal, but it wouldn’t stop the House from pursuing a spending plan more attuned to fiscal restraint.
“As presiding officers, as elected officials, our word is our bond. Breaking our word, breaking a deal, is breaking faith not only with one another, but with our institutions,” Perez said.
“However, I will not allow these actions to deter us from fulfilling our constitutional obligations.”
Perez’s comments reflect a growing discord among Republican leaders in Tallahassee, particularly as the House, Senate and Gov. Ron DeSantis remain divided over how to handle the state’s multibillion-dollar budget surplus and competing tax relief plans. DeSantis has backed aggressive tax cuts, including $1,000 rebate checks to Floridians — an idea Perez strongly rejected.
“These checks do not actually lower tax rates. These checks do not solve the property tax problem,” Perez said. “They are just state taxpayers apologizing for local government spending, which is the kind of irresponsible idea I associate with California policymakers.”
The House’s posture has been defined by Perez’s belief that the state is spending too much, too fast. “State government has too much money, and that excess cash has led us to spend recklessly,” he told lawmakers. While the House initially proposed a sales tax cut, Perez said that was only a tool to slow the growth of government, not an end in itself.
“We must stop leveraging Florida’s future needs by overspending on today’s wants,” he said.
With negotiations stalled, Perez said the House has floated several alternatives — including a “lean, critical needs budget with minimal spending and no tax cuts,” along with a range of tax reform options such as eliminating the business rent tax, communications services tax, and gross receipts tax.
One of the more heated disagreements centers on property tax relief — an area where the House believes it has taken the lead. On April 25, the chamber passed a bill (HB 1221) by Palm Bay Republican Rep. Monique Miller to allow local tourist development tax (TDT) revenues, paid mostly by tourists, to be redirected to lower property taxes.
The Senate Appropriations Committee, chaired by Palm Harbor Republican Sen. Ed Hooper — HB 1221’s first and only stop in the upper chamber — never held a hearing on the bill.
Perez said TDT reform is “one of the few options” over which the Legislature has direct control under state statutes, as most other reforms would require constitutional amendments and voter approval in 2026. He stressed the importance of separating the conversation around state tax revenue from local property taxes.
“They are not linked. They are not interdependent,” he said. “In other words, we can — and we should — do both.”
DeSantis has largely sided with the Senate on tax rebates and spending, though he has not directly weighed in on the renewed rift. DeSantis has threatened to veto a sales tax cut, arguing it will jeopardize future property tax relief, an argument Perez rejected Thursday.
Lawmakers now face the possibility of a prolonged Special Session with no clear resolution in sight. Perez urged House members to stand firm.
“Giving up is always the easier path,” he said. “I am unwilling to punt this problem. … The people of Florida deserve better. When we finally put a budget on the desk for its 72-hour waiting period, let it be a budget that was truly worth fighting for.”
